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If I had to pick one well-known white wine variety that I could go back to time after time for a broad range of food pairings as well as everyday drinking, it would be sauvignon blanc hands down.
David Page was complaining about those weather forecasters. All week they had predicted rain for Saturday and Sunday, the two money days for wineries and farm stands on Long Island’s North Fork. Always had to scare people away, didn’t they? And here it was, early Saturday evening, dark outside, and still no rain. Page looked up at the sky above his vineyards, marveling at how wrong the weather people were.
On a rainy Saturday afternoon, it’s hard to beat sitting down for a leisurely lunch and a glass of wine or two. So when friends e-mailed us the other day to do just that, we quickly accepted. The centerpiece of the lunch would be that comfort food classic, spaghetti and meatballs. And not just any meatballs. They would be from Rao’s, or at least an from the famed New York City restaurant that, our friends disclosed, they found right here on TODAY’s Web site.
TODAY wine columnist Edward Deitch recommends four Italian reds, ranging from the familiar to the relatively obscure. All of them pair well with the fresh tomato sauces that are so much fun to make at this time of year.
TODAY wine columnist Edward Deitch highlights some wines from South America that you don't hear about every day: the red bonarda from Argentina, and the white Pedro Ximenez. Now does that refer to a man named Pedro or a grape?
TODAY wine columnist Edward Deitch tastes a balanced, elegant sauvignon blanc and a complex pinot noir from New Zealand's Wairau River Wines.
Want a recipe for a relaxing and successful late-summer lunch party? TODAY wine columnist Edward Deitch suggests delectable crab cakes along with these food-friendly wines from Austria and Spain.
In these hot summer months, TODAY wine columnist Edward Deitch enjoys three refreshing whites that match well with food and are not too high in alcohol.
TODAY wine columnist Edward Deitch discovers ’07 reds from Yangarra that are serious and substantial while also being fun and easy to drink.
A bottle of bubbly was the perfect wine the other night as we gathered for an informal dinner with friends on a deserted beach on Nantucket. We had packed up the cars with beach chairs and coolers, grill, portable table, several wines, a variety of dishes that would be easy to serve in sand and a brisk breeze, and, of course, the kids.
I’ve been tasting so many notable wines lately that I thought I’d depart from my usual format and tell you, in brief, about some of my favorites whites and rosés. What unites these wines is that they are all slightly off the beaten path, from albariño to viognier and quite a few in between.
As you consider summer whites, it’s well worth including muscadet in your mix. Muscadet is produced in the western end of France’s Loire Valley, not far from where the Loire River joins the Atlantic Ocean, and is considered a quintessential fish wine. Indeed, it is the wine of choice by the glass or carafe at countless cafes in maritime France and beyond, a natural pairing with oysters or (mussels and fries) or other shellfish and fish dishes.
You may have noticed: I don’t write very often about zinfandel. It’s not that I have anything against the grape; it’s just that the alcohol levels tend to be on the enormous side, often approaching or exceeding 15 or even 16 percent. For one thing, these massive wines can be tiring and can make you feel like drifting off after a glass or so. There’s also a food challenge. Beyond hearty meat dishes, the wines are not especially versatile.
Some time ago, pinot grigio became almost synonymous with Italian white wine. While there is a broad range of Italian whites available these days, from arneis to soave, Gavi to grillo, pinot grigio has a prominent place on the spectrum because it is widely grown and easy to find on store shelves in this country. Pick out a few of them and chances are you’ll find at least one that stands out.
This is the time of year when I think about serving lighter, crisp red wines, perhaps slightly chilled, that are refreshing to drink and match well with a range of foods, from grilled meats, chicken and duck to strongly flavored fish such as salmon and tuna.
I have to admit that South Africa was about the last place I would think of as a source for indulging in a nice glass of bubbly. Champagne comes to mind first, of course. Then maybe a sparkling Vouvray from France's Loire Valley or any number of spumantes from Italy, including the popular Proseccos. But South Africa?My impression quickly changed the other evening after opening a bottle of Graham Beck Brut from the Robertson region of the Western Cape, which has a suggested price of $16. The occasion was Mother's Day, and I thought that a glass of something sparkling might add a special note as we prepared dinner and talked.The truth is, my wife is not big on sparkling wines when it comes to everyday drinking, an attitude I've been trying to change over the years as my own appreciation of the wines as versatile food companions has grown. So the first little victory the other night was getting her to consent to my opening a bottle in the first place. (I felt I needed to ask because it was Mother'
In addition to roses this Mother’s Day, how about presenting Mom with a beautiful glass of rosé with the special meal you make for her? Like the flowers, the best rosés are fragrant and fresh and full of the delicate aromas of spring. They’re intriguing to savor, refreshing to sip and highly versatile companions to food.
A trio of French wines demonstrate the great value that can be found in the wine world if you know where to look and what to choose. As I’ve said here before, dollar for dollar you’re going to get more value — by which I mean interesting, complex wines for the money, not just cheap wines — if you look to Europe, whether it’s France, Italy or Spain.
After attending a new media conference at New York City’s Time Warner Center the other night, a couple of friends invited me to join them for a glass of wine. Within a few minutes we were walking into Clo, which, I quickly realized, is one of the cooler wine bars in New York or just about anywhere.
Every once in a while, I like to depart from my customary focus on a single producer or variety and offer you a roundup of wines that have stood out in my tastings, such as the following three new releases that caught my attention in recent weeks.
With warmer weather on the way, one of the more refreshing and delightful white wines I’ve tasted recently comes from a producer long known for its reds — Penfolds, the venerable Australian brand most famous for its Grange, a wine coveted by collectors with a luxury price to match. But for the taste of spring in a bottle, Penfolds offers something more modest but also highly appealing, the 2008 “Bin 51” Riesling.
After last week’s column about a top-value California cabernet sauvignon, it seemed only logical to tell you about a first-rate, $12 California merlot that will impress you with its complexity.
Cabernet sauvignon is California’s classic red, but finding interesting and inexpensive cabernets is often a challenge. Sure, there are lots of budget cabs around, but they tend to be soft, fruity, one-dimensional affairs with little individuality. Honestly, if you’re spending under $20, I think you’re apt to find more exciting wines from France’s Bordeaux, where cabernet and merlot are the two main grapes and are blended in varying proportions, depending on the appellation.
Chenin blanc doesn’t have the following of some of its better-known white cousins, such as chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. The most famous wines come from France’s Loire Valley, where chenin blanc is the signature variety of Vouvray, Montlouis and Savennières, the top villages after which the wines are named. California grows chenin successfully in Clarksburg in the Sacramento Delta. There’s even a winery (Paumanok) that produces a nice example of it on the North Fork of Long Island.
James Koch found me on the Web the other day and asked if he could send me some wines. I’d never heard of him, but after some quick browsing I learned that he is an importer of small-production wines from Italy, Spain, Austria and Germany based in Pasadena, California. He sells his wines mainly to restaurants and only a few retailers, but will send them to you directly if you call the number on his Web site, wineday.com.
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