Crozes-Hermitage, on a fertile plain encircling the stony hill of Hermitage, offers less heroic styles for sooner drinking. There is much to admire in these elegant northern Rhône Syrahs: spicy smokiness evoking bacon, black olives and thyme. At his estate in Mercurol, Philippe Desmure and daughter Emilie preserve essence of Crozes with minimum intervention methods. [...]

The colour of fresh straw, the alluring nose boasts gooseberries with a hint of green apple and a typical aroma of white pepper. Well balanced acidity and citrus fruits leading to a spicy, lively wine, oozing with minerality and elegance.
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Being made from the highest quality must, the 'Yema', it has a distinctive, clean aroma and is bone dry with a savoury character. It represents the ultimate aperitif (fantastic with 'finger foods' such as nuts and olives) and is also the perfect match for a wide variety of dishes including seafood and tapas. Serve ice [...]

The underrated aromatic Portuguese grape Loureiro is sourced from the Vino Verde region north of the Douro. Not to be associated with cheap Vinho Verdes of twenty years ago, this high quality single estate wine has a grassy, lemony aroma and a clean, crisp yet concentrated finish.
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Albariño is the white grape variety of note from Spain with a style very similar to Viognier. It offers a delicate yet forceful peachy aroma on the nose and palate and is a great choice if you prefer something a little different to Chardonnay.
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 By Jeffrey Puckett
Red wine has general characteristics that you can look for to help you understand and enjoy it. There are some guidelines you can follow to help you observe the wine through sight, smell, and taste. This wine tasting guide will show you some of the general characteristics of red wine.
First, look at the [...]

Wine has always been a satisfying and enjoyable complement to a lovely meal at a restaurant. Wine tasting in a restaurant is a very rich and rewarding experience. Once you have made your wine selection, there are a number of steps involved in properly tasting the wine that will make the wine tasting experience even more pleasurable.

The most important part of wine tasting is the shape of the wine glasses. Wine glasses create the balance of flavor needed to fully appreciate the tasting experience. A wine glass was made with the shape they have for very specific reasons.

Maximilian Riedel answers the “Should I decant?” question.