2024-02-17 21:14
The wine industry, broadly, is in a tizzy about the (perceived) state of affairs: a glut of bulk wine; too many planted acres; a lower appetite for wine especially among younger adults;… Read More
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couple decades ago
Wine-flair.com helps people understand and appreciate wine, learn how to taste wine, order a bottle in a restaurant, or just buy a great bottle in a store.
2023-08-03 23:48
So you’re sitting in a lovely, fine-dining restaurant that has an extensive wine list, including pages of selections from France, with a focus on Bordeaux. You’ve always like… Read More
2023-05-29 03:11
When you’re wine shopping in a store, you’ll usually see “shelf talkers,” those little tags that shout out wine ratings and accolades below the bottles. If not, y… Read More
2023-04-16 13:42
The rising demand for eco-friendly and sustainable packaging of all types of food, beverages, and consumer products has led to the adoption of alternative packaging options in the wine indus… Read More
2022-11-13 12:52
Thanksgiving will soon be here, and you’ve probably already decided on your menu. With Covid mostly out of mind now, if not totally defeated, many families have expanded Thanksgiving p… Read More
2022-04-22 00:30
Let’s first establish something: wine is the fermented juice of grapes. Sake is not wine. Neither is strawberry “wine.” And if the grape juice isn’t fermented, o… Read More
2021-11-20 13:00
Thanksgiving will soon be here, and you’ve probably already decided on your menu; hopefully in this year of the supply chain mess, you’ve already done your food shopping. And wit… Read More
2021-08-18 20:28
As new wineries pop up weekly, and online direct-to-consumer (DTC) wine clubs multiply, they’re all looking for a marketing hook. Unfortunately, one that’s increasingly being ad… Read More
2021-07-25 18:53
Warm weather is here. Very warm. In fact, unprecedented “heat domes” in June and now well into July, across much of the country. That’s one of the reasons—plus simply… Read More
2021-06-14 22:08
Wait a minute. Pinot Noir is a red wine grape, so what is this nonsense about a white?
Well, in this case, it’s unique, and not, in fact, nonsensical. But it’s a wine that fe… Read More
2021-05-31 18:27
Normandy, France: The American Cemetery above Omaha Beach. God bless these souls and all who have laid themselves on the altar of freedom Read More
2021-05-21 20:17
Most wine drinkers, even real enthusiasts, will never buy wine futures–but, some of us of even modest means will splurge. So what exactly is a “wine future?”
Well fo… Read More
2021-05-18 21:23
Three years ago, two MIT Grads created an algorithm that promised to choose “wine you love,” based on 18 attributes from a seven-question quiz, and your inputs would “help… Read More
2021-03-09 23:53
Steven Spurrier, the English merchant, educator, winemaker, and advocate, died March 9 at age 79. Thoughts, accolades, and remembrances of him have poured in all day from all quarters, inclu… Read More
2021-02-03 18:57
The effect of Covid19 on drinking habits is real: the vast expansion of Direct-to-Consumer wine shipments, subscriptions, and online vendors; younger drinkers opting for wine over beer and s… Read More
2021-01-10 16:12
Yes, New Year’s day is more than a week behind us, and in any event, the dawn of 2021 wasn’t a terribly celebratory event. But I have a bottle of something very special in front… Read More
2020-12-16 20:16
My 2020 wines of the year—a white, a red and a Champagne—are a slam dunk. Without further ado, here they are:
WHITE: Gundlach-Bundschu Estate Vineyard Gewurztraminer 2019: This w… Read More
2020-11-11 12:00
Thanksgiving will soon be here, and you’re probably starting to put together your menu.
