Step 1 : Make sure you’re in a state where you can receive wine shipments through the mail! For most states this is an all or nothing proposition, but there are a few states that will allow intrastate shipments but not shipments from other states, or even where the rules are different by region within a state. The Wine Institute has lots of helpful information here. Step 2: Make sure someone will be home to sign for your shipment! This is required by law in most states. Receiving these shipments at work can be a problem for many of us and in most areas UPS/FedEx will not deliver alcohol to a neighbor’s house – the shipment has to be physically signed by someone at the recipient address. (We’ll discuss one possible solution to this later.)

Assuming you’ve cleared Step 1 and 2 you most likely fall into one of two groups:

• You’re willing to try lots of different types of wine and are just trying to find the best deals.
• You know the wine you want and just want to find the best price.

Looking For a Deal

In this case, you’re not so much concerned with the varietal or the vintage, you’re just trying to score some great wine at a great price. If this is you then you’ll definitely want to check out the “flash” wine sites like Lot18, Wine.Woot and a newcomer that looks promising, Winestyr. It may take a bit of waiting to find the right deal, but these sites typically buy large amounts of a given wine at special pricing passing on at least a portion of that discount to you. Some of these sites charge a fee upfront to join so just make sure you factor that into the equation.

One other caution: shipping cost can be killer. To the extent you can, take advantage of large quantity buys to lower the shipping cost per bottle –  or better yet buy during the promotional free shipping periods many sites promote.

You Know What You Want

In this case, you can get a lot more specific with your search. Wine-Searcher.com is a great resource for finding the lowest price sellers. Good old Google product search works for wine as well, so that’s another great resource.

Probably the best advice I can give to the “Know What You Want” group is simply to go direct to the winery. Many wineries have member clubs that gain you special privileges. For example, wineries like Andrew Murray Vineyard or Bonny Doon Vineyard offer clubs that give deep discounts on wine as well as other perks like free shipping on some orders.

Perhaps the best part about going direct; however, is that you know you are supporting a winery you love. The wineries themselves make more money on these orders, so you’re helping to ensure they prosper and make more of their delicious vino!

A couple final considerations:

• Temperature — Heat is wine’s worst enemy so you’ll want to avoid having wine shipped when the temps are over 80 degrees. And remember, it’s not just your temperature that’s important but also the areas where your wine will travel. One hint — if you have the tracking info Fedex and UPS will both hold packages for you at their (air conditioned) locations so you can avoid wine sitting on hot delivery trucks all day. I give Fedex the edge here because they will hold your package for pickup at Print and Ship offices (Kinko’s) at no charge. Having the wine held for pickup is also great if you’re at work all day and not home to sign for it.

• Buy from a reputable source – The last thing you want to worry about is paying for damaged shipments. Check out consumer reviews before you buy to make sure. Saving a couple dollars isn’t worth it if the store doesn’t stand behind their product.

Happy shopping!

I’m a chef. That’s the “day job,” so to speak, which is ironic, because it’s anything but just a day job. So the idea of getting behind a hot stove, on vacation, doesn’t initially strike my fancy. Tell me I’ll be in California wine country, pulling ingredients out of the field and drinking while making seasonal, fresh and yes, indulgent food … where are my knives?

The idea of cooking on vacation either appeals to you or it doesn’t. If it does, there’s no greater place to cook and drink, than California.

Let’s face it, traveling to wine country is intimidating. I know how to cook and (I think I know) how to drink, but traveling to the U.S. capital of wine, well, that can be intimidating.

If you want to pair a bit of cooking with your drinking, here are some helpful question to ask yourself:

• Know what type of cooking you want to do. That doesn’t mean “Italian” vs. “Spanish” cooking, this means, intensive vs. leisurely. Do you want to take a 3 day intensive course or simply a three hour class?
• How much are you willing to pay? Cooking lessons are expensive, so are ingredients, so your level of commitment should match the price.
• Are you going on vacation to cook? Or are you going on a vacation and having a cooking class? Two very different questions.
• Where do you want to be cooking? An industrial kitchen is much different than a mom-and-pop kitchen. Both having their pluses and minuses.

