Saluté

A Worldly Look at Wine & Spirits

A wine lover’s wish list

Surprise your friends with these holiday gift ideas. Accoutrements designed to make wine drinking even more enjoyable continue to abound year after year. We’ve got some tried-and-true suggestions as well as some new ones that are sure to please the…

Salute: Countdown to Beaujolais Day

Just in time for Thanksgiving, the new vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau will be released Nov. 21. In the United States, the fourth Thursday of November is a big day for Americans, but it is the third Thursday that the French…

Gutswein of Germany

Beer steins will sway during Oktoberfest, but some people will take a lighter approach and celebrate with German wines. There is a lot of misconception about German wines. Many people, including me, have spent decades thinking all wine from Germany…

Back to the basics

If you want to learn about wine, a good place to start is with the six basic grape varieties that are the foundation for many of the world’s best wines. In a few weeks, I’m scheduled to lead a wine-tasting…

The business of wine tourism

California is not the only place where wine tourism has skyrocketed. Wineries around the country have built picturesque venues that are worth a visit. Americans love to plan their vacations around wine, and with Wine Business Monthly saying there are…

Point blanc

It’s the season for picnicking, scalloping, and eating lighter meals, but with so many blanc choices, how do you pick one? Story: Mary Ann DeSantis When you see “blanc” on a wine label, you probably already know it means white.…

A toast to French history

The legends surrounding Châteauneuf-du-Pape—the village and the wine—make this popular French blend a real conversation starter. June marks the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landing when Allied troops liberated France from Adolf Hitler’s grip. Among those happiest to see the…

Stop and smell the…floral wines

If you love to stop and smell the flowers, then you will love these aromatic white wines. Now that swimsuit season is upon us, it’s time for lighter menus and lighter wines. If you are tired of citrusy sauvignon blancs…

Drinking the blues

If you haven’t tasted blueberry wines from Florida’s Whispering Oaks Winery, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Don’t let anyone tell you that blueberry wine isn’t “real” wine. After all, it’s the fermentation process that turns juice into an alcoholic…

A sweet combination

Wine and chocolate can be a match made in heaven when they are right for each other. When dark chocolate is paired with red wine, it is taste-bud nirvana. The rich, creamy cocoa flavors are intensified by the wine, and…