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4 Wine Varietals You Should Know

Susannah Chen — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:48:47 PDT

With the United States officially surpassing France in total wine consumption, wine drinkers aren't just about Chardonnay and Cab - they're into New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Argentinian Malbec, and Australian Shiraz, too.

But beyond the usual suspects, there are plenty of grape varietals out there are that have flown under the radar. Take the time to seek them out, as they've got distinct flavor characteristics and are generally awesome values. For some of our favorites, keep reading.

Wines We Tried (and Loved!) This Week

Susannah Chen — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:05:09 PDT

In some ways, sipping the world's wines can be a hopeless endeavor; there's so much wine out there that we could sample wine all day long and still get nowhere near tasting everything. That doesn't mean we won't try! From a Portuguese Vinho Verde to a Spanish Rioja, here are some memorable wines we quaffed this week, as well as reasons why we loved them.

3 Ways to Make the Most of Your Leftover Wine

Lizzie Fuhr — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:40:22 PDT

We've all been in this predicament: you opened a fresh bottle of wine, poured yourself a glass, then realized weeks later that you wasted tons of vino. This may have been a bummer in the past, but it's time to rethink this age-old problem. Leftover wine does not need to go to waste down the drain; it can be repurposed for sheer culinary delight. Here are three easy ways to make the most of your old wine.

Make homemade vinegar. Pour your leftover wine into a covered container (make sure it's not airtight!) and set it in a cool, dark location to allow it to ferment. The solution will start off murky, but you'll see it clarify with time. Once you see a white skin at the bottom, a bacterial culture known as the "mother," the homemade vinegar is ready to incorporate into your favorite recipes.
The first time you make wine into vinegar, you'll have to wait several months. But after the initial cultivation, you can whip up new batches of vinegar every few weeks using the original mother.
Deglaze your pan. Deglazing may seem like an intimidating term, but chances are you're deglazing your pan all the time without even knowing it - that is, adding a bit more liquid and cooking off the goodness at the bottom of the pan. If you're typically adding stock in this process, add some wine instead to bring a whole new richness and complexity of flavors to your dish.

Keep reading for the last way to make the most out of leftover wine.

Make Your Glass of Bubbly Even Fancier

Camilla Salem — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:37:38 PDT

Champagne and sparkling wine are pretty fancy on their own, but if you're looking to make the moment even more special, we've got a few simple ideas for you.

Use berries: Drop a few fresh raspberries or blackberries in your glass for a fruity addition. The delicate champagne bubbles will get trapped in the berry, and you'll be left with a fizzy treat at the end of your drink. Pomegranate seeds are another great option, as they float really sweetly among the bubbles.
Make a champagne cocktail: This classic libation involves a sugar cube, bitters, and just a touch of Armagnac.
Play with interesting liqueurs: A bit of cassis transforms a glass of champagne into a kir royale. Play around with your favorite liqueurs, like St-Germain or crème de violette, to create memorable drinks.
Create a sugar rim: Get crafty with your champagne glass by using sanding sugar. Colorful sugar rims are unexpected and playful.
Make a strawberry garnish: A strawberry and a sprig of fresh mint can make a lovely garnish - one that makes any occasion even more celebratory.

How do you like to fancy up your glass of bubbly?

Drinking Red Wine May Help Keep You Slim, Study Says

Lizzie Fuhr — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:42:41 PDT

Great news for everyone out there who loves a big, bold red! A recent study shows that a compound found in red wine may block fat cell formation. Just another example of how wine is beneficial to your health!

As reported by the Journal of Biological Chemistry, a team out of Purdue University, piceatannol is the name of the compound you should get acquainted with. Kee-Hong Kim, an assistant professor of food science, found that the piceatannol compound actually binds itself to insulin receptors and blocks the insulin's ability to control cell cycles. By blocking these pathways, immature fat cells are unable to evolve and mature. Piceatannol could help delay the formation of mature fat cells, or even stop the formation completely. While the ongoing study is in its early stages, the findings could lead towards a method to help control fat growth in humans.

