For many people there is no better way to ring in the new year then to pop open a bottle of sparkling wine.  For most of us when we think or sparkling wine we think “Champagne” just like we think “xeroxing” when mean we want to make a copy and we reach for a “Band-Aid” when we mean we want a bandage. The only place that they make “Champagne” is in the Champagne region of France.  There are sparkling wines that are called “champagne” (please note the C is not capitalized) from other parts of the world like California, but they are not the real thing.  If you want an excellent chance of getting an excellent sparkling wine by all means buy a bottle of real Champagne.  You will also most likely pay a premium for that excellence as  it will cost you upwards of $40.00 a bottle.  That is appropriate if you are celebrating your anniversary, a promotion, or are an enthusiast.  But on New Years Eve most people are just looking to suck something down ...

It was December 1998. My father had recently passed away and my mother was having a hard time dealing with his loss.    She was one of the most charismatic happy people on earth who always had a glow about her, and it was difficult seeing her in such a funk.  She was in her early 80’s  was feeling her age and let me know that in addition to the loss of her husband she was having a hard time dealing with the fact that she would never see her brothers/sister nieces/nephews again.  We could not bring my dad back but we could do something about having her see her family.  Along with my wife and two sons, who had never met their Sicilian family, my mother and I traveled to Sicily the for Easter 1999.   When they heard about our visit our 60 or so aunts/uncles/cousins could not agree on who would host us for Easter dinner (they all WANTED to host us not the other way around).  Their solution was that they would rent out a banquet room at a l...

You have been obsessing all week on how you were going to get her to say yes.     You decided you were going to go into classic mode and impress her with a great dinner a fine bottle of wine and then pop the question.   You take her to her favorite french restaurant.  The waiter comes over and asks if you would like some wine.  You ask to see the wine list and let him know that you would like a bottle of wine but are going to wait until you know what you are going to eat before ordering.  She glances at you with that “ooh this guy knows what he’s doing” look in her eye.  A great start.  You think a 2009 Chateau La Ponte Pomerol is the perfect choice for the braised beef she is ordering so you order a bottle. The waiter arrives with the bottle and shows you the label before opening the wine  It is a Chateau La Ponte alright, but a 2011.  This has happened to you before where a restaurant will by mistake or by design will...

You are one of those “I hate red wine, I only drink white” kind of people? It’s fine.  This is America you are free to be who you want to be.  But that doesn’t mean you are right.    I would bet that the reason you don’t like red wine is because you probably have gone about it all wrong.   You are probably used to drinking fruit wine, sweet wines (click here to find out if it is wrong to drink sweet wine) , or even chardonnay.  Someone once probably served you a two year old red Napa Cabernet Sauvignon and your face puckered up like an old guy who forgot to put in his dentures, and you probably e spit it out thinking to yourself “who the heck can drink this crap”.  Starting out with a young Cabernet Sauvignon is like learning to ski on an Olympic downhill course instead of the bunny hill.  You simply started with the wrong red wine.  You went too fast too soon.   The reason your mouth puckered up and you did not enjoy th...

Amare Stoudemire takes baths in red wine to help him with his rehab and rejuvenate his body.   Click here to read the ESPN article and to see the video.   I wonder if a fine Bordeaux has more healing power then two buck chuck?

Drop what you are doing and immediately go to Costco and by as many bottles of Acrobat 2012 Oregon Pinot Noir $9.99.  It compares f avorably to wines costing $30.00 or more.  Don’t know if your Costco carry’s it but if it does you should buy as much as possible before they run out.  I got some at the Costco on Hayden in Scottsdale. It is spicy, smooth, has a wonderful floral aroma, and has the right balance between earthiness and fruit.  Unless you are having major surgery or giving birth you have no excuse for not taking my advice and buying some.  Go now, try some and let me know what you think.    Quit reading this and go already.  What are you still doing reading this?  Go!!!

