Wine has its rituals. Before you pour you have to get the cork out. But what can the cork tell you about the wine?

​You're at a restaurant. You order a bottle of wine. The server or sommelier returns and shows you the bottle to confirm your choice. You chat politely with your guests as the server withdraws the cork and then take note as it is placed to your right on a carefully folded napkin.

The server stands by expectantly, and a hush falls over the table. What should you do?

More >>

Valpolicella, in one style, delightfully accessible; in another, titanically age-worthy

​Valpolicella is a red wine from the rolling green hills north of Verona, the northeastern Italian home of Romeo and Juliet. It hasn't always gotten respect, and some producers continue to be content with large production and average quality. Still, Valpolicella, a blend of three traditional grapes, is very flexible wine. It arrives on our local lists and shop shelves in three distinct styles, and it can be one of Italy's most likable and food-friendly wines. It can also be one of the greatest dry red wines in the world.

More >>

​Wine can be an intimidating subject for many people. With so many wines, varietals, vintages, and regions, it can be hard to know where to start. What's the difference between chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc? Why are American wines categorized by grape variety and French wines by region? Was 2009 a good year or bad year for wine? Is this bottle worth $27, or can I find one just as good for less?

Whereas you can pick up a six-pack and enjoy it without too much fuss and mix a cocktail with complete assurance, wines can seem dauntingly complex. You want to know something before you buy, but how do you get to that place?

You could spend a lifetime randomly tasting and comparing. Or pick a few dependable wineries, or a region or style you like, and never vary. Or, better yet, you can study a little and learn something before you leap.

Here are five books I think every wine lover would enjoy and learn a lot from. Combined with liberal tasting, these books should relieve any fears and answer most of your questions.

More >>

The combination of chocolate and red wine often sets similar qualities against one-another

​Pairing wine and food is often a puzzle, and the question of what wine goes best with chocolate seems to come up fairly often. For some, chocolate and red wine are both so delightful that any combination will be pure pleasure, but many experts claim chocolate conflicts with any wine.

Here are a few tips on how to enjoy both to the fullest:

More >>

Sara Rice

Refreshing, light, and bubbly -- could you ask for more from a summer wine?

​Vinho verde is the essence of summer in a bottle. Light and palatable with a touch of effervescence, it's as perfect for hot summer nights as it is for a day on the pontoon. Drink it with lighter fare or on its own, as an aperitif. You don't need to be a wine snob to appreciate how fun this is to drink.

"Vinho verde" literally means "green wine" -- but not because of its color. "It refers to the fact that it's drunk young, and not meant to be aged," says Terrence French, wine consultant for Surdyk's Liquor. You don't want to cellar this kind, according to French.

More >>

Mark Vlossak

Mark Vlossak of St. Innocent Winery

​Of the five most important facets of wine--terroir, vintage, appellation, wine producer, and winemaker--the last is arguably both the most and least important. The winemaker is the most critical factor in what comes out of the bottle, yet all winemakers are at the mercy of Mother Nature. In this final post in the Wine 101 blog series, I'll talk about four important aspects of the winemaker's art and offer recommendations of wines that illustrate each point.

More >>

St. Innocent

Temperance Vineyard Site

​Can you name five wine producers? Many casual wine drinkers might mention Robert Mondavi, Sutter Home, Beringer, Coppola, or Kendall Jackson. But what about Monchhof, St. Innocent, and Felsina? In the fourth of a series of Wine 101 topics (which includes terroir, vintage, and appellation), we will dive into the role of the producer.

You'll also find recommendations for five great bottles to help you explore this all-important category for buying good wine.

More >>

Ernst Loosen

Wehlener Sonnenuhr on the Mosel River

​What two countries consistently made great wine 100 years ago? Most people guess France along with Italy, Spain, or Portugal. Few guess Germany, which, along with France, made the best wines and still do today.

While Italy, Spain, and Portugal had some great regions and producers a century ago, the overall quality was poor. As many wine experts say, quality German riesling is the most underappreciated wine in the world, and even Germans prefer beer as the national beverage of choice. Have you ever seen riesling promoted at an October Fest event? At Haskell's a few years ago, I was buying Joh. Jos. Prum Auslese wines for $24.95 from a steady 2002 vintage. Once I served them to friends, the shelves at Haskell's became less full.

Here's what you need to know to fully appreciate this undervalued wine, plus five recommendations of superb rieslings (and where to find them on sale):

More >>

Willamette Valley Vineyards: They even recycle their used corks

​
Many wineries that make it start out small, receive some positive press, expand and gain a following, but rarely in the wine business do you see a leader that is as environmentally conscious as Willamette Valley Vineyards out of Oregon. Here is more about the vineyard's efforts to go green, plus five of its exceptional wines and where you can find them in the Twin Cities:

More >>

Ernst Loosen

Mosel region in Germany

​In this third part of a series about important wine terms and concepts, we'll talk about appellation, which tells you what region of the world your wine comes from. (You can read here about the first two terms, terroir and vintage.) Appellations are geographic areas that have been mapped out to identify the boundaries of a certain wine region, but in many countries they are more complex than just geographic areas.

Here's are the basics you need to know when buying wine, along with five recommendations of great wines, available at local stores, that illustrate particular famous appellations.

More >>