Wine Ratings for the Holidays
You may shop for wines using one of the well-known point systems. Let’s look at them a little bit.
December 5, 2012
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Ever felt awkward when ordering wine at a restaurant? Ever walked into a wine store and had no idea where to begin, what to buy or how much to pay?
Ever looked at a European wine label and wondered what’s in there? Then Wine-Flair.com is just for you. It’s all about wine education and appreciation, written in plain language.
You may shop for wines using one of the well-known point systems. Let’s look at them a little bit.
This Chianti, mostly from the Sangiovese grape, is a classified wine, and the DOCG means Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. That ought to mean something but it doesn’t mean all that much. Still, this is a very nice bottle of wine, especially for 11 bucks, which is about what
Spain grows great wines—Grenache and Carignane from Priorat, Tempranillo from Rioja and Ribero del Duero, and Albarino from Rias Biaxas to name a few. But Mencia is a grape you’ve probably never tasted and maybe never even heard of. This 100% Mencia is from the large Castilla y Leon region, but
This off-dry, which naturally means slightly sweet, white wine is the perfect pairing for spicy food and Asian food. And of course spicy Asian food (not all of it is). It goes great with Indian and Thai food, and lo and behold, they’re Asian. It’s pronounced “guh-vertz-trah-meen-er” by the way.
Rosé wine—mostly dry wine, that is—pairs great with a wide range of food. In fact it’s one of the best pairing wines there is. Rosé wine is a “bridge” between red and white wine, and don’t think “plonk” or White Zinfandel; Rosés can be sophisticated and fairly expensive, frankly, such
Champagne isn’t only for New Year’s Eve, weddings of people you love and funerals of people you didn’t. Here’s a quote from Lily Bollinger of the famous producer family of the same name, which perfectly captures all the reasons you should drink it: “I drink champagne when I’m happy and
Movies about wine are relatively few, and good ones are as rare as a 1961 Hermitage La Chapelle. Here’s an overview of a couple worth seeing, and some educational ones, too. Bottle Shock Bottle Shock, which was independently released in the United States in August of ’08, is available on
Things are pretty tough right now in Spain. Twenty-five percent unemployment. “Indignados” pitching tents in public parks like the “Occupy” movement did in the US a year ago, and recent massive public demonstrations in Madrid, Barcelona and other large cities. Looming bank bailouts and public sector spending cuts. Happily, things
Spanish whites seem to be so often defined by Albarino, which admittedly makes a wonderful wine, especially those from Rias Baixas in Galicia in northwestern Spain. But the Godello grape-and this “other” Spanish wine is 100% Godello-delivers up something completely different and something you should try, especially now that warmer
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