After taking some time to think about these questions and factor in the possible budget cost of taking a culinary adventure, you can choose the best option for you. There’s no shortage of good food and/or wine in California, so you can’t go wrong … on either side of the kitchen.

For the social cook …

You like to chat while you chop. Sip a glass of wine while you stir your soup. A little knowledge but not cut-throat. Sound like you? If so, Relish Culinary Adventures might be a perfect fit. Offering both culinary day trips and classes (hands on and demonstrative) for visitors. Since Relish deals directly with local purveyors, those on vacation experience the best, even for only a couple of hours one afternoon. Bringing together spirits and food, Relish, located in Healdsburg, California does everything from children’s classes to corporate team building events. Don’t have to be going on vacation, located in the heart of Healdsburg, the opportunity it open to both out-of-town visitors and locals alike.

For the intense wine taster …

You’re on a wine tasting vacation, not a vacation where you wine taste. You’ve traveled to this area of California, either for the day or a week, and you want to taste your way through. No problem! Head to the best in Napa, Cakebread Cellars. Cakebread’s known for more than just their Cabs, in fact, for more than 30 years the winemakers have been committed to the wine-to-table experience. On premises, Cakebread offers a wide selection of classes, yearlong. In fact, Cakebread is one of the few places in the Napa Valley to offer a hands-on experience.

Cooking class includes, a tour, Cakebread wine tasting, class and private three course lunch for $175.00, a steal for those looking for the whole experience. Small class sizes and intimate experience.

For those looking for some serious training …

I’m biased; I went to The French Culinary Institute. So saying the Culinary Institute of America is the best cooking school … well, I can’t do that, but I’ll tell you this, it’s pretty darn good. If you’re looking for some serious training, and by serious, I mean serious in terms of “vacation” activities, than the CIA Culinary Series, a Napa Valley weekend vacation is perfect for you. Specially designed weekends including, Everyday Cooking at Home, Flavors of Italy and Seasons in the Wine Country is includes hands on cooking classes, two night accommodations, wine tastings and a Chef’s Table 7-course meal. At a heartier price, students come to learn and fully emerge themselves in wine country.

For the spa/retreat feel …

Try a Gourmet Retreat at Casa Lana in Calistoga, CA a bed and breakfast type cooking school where owner Lana Richardson and chef, Deborah grow their garden outside and teach those staying how to cook. Here classes can range from 5 hours to 5 days, all depending on the level the at-home-cook wants to learn. Classes are limited to 8 people, making it an ideal setting to participate and learn without being intimidated.

One of the most rewarding experiences about traveling to California is the food. Chefs, purveyors, artisanal cheese/wine makers, and just about everyone you come across with will have a knowledge and expertise on something. That being said, if you don’t take a class, ask questions. After a couple of glasses of wine, asking why certain raw oysters taste sweeter than others won’t be noisy or rude or even brassy, it’ll be expected.

People here care about food and wine, and when you ask, they can share their expertise and passion, a mini lesson it itself, and you didn’t have to get your hands dirty. What could be better than that?

Have you tried a cooking school in Wine Country? Let us know in the comments!

There are many ways to run a successful wine distributorship. Depending on who you ask, wine brokers are either an indispensable part of the equation or an unnecessary middle man. I am a big fan of a balanced approach. I absolutely cannot nor want to live without our brokers. At the same time, one should not live by this approach alone. A healthy mix of direct imports and well-connected brokers seems to be the perfect cocktail in our business.

Wine brokers are tantamount to small distributorships like my own since I have always been the main sales person as well. Things are a bit different now that I have partners who can go see producers on behalf of the company while I stay home and sell, and likewise will sell wine while I am traveling.

The Benefits of Wine Brokers
Wine brokers can greatly alleviate the time spent on the road searching for a wine. We work extensively with Becky Wasserman/Le Serbet. There was a time when I needed a Macon, and I didn’t have a week to comb the Maconnais in the hopes of finding one I liked. You have to kiss a lot of frogs (no pun intended!) with this approach. With the wine business being quite competitive, it also takes someone who is on the ground with great contacts to know the growers who are either still available or looking to change. Working with Becky I was able to tell her what I was looking for, and then walk into her office for an hour during a trip to Burgundy and taste through several excellent options. It was incredibly efficient and the wines were already vetted for me.

In addition, brokers often have access to some of the most coveted and sought-after producers. These are people that one would have to spend years and years getting to know, if they could first gain access. Then there would still be no guarantee that said producer would even consider working with you if they were looking to make a change. A broker, on the other hand, can guide them in your direction and greatly influence their thinking. Usually producers, especially at the highest level, want to focus on making great wine, not negotiation pricing, collecting money, or choosing a new distributor. They are very happy to take the word of their broker and get on with their day. If you are well-aligned with that broker it can be a huge advantage.

Access – and They Speak English
Finally, it’s wonderful to be able to do all transactions in your mother tongue. I love nothing more than to speak French or Italian. However, there are so many nuances to all negotiations that it is wonderful to be sure there are no misunderstandings (which there often are even in one’s mother tongue). On top of that, especially as a New Yorker who is completely (and not necessarily proudly) tied to her email at all times, it is nice to work with people with the same sense of urgency as you. I find that most brokers are a bit more efficient to work with than working with the producer directly. There are of course many exceptions. Winemakers just tend to want to, quite understandably, focus on their vines/wine; thus they can be a bit pokey on getting the business matters done.

Wine brokers certainly make a wine more expensive with their added markup, but they can also save you money in the long run with the efficiency they provide. One might not want a book of wines supplied only by brokers, but then again one shouldn’t, in my opinion, have a book without them!

Of all the various philosophies and practices about how to grow grapes and make wine, biodynamics is by far, the most controversial and often maligned.

So what is biodynamics?

First of all, you can think of biodynamics as “organic plus.”

Not only does biodynamics eliminate the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, it also relies on ‘old-time’ farmer almanac agricultural traditions such as planting and harvesting by cosmic moon cycles. In addition, to deal with weeds, pests and insects that could diminish healthy grape growing capacity, biodynamics relies on natural strategies and what some call mysterious ‘woo-woo’ concoctions of homeopathic sprays.

A biodynamic vineyard is also different than organic, in that it requires a biodiversity of animals living on the land, specific cover crops to feed the soil, and a closed system where even the compost is locally derived from the animals on the land. You’ll see sheep and chickens, cows and horses, owl houses on biodynamic properties.

A Primary Tenet of Biodynamics

The main focus of biodynamics is on the health of the soil and the environment, nothing wrong with that idea. What I see and have experienced, those growers who tend towards biodynamics have a close reverence for the land, a spiritual connection if you will. They are dedicated to deep sustainability.

And that’s where the controversy begins, or so I think. Biodynamics practices have their origins in the teachings of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner whose insights also gave birth to Waldorf schools and anthroposophic medicine. Steiner talked about etheric spirits, life force and that all of life is connected. The latter is pretty easy to accept, for many, the other, not so much.

Because there is no science that proves the value of biodynamic practices, they are discounted. However, when did science have a hold over winemaking and farming – aren’t they a blend of art, science, experience, intuition and the mysteries of the climate? Add terroir to the story – how many varied explanations for terroir are there?

Because biodynamics requires that the grapes are grown in a closed system – meaning nothing comes from outside the vineyard, the claim is made that it fosters the highest expression of the land; that biodynamic wines show terroir better than any other viticulture practice.

Are biodynamic wines better than organic or conventional wines?

Just like all winemaking strategies, one viticulture practice does not always ensure the best wine. It is the vision and mission of each winemaker and grape grower to decide how they want to tend the land and grow their wines. Not all organic wines are bad, not all conventional wines are good – the truth of any winemaking strategy is in the drinking and enjoyment of the wine.

Many of the top estates in Europe follow biodynamic viticulture including Domaine Leroy in Burgundy, Château de la Roche-aux-Moines in the Loire, Maison Chapoutier in the Rhone Valley, Nicolas Joly’s Clos de la Coulée de Serrant, and Domaine Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace. Worldwide there are more than 500 biodynamic wine producers and growing. Some well-known wineries practicing biodynamics in the US include Ceago, Grgich, Benziger, Paul Dolan, Sinskey, Bonny Doon, Phelps and Quintessa. A downloadable list of wineries is available here:

List of US Wineries using Organic and Biodynamic Practices

Personal Experience

I had stumbled accidentally into biodynamic farming decades ago, when an attractive farmer was offering apprenticeships to the small community garden. This city girl, hard-core scientist, committed to three months, at first because of the farmer, but ultimately because of the farm. Being so engaged in making the concoctions, building the compost, watering in the seedlings, watching things grow, I fell in love with the land and its many offerings. The experience took me out of the critical mind into the gifts of nature.

What I’ve learned from the biodynamic winemaker – their entry into this atypical practice came from seeing that their weakened vineyards were radically improved by experimenting with one of the homeopathic sprays.

What I have experienced when I drink biodynamic wines, I sleep better. I have a pattern, some of you may also, and when I drink wine I get sleepy. If its bedtime, I’m soon under the covers UNTIL about 90 minutes later and then I’m wide awake. The scientific explanation for this – alcohol is a central nervous system depressant – we get sleepy. We go into rebound and wake up. With some biodynamic wines, I sleep through the night, never with conventional or wine from organically grown grapes.

Wine Tasting – a Step Further into the Cosmos

If you want to go even deeper into the mystical and mysteriousness of biodynamics, some say that cosmic influences affect how we taste wine. This gives lunar cycles - from new to full moon – a whole other meaning.

The calendar pinpoints Root Days, Flower Days, Leaf Days and Fruit Days, which, according to lunar cycles, are most auspicious for developing those parts of the plant. Flower Days and Fruit Days are considered the best days for tasting wine.

In the end, biodynamic winemaking is about how the grapes are grown and soil tended, the reverence one gives the whole process. And should you want to further explore this fascinating approach to wine, below are many useful resources.

Other Resources

For further reading on biodynamics, I recommend these resources:

Voodoo Vintners: Oregon’s Astonishing Biodynamic Winegrowers

Wine from Sky to Earth

Differences between sustainable, organic and biodynamic wines

Jamie Goode’s Biodynamics 101

Image credit: © Sondra Barrett

Spread the word and enter today!

One of the greatest wine tasting and Sonoma County experiences is coming up on January 14-15, 2012 – Winter Wine Road. Winter Wine Road is actually not a road at all, rather it is an on the road event with the potential of visiting more than 140 wineries.

There are four basic areas for this weekend exploration: Russian River, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Santa Rosa – all in the north end of Sonoma County, about an hour from San Francisco. I recommend looking at a map and the wineries involved to choose one region to visit each day.

Interactive map of participating locations
Printable PDF map

Some offer wine and food pairing, tours, others offer library wines, barrel samples or new releases for tasting, and wine discounts. Often the winemakers are also on hand to discuss their wines with you. Each participating winery either hosts an art show and artist or has an educational display to help you learn about some aspect of vineyard management or winemaking.

During my first Winter Wineland, I wanted to visit the Dry Creek area and made a list of about 10 wineries to visit. I made it to 5. Depending on the winery, you might want to sit on the deck and enjoy the view, wander in the cave, or chat with other guests about the wine. Warning – this can be tiring as well as an exhilarating opportunity to taste some rare library wines, great pinots and even some barrel samples. You’ll want to have a designated driver with you (ticket cost is only $5 if you’re not drinking). Also plan ahead. Know a few wineries and the area you want to visit first.

