What Is a Fifth Growth Wine? The 1855 Bordeaux Ranking Explained
A fifth growth is a Bordeaux château in the bottom band of the 1855 classification. There are 18, twelve of them in Pauillac, and the label says more about 1855 prices than today’s wine.
Read moreChicken Shawarma Wine Pairing: Garlic, Pickles and Spice
The chicken is the easy part. Garlic sauce, pickled turnip and the spice rub decide the bottle. Dry rose first, chilled Grenache second, plus one stocked pick.
Read moreMiso and Wine: What to Pour (and What to Avoid)
Miso is salty, sweet and full of umami, which is hard on red wine. What to pour with miso soup, miso black cod and miso ramen, and the reds to keep off the table.
Read morePinot Gris vs Pinot Grigio: What Is the Difference?
Same grape, two names, two styles. Grigio is crisp and citrusy, Gris is fuller and rounder. How to tell which is in the bottle before you buy it.
Read moreStroganoff and Wine: What to Pour (and What to Avoid)
Sour cream and mushrooms run this dish, not the beef, and both punish tannin. Why Pinot Noir wins, what to avoid, and one bottle for both versions.
Read moreBest Cheese With Red Wine (and the Best Red for Each)
Red wine and cheese works about half the time. Here is which cheese to buy for the bottle you have opened, which reds fight back, and why tannin is the whole story.
Read moreBest Wine for Stuffed Mushrooms: What to Pour (and What to Avoid)
Pinot Noir most nights, lightly oaked Chardonnay when the filling is cheesy, and dry sparkling for a party tray. Here is why big reds fail with mushrooms.
Read moreWhat Is Verjus? The Kitchen Acid That Does Not Fight Your Wine
Verjus is the juice of unripe grapes, pressed before it can ferment. It is sour without the sting of vinegar, and it is the one acid that leaves your wine alone.
Read moreCan You Freeze Vermouth? What Really Happens
Yes, your freezer will freeze vermouth, at about minus 7C. Here is what that does to the taste, and how long an open bottle really lasts in the fridge.
Read moreProsecco vs Cava: The Difference, and Which to Buy
One is made in a tank, the other in the bottle. The grapes, the method, the sugar levels, the taste and which one to pour for which occasion.
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