Well, if you’re not…get on it! No matter what you’re having, you’… Read More
2020-10-15 01:07
Wine Flair’s Wine of the Week, Beyond Broke Road Pinot Gris 2018, is probably one that creates a little confusion. That’s because Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the… Read More
2020-10-07 14:48
Wine-Flair Wine of the Week is Don Zoilo Williams & Humbert Oloroso Sherry, 12 Years Old. Many Americans have heard of Sherry but relatively few have ever tasted it, and I’ll wager… Read More
2020-10-07 14:48
Wine-Flair Wine of the Week is Don Zoilo Williams & Humbert Oloroso Sherry, 12 Years Old. Many Americans have heard of Sherry but relatively few have ever tasted it, and I’ll wager… Read More
2020-09-25 01:09
Ok, an unusual name for this Wine Flair Wine of the Week! A play on prohibition, evidently (I was not there) in the ’20s you could get access to booze in a Speakeasy through a strong-w… Read More
2020-09-18 18:06
Welcome to the Wine-Flair Wine of the Week! Yes, I know it sounds like a disgusting cheese. Or maybe a quiche from Germany. It’s actually a delicious red wine made from a grape t… Read More
2020-09-11 10:00
I know you can get this at Wine.com, but I think (and hope) you can find it at many more outlets. If you do, buy some. Especially if you haven’t tried French wine, and specifically Bor… Read More
2020-09-05 21:31
OK so this Wine-Flair Wine of the Week is about a 50-buck wine. And it’s a classic Napa ballsy Cab: rich and concentrated dark fruit, balanced, lovely tannins and a long finish. Some (… Read More
2020-08-28 14:15
This wonderful white wine is the product of Randall (Randy) Graham, the quirky and unique founder of Bonny Doon, an enterprise that he created to produce American versions of the best Rh&oci&hell…Read More
2020-08-18 16:08
Conventional wisdom is that Primitivo was brought to California around 1968, and scientists at UC Davis declared it the same grape and wine we call Zinfandel in the US. But as far as I can t… Read More
2020-08-08 00:25
I walked onto a mediocre liquor store in New Brunswick, New Jersey the other day. Staring me in the face was a rather poorly-configured display of Cupcake “LightHearted” wines wh… Read More
2020-08-01 02:27
I couldn’t say goodbye to a month characterized by miserable heat waves (Or were they really? Maybe we just did too much testing with too many thermometers?) without mentioning these t… Read More
2020-07-10 15:08
Wine and food pairing is more than an art than a science. So open up and print or view the Wine-Flair Wine & Food Pairing Chart 2020. Pairing is one of the most frequent questions… Read More
2020-07-04 14:34
I don’t actually know the answer to that. This Black Box Sauvignon Blanc Chile 2019 is the first boxed wine I’ve ever bought, though I have tasted a few from time to time at even… Read More
2020-06-27 19:05
There are roughly nine weeks left of “traditional” summer—Memorial Day to Labor Day—and hopefully you’ve been able to buy and enjoy some lovely wines. I&r&hell…Read More
2020-06-17 00:35
It’s June 16th, which means I’m supposed to be at the beach house of my friend Chucky, in Freeport, Bahamas. Between the scourge of Covid19 and last September’s horrible, t… Read More
2020-05-31 21:19
I don’t know about you, but a quick scroll down my Facebook page a moment ago brought up ads for no fewer than 13 online wineries or wine clubs:
Buy Wines Online – Dry Farm Wines… Read More
2020-05-23 16:29
Italy is (a) wine country. So of course, surely, you’ve heard the names of these wines and the (grapes) from which they’re made: Amarone (Corvino, Molinera, Rondinella), Barolo a… Read More
2020-05-14 03:51
California Cabernets, especially from Napa, are well known for their power, richness, tannin, high alcohol…and too often, astronomical price. Those in the “cult” category… Read More
2020-05-03 21:31
I’ve seen a lot of ads on Facebook lately for the Firstleaf wine “club.” The ad takes you to a 13-question quiz, kinda like a junior high “pop quiz,” (because y… Read More
2020-04-07 16:30
So how’s that glass of Seyval Blanc I just poured you? What d’ya think of that Baco Noir? Care to purchase another bottle of Norton?
You’ve probably never heard these… Read More
2020-03-03 23:31
When I received an invitation to the Slow Wine 2020 US Tour stop in New York City, I had to ask myself if I understood when “Slow” means with regard to wine. I didn’t. I st… Read More
2020-02-16 20:46
Courtesy Wikipedia from Flikr
The Barolo region of Itlay’s Piedmont is home to one of the world’s most distinctive wines…and often one of its more expensive. There are 59… Read More
2020-01-28 19:41
On January 28 I spent a couple hours at NYC’s Gotham Hall at Broadway and 36th for Benvenuto Brunello, a grand tasting of Brunello Di Montalcino wines. Put on by The Consortium of the… Read More
2020-01-26 21:08
Six lovelies from Last Bottle Wines
I’ve been a customer of Last Bottle Wines for years, and it’s been mostly a Love-Like relationship. It’s certainly been all Love lately… Read More
2020-01-23 01:59
This is an old Wine-Flair.com post but it offers a lot of good advice for people looking to visit a winery this winter…which is a really fun thing to do since you probably aren’… Read More
2020-01-10 00:18
I’ve just tried two very different but very delicious Paso Robles gems. Here they are:
Folkway Revelator 2016: This Bordeaux-like blend sells for about $25 (or less) and is about half… Read More
2019-12-27 06:11
Pere Ventura Brut Rosé NV
Here are some great sparkling wines from France, Italy, USA, Argentina, and South Africa. I drink them all…and so should you!
Philippe Gonet Ultra-Bru… Read More
2019-12-24 14:35
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND WINE LOVERS, FROM DAVE AT WINE-FLAIR.COM!
The post Merry Christmas! appeared first on Wine Flair Read More
2019-12-16 01:49
Bodega Garzon Tannat Reserva
I’ve recently written about wines from Bolivia, but in looking for them recently I came upon some spectacular ones from Uruguay–Tannat, yes, but also… Read More
2019-12-10 17:20
Pierre and Chantal Gonet
This piece is a few years old, but I’m re-running it because I think #Champagne is the PERFECT drink for the holiday season–Christmas, Kwanza, and Chanu… Read More
2019-12-03 21:00
One of the ways I’ve learned about wine, oddly enough, is to read wine books. And here are some great book for Christmas. These are a few years old but I really enjoyed them.
NOTE: CO… Read More
2019-11-20 17:15
Viognier is among the world’s most aromatic whites, with a rich, viscous fullness, often a relatively high alcohol content and even some distinct spiciness on the palate. If, for examp… Read More
2019-11-16 02:30
Thanksgiving will soon be here, and you’re probably starting to put together your menu.
Well, if you’re not…get on it! No matter what you’re having, you’… Read More
2019-11-12 03:18
I’ve never really thought much about Bolivian wine. Ok, I’ve never thought about Bolivian wine at all, until the other night, when I heard the tail end of a story on NPR in my ca… Read More
2019-11-06 01:00
There is bad wine. Some wine is not good, which means it’s bad—poorly made, and it has flaws. It might be cheap, but it might also be expensive. It doesn’t make you a… Read More
2017-11-05 20:26
Cava, the Spanish sparkling wine, which represents about 11% of all wine exports from Spain, has just upped its game with a new classification—an ultra-premium offering called “C… Read More
2017-10-28 01:34
Every year I look forward to “Spain’s Great Match,” the day-long tasting, seminar and tradeshow in NYC meant to educate tradespeople on the great wines of Iberia, from Sher… Read More
2017-03-15 19:24
Looking for another New Jersey winery to visit last weekend presented me with a lot of choices, but I narrowed it down to one the moment I saw the name: Working Dog Winery, in Robbinsville… Read More
2017-02-27 21:00
Well, they had me at hello at the Fox Hollow Vineyards. To be specific, Frederic, the winery’s handsome Berger Blanc Suisse (shepherd dog) got my attention as I walked through the door… Read More
2017-02-23 00:01
In my continuing quest to visit and support New Jersey wineries and the state’s wine industry, I recently visited Old York Cellars in Ringoes. Old York is a small winery –… Read More
2016-07-05 18:51
I’d been to Alba Vineyard & Winery years ago, and walked away unimpressed. There was a distinct lack of friendliness in the tasting room, and the wine I liked most at the tim… Read More
2016-06-23 17:20
I’ve been a very steady customer of Last Bottle Wines (LBW), an interesting and fun wine sale and delivery service. The way it works is simple – you subscribe, and they send… Read More
2016-03-11 02:20
Jersey is actually home to some very good wines, but unfortunately doesn’t really enjoy that reputation among wine aficionados, at least as far as I can tell. Having volunteered… Read More
2015-03-04 15:11
The world of wine has a lot of terms, and an awful lot of them aren’t too familiar even among frequent wine drinkers.
Some are downright silly. Some are helpful.
But i… Read More
2015-02-12 19:09
Tenuta Di Ghizzano “Il Ghizzano”
It’s always great fun to meet with a winemaker. And it’s especially fun when the winemaker is a woman—in a somewhat… Read More
2015-01-12 13:14
Lineup of Wines from Spain
I recently had the pleasure of tasting a bunch of Spanish wines, courtesy of Wines from Spain USA. More Americans are drinking Spanish wine these days as far… Read More
2014-11-10 14:22
The United States Marine Corps
Celebrates its 239th birthday today, November 10, 2014
As we enjoy our freedoms and a lifestyle envied the world over, please rememb… Read More
2014-09-29 20:28
The Spanish take their wine aging very seriously–they are truly concerned with not releasing a wine “before its time.” So much so that they’ve written it into t… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
It’s been my mission to make Champagne and sparkling wine something not-too-special. And by that I mean that it’s so good, you won’t—and shouldn’t—wait fo… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
New Year’s Eve is always a great occasion to enjoy some sparkling wine—of course any night is. And it’s a good time to try some things beyond Champagne, such as Cava, or pe… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
Try some different wines for Thanksgiving-Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Ports for dessert. Leave the Chardonnay and Cabernet on the shelf Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
There is bad wine. Some wine is not good, which means it’s bad—poorly made, and it has flaws. It might be cheap, but it might also be expensive. It doesn’t make you a… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
Liberté, égalité, fraternité: Vive la France!
The post France, the USA is with you appeared first on Wine Flair Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
You’d think it would be easy to get a good whiskey sour in any decent restaurant. After all, it’s a pretty simple and very classic drink, right? Well, I’ve had more watery… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
I dined at Hotoke in New Brunswick on Friday night for the first time since at least 2011. I’d remembered the place fondly, and it was wildly popular at the time, so I was anticipating… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
This tiny place in Westfield, adjacent to a highway-type franchise hotel, bills itself as “one of the best French restaurants in New Jersey.” That is nonsense. It’s got to… Read More
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