Printable PDF of the Winter Wine Road program

What can also help you determine your choices – especially if you don’t have specific wineries you know you want to visit – it to check the program page to see what each winery is offering in terms of wine, entertainment and food. The theme for this 20^th Anniversary Wine Road is wine-art-education. Many wineries host a guest artist who shares their work with visitors. Last year I was the guest artist at Freestone Vineyards, a wonderful experience, as this is a less traveled road. There were no crowds and the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are stellar. Plus if you get out that way, you must stop at the excellent Wild Flour Bakery.

If you’re going to the Dry Creek area, be sure to check out the very busy Dry Creek General Store. And in Alexander Valley, check out the Jimtown Store. Both these places sell goodies for picnics as well as edibles to eat there or take home. I especially love the cherry scones at Jimtown. Get there early, as they quickly sell out. Many of the wineries also offer a diverse selection of food and snacks from soup, to stew, and chocolates.

You could take one day to taste pinots (the Russian River area) and another for cabs or zin (Alexander Valley and Dry Creek). Each appellation has its stars: Russian River Valley’s are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; Dry Creek Valley is known for its Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc; and Alexander Valley is known for its Cabernet and Merlot. In the Dry Creek area you’ll see lots of very old vines which is a treat.

If you’re going to Sonoma this weekend, tweet your tasting adventures with the hashtag #wineland2012. Or you can follow this tag vicariously to see what others are finding.

105 year old Zinfandel vines – Lytton Springs

Winter Wine Road – 20th Anniversary Winter Wineland
When: Saturday and Sunday January 14 – 15, 2012, 11 am – 4 pm
Tickets: Price for both days includes wine tasting at all of the participating wineries. $55 weekend, $45 Sunday only, $5 for designated drivers. Get your tickets at the first winery you visit.

The weather is predicted to be beautiful as we continue our very long dry stretch in the area. Take advantage of it. If you can’t make Winter Wine Road, put the 34th Annual Barrel Tasting on your calendar for the two weekends of March 2 – 11, 2012.

[All photos (c) Sondra Barrett]

Simple grape juice is transformed into the enjoyable elixir we call wine by the work of invisible microscopic organisms. Primary alcoholic fermentation depends on yeast to convert the sweet sugar in grape juice to heat, bubbly carbon dioxide and alcohol. Yet grapes contain a lot more chemical variety than just sugars. The predominant acids tartaric and malic still present in the fermenting juice can also be acted upon to add to the complexity and balance in wine.

Now here’s where another alchemical process is decided upon by the winemaker – to do malolactic transformation or not.

What is malolactic conversion?

Often referred to as ‘secondary fermentation’ which follows or occurs simultaneously with primary fermentation, MLF changes the acid chemistry and the mouth-feel of a wine.

With the help of benign bacteria (smaller than yeasts), malic acid, the aggressive sharp acid typical of unripe fruit is converted into the softer less sharp lactic acid. When I first started exploring wine through the microscope I was surprised to see how the shapes of these acids matched our biochemical understanding – malic was larger and more hard-edged while lactic revealed much smaller forms.

Malic acid on top, lactic acid on the bottom:

I understood this process to be part of the transformation of a simple chardonnay to a more complex buttery expression. What I didn’t know until decades later was that malolactic conversion is almost universally done with red wines. Not just chardonnay? Why?

Malolactic Changes in Red Wines

In this case, helpful lactic acid bacteria are usually inoculated into the barrel of red wine at the end of primary fermentation. If used barrels are the ‘holding tank’ for the wine, bacteria are still present. Now the sour tart malic acid is converted into the less sour lactic acid. This process lowers the acid content of the wine (natural deacidification) and softens its mouth feel. This results in a smoother, more balanced wine.

In addition to a change in the mouth feel is a change in the wine’s aroma and flavor. It may smell more vinous with a buttery finish.

Looking again into the chemical changes during MLF, in addition to lactic acid is the formation of diacetyl, which gives a buttery feel to the wine.

