Tag: red wine

wine

An Up-Close Look At Californian Vineyards Saving Their Crops

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It’s more important than ever to keep an ear to the ground. Becoming emotionally detached in this stressful snowball of a year is a helpful short-term reaction, but a devastating long-term one.

This behind-the-scenes peek from Insider News shows the hard — and often desperate — work being put in to protect Californian vineyards from wildfires. Many of these yields aren’t even fully ripe, but it’s either that or risk the entire crop being tainted by smoke and ash. They don’t even need to be on fire to have their flavor changed entirely from all the changes in the air. According to multiple historians, these wildfires could very well be California’s worst in history.

Wine farmers and businessowners are given a rock and a hard place: let the grapes rot and file an insurance claim or try to sell what little they can.

When I visited one of Townshend’s local winetasting events early this year (right before COVID-19 started making waves), I tried some wildfire-tainted wine myself. It’s no minor side-effect: at best it has a smoky tang that drowns out the bottle’s subtle flavor notes. At worst it’s like trying to drink a cigarette. Just one sip and I was coughing. While this was from one experimental barrel surrounded by successful harvests, this video shows just how heartbreaking it is to see months (even years) of love and toil whisked away.

History in the making sounds grand on paper, but it’s usually an exhausting, demoralizing affair. If you’re thinking of buying wine soon, go for the smaller, local businesses. There are some truly stellar brands out there that don’t have grocery wholesale or household names on their side that could use your support.

wine

Need Help Getting Into Wine? Learn About The Robust And Dry Spanish Red Wine Tempranillo

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Saying you like red wine is as basic as saying you like clothes. Points for honesty and not much else.

What kind, from where, made by whom? It’s a lot of minor and major details, to say the least, and it’s not surprising this expectation of a historical deep-dive can turn new drinkers off entirely. More pieces lately have been cropping up concerning this self-imposed barrier in the wine industry, from complicated labeling to stubborn marketing clinging to a very specific demographic. Fortunately for new wine drinkers, the Internet is the great equalizer.

This great guide over on Wine Folly offers up a detailed, yet brisk breakdown of Tempranillo, the Spanish red grape that’s defined the country’s wine scene. It’s a very robust variety that’s sometimes compared to smoke and leather, quite a jump from the fruitier cherry and raspberry notes of some pinot noir varieties. That’s right alongside breakdowns of the grape’s history, cultivation and long-standing appreciation in today’s stores. While I’m looking to buy more merlot, I’m excited to try Tempranillo soon.

Next chance you get to visit the grocery store, consider double-checking your red wine origins for Tempranillo. You might just find a fresh (or rather, dry) favorite.

review, wine

Two Great Things That Are Even Better Together: Wine And Kittens At Townshend’s Sip And Snuggles Event

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You heard that right. Cute kittens and hearty helpings of wine all in one convenient place. And you thought perfection didn’t exist.

Back in January I visited the Townshend winery to try out some of their different varieties and get an up close look at all the work that goes into filling up a bottle. It was an illuminating experience for this relative newcomer to the wine scene: I was able to see their stores up close, try wine straight out of the barrel and taste wine that’s been impacted by the Pacific Northwest wildfires. Just when I thought it couldn’t be topped? Cute animals are brought into the mix. Oh, you mad geniuses.

It’s funny looking at these photos in retrospect, taken right before the world decided to spin off its axle and leave us all dizzy.

Continue reading “Two Great Things That Are Even Better Together: Wine And Kittens At Townshend’s Sip And Snuggles Event” →
wine corkscrews
guide, review, signal boosting, wine

Wandering With Purpose: Visiting Wanderlust Delicato For A Taste Of Local Culture

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Props to my roommate for inviting me to places. I’d probably never leave the apartment otherwise.

My city — and Washington state in general — is well-known for its wine and coffee production. I chose a good spot in my life to bolster my business writing focus, as my location is more than ready to meet me halfway. According to the Washington State Wine Commission, there are around nine hundred wineries in the state of Washington alone: that’s the second highest in the country and an impressive number right after California’s chokehold. As such, I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone and giving some of these locations a try these past few months, all in favor of a (slightly) more adventurous 2020.

(slightly being the keyword here, I’m still a full-time introvert with a PhD in curmudgeonly isolation and now the coronavirus has given me even more ample reason not to step foot outside)

When we swung by Wanderlust Delicato back in February I was taken aback by its lovely decor, greeting me with shiny wooden floors, box crate walls and countless rows of wine varieties. A quintessential and classic choice for wine shops, sure, but with a homeliness that hearkens to the organized chaos of an attic or storage shed (if it were far cleaner). It’s a proverbial repurposed forest, inviting in a cozy atmosphere and rewarding the wandering eye.

