Grab Your Pen & Paper, Cause Here Are 10 American Sparkling Wines We Love

While some of the best-known examples of sparkling wine hail from France, you don’t need to search overseas for an exceptional bubbly. All across the United States, you’ll find bottles made with an array of grapes that may rival some of the best offerings abroad. Here are some of our favorite American sparkling wines. Photo […]

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What is Regenerative Agriculture? This Wine Enthusiast Podcast Tells All!

Just what is regenerative agriculture? It’s not just another trendy buzzword meant to entice consumers. It’s an ancient form of agriculture making its way back into mainstream farming. It’s successful not only in producing and sustaining quality agricultural products, like wine grapes, but it’s also successful in combating climate change, the effects of drought, and […]

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How the Fall of the Soviet Union Changed Wine Forever

One of the 20th century’s most seminal moments occurred in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed, and communist rule ended across much of the Eastern Bloc. With the fall of communism, agricultural land seized and operated by the state was returned to its original owners. It was among the most significant seismic shifts in the […]

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Have You Ever Wondered What ‘Chewy’ Means When Describing Wine?

At first glance, it may seem odd to apply the same textural assessment to wine as one would to a chocolate chip cookie. But if wine can be crunchy, it can be chewy too. “A chewy wine would be overtly structured or concentrated,” says Chris Fladwood, winemaker at Soter Vineyards in Carlton, Oregon. “I’m thinking […]

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Joy Spence Sits Down And Answers 5 Questions : ‘I Had to Work Twice as Hard’

Joy Spence is one of those rare people who has worked not only in the same industry but also at the same company for 40 years. She joined Appleton Estate as chief chemist in 1982 and has been the master blender since 1997. During her career, chronicled at the Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience, […]

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No, Corkscrew? Here’s How to Open a Wine Bottle Without One

Maybe you rented a vacation house that isn’t fully stocked. Perhaps you’re camping or in the middle of moving and can’t find a single cardboard box labeled “kitchen.” No matter the reason, learning how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew is guaranteed to come in handy at some point. Many corkscrews function similarly: You […]

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California’s Surfing Winemakers Tell Us Their Secret & It’s All About Balance

Whether concerned about our warming climate or a desire to produce fresher wines, California vintners are fascinated by growing grapes as close to the Pacific Ocean as possible for all kinds of reasons. With most vineyards located less than six miles from the shore, the recently approved San Luis Obispo Coast appellation emphasizes this quest. […]

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5 Questions With Carlo Mondavi ‘I Never Imagined My Life Outside of the Vineyards’

  Imagine growing up in a family whose name is one of the most famous in the entire world. For Carlo Mondavi, grandson of Napa luminary Robert Mondavi, success is about more than what’s in the bottle. “Both my father and grandfather had and still have an immense impact on me,” says Carlo Mondavi, grandson […]

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Here’s How to Make a Vermouth Limoncello, Plus 4 Bottles for Every Season

Skip Tognetti, owner, and founder of Seattle-based Letterpress Distilling made arancello (an orange version of the liqueur) as a way to express his Italian heritage while pushing beyond limoncello. “Blood orange is almost ubiquitous in Sicily and part of Calabria,” he explains. “I thought it would be fun as a seasonal thing”—the fruit typically peaks […]

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Here Is The Only Vodka Gimlet Recipe Worth Knowing And Sharing

A good vodka gimlet recipe stands on its merit, whether you love, hate, or never heard of the original, gin-based cocktail. A traditional gimlet is made with gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. Some prefer to use Rose’s Lime Juice, which bartender and author Jeffrey Morgenthaler say delivers a “bracing, bitter, tart edge.” The gimlet […]

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