In essence, for both red and white wines MLF adds to a greater softness and roundness to the wine. Some winemakers say that when MLF is done during oak aging following fermentation it contributes to better integration of oak and fruit.

A further advantage for controlled MLF in red wine, it won’t occur accidentally and spontaneously in the bottled wine. Think explosion of the built-up carbon dioxide.

Which Wines Benefit?

In general, medium to full-bodied reds destined for aging are improved by MLF. In addition to the stylistic qualities, MLF confers to a chardonnay, it is sometimes used to soften pinot blanc and pinot gris. On the other hand, lighter fruit-driven wines like Beaujolais or sauvignon blanc require crisp acidity to express their character, MLF is not for them.

In addition, wines that have undergone MLF are more stable and require less sulphur dioxide (SO ₂) to ensure stability.

The next time you’re exploring your palate try comparing the same varietal with and without MLF to add to your tasting knowledge and experience.

Still curious? Here are some additional resources to explore for more:

An Introduction to Malolactic Fermentation in Wine

Malolactic Fermentation

Wine’s Hidden Beauty

I could divide the world of wine into 17 groups, or 167,  but for the purpose of telling you how to get wine writers’ attention, I’m going to narrow it to two.

Group 1: You make wine that will retail for over $100, presumably Napa Cabernet. (If it’s something else, you really need to rethink your pricing.)
Group 2: You’re making anything else.

For group 1, you have a lot invested in your wine, so don’t skimp on hiring a marketing professional. Don’t risk failure without giving it your absolute best shot.

Now I’m talking to the rest of you.

The first thing you need to realize is just how much wine we wine writers get. Right now I have wine bottles lining both sides of my hallway; it overflowed my closet and I don’t have room in any of my three wine refrigerators. And I don’t write for Wine Spectator or the Wine Advocate.

So just sending somebody a bottle of wine doesn’t guarantee she’s even going to open it, much less immediately post a rave on her blog.

Now I want you to think about how you feel when you get an email that was clearly sent to 1,000 people from someone who doesn’t know you or your personal situation. Maybe it offers a good item on sale: Discount Fares to London! Do you open that email and read it carefully?

You see what I’m getting at? To get a writer’s attention, you need to approach that writer as an individual. So do a little research to figure out who you want to write about your wine – and whether it’s even possible. Just because you want your wine reviewed in the Baltimore Sun doesn’t mean it’s going to happen if the paper doesn’t do wine reviews.

You also need to do some background research on yourself. Very few writers will be excited to learn that you think you’ve made a great Lake County Cabernet. Some do care only about the taste of the wine – including, signficantly, critics at the Wine Advocate. But most writers also want to know something about the story behind the wine.

Before approaching writers, you should create a website for your winery and your wine. Eventually you may want an e-commerce website, but don’t delay on creating an informational website; you can always replace it with an e-commerce site later.

Why do you need a website? Because when you call or email a writer, asking if he wants to try the best Viognier currently being made from Mendocino County, the first thing he’s likely to do is Google you to see if you’re interesting.

Different points are interesting to different writers, and your website should address all of them. It should talk about who the owners are, what your background is, and why you’re making wine. Ditto for your winemaker. The site should have all the facts a CV has, but also let us feel your passion for wine, and show us your personality.

Each wine you’re releasing should have its own page, at the bare minimum listing retail price (the single most important fact), vineyard sources and alcohol percentage. A nice high-res label or bottle photo that I can quickly copy and post on my site is very helpful.

If there’s something interesting about the vineyard – how much fog it gets, who its neighbors are, what its history is – by all means include it. Gathering this information about each wine is good practice because you should include a fact sheet with every sample bottle of wine you send. (Don’t ever expect wine writers to pay for your wine, or to write about your wine without trying it.)

Now you’re ready to approach writers. I wouldn’t start small. Personally I would approach the Wine Advocate first. In the past, publisher Robert Parker seemed to take pride in new discoveries. But Antonio Galloni is still getting on his feet as Parker’s replacement and may not immediately be as open to new wines. So I would make concurrent efforts elsewhere.

