My mom came into town this weekend. And she came to our Serious Eats wine tasting. I figured a lineup of Barefoot whites would actually be very appropriate for my mom, as most of what I've heard is that they tend to be light, fruity, and sweet (and inexpensive, at about $7 a bottle). Most of them fit the bill, but a couple stood out as much more palatable compared to the rest of the lot. More
They say all good things come in threes—The Three Musketeers, Three Blind Mice, Three-Minute Egg. I would give you a fourth example, but that just seems like poor judgment. Instead, I'll tell you about three brave grapes, that many years ago made the long and trying journey from a faraway land called "France" to an also faraway land called "South America". The names of these grapes are Carmenere, Tannat, and Malbec. For this post, we tried a whopping 22 bottles of Malbec to pick out our favorites to recommend. More
My love story with Zinfandel started at a small winery in Healdsburg, California called A. Rafanelli. Their Zins are ripe, slightly spicy, and just plain delicious. The only problem was that I lived in New York, and so I've had to put a lot of effort into this long distance relationship. My first trip there, I took back 2 bottles, the next 4, and before I knew it, I was sacrificing extra underwear in my suitcase to make space for all the wine. (Totally kidding...underwear is one of the best shock absorbers to prevent breakage during transit.) More
I remember drinking Merlot after I saw the movie Sideways, and I thought, "What's the big deal? Why was he so angry about Merlot? Despite my own affinities for the glass in hand, it was sad to realize such a blanket statement about a grape would stick around for a while. Fortunately for us amateurs, we get to make up our own minds about this grape variety. Here are a few tips on where it's made, how to serve it, and some tasty (and affordable) bottles to try out. More
In college, we used to have formals with all the exchange students from England who had come for the year. It was called a "formal" and half the people had British accents and we were all drinking wine, so it was clearly one of the more posh events on the social calendar. Needless to say there was a lot of wine consumed, and funding such efforts on a college budget usually meant one thing: Two Buck Chuck. I wish that back then we had splurged the extra few dollars and traded up to Yellow Tail. This week, we tasted all of Yellow Tail's red wine offerings and the rosé, a total of 11 bottles. Read on for the results. More
The bubblies are roughly aligned with the prices of the Yellow Tail varietal bottles, coming in at around $8 to 10, depending on where you buy. And each comes with a novel, resealable closure called a "Zork". Basically, you peel off a spiral of plastic (like some milk gallons have) and shimmy off the remaining closure. Less exciting without the pop one normally looks for in a sparkler, but it should keep the bubbles in the bottle for longer. But is the stuff beyond the Zork any good? More
Many of my first wine experiences were at wineries in Napa, leading me to believe that if a wine wasn't $50+, it probably wasn't good. Times have changed, though, and I'm always on the lookout for affordable gems—whether they're priced kindly because they're from lesser-known regions or less-common grapes. But what about the big brands? Are there good bottles to be found in the supermarket aisle? Over the next several weeks we'll be tasting our way through the entire Yellow Tail collection to see if there are a few...err...cubic zirconias in the rough. More
I was intrigued to see some of the lesser known grape varieties among the mix (although the options might change from year to year and shop to shop). We picked them all up and gave them the Serious Eats Amateur Wine Tasting treatment. And while a few of the wines were forgettable, we were pleasantly surprised by a couple of bottles that, for $6 each, we'd be happy to pick up again. More
I've been noticing a lot of fatigue around me this time of year. Work fatigue, shopping fatigue, tourist fatigue...Could it be that we all just need a little fun, affordable bubbly? At a time when our eyelids and bank accounts are looking rather droopy, a few bottles of fizz are welcome, and Prosecco can often be a good option—for half the cost of Champagne. More
In contrast to the big, bold, tannic wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon (popular enough to earn the pet name "Cabernet" over its own parent), Cab Franc offers medium-bodied wines with lower tannin levels and more earthy and herbaceous qualities. This week we'll get to know this underappreciated grape, delving into the specifics of where it's made, what it tastes like, and what bottles to seek out. More
Having recently visited a Trader Joe's in San Francisco as well as the TJ's wine shop in New York City, I was surprised to discover how many different private label wines this chain has to offer. I had to wonder: how much do these wines really improve as you climb the price ladder? Could any of these wines be worth buying in bulk for Thanksgiving? More
The first time I really noticed—really tasted—Tempranillo was at the tapas restaurant Tía Pol in New York. We'd ordered a super flavorful squid dish, which was served in its own, concentrated ink. The smokiness and earthiness of the Bodegas Muga Reserva Rioja wine we drank alongside it was just too delicious a complement to ignore. I was forced out of passively drinking the wine by this splendid combination. And I've been pretty into Tempranillo ever since. More
