BUT… I like to help people when it comes to wine, and I kept getting twitter DMs and Facebook messages asking me the equivalent of “any good wine recommendations for a picnic this weekend?” in a  run-up to the Memorial Day weekend.  And so now that it’s officially too late to do anything about Memorial Day because lots of wine shops might be closed anyway for the holiday, I’ll be a stinker and share what I’ve been Facebook-ing and DM-tweet-ing with a number of people already.

For those sick of hearing about these types of recommendations: sorry, you’ve been outvoted by Inbox (for those sick of Seals & Croft: sorry, I’ve no real advice to help out with that, except maybe drinking a glass of wine and smoking one of those… funny cigarettes….).  But before you send me angry emails (most especially in relation to my slightly-irreverent take on the dulcet, laidback tones of Seals & Croft), please note that Memorial Day wine recommendations aren’t any different from any other Summer holiday recommendations – we’re basically talking hot-weather, picnic-&-BBQ wines here, and so what I’m gonna tell you will hold true for any Summertime holiday party wine action that you’ll be facing as the mercury is rising…

As is typically the case when I do this sort of thing, there are no specific wines in the list – you’re smart and brave and groovy and dare-I-say-it downright attractive enough to experiment based on some general guidelines, people.  This list, of course, is to be used only when you find yourself in a pinch, or find yourself deciding that you’d like to try (or would like to force someone else at a party to try) something new, or find your local wine shop out of stock when it comes to what you personally prefer to drink in the Summertime.  All of thesehave examples that are of good quality and can be found under $15 without too much difficulty (but I’m not saying you shouldn’t whip out the $100 Cab in the 90F heat of a Summer picnic if that’s your thing… okay, well, I am saying that actually):

Whites

• Gavi – Italy’s go-to picnic wine for when you’re finally sick of Est! Est! Est! and realize that it’s actually not all that great in most cases. Not as “there” as Riesling, but more “there” than Muscadet, Gavi’s lemon-&-lime liveliness is refreshing, food-friendly, and gulpable while seeming more sophisticated than the alternative of guzzling hard lemonade.  Anyway, it’s what I reach for when the thermometer starts to creep above 85F.
• Torrontes – Argentina’s next big thing, or probably actually it’s current big thing.  Explosively fruity, and yeah it’s a  little grapey sometimes but it’s also got good body (like some Chardonnay in the same price range) without being flabby (unlike a lot Chardonnay in the same price range).

Rosé

• Tavel – Of course one could list dozens of viable options here, but I feel like France’s southern Rhône rosé star has been outshone by flashier rosés made from just about every red grape under the sun, like Malbec.  And while plenty of Sangiovese rosé do rock the Kasbah, I have the feeling Tavel is do for a rebound, because it’s probably still the source of the best Grenache-based rosés for the money.

Reds

• Beaujolais-Villages – They don’t suck like many Beaujolais nouveau wines, but they aren’t as awesome as the Beaujolais Crus, either.  But there are some sweet spots to be had in the middle, and in Beaujolais-Villages you get the fun, fruity, able-to-take-a-stint-in-the-ice-cooler drinkability of Gamay with a hint of slightly more serious and certainly more food-friendliness of the Crus.  Added bonus: they also don’t often come in bottles painted entirely in purple.
• Zinfandel – This is the all-American (in more ways than one) BBQ wine: fruit that is almost sweetly jammy to go with meat that is cooked in BBQ sauces that are almost sweetly jammy.  While it doesn’t take too well to being out in the sun very long, it has the added benefit of being a bit higher in alcohol and so if you’re finding yourself nearing your personal threshold of your abilities to cope with family and/or coworkers during a BBQ this Summer, this wine will dull the pain faster than any of the others on the list.

Cheers – and have a safe one!

Copyright © 2011. Originally at Summer (Breeze) Wines, Because You Made Me Do It from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!

Today I’m very pleased to announce the launch of an idea that I’ve been contemplating in my noggin’ for a long time, which is to add podcasts to 1WineDude.com for interviews (trust me, no one wants to hear a podcast of me talking to myself).

Author and designer Tanya Scholes braved illness, jet lag, and guinea pig status to become the first victim kind-hearted soul to help me launch this podcast idea, which I’m dubbing “1WineDude Radio” because I lack the inventiveness to come up with a catchier name.