Joe Cillo of Cleveland Ohio asks “what is the difference between a horizontal and a vertical wine tasting?”.  W ell Joe I know that for someone like you a horizontal tasting is the portion of a tasting after you have had too much to taste. But for others a horizontal tasting compares wines from the same year but from multiple producers. For example at a horizontal tasting you may taste nothing but 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Bogle, Kunde, BV, Grgich Hills, and Joel Gott.   That way, in comparing the wines, you get a better understanding of the wine style of that particular producer, and you can then decide which producers match your taste.    A vertical tasting involves wine from the same producer but from different years.  For example a vertical tasting may consist Ravenswood Zinfandel from 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.  That way you get a better understanding of the each vintage in order to better understand the vintage that best fits your t...

Dolcetto is a wine from Piedmont region of Italy that has a confusing name.  Translated into English it means “sweet little one”, an odd name for a wine that is not sweet.  Dolcetto is a dry, fruity, slightly tannic (the characteristic of wine that makes your mouth pucker) wine with low acidity (the characteristic of wine that makes your mouth water).  It is made to drunk young so look for a vintage that is 3 years old or less. It pairs well with simple meals like Italian sausage, pasta with meat sauce, and pizza with meat toppings.  You might also enjoy it on a summer day when you are grilling steaks and it’s just too hot for a Cabernet or other big red wine.  Like the simple food that it pairs with it commands a simple price.  You can good a good bottle of Dolcetto for around $15 or less.    Give it a try and let me know what you think.  

Your wine guy has always viewed wine as a major component of a meal.  Like meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables I consider wine a major food group.  The many health benefits of wine, especially red wine, have been well documented. I may on occasion feel the effects of the wine I drink but I can’t recall (and not because of a blackout) the last time I was actually drunk.   For me and most other wine people it is about the experience not the alcohol. I have many friends and relatives that don’t drink wine for health reasons.  I feel bad for them but obviously health comes first.  I also have friends that seem to equate drinking wine with lying, cheating and stealing and as a sure ticket on a pathway to hell.  When I am with them and I have a glass of wine they are either visibly uncomfortable or find ways to communicate their disapproval.  It may not be fair but many times I don’t bother ordering wine when I am because the stress diminishes the en...

Mrs. Wine Guy was throwing a bridal shower for the future daughter in law recently.  My hope was that I would get to go visit one of my buddies or head over to the sports bar and watch a game on TV, or do some other manly pursuit.  That hope was short lived when the Mrs. WG asked “would you mind being the bartender”.  Knowing that no was not an option I lied and said “I’d be happy to honey.”  So there I was, committed to using up a perfectly good Sunday afternoon serving wine to 14 ladies.  I did not know about half of the ladies attending and I knew that at least four of them did not drink at all.  So I was selecting wine for at most 10 ladies.  Two were Mrs. Wine Guy and the bride’s mother both of which who have fairly sophisticated palates.  I have a niece that is a fan of Pinot Noir, and the bride to be that will only drink sweet wine , but the rest of them were uncharted territory.  I had to put my wine guy skills to the ...

My wife and I are hosting my son’s and future daughter in laws rehearsal dinner in a couple of weeks.  We are having it at one of our favorite Italian restaurants.  In addition to picking out the menu we are of course going to choose the wine.  Despite being a wine guy I still find the process of picking wines a bit intimidating.  Not that I have any problem picking out the right wine I am a wine guy after all, but it’s just so hard to make everyone happy.  I have already told you about my daughter in law to be that only drinks sweet wine (click here in case you missed it) .  Her parents are wine people as well with some pretty strong views of wines they like as well.  They have never disappointed me with their wine selections.  There are also people going to the dinner with varying degrees of wine-e-ness  that ranges from I only drink white, to I only drink cabs, to wine is the devil's nectar and should be avoided lest ye risk eternal damn...

Have not blogged in a bit because Mrs. Wine Guy and I do what wine couples do and took a River Cruise in Bordeaux.  The Mrs. went for the sites, the sounds, and the history, while I went for the wine and that is what I am going to discuss.  The French think that they do all things better than anyone else on earth.  After almost being crushed to death trying to see the Mona Lisa and the chaos at Charles de Gaulle airport I’m not sure I agree but the French may have a point when it comes to their love of wine.  Wine is the centerpiece of most of their meals, and they take maintaining their quality standards very seriously.  Many people thing the best wines in France come from Bordeaux. The wines in Bordeaux are not named after the grapes used to make them  but after the area where they are grown.   The grapes for wines labeled “Bordeaux” can be grown anywhere in the region while wines made from grapes grown only in a smaller sub-region u...

Mr. Franklin Yost of Bocca Del Vista Florida writes: "Hey wine guy I'm 82 years old, have been holding on to several bottles of wine for several years but I'm thinking if I don't hurry up and drink 'em they will outlive me. How long should I wait?" . Thanks for your question Franklin.  How long to age wine is one of the most frequent questions us wine guys get.  Given your age I will try and answer quickly. Most people think that the older a wine gets the better it gets.  That is not always the case and, unlike you Franklin, even wines that improve with age at some point start to decline.  The main reason for that change is that over time the tiny amount of oxygen that the cork allows into the bottle causes the tannin in the wine (what makes your mouth pucker up when you drink some wines bite into a tea bag and you will understand) to soften making the wine smoother.  As the tannin becomes less pronounced the fruit and other flavors become more not...

My older son is getting married this fall and I have never seen him happier.  He is always in a good mood, I have never seen him dress and groom himself better, and it is obvious whenever they are together how much they care about each other.  That said I was conflicted about their pending union and had considered standing up and objecting when the minister got to that part of the ceremony. The issue I was having with my future daughter in law was the fact that she only drinks sweet wines! When I explained my dilemma to my fellow wine guys and gals I could see look of shock and concern on their faces.  They were united in their advice that I should urge my son to dump her, the sooner the better.  I could see their point but what could I do?  He seemed so happy but could that happiness last without being able to share the deep full black cherry, peppery, licorice flavor of a Cabernet Sauvignon?  Can they survive the rough spots without savoring the ...

We Wine Guys and Gals have a sacred duty to spread our love and deep knowledge of wine with those around us.  There is nothing we like more when sharing a glass of fine wine with a neophyte then seeing that look of delight in their eyes and you know you have just helped them understand that wine is more about the art than it is about the alcohol.  But I have also come to realize no matter how hard I try I will never see that look in the eyes of some people.   I love my cousin Guido.  We shared some great memories growing up playing army, shooting hoops, and getting into several varieties of trouble not appropriate to mention on a family oriented wine blog.  He helped me get through some rough patches in my life, and I in his.  He is one of the most important relationships in my life and there is no one I would rather share my love of wine with.  I got transferred to another town and had not seen Guido for a couple of years.  It...

Mrs. Andrea Bodine of Dermott, Arkansas writes: “Hey Wine Guy, I read your informative and insightful article about where to buy wine. I know you think I should go to an independently owned wine shop and avoid the super market but I just don’t have the time.  Why it is all I can do to run out to the Piggly Wiggly and back between episodes of House Hunter International to buy that nights dinner.  I’d much rather find out if they went with the beach house on the Timor or the ranch in the outback than spend a day looking for wine.  I’d just as soon buy my wine at the same time I am buying my fryer, yams, and okra.  Is there any way I can get a decent bottle of wine at the super market?” Well Andrea first of all thank you for recognizing how insightful and informative my article was.  After all I am the “Wine Guy” so you should expect nothing less.  That said if you insist on turning a deaf ear to my advice and buy wine at the super market here ...

One of the questions us wine guys and gals get asked most often is “Where is the best place to buy my wine”.  Like so many things in life the answer to that question is “It depends”. If you are unsure of exactly what you want but it is important for you to find a good bottle of wine you need to go to an independently owned wine shop.  Most of these shops only have room for a limited selection of so they generally only stock what the owner feels are the best examples of each wine.  For most of these owners it as much a mission as it is a business.  They have a deep knowledge of wine and care deeply that their customers enjoy the wines they purchase, and that their customers grow in their understanding and appreciation of wine.   There is nothing more they enjoy than answering questions and helping customers. The only drawback is that you will generally have to pay a little more for your wine, but most of the time it is not all that significant consi...