This refreshing rosé blend made from grenache, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and dolcetto (an Italian grape) smells like sweet, perfumey fruit. On the tongue, itís soft íní elegant, with cranberry, sweet cherry, ripe strawberries and fresh, lively acidity. Quite perfect, really. Perfect for any occasion, even happy ones. Sw= 2. $17 retail. 5 stars.  

Available by the bottle at 4th and Swift in...

Made from vineyards grown in a cooler, high altitude region to achieve lively acidity, yet also to gain ripeness crucial for breathtaking chardonnay. Soft and medium-bodied with layers of creamy vanilla, mango, butter-sautÈed peaches and a refreshing citrus finish. Sw=2. $18. 4 stars.

This wine is featured in this week’s Corkscrew column - White wine with steak keeps you cool. Taylor Eason is...

This red zinfandel backs up its cutesy name with character. It’s not bold and alcoholic like many zins but medium-bodied with chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla spice, black cherry and blackberry. Available at many grocery stores. Sw=2. $11. 4 stars.

This wine is featured in this week’s Corkscrew column - Drink Well, Save Dough: Top ten best wines for the money right now.

Forget the tango - malbec is fast becoming the beloved icon of Argentina. I wrote about this humble red grape back in 2006, when it was creeping into the spotlight, but since then its popularity has spread like the macarena at a redneck wedding. And no wonder - malbec is practically perfect.
This disrespected French grape originally hails from Bordeaux, where it slaves for the hallowed...

The snooty side of food pairings preaches “no wine with salad.” I fed on this falsehood for years, following the widely-held mantra like an evangelical wino. Then one day a miraculous salad and vino combo made me rethink my reliance on traditional not-so-wisdom.

Not that I was always so cool and contrarian. Before my re-awakening, I lapped up all the drivel wine magazines and writers spit...

One of the best, under-priced wines Iíve tasted in months. Floral aromas with softness on the palate, lively acidity, fresh apricot, stereotypical riesling diesel fuel, and a tart green apple, lemon-lime, wet slate finish. Sw=2. $10. 4 stars.

This wine is featured in this week’s Corkscrew column - Lettuce Surprises You: Pairing wine with salads.

The name, Las Hormigas, translates to ‘the ants’ since the vineyards are covered with critters that eat everything except the vines themselves. The protected fruit results in a wine oozing with mouth-filling black cherry, plums, licorice and soft leather. Itís dry with medium tannins and a lush, earthy finish. Sw=1. $10. 3.5 stars.  

This wine is featured in this week’s Corkscrew column - Red...

This fresh, rich, citrus-infused gem relies heavily on the sémillon grape to give it a distinct soft roundness. Also laced with melon, lemon curd and chamomile. Simply delicious. Sw=1. $19. 4.5 stars.  

After my annual Fourth of July party, the recycling bin brims with a mountainous pile of wine bottles. I imagine the recycling guy considers me a lapsed Friend of Bill, but it doesn’t matter — our nation’s birthday is the day to enjoy everything. In honor of our America’s independence, here are some creative tips to prepare for the celebration.
 
Introduce the Box
Ignore the naysayers who...

The six-month dream job of Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent at Murphy-Goode Winery has been blowing up the blogosphere. $10,000 per month to live at the winery in Sonoma Valley, write, and ride the social media wave. It’s a sweet gig for whoever gets it.

And I threw my glass into the ring.

Initially, I learned about the opportunity from my father-in-law who lives 9,167 miles from home in...

Despite a weakening economy, the Nielson Company revealed an almost 25 percent jump in U.S. rosé wine sales in 2008. Since I’ve harped on the greatness of pink for the past five years, I’ll take at least a sliver of that celebratory pie, thank you very much. I’m rejoicing that Americans have finally begun to embrace the beauty of rosé wines.

With the red fruit and tannin of red, and the cool,...

Summer just isn’t summer without refreshing pink wine. From Randall Grahm’s infamous Bonny Doon winery comes a grenache-based rosé that smells like a fresh spring day. Zesty citrus, steely raspberry and orange blossom flavors with a clean, refreshing, red apple finish. Sw=2. $15. 4.5 stars.

This wine is featured in this week’s Corkscrew column - Rose Rising: Why pink wines should be in your...

Humble beginnings birth beautiful things. Obama. The Simpsons. Angelina Jolie. And McLaren Vale, a tiny town in South Australia with soft yet powerful wines.

Tireless pioneer Thomas Hardy planted grapes in McLaren Vale around 1840 and winemaking in the region thrived, until the turn of the century when exports dried up and the demand for bulk port swelled. Around the 1960’s, wine tourism...