One recent Saturday morning, a friend sent me the wine list for Green Zebra, one of Chicago’s top vegetarian restaurants, and asked for my advice. He was dining there that evening with friends who enjoyed wine but weren’t obsessive about it. So he would be tasked with ordering for the table.
If any grape demands contemplation, it’s Pinot Noir.
The great bottles are able to translate time and place, clearly expressing the characteristics of their vintage and the soils and climate in which they’re grown. The greatest examples almost always come from Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s birthplace.
Greetings from Ocean City, New Jersey. This past Saturday, I checked into a rental house for the week with some friends. Since Ocean City is a dry town, we came with plenty of beer and wine, along with ingredients for a few basic cocktails.
For years, some of America’s most prominent wine critics have bashed the grape. In Slate Magazine, Sauvignon Blanc was once described as “maddeningly dull.”
On April 17, wine enthusiasts across the globe gathered to celebrate World Malbec Day. For novices and oenophiles alike, the celebration was a great opportunity to sample some of Argentina’s flagship varietal.
“Aromas of cassis and boysenberry are accented by soft black tea and anise notes, while the palate is defined by caramel, vanilla, Baker’s chocolate and intriguing layers of toasted bread and pie spices.”
“Red wine with fish?” muses James Bond, as he confronts the villain in From Russia with Love. “Well, that should have told me something.”
