When I was growing up, the Fourth of July meant ice cold watermelon, neighborhood cookouts, a parade down Main Street, and – of course – fireworks at the local community college. And beer. Lots and lots of beer.
But that was then. Today, wine is a familiar site at backyard barbeques and picnics across the country. So celebrating the birth of our nation with an assortment of red, white and rose wines is now as American as, well, Zinfandel!
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Let’s play a little wine-related word association. What is the first thing that you think of when I say “Portugal?” Port, you say? Naturally. But I bet you didn’t think about value-oriented red wines. And you would not be alone.
Portugal, a thin strip of land roughly the size of Indiana, is located on the Iberian Peninsula in Western Europe. Spain literally wraps around the northern and eastern borders while the cool Atlantic Ocean lies to the west. The temperate waters of the Gulf of Cadiz form the southern border. Although grapes are grown throughout the country, the most notable wine producing districts are located inland, away from the maritime influences of the Atlantic. The main red wine producing region in the north is the Douro Valley, best know for growing Touriga Francesa and Touriga Nacional, the two main varietals found in Port wines.
It’s getting a tad warm out there, and one of my favorite styles of wines for summer sippin’ is Rosé. But, I have to confess, I actually drink Rosé wines all year long. I just use the excuse of warmer weather to enjoy them more often.
Memorial Day is upon us, and with it comes the hallmarks of Friday backups on the Bay Bridge and sunburned tourists on the Mall. Summer is about to get real in Washington. And while we can expect that it will get a tad hotter and a lot more humid around here, we can also expect that many of us will be doing a lot more outdoor grilling this season.
I get the feeling that the word “can’t” is simply not in Christi Coors Ficeli’s vocabulary. And while beer – Coors, to be precise – may be in her DNA, wine is definitely in her soul.
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and for those of you how have not picked up flowers, or diamonds or pearls for the mom in your life, don’t panic… yet! You can say it all with a bottle of wine. Yes, wine.
The wines of Vinkura – Turkish wines have come a long way, thanks in part to the passion and drive of Vinkara Winery Founder, Ms. Ardic Gursel. Her dedication to Turkey’s indigenous grapes has led a revival in the Turkish wine community as well as on the international stage. The grape varietals may be impossible to pronounce, but the wines speak for themselves!