Tanya has just released her first book, The Art And Design Of Contemporary Wine Labels, and it’s a beauty (and one that his been garnering praise recently throughout the wine world), which details the previously hidden stories behind the designs of hundreds of stunning wine labels. Yes, I did receive a review copy (for those of you work in the FTC), but that won’t stop me from recommending this as a potential holiday gift for those of you looking to treat yourselves that special wine-lovin’ someone.

Anyway, in this inaugural podcast episode, Tanya talks about how the book came to be, recalls the reaction she gets to the book from winemakers, instructs me on the correct pronunciation (both English and French-Canadian) of her last name, and contemplates why wine label designers seem overly-preoccupied with cephalopods. You know, just another day at the office!

Also – a few of quick points on this whole podcast thang:

• I am NOT attempting to usurp radio programs like (the excellent) Wine Biz Radio, who are actually sponsored, on-air programs.
• I am NOT planning on abandoning the written word (or video).
• YES, I am throwing this format into the mix to spice things up a little bit, and mostly to provide a means for giving more exposure to (hopefully interesting and thought-provoking) back-and-forth interviewing repartee.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2011. Originally at 1WineDude Radio: The Tanya Scholes Interview (and possible last-minute holiday gift idea for wine lovers!) from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!

Wishing you and yours a safe, jolly, and wine-filled holiday!

Cheers!

Copyright © 2011. Originally at Happy Holidays from 1WineDude.com from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!

CNBC.com has updated their annual expert recommendations on wines for the holidays – and this year, there are a few interesting parties among the panel of wine smarties contributing their wine picks for your 2009 fourth quarter celebratory dining table.

Like me, for instance.

I know what you’re thinking.  How the hell did YOU get on the same list as Jancis Robinson?!??

I had the same reaction, my friends!

I’m in great, great company on this one, with quite a few fellow bloggers gracing the CNBC.com lineup, most of whom I’m happy and proud to call friends of the Dude:

• Paul Mabray of VinTank
• Bill Daley from the Chicago Tribune
• Jancis Robinson (www.JancisRobinson.com)
• Ryan Opaz of www.catavino.net
• Gary Vaynerchuk (www.GaryVaynerchuk.com)
• Craig Drollett (Bin Ends & Taste Live)

There are some great wine picks offered up in the list, so head on over to CNBC.com and check it out before you do your holiday dinner shopping this year.

Cheers!

Copyright © 2011. Originally at CNBC.com’s Wines For the Holidays from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!

Now that I’m older, a full-fledged adult, I look at the season a bit differently.  To me, it’s the Season of Hopeless Wine Pairings, in which I am besieged by requests from friends, family, and strangers alike who are looking for an answer to the fright-inducing question:

“What wine should I bring to [Insert Holiday Dinner Name Here] ?”

For reasons that I find difficult to understand, hardly anyone who asks me that question seems ready to accept my answer:

“It doesn’t really matter unless you’re trying to pair a wine with specific dishes, so just drink whatever you and your guests like best.”

Like the aforementioned school children, they are somehow desperate to identify a “correct” answer, even if there isn’t one.  Will this be on the exam?

I realize that Holiday time in the U.S. can be particularly stressful for modern adults – which is why I think it’s even more important not to sweat the wine choices for holiday dinners; just bring something you’ve been dying to try, or that you like.  No, I’m serious – that’s all there is to it.  You can over-complicate it if you particularly like being stressed-out, your call.

Anyway, I invite those looking for some relief from the potential hangover of holiday wine pairings to check out the latest issue of Mutineer Magazine, in which I join up with Drew Langley (from L.A.’s Providence) and Michael Scaffidi (from The Jefferson in D.C.) to pair wines with specific holiday dishes like Smoked Paprika Popcorn, Pork Belly Sliders, and Ganache Stuffed Figs.  So you’ll get some interesting and inspired holiday cuisine suggestions along with wines to go with them. 

Oh, yeah – and Marina Orlova is on the cover, and she is ridiculously hot.

Enjoy the issue, and let’s drink a toast to a low-stress run through upcoming Holiday season.

Cheers!

(images: mutineermag.com)

Copyright © 2011. Originally at Holiday Wine Pairing Hangover? Get Some Relief in the New Issue of Mutineer Mag! from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!