Our tasting group really enjoyed the New World options we tasted, and given that the most expensive bottle was around $20, these seem like great options to restock for future dinners, gifts, or Saturday nights. The French Syrahs we tried were much drier, with pronounced acidity and earthiness when compared to their New World counterparts. More
My journey with Syrah started years ago with my sister (older and wiser by about 4 years). We were in an Australian wine shop (as in, a wine shop located in Australia) aiming to pick up something different and local that we wouldn't be able to find back home. At the time, my encounters with Syrah had been few and far between, but I knew that it was a big part of Australian wine. So I turned to the salesman and earnestly asked, "Could you make some recommendations for a few bottles we could take back home to the States? We're looking for something we wouldn't normally be able to get there, like an Australian Sy...errr..." I glanced at a bunch of bottles around me, and all of them said 'Shiraz,' not Syrah. So with my lightning quick mental agility, I ended the statement with: "az." More
Is it just me, or does every girl love bubbles? When I watch my female friends scan through a wine list, there's a moment when their eyes pop, a slight smile starts forming, and it's clear what's happening—we're going to be drinking sparkling wine tonight. When I started telling my friends that we're tasting Lambrusco this week for the Taste-Along, I've gotten a resounding "Oh, awesome!" from the ladies. From the dudes? Just, "What's that?" Well, now it's time to level everyone's playing field on this sparkling red wine from Italy. More
Overall, this week's Grüner tasting was fantastic. It was incredible to discover how a single little grape could take on so many different flavors—some of these wines were tart and tangy, while others were alluringly spicy, with hints of smoke, fennel, and cloves. This made it difficult to rank the favorites and least favorites of the group—though some tasters preferred some bottles over others, there really weren't any losers in this bunch. More
Anyone that knows me knows that I love BYOBs. Not only do I get to drink wine that I know I like, but I still get that "I did something today" feeling that comes with leaving the house. The challenge I find in New York is that a lot of the restaurants that allow you to bring your own wine serve dishes from around the world—from delicate sushi to fiery Indian dishes—and the big, bold reds I have sitting at home don't necessarily offer the best pairings. Enter Grüner Veltliner. More
Despite the fact that we were stuck indoors for the tasting, it was clear that these light and refreshing wines would be great to enjoy outdoors in these last few weeks of summer (assuming no more hurricanes and earthquakes are in the mix). The bright acidity, low alcohol, and slight effervescence made Muscadet a summertime white we're likely to reach for again. And with a couple dozen raw oysters on the half shell, we were well equipped to enjoy these wines—and discover which ones stood out. More
Muscadet, which is made exclusively from Melon de Bourgogne grapes, usually hails from the western side of the Loire region in France. Grapes grown from this cool climate region offer deliciously fresh-tasting acidity. Why does the climate matter? Glad you asked... More
@ nancycooks
The rosé was a little too sweet for our taste, but if you prefer your wines on the sweeter side, this could be a refreshing option with a good chill on it. It smelled like strawberry jam and was fruity, juicy, and slightly effervescent.
@ mparrish
That name makes a lot more sense!
@ mayan
While smaller scale, local wineries can produce great, affordable wines, by their nature, the bottles tend not to be available to most people. For this piece in particular, we aim to provide a useful review of a large scale line of wines that are often very accessible no matter where you live.
@DebonaireDeath
We tried the Shiraz-Cab blend and found it to be quite similar to the Shiraz (i.e., decent).
@ jecla0
A little late to the game, but I'm pretty sure that's not true. Even though France exports a smaller share of its locally produced wine than Australia (~33% vs ~55%, according to this report), France produces 3-4 times the wine of Australia as a whole, making the total volume of exports much greater as a result.
We recently had a round of "can you name the top 5 wine producing countries in the world?" at a wine tasting, so we eventually got to the bottom of this!
@sweetiepie
The Cabernet-Merlot (the 2010 for us) fell in the middle of the pack. Had a sweet cherry vanilla smell to it with a little heat (both from the alcohol, which mellowed out after a while, and from the light baking spice/nutmeg flavors). And there was a little bitterness on the finish. It was a little sweeter than the straight Cabernet, which most of us preferred.
@ DJ Dedd
Depends on what you're looking to add to the dish - if you want something that'll brighten a dish with greener, herbaceous flavors, I'd go with the Sauvignon Blanc. For something with a hint of sweetness, the Riesling would be a better bet. Although, other comments on cooking with wine much appreciated!
