Category: Wine & Grapes

There are more than 5,000 varieties of wine grapes (Vitis vinifera). Continue reading →

Normally, you do not associate white wines with aging. Enjoy them young, with frisky spring flowers in the nose and green fruits on the tongue. Continue reading →

If you enjoy rooting for scrappy underdogs, Zinfandel is your wine. Continue reading →

Wine snobs roll their eyes in disdain, but for one in ten wine drinkers, White Zinfandel—the winemaker’s mistake that proved golden—is their wine of choice.
Sutter Home, Beringer, and Llano Estacado are leading White Zin sellers locally. White Zin comes in many different types. Some are made from Zinfandel grapes alone, others include Zinfandel blended with Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc. There are even sparkling White Zins. Continue reading →

“Meritage”—what is it, and why is it so pricey?
Answer one: American wine made by blending two or more grapes. Answer two: a winery’s premier wine. Continue reading →

As undisputed star of the 1990s varietal red wine boom, Merlot plantings in California soared from 2,000 acres in 1985 to more than 50,000 today. Continue reading →

Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine and Champagne/sparkling wines. Continue reading →

It’s hardest-to-pronounce wine grape: Gewurztraminer (guh-vyrts-trah-mee-nuhr). Continue reading →

For many, New Year’s and weddings are the only times they drink sparkling wine. More than 25 percent of the Champagne and sparkling wine sold each year is sold the week of New Year’s Eve. Continue reading →

Cabernet Sauvignon may be the world’s most recognizable red wine grape. Continue reading →