While we love a good glass of vino as much as the next girl, luckily drinking is not the only way to ingest the compound. It's also found in some of our favorite fruits like red grapes, passion fruit, and blueberries. What do you think of this study? Will you grab an extra glass of wine tonight to celebrate?

7 Perks of Joining a Wine Club

Anna Monette Roberts — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:12:34 PDT

In the past few years, American wineries have popped up everywhere, on both coasts. You can find them in the New York Finger Lakes region, Texas, and, of course, all over California.

While you can always buy your favorite wines at the grocery, joining a wine club has plenty of perks, especially if you find yourself purchasing three or more bottles per month. Take a look at these seven benefits that wine club members typically receive to help you decide if membership is right for you.

Great discounts: Most wine clubs offer deliveries of three bottles of wine quarterly or every other month at a discounted rate of 20 to 30 percent per bottle. For moderately priced bottles, that can add up to $20 to $30 in savings with each delivery.
Special reserves: Wineries store special reserves, wine club exclusives, estate-grown wines, and vintage wines (grapes that were all grown and harvested in a single year) for their wine club members. Expect your deliveries to be sprinkled with a few of these ultraspecial bottles.
VIP space: If you've ever been to Napa during the Summer, you've experienced the exhausting, crowded, and crazy tasting bars. Several wineries rope off a VIP section of the bar for wine club members, so you'll receive immediate attention from a bartender and have space to breathe and sip your wine leisurely.
Free tastings: It's pretty standard to receive free tastings and even free glasses of wine when you visit the winery. Bring your friends too! Typically wineries will also give your guest (or even parties up to four) a free tasting as well.
VIP winery tours: Wineries provide tours of the grounds, and wine club members usually receive free and/or private tours that may cover parts of the winery that aren't open to the public.
Harvest dinner: Especially during the Summer and Fall, wineries send out invites for special events like pool parties, movie nights, and seasonal dinners that are exclusive to wine club members.
Discounted food: Some wineries have restaurants attached to them and will give 20 to 30 percent off the price of snacks or meals so you can enjoy the oysters or chocolate-covered strawberries at a more reasonable rate.

Are you a member of any wine clubs? Which wineries' clubs would you consider joining?

Wines We Tried (and Loved!) This Week

YumSugar — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:15:43 PST

In some ways, sipping the world's wines can be a hopeless endeavor; there's so much wine out there that we could sample wine all day long and still get nowhere near tasting everything. That doesn't mean we won't try! From an Israeli white to sweet Argentinian red wine blend, here are some memorable wines we quaffed this week, as well as reasons why we loved them.

Why You Should Go For the Cheap Wine

Emily Co — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 12:05:10 PST

Most of us like to think we're wine connoisseurs and that our taste buds are ultrasensitive to the nuances of wine. And there's a common perception that the more expensive the wine is, the better it tastes. Actually, a recent study by Penn State and Brock University researchers found that most people can't tell the difference between the $10 box wine vs. the fine wine from a fancy vineyard.

Penn State researcher John Hayes tells NPR that after evaluating hundreds of wine drinkers, they found that the wine experts, which include writers and winemakers, were 40 percent more sensitive to the bitter taste and have a more "acute sense of taste."

So if you're thinking of buying some wine to bring over to a friend's place or to enjoy on your own, just reach for the cheaper option. You guys probably can't tell the difference anyway.

6 Wines We Tried (and Loved!) in South Beach

YumSugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:31:00 PST

There's a reason the word "wine" comes before "food" at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival: wine flowed freely everywhere at the event. We found ourselves particularly drawn to the distinct wines from the Marlborough region of New Zealand, but we also fell in love with a robust rosé from the Côtes de Provence as well as a prestigious bottle of bubbly. See all of our favorite vinos when you read ahead.

Wines We Tried (and Loved!) This Week

YumSugar — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:30:05 PST

In some ways, sipping the world's wines can be a hopeless endeavor; there's so much wine out there that we could sample wine all day long and still get nowhere near tasting everything. That doesn't mean we won't try! From an Italian Prosecco to once-in-a-lifetime 1983 Château Mouton Rothschild, here are some memorable wines we quaffed this week, as well as reasons why we loved them.