Category Archives: Sparkling Wine

Loving those fizzy Italian reds

Back in the mid-70s, I remember my mother would sometimes keep a jug of Riunite in the door of the fridge. We were not a drinking family — my father was a health nut, into fitness and exercise (a frequent … Continue reading

Posted in Italy, Sparkling Wine, Wine | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Wednesday wine recommendations 12/13/2017

The holiday season is here, the month in which Americans buy the vast majority of sparkling wine sold in the United States. So throughout December, I will recommend a variety of bubblies from around the world, from good inexpensive fizz … Continue reading

Posted in Biodynamic, Champagne, France, Holidays, Italy, Natural Wine, Sparkling Wine, Washington Post | 1 Comment

Wednesday wine recommendations, 12/6/2017

This week’s recommendations include two delicious wines made from Semillon, a grape too often ignored by producers and consumers. Plus, we have an exotic white wine from Italy, an intriguing “natural” wine made of grenache from southern France, and an … Continue reading

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Wednesday wine recommendations, 8/23/2017

Riesling can be one of the most thrilling wines. This week’s selections include a scintillating example from Alsace, made from organic grapes, plus a lovely Rhone red and an electric white from Sicily. For novelty, how about a tasty kosher … Continue reading

Posted in Alsace, France, Italy, Rhône, Riesling, Sparkling Wine, Washington Post, Wine | Tagged | Leave a comment

Wednesday wine recommendations, 8/2/2017

Here are some more wines for summer: An enjoyable sparkler to get the party started, two rosés to help set the patio mood, and a substantial red to wash down those hefty meats off your grill.   Le Clos des … Continue reading

Posted in Bargain Wines, France, Italy, Sparkling Wine, Wine | Tagged | 1 Comment

Relieve Some Pressure: Pop a Cork!

Opening a bottle of Champagne relieves pressure — both on the bottle and on the drinker. Those bubbles that mark life’s celebrations are really mood-altering drugs. Continue reading

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#TBT: Not All Festive Fizz Comes from You-Know-Where

To call other sparkling wines “champagne” is unfair, not only to champagne producers, which try to protect the brand, but also to the wide range of bubblies from around the world that have their own character and identity. Continue reading

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Champagne: What Glass to Choose?

A new glass promises to help us enjoy Champagne to the utmost.
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Posted in Champagne, France, Sparkling Wine, Wine | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Michigan’s Varietal Variety

My recent visit to the Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas in northwest Michigan led to me Lansing, where I helped judge the 37th annual Michigan wine competition. Michigan’s emergence into our wine consciousness seems too recent for the state to … Continue reading

Posted in Local Wine, Michigan, Riesling, Sparkling Wine, Wine | Tagged , | 3 Comments

50 States of Wine – Le Metro Underground Goes Cross Country

Earlier this year, after I wrote about the difficulty of finding the so-called “New California” wines, I was introduced to Aaron Epstein, a San Diego-based entrepreneur and new father who operates Le Metro. Wine. Underground, a subscription direct-to-consumer retailer. To use … Continue reading

Posted in Cabernet Franc, California, Colorado, Eastern US, Local Wine, Rants, Riesling, Sparkling Wine, Texas, Virginia, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment