Tag: Rich Mauro
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Wine Guy: Don’t wait for special occasion for bubbly
While sparkling wine is for most drinkers the wine of choice for special occasions such as holidays, New Year’s celebrations, Valentine’s Day and weddings, I suggest bubbly is enjoyable anytime, including tonight’s meal. Sparkling wine is made just about everywhere on the planet and at a variety of price points. Here is a sampling (all…
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Wine Guy: Consider vino for a holiday gift
If you are looking to make a holiday wine splurge, consider these California cabernet sauvignon, merlot and bordeaux-style blends. Whether you gift yourself or someone else, these wines showcase a pursuit of excellence regardless of price. Cabernet sauvignon • 2019 Brandlin Estate ($90): Fruit grown on Mt. Veeder in the Mayacamas mountains; dark berries, bay…
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Wine Guy: Support Colorado wine for the holidays
Colorado wine has grown in quality and national recognition in recent years (and size, now with about 170 businesses across the state). “The Colorado wine industry is a hotbed of innovation and creativity, thanks to our dedicated grape growers and hard-working winemakers,” says Doug Caskey, executive director of the Colorado Wine Industry Development Board. This…
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Wine Guy: Argentina’s Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon
While Argentina’s wine production is quite varied, in recent years, malbec has emerged as its signature grape and established a position among the U.S.’s most popular wines. A minor blending grape in Bordeaux, though important in southwest France, it experiences an alchemy in the vineyards of Mendoza, Argentina’s most important wine region. The dramatic landscape…
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Wine Guy: Italy’s Prosecco offers quality and value
Cocktail fans know that the popular Bellini is made with Prosecco and peach puree. Wine drinkers know that Prosecco is a satisfyingly fresh, graceful sparkling wine that is one of the best values around. Prosecco also is the name of the production zone in the hills of the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Guilia regions of…
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Wine Guy: West Coast chardonnay offers enjoyment all year
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Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Chardonnay’s place at the pinnacle of popularity in the U.S. has lasted for nearly four decades. Its adaptability to different growing conditions and winemaking styles partly explains this. There was a period of winemaking excess, characterized by harvesting overripe grapes, overuse of new oak barrels…
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Wine Guy: A cornucopia of inviting, reasonably affordable pinot noir
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save I have been increasingly impressed with the quality of Oregon and California pinot noir in recent years. My recent tastings were so prolific, I decided to write two columns. The only downside is that prices have risen rather aggressively. Because pinot noir is especially transparent…
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Wine Guy: Flavorful red and white wines from the Iberian Peninsula
Spain and Portugal share a remarkable landscape, the Iberian Peninsula, home to some of the most interesting wine grapes and fascinating wines. Arguably the most famous region in Spain is Rioja. In view of the Sierra de Cantabria Mountains, its vineyards are blanketed with tempranillo vines, Spain’s most planted red grape. The variety typically exhibits…
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Wine Guy: Zinfandel offers fine drinking all year
Zinfandel has long been my favorite red wine. There are many reasons for this. It is versatile with food: as good with red meat as cabernet; even better with spicy foods; and really shines with barbecue and grilled foods, especially sausages. Zinfandel captures the essence of exuberance in a glass. Though it can be made…
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Wine Guy: These producers signify the best of Veneto winemaking
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Italy’s Veneto region is home to cultural touchstones such as Venice, Padua and Verona. And to the wine-growing regions of Soave and Valpolicella. After World War II, the white wine Soave and the red wine Valpolicella became incredibly popular in the U.S., but eventually quality…