When considering Wine Spectator, be realistic about the style of your wine. If you’re making a Spectator-style wine, by all means submit it for ratings. If you’re not, they’re not going to change their ratings system for you, so you might want to consider avoiding getting a poor rating.

Most of all, don’t put all your hopes in one critic. I am one of several critics who rates wine on the 100-point scale for Wine Review Online. You could take a few minutes to look over that site and consider which critic(s) you might want to approach.

Once you have a review or two, post them on your website where other critics can see them, and that will add to your credibility. But remember my hallway full of yet-to-be-reviewed wine, and I’m not even close to No. 1 on most wineries’ wish lists. I’m sorry to tell you that getting wine critics’ attention takes effort. Which brings us full circle back to my advice to Group 1.

We all know those people. The ones that say “I only drink wine” or “I only drink beer.” The people you buy the six-pack or glass of white for.

Now, being realistic … in college do you think these friends [of yours] uttered the words “I only …” before the name of an alcoholic beverage? Probably not.

So where did these stigmas against wine (from beer lovers) and beer (from wine lovers) come from? Budweiser advertisements sporting jocks and hot women … played during the Super Bowl? Bad memories of skunked beer? Maybe the image of Homer Simpson’s “beer belly?”

Fear not wine drinkers, there’s another side to beer that maybe these beer snobs have been hiding from you: microbrews.

Beer can be as complex as wine. Can be being the operative words, the hidden microbrews of yesteryear (my dad actually used to brew his own in our basement when I was a kid) are gone, and the scene has been transformed by small entrepreneurs and hipsters alike. Merging the fields of wine, beer, and food even closer.

Think you don’t like beer? Here are my picks for what to drink based on what type of wine you like. By thinking about it on these terms, you’ll easily understand why pairing beers is similar to wine.

For the person who thinks they don’t like beer: Try cider.

Cider is uuber trendy right now. It’s used in cocktails, generally bubbly, and lighter to drink than a standard beer. It’s also a great cross over for hard alcohol drinking friends because mixologists are using it around the country to create signature cocktails.

Try: Angus Cider Cameo

For the person who only drinks white wine: Try something fruity.
Branch out from the Blue Moons and Hoegaardens and experiment with fruit light beers. Often served with fruit, these are easily transition beers for white wine drinkers. A great option is Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project Jack D’Or, sited by O Magazine as having “qualities similar to a white table wine – it goes well with food, without stealing the attention.” Bingo

For the person who always experimenting with wine/finding the new trends: Try an unusual German brew.

Leipziger Gose Bier is one of the most unusual beers. It’s not something you’re going to chug. It’s a beer you sip and say, “Wow, that’s odd. Don’t know if I like it.” You wait, thinking you don’t want anymore, but it’s so different, you take another sip. Worth just having everyone taste. Brewed with coriander and salt. It’s salty. For the person who loves to question and examine while they drink. For the person who doesn’t notice what they drink: Try a pilsner. This is a pretty middle-of-the-road type of beer. Well, it can be. It’s like pizza. All pizza is great, after all it’s pizza, but a really good pizza stands out. So does a pilsner. Victory Brewery Company, Prima Pils will get your guests noticing what type of beer their drinking. If not, they’ll enjoy every sip of it, stress free.

For the person who likes heavy cabernets: Try a stout.

Even better, try a coffee or oatmeal stout. Characteristics of heavy wines of berries and coffee can easily be found in beer. Try Dogfish Head Chicory Stout, a mix of hops and cherries with a slight smokey feel. Pairs great with food, steak lovers, surrender. Needless to say, there are a bevy (I had to pun myself there!) of options. Just as with wine, the best way to learn, is to taste. Even better, buying a beer or a six-pack is often less expensive than wine. Economical and tasty.