And wander I did.

Continue reading “Wandering With Purpose: Visiting Wanderlust Delicato For A Taste Of Local Culture” →
wine bottles on kitchen counter
guide, review, wine

When Price Meets Quality: Five Affordable Pacific Northwest Wines At $25 Or Less

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The Pacific Northwest is the queen of wine production in the United States. Whether or not this will change remains to be seen, because today’s wine selections aren’t giving an inch.

California has held the top spot for decades, followed close behind by Washington with nearly a thousand wineries to its name. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, congratulations: drinking local is as easy as throwing a rock! I’ll be doing another post on Washington-based wines in the future, but for now we’re going to take a look at some lower price point wines made throughout the Pacific Northwest. With wine still remaining inaccessible and convoluted at the best of times, every little crack in the veneer matters.

I’ll make it plain in no uncertain terms that I live on a small budget. My palate, however, isn’t exactly acquiescing. In an attempt to save and expand my horizons, I’ve decided to compile a list of affordable red and white wine brands I’ve tried over the past few months. I’ll go into the body, the flavor notes and what I like to pair them with, as well as other details like prominent packaging. Because you don’t have to go broke to enjoy a delicious, relaxing cup of pinot noir.

These are ranged from most to least expensive, with none going beyond the $25 tag (and if you exceed the limit, there are plenty of wine stores online).

Continue reading “When Price Meets Quality: Five Affordable Pacific Northwest Wines At $25 Or Less” →
industry news, wine

When Water Runs Red: A Pleasant Surprise For A Small Italian Village

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The truth really is stranger than fiction.

Heard this interesting little story through the grapevine: a village in Italy got a pretty grape surprise a few days back when their pipes got filled with wine instead of water. While this sounds like a barrel of fun, the residents were all too aware of how this spill can create long-term damage. Irregardless, some weren’t wining, finding this a dream come true and even bottling up the flow in home water bottles.

…I have no shame.

guide, industry news, review, wine

Better Late Than Never: Starting Off The Year With A Visit To The Townshend Winery

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Ever since taking on wine alongside coffee and tea, I’m facing up again with just how little I know.

So many French and Italian names! So many decades! So much variety! This classic drink has thousands of years to its name and even the most experienced in the industry continue to learn new things about the craft. With the wine industry being faced with a more nebulous interest by several demographics, proposed tariffs and the ongoing impact of environmental changes, I expect everyone is going to see their intimate wine know-how challenged moving forward.

As for me, well…I don’t plan on sitting on my laurels.

My friend’s mother invited me to a Townshend winetasting event in January, set up to celebrate their different varieties and stir up some buzz. It was a night of firsts: I’ve never been to a winetasting event (unless you count my roommate and I popping open a bottle on a Friday night), nor had I ever tried wine straight out of the barrel. Consider me excited to continue seeing what local Washington wine culture is all about.

Continue reading “Better Late Than Never: Starting Off The Year With A Visit To The Townshend Winery” →
industry news, wine

Happy National Wine Day! How Much Do You Know About The Drink?

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National Wine Day is upon us. That means being given a more plausible excuse to pour yourself a glass at three in the afternoon.

I got a real kick out of this piece earlier today: ABC’s short video talks about common misconceptions about wine, as well as validates what are thought to be misconceptions. Swirling the drink? It’s not just for show, as the oxygen brings out the wine’s flavor. Need to spend hundreds of dollars on a bottle? Probably not. The $15-20 price range is actually pretty good for most occasions.

I can definitely attest to that. Shout-out to my local Washington wine brands: you keep me buzzed.

For those that are getting into wine and struggling to figure out how to pair it with their meals, I like to look at wine flavors like a painting: just add contrast! If you’re eating something salty, pair it with a sweet wine. If you’re eating something savory, pair it with a fruity or tart wine. The more different the flavor notes, the more they bring out each other’s best. Don’t let a lack of knowledge keep you from trying new things. Even today’s leading wine experts are still learning something new about this old and delicious craft.

If you’re feeling like wine isn’t for you, for whatever reason, consider giving it a try this year. It’s a lot easier to get into than it seems and there’s a wine variety for just about everyone. All the French and Italian terminology will come later.