Rosé may be the quintessential Summer wine. It goes with just about any food from spicy appetizers to grilled meats to cheese plates, but it isn't so acidic that it can't be sipped alone. We tried a whole slew of Rosés, from bone-dry to syrupy sweet, but these five are just right, plus they have an affordable price tag to match. Keep reading to find your next picnic wine.
Packing for a picnic is simple: little more is needed than a trusty blanket, an assortment of snacks, and — perhaps most important of all —a bottle of crisp, refreshing wine. Quaffable, approachably priced (all three bottles are less than $20), and food-friendly, these options are practically tailor-made for sipping in the park or on a mountaintop. Watch the video to find your perfect alfresco tipple, and then gear up for a relaxing afternoon spent outdoors.
Wines Featured:
Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc
Rock Wall Grenache Rosé
La Marca Prosecco
May 23 is National Chardonnay Day, and to celebrate the most popular white grape varietal, we rounded up seven bottles we've recently tried and adored. Whether you're a fan of the big oaky, buttery styles, prefer a clear and crisp version, or even lean toward sweeter white wines, we've got a bottle for you.
In your blog travels, you may have come across the Dekoop Gorgeous Helen Wine Shades which tops off your wine glasses to make easy votive lamps for your parties. I couldn't get them off my mind for months when I first saw them; I thought they were so clever. Sadly, they are no longer available for purchase but then, lucky me, I came across a DIY to make them. The project is fairly simple, and allows a lot of room for creativity. You can leave yours as plain vellum, or punch decorative holes in them, screen-print them, or even paint them! It's up to you, but regardless, this project is fabulous, inexpensive, and perfect for that wedding you're planning!
Supplies:
Here's how, from Save On Crafts:
Still stumped on what to get mom for Mother's Day? If she's a wine lover — and really, who isn't? — show her how much you care by indulging her enological tendencies. Read on for five ideas.
Breweries have been known to design a signature glass for their beer, so is it that out of the ordinary for a winery to develop a signature wine glass to enhance the tasting experience of its wine? Argentinian winery Graffigna Centenario doesn't think so: it's partnered with stemware giant Riedel to develop a signature, six-month-exclusive glass for the winery's Malbec wines. We were sent a pair of the new glasses along with a bottle of Graffigna's Grand Reserve Malbec to taste the difference for ourselves. But to detect differences in the Malbec's scent and flavor, we poured it in three different glasses: a standard wine glass, a red wine stem glass from The One, and the Riedel Malbec glass. Would the new stemware help us taste the Malbec through rose-colored glasses? What flavors would it bring out in the glass, if any? Continue reading to see our results.
With picnic season upon us, now is the perfect time to find a chic yet practical carrier to tote your wine bottles. With a mix of sleek leather options, colorful containers, and a few accessories for your outdoor sips, we're helping you bring style to all your alfresco meals. Prep for sunny lunches by taking a look at these adorable wine bottle carriers!
Can you guess what's in this drink? Don't let the orange hue fool you; these mimosas aren't made with oranges — instead, they're made fruity with the help of mango purée and grapefruit juice. Mango thickens and sweetens the mimosa, while the grapefruit provides a crispness that complements the sparkling wine.
Nothing beats fresh, so if you have time, then whirl up ripe mango chunks in a food processor to make homemade mango purée and squeeze some grapefruits in a citrus juicer. Keep reading for the recipe.
Conventional wisdom maintains that white wine pairs better with cheese than red. There's certainly some validity to that statement, but with the right kind of red wine and cheese, this can be done to elegant effect, as I recently learned at a seminar taught by experts Laura Werlin and Naomi Smith at the Artisan Cheese Festival.
Much of the issue with pairing red wine with cheese comes down to tannins (the bitter, mouth-drying component present in red wine, tea, coffee, and some fruits like acai), which are notably absent from white wine. When selecting wines, choose a red with integrated tannins — think smooth and velvety, rather than rough and harsh. Wines grown in a cooler climate — think Oregon, Washington State, or Sonoma versus Napa — and particular milder, lighter-bodied wines like Pinot Noir or a restrained Cabernet Sauvignon are a safer bet. Look for a wine with an alcohol content of 14 percent or less when pairing with cheese, as these wines are less likely to overpower their cheesy companions.
Keep reading to learn what cheeses are generally most compatible with red wine.
Looking to bolster our Italian wine knowledge, we recently attended a tasting put on by Slow Wine (part of Slow Food) where we sampled offerings from Italy's many storied wine regions. While many pleased our palates, some stood out more than others. Click through for our top picks, and get inspired to savor a bottle or two yourself.
— Additional reporting by Susannah Chen and Anna Monette Roberts
