Wine Recommendations

It’s that time of year again. Girl Scout cookie time. Of course, for some people, that is a chance to avoid making eye contact with the Moms and Dads who are co-workers of yours. For others, it’s a chance to meet the neighbors as their girls’ tour door to door peddling the sugary wares. And for even others, it’s a chance to go off their diets in the interest of supporting the greater good.

I tend to taste and drink a lot of wine over the course of a year. I am in a few tasting groups, sometimes the wines are consumed at various local wine store tastings and a number drunk with friends and family.

The Thanksgiving table screams wine and whereas there is no one particular wine that can accommodate the diverse foods at your table, Pinot Noir is certainly one of the more user-friendly wines. And given that Thanksgiving is time with family and friends, this Benovia Pinot Noir, only the second release from the Martaella Vineyard, is a great way to say thanks to those special people in your life.

Christmas is coming up. While I admit to never really understanding where the idea for 12 days of Christmas came from (Chanukah at 8? Sure), it’s a thing now. So with that in mind, and in an attempt to find some wines to get for the wine lovers in your life, here is a (actually two) list of 12 wines for Christmas. The criterion for wines to make this list was strict: A) I had to think of it, and 2) it had to be reasonably available to obtain. I tried to list current vintages and pricing available although other vintages and different pricing I am sure exists.

Ah, rosé. For many people it seems at best to be a wanna-be red wine with training wheels; at worst it’s a sugar and strawberry one trick pony pink wine. But great rosé can be one of those go-to wines that accompany a delirious number of foods. But - just try finding a good one, right? Well, the Triennes Rosé enters this conversation and, voilà , you find yourself nearly speechless. Composed of 60% Cinsault along with Grenache, Syrah and Merlot, all harvested at night to retain better flavors, the Triennes, located in Aix-en-Provence, near Marseille is what rosé is really all about – poise, confidence, flavor and diversity.

The California Central Coast, identified as Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo (and its main wine region Paso Robles) and Monterey is California the way it used to be, or at the very least, California the way people want it to be: small towns, charming architecture, varied history of Missions and Indians, and coastlines for miles; a slow pace, clean air and a belief that no one real really works very hard. But the area has been home to grape growing since the Spanish brought vine cuttings from Spain via Mexico in the late 1700s and winemakers and vineyard managers have been working hard ever since. To celebrate this beautiful region IntoWine.com offers these 50 wines that represent the diversity of the California Central Coast.

Summer is here (or close enough anyway) and for many people, that means taking out the grill, inviting friends over and having a barbecue. For many of us wine lovers, choosing the right wine for a barbeque can become challenging. There are a lot of reasons for this. It’s usually hot or at least warm out and some wines just don’t work in the heat. Further, parties often involve groups of people and that means finding easily obtainable wines that don’t cost an arm and a leg to buy multiple bottles. Finally, the wine needs to match the food. Barbecue is big food with a lot of flavors. A wine needs to stand up to that otherwise why not just drink water. To start with, here is a break down on the types of wines to look for and then a few, but far from complete list of suggestions.

Let’s face it, Mom probably drinks because of you (I know mine does). So IntoWine.com wanted to celebrate Mom with a dozen rosés , wines that are similar yet wildly diverse. Provence is the undisputed birthplace of rosé and the ancient Greeks brought vines to southern France around 600 BC, something the Romans improved upon when they arrived in the area in 125 BC. So rosé has a long history but as these wines show, r osé is truly global.

Napa Valley Zinfandels are celebrated for their easy drinking allure and bold juicy flavors making this varietal a total crowd pleaser. Zinfandels made in the Napa Valley are iconic, although some may say a little forgotten, however, it’s a flavor profile known for intense black fruits and spice which render Napa Valley Zinfandels as the most epically jammy varietal produced. The Napa Valley’s warm California climate is fundamental to winemaking and Napa Valley Zinfandels are a great example of how winemakers utilize that heat, skillfully harnessing the temperatures to produce some of the most intense wine the Napa Valley has to offer. Zinfandels crafted in the Napa Valley region, especially old vine Zinfandels, have exploding flavors that ripen outrageously giving life to wines that create an exceptional food and wine experience. When you find a way to always have excellent Napa Valley Zinfandel around it’s sure to illuminate any meal because Napa Valley Zinfandel is, more than anything else, a food pairing wine. These Napa Valley wineries with the best Zinfandel are recommendations specifically known for their outstanding, award-winning Zinfandel.

Let's face it, not everybody is enamored with football. But if you're invited to a Super Bowl party, you go. If you don't you're that person sitting at home in the dark, surrounded by stuffed animals, drinking prune juice and watching PBS. If you are a football fan but not the beer guzzling boisterous breed, IntoWine.com’s wine guide will help you not only learn about the game (and potentially forget the game quickly) but will make the endurance challenge of Super Bowl Sunday more palatable. So we offer 10 wines for 10 of football’s most often heard terms, and what to drink when you hear them.