@ Koloratur / Tootsie
Good call - I think the oaking on the regular Chardonnay may have been part of its downfall, so I'd guess the Tree-Free would be more natural-tasting
Asti (or Asti Spumante) is another Italian sparkler, but is made from the Moscato grape instead of the Prosecco grape. As you noted, Asti tends to be significantly sweeter and lower in alcohol compared to Prosecco, so you can usually get away with drinking more of it
@KarmaFreeCooking
Asti (or Asti Spumante) is another Italian sparkler, but it is made from the Moscato grape, instead of the Prosecco grape. As you noted, the style tends to be significantly sweeter and lower in alcohol compared to Prosecco, so you can usually get away with drinking more of it
@LENNDEVOURS
For this post, all of the NY wines we tried were from the Finger Lakes. Although I've personally tried a few from Long Island...bit of a mixed bag...
@ photovox
Funny you mention Del Dotto - that was one of the first places I tried Cab Franc and shared the sentiment. Plus, the barrel tasting cave tour was so much fun!
I'm a big fan of Rickhouse, and coming from NY, their $8ish cocktails seem like a steal! The affiliated store Cask is also great, especially for picking up liquors produced locally.
@ wyz
That's a good point - from the mixed half case I brought back, the Mitolo Jester was actually the least expensive. That said, my "upper bound" wine was somewhere around the 40 dollar mark (i.e. not breaking the bank), and the ones I've opened have been pretty stellar (on the drier side, intense but not overpowering smokiness, rich dark fruit, really well balanced). The ~$10-20 range wines can be hit or miss, and we'll have better guidance next week following the tasting on which wines fall where.
@ spnder
Fair point, these tastings are not exhaustive. Thanks for the suggestions - I'll have to check them out!
@ DrGaellon
Hard to say for sure without going through the tasting, but from what I've seen, most of the Lini bottles are on the dry side (perhaps with the Scuro as an exception, as it is blended with 15% Ancellotta). On the sweeter end, it looks like Tenuta Pederzana Puntamora has higher residual sugar levels and might pair well with sweeter dishes or even desserts.
Have you noticed our infatuation with kale? And we're pretty sure we're not the only ones. We've braised, sauteed, chopped, baked, marinated and even blended kale to bring you 15 of our favorite ways to devour this leafy green. (You're welcome!) More
You can make your favorite airline cookies at home! More
The Serious Eats Cookie Swap has become an annual tradition. We break out the Duane Reade tinsel and twinkle lights, and are forced to do a major office detox to make room for cookies. Many, many cookies. (OK, maybe a dozen doughnuts snuck in this year too). It was our third year swapping, and as per tradition, the tables were covered with butter-laden treats. Our NYC-based contributors really pulled out their ninja baking skills. Get all the recipes here. More
If it were socially acceptable, rather than a qualifying attribute to be a guest on Freaky Eaters, I'd eat grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner every night. And for breakfast each morning—although in that instance I'd to sneak a fried egg in the middle. Here's one I make when I have more time to enjoy the slowly crisping buttery bread and the quiet melt of a mound of curled-up orange cheese shavings. More
We recently explored how to become a better coffee taster, but learning to smell better is one of the most important first steps on that journey. (And we don't mean dousing yourself with cologne.) Here, a little about how you can whip your schnoz into place. More
This homemade ginger liqueur tastes so elegant that people will not believe you made it yourself. It can compete with Domaine de Canton on flavor—for less than half the cost and only 20 minutes of work. More
I'd like to dispel the myth that those who think about what beverages will go best with their food are snobs, that thinking about pairing is only for people who hold their pinkies up when they drink tea. As food lovers, we think about pairing all the time. More
Though New York may lay claim as the cradle of pizza in America, many people would say that New Haven has the best. Certainly, there are a higher ratio of good to bad pizzerias in the area than there are almost anywhere else in the world. The question is, who's got the best? More
Meta-foods are foods that are made of other foods. They are few and far between, but when they come around, they're pretty much always interesting. When Leandra introduced the office to Rice Krispies Treats Cereal yesterday, it was only a matter of time before we asked the obvious question: What happens if you make Rice Krispies Treats out of Rice Krispies Treats Cereal? To go even more meta on you guys, that'd be Rice Krispies Treats Cereal Treats. Or simply: RKTCT. More
Despite the fact that we were stuck indoors for the tasting, it was clear that these light and refreshing wines would be great to enjoy outdoors in these last few weeks of summer (assuming no more hurricanes and earthquakes are in the mix). The bright acidity, low alcohol, and slight effervescence made Muscadet a summertime white we're likely to reach for again. And with a couple dozen raw oysters on the half shell, we were well equipped to enjoy these wines—and discover which ones stood out. More
@ All
Thanks for the recommendations!
@ Miguel v
Sounds like a wonderful accident - great to hear they've kept the tradition of producing delicious zin for so long!