Whether you celebrate with carols, candles or caviar, a great bottle of wine shared with friends and loved ones can be a memorable experience. In addition, if you’re hosting a holiday party, or have been invited to one, you’ll want to provide a wine that will be delicious, impressive, easy to find and reasonably priced, particularly if you are picking up several bottles.
How do you know when you have “made it” in the wine world? Well, one indication would certainly be monetary success. But the ultimate compliment may just include being honored by the Smithsonian Institution with an exhibit featuring your wines.
Click here to listen to my wine recommendations on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
A friend of mine sent me an email recently, informing me that his son attended a business meeting where the following wines were served:
2005 Pichon-Lalande
1989 Chateau Margaux
1970 Chateau Margaux
and my personal favorite…
1985 Bottle of Something I Don’t Recall
Since his son did not know much about wine, my friend asked me to write up a brief review of each wine and send it to his son so that he could have a sense of the caliber of wines he was being served. I dutifully complied, but I thought I would have a little fun and share my favorite review (ala Robert Parker) with readers:
1985 Bottle of Something I Don’t Recall
This is one of my favorite wines of all time. The 1985 Bottle of Something I Don’t Recall is a youthful and unevolved wine, but does not have the tannic ferocity of the 1988 Bottle of Something I Don’t Recall, or the sheer force and intensity of the 1978 Bottle of Something I Don’t Recall, but it represents the epitome of this wine. Everything fits perfectly in this full-bodied, black/purple-colored wine that reveals no garnet or amber at the edge of its color. The nose offers up a formidable array of overripe black raspberries and cherries intertwined with scents of cedar, chocolate, olives, and toast. Extremely full-bodied, with an unctuosity and opulence that must be tasted to be believed, this velvety-textured wine’s finish lasts for over a minute. The 1985 Bottle of Something I Don’t Recall is one of the most concentrated but profoundly endowed and well-balanced wines I have ever tasted. Like so many of the wines Bottle of Something I Don’t Recall has produced from this vineyard, no matter how hard one tries to articulate its glories, words are simply inadequate. The 1985 Bottle of Something I Don’t Recall is just beginning to achieve full maturity, where it should remain for another 25 + years.
As the weather turns cooler, my wine thoughts usually turn to darker shades of red. But that is not necessarily the case in Provence, where the locals of the southern French region tend to do something that would appear unusual to American consumers; they drink Rosé wines in the summer as well as in the fall, winter and spring. The reason is versatility. Their unique characteristic allows dry Rosé wines to pair well with a wide range of cuisines, including Mexican, Middle Eastern, Thai, Spanish and Indian.
Click here to listen to my favorites on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
In our household, the day after Thanksgiving can only mean one thing; trying to figure out what gift my wife is going to get the man (i.e. me) who has everything wine-related for the holiday season. Personally, I like “usable” wine gifts, something that can be helpful year after year. So, if you are scrambling for a hostess gift, Secret Santa present, stocking stuffer, or the perfect gift for your wine lover, look no further. She’s got you covered.
Click here to listen to the Vine Guy on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
For me, the daylight savings adage should be, “Spring Forward to White Wine, Fall Back to Red Wine.” This is the time of year when my palate begins its annual migration from bright whites to cool reds, whose flavors tend towards red berry and bright cherry notes and are built on a frame of generous acidity and smooth tannins. I am referring, of course, to Pinot Noir.
Click here to find out what Pinot Noir wines I am talking about on WTOP radio’s Wine of the Week
Each year, we like to pick a wine theme for Thanksgiving and have some fun with it. And while the themes may change from year to year, the challenge of pairing wines with a traditional Thanksgiving meal still remains the same. With all of the competing flavors and textures battling it out for space on the palate, selecting the right wines can be a little bit like navigating a culinary maze without a recipe. Add to that the task of pairing wines to suit different guests’ tastes and preferences (while staying within budget) and the undertaking seems nearly impossible.
Click here to listen to Thankgiving wine recommendations on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
While Halloween may not fall on a Friday or Saturday night this year, that does not seem to stop the adult “trick-or-treaters” from knocking on our door, waving their plastic wine glasses, looking for a bottled goody of the red or white varietal. So once again, I will sit at home and man the door, the candy bowl and the corkscrew, waiting for trick-or-treaters of all ages to stop by.
Click here to listen to WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week segment for scary good wines
Blackie – The EMH Vineyard Cat
Cindy and I are usually in the same camp on the big issues – like vacation spots and kid’s curfews – but whne it comes to wine and politics, we occasionally have a difference of opinion. Sometimes it’s big, sometime it’s small, but when it comes to opinions on wine and politics, can anyone really be wrong?
So in the spirit of the current political climate and the upcoming presidential debate, we thought it would be fun to select several wines which we typically have different views on and have our own “wine” deliberation.
Click here to listen to the wine debate on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
Election Day Wines: Non-partisan Party Wines to Party With
With just four days left until the presidential election, now would be a good time to find a few non-partisan wines to hunker down with and enjoy as the votes are counted this Tuesday.
Click here to listen to a few of my recommendations on WTOP Radio’s Wine of the Week
Click here to see all of the wines that get my vote, regardless of party lines.