(Photo Credit: Today’s Beer Haul)

There is nothing more comforting and terrifying than that moment where you realize from whence you come. It might be when you find yourself obsessing over the color of your new bedroom and say to yourself “oh my god I have become my mother!” It might be when you see something your husband does and think to yourself “I have married my father!” I , of course , have had many such revelations, but none has struck me quite as intensely as the moment I had while traveling with my mother in Napa Valley 13 years ago. I was living in Italy at the time, and thought Napa Valley might be a good place to move once I returned to the states. I needed a food and wine culture to ease the transition of returning home after six years of living well in Europe.

My mom graciously volunteered to take a trip with me out there for wine tasting and reconnaissance. One evening before dinner, we stopped at Dean & Deluca to grab some nibbles and wine to enjoy by our fireplace in our quaint hotel suite. We saw a great bottle of Champagne and both reached for it, until I pointed out “Mom, it seems a shame to waste a bottle of Champagne. We won’t drink the entire thing and can’t recork it”. My mother replied “Oh honey, don’t you know I always travel with a Champagne stopper in my make-up kit”? It was as though my entire life passed before my very eyes. We all know, in the reaches of our brain, that we are molded by our parents. Never did I know until that moment to what extent that was true!

I have a few focused passions when it comes to wine, but none I am as obsessed with as Champagne. Specifically, I am a supporter of “grower” Champagne, or what we in the trade like to call “Farmer Fizz”. I often say my entire book of wine supports my Champagne habit.

There are two categories in Champagne – the ‘Grand Marques’, or big houses you all know and love (Veuve Cliquot, Moet & Chandon, etc). Without criticizing these products (and I emphasize the world ‘product’), these are not really wines anymore but rather luxury brands owned by huge conglomerates who also own such labels as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Tag Heuer, Chopin Vodka, etc, etc. They are so big that they have to source juice from all over Champagne to meet their demand, and as a result must add a lot of sugar to unify that very disparate fruit. They also spend a lot of money on marketing and that cost is passed on to the consumer. If most of the money one spends on a bottle Grand Marque Champagne is dedicated to marketing, it means there wasn’t much money left to spend on the juice inside.

The big houses have always sourced their fruit from big and smaller growers alike. Fifty years ago, if you grew grapes in Champagne, you sold the fruit to a big house, period. Lately, a revolution of sorts has occurred. Many of these small farmers have taken over their estates from their parents and decided to bottle their own wine. The French term is “recoltant-manipulant”, or “RM”. These are small winemakers who want to produce wines from fruit they grow themselves. Usually the winemaking is done by hand, which in Champagne is a laborious process but makes a huge difference. They are so proud of their “terroir” that they want you to taste where the grapes are grown. They want you to see the difference between their wine and their neighbor. As a result, they add very little sugar, so you can taste their beautiful fruit and all its unique characteristics. The results are real wines that happen to sparkle. For the same price as a certain orange label, these wines are at least twice the quality at the same price. All you are paying for is someone’s hard work and labor of love, rather than a status symbol.

Champagne is broken up into four growing regions, and all represent very different personalities. There is the Montagne de Reims in the north, home to Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (both are red grapes but are pressed only to release the white juice inside). These wines smell and taste of bright red fruit and are both lush and structured. The Vallee de la Marne, in the middle of Champagne, produces the most wine, and the wines tend to be a blend of all three classical Champagne grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay). They are round and balanced, and very typical for Champagne. In the south is the Cotes des Blancs, home to Chardonnay and some of the most famous vineyards in Champagne. Most are made from 100% Chardonnay are called “Blanc des Blancs”. These wines tend to be bright and racy, great young or aged, and are usually of my favorites. Finally, in the south, is the Cotes de Bar. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grow there, but this area is actually closer to Chablis than it is to Champagne. The wines have a lush body to them and at the same time are balanced with a beautiful minerality.

This is the perfect time of the year to try these smaller, unique Champagnes. It’s very instructive to get a few of them and taste them side by side, because they are so different from each other. Just like a family, they are from one place but have their own unique sensibilities. Just as we are formed by our lineage, these wines also form their personalities from the ground in which they are grown. For them this is never a disturbing fact, but rather a point of pride!