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[grapefriend]

finger pinks

When you say Finger Lakes and wine in the same sentence, most people wince. But for grapefriends who know better, this region has really elevated their wines in recent years. I just sampled through a bunch of their 2023 rosés, which I’d never had before (the region is probably mostly known for Riesling). Also, they’re all screw caps which I’d love. It’s rosé — you don’t have to be fussy. And when…

[grapefriend]

GOAT (grapiest of all time)

In other sport GOAT news, David Beckham gave Lionel Messi a Methuselah (equal to 8 bottles) of 2008 Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino for his 37th birthday.  Voted the World’s Best Winery of 2023, Catena makes some truly incredible wines. Made from the best vines on the estate, the Zapata grapes are hand-picked and the production is low. According to Catena’s notes on the 2008, “It combines density…

[grapefriend]

rosé rolls on

And for those of you who want to keep the party going all August long, here are a few rosés I loved lately:Chateau Peyrassol Rosé: Incredible how much flavor this has for such a pale pink. Tons of Mandarin orange and zesty pink grapefruit with a crazy long finish. Peyrassol isn’t your typical Provençal — this one’s $40 but worth it.André Brunel Vins de Pays Rosé: From the Rhône Valley, this blend…

[grapefriend]

beyond champagne ceremony sips

Paris winners can easily bust out Champagne (let’s hear it for that toasty raspberry Bolly, $135) to celebrate their medals. But for those of us sitting on the couch without lucrative endorsement deals we might want to turn to more affordable French bubbles to sip on during the Closing Ceremonies. Namely, crémant which is made in the same method as Champagne but from different grapes and in other…

[grapefriend]

night night lack of gold

Team USA shot past France for basketball gold, many thanks to Steph Curry’s incredible three-pointers. While we know the Olympic stadium wasn’t allowed to serve wine, hopefully Steph and team celebrated afterwards. Perhaps it was with the Domaine Curry Celebration Set, from his wife and sister’s winery. Domaine Curry, which they sold to The Prisoner Wine Company last year, makes Cabernet, a Red…

[grapefriend]

the crazy olympic wine fact

OK, so here’s the craziest thing. Despite the Olympics being held in one of the greatest countries for wine, they can’t serve wine at the Olympics! Evin’s Law has been in place since 1991 in France, and it bans alcohol from being served to the public in stadiums.  Ironically, athletes used to drink when training during the ancient Olympic Games. They thought it gave them energy and strength.…

[grapefriend]

5 rules for rosé bliss

As you enter summer’s pink zone, here are a few tips to expand your palate. 1: rebel against the rules Méditerranée IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) is the term for an area that covers Provence but also includes some of the Rhône Valley and Corsica (love their rosés). 75% of the region’s wines are rosé and without the Provence rules to follow, they can experiment beyond the usual…

[grapefriend]

what wine travis kelce gave his mom

Swifties know that Taylor is a grapefriend, but looks like her boyfriend is getting into the grape too. Travis Kelce recently gave his mom Donna two bottles of wine for Mother’s Day: a 1988 Leroy Les Beaux Monts and a 2018 Pomerol. Let’s assess, shall we?  The Leroy is a Vosne Romanée: A rich, refined Pinot Noir from Burgundy. Although it’s a Premier Cru from one of the better appellations in…

[grapefriend]

summer host gift alert

As the rosé trend settles in, you pretty much can’t go anywhere without seeing Whispering Angel on a wine list. The producer Chateau D’Esclans recently detailed their history in The Book of Rosé: The Provençal Vineyard That Revolutionized Rosé. The lengthy book is packed with beautiful photos and lots of history of Provence, owner Sacha Lichine’s vision, and how they helped propel the rosé…

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being beaujolais

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get your rosé engines ready

We’ve already had our first Heat Dome, and I immediately started popping frosty rosés. Here are a few favorites to kick off your summer and keep you cool: Lady A by Chateau La Coste: Feels so summery with the label’s butterfly by Damien Hirst (the winery also had an exhibit by the artist). Very flavorful peach and raspberry notes from the typical provencal blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah…

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full body, light bottle

Went to an interesting wait-staff education session the other day, where Catena taught the staff about the lighter bottles they’re using in their Vista Flores Malbec.  Who knew the weight of a bottle contributes most to the energy suck in the winemaking process? But 60% of carbon emissions come from the weight of the bottle. The average bottle weighs 550 grams, and Catena’s Vista Flores and High…

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sun-powered rosé

Rosé is so associated with sunny days, and Domaine Carneros just released a wine primarily produced by the power of the sun. They installed 400 solar panels in the winery 21 years ago, the largest collection of any winery in the world. This Solar Microgrid prevents the generation of 494 metric tons of CO2. It also helps make some good wine. The 2023 Avant Garde Rosé is a still rosé made from four…

[grapefriend]

the soils are alive

Healthy soils maintain the natural ecosystem in a vineyard, nurturing the vines to express their true nature. Viñedos Organicos Veramonte develops self-sustaining vineyards to stimulate and regenerate the life and biodiversity of the soil by using natural compost and cover crops in between vineyard rows to improve soil structure, reduce erosion and fix nutrients. As head winemaker Sofia Araya…

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jacinda ardern gets married in the vines

Now that she stepped down as Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern had time to get married to her longtime partner Clarke Gayford. They had their festivities earlier this year at Craggy Range, a gorgeous vineyard I visited when I was in NZ. They only produces wines from a single vineyard, which is sort of ironic for a wedding! New Zealand is mostly known for its hyper-pungent Sauvignon…

[grapefriend]

thirsty under $30

Usually I like to educate people about styles and grapes you can then go find on your own, since finding a specific bottle can be an issue depending on what your local wine store happens to have. But lately I had a bunch of good reds under $30, which can be hard to find. And in that spirit, I threw in some whites under $30 as well.  the reds Montecalvi Chianti Classico 2020 $29I feel like most…

[grapefriend]

grapey gift guide

Whether you’ve given so many bottles to your grapefriend already or you just need some fun stocking stuffers, we always like to provide options for you there too! Fave Wine Glasses: I curated a few good ones on my Amazon store. Especially love the chic flat-bottomed coupes, 4 for $59.  Repour Wine Stopper: Maybe you have some wine left over or loved it so much you want to save some for the next…