It's t-minus two days until Barbie: The Movie premieres! Is it the best thing to happen to the year 2023? Our hopes are high and we're celebrating Barbie's big screen debut by pairing some perfect rosés to a few of the Barbie dolls we've loved. Enjoy! This Barbie is ready to party.
Malibu Barbie + Pomalo Rosé (Croatia)
Malibu Barbie's debut in the 1970s (pictured above) ushered in Barbie's iconic California cool girl look. And while there have been many iterations of this Malibu gal, you can bet she's always sunkissed and ready to surf until the sun goes down! The only thing missing is a tumbler of pink drink nestled in the sand next to her beach towel.
Pomalo Rosé is pretty much summer in a glass, and it would be right at home with this Barbie's carefree attitude: The word pomalo loosely means something like "relax, no worries" in Croatian! On the nose, this wine is floral and laced with strawberry and raspberry notes, while the palate is vibrant and bright (like the sun! Ahem).
Photo: Laker via Pexels
For Father's Day this year, we picked four of our favorite TV father figures and paired wine to their personalities. Highly recommend trying it for yourself! There are so many great dad-like characters (and wines) out there, right? Enjoy!
In many ways, Phil Dunphy of Modern Family could be the epitome of a suburban dad—three kids, nice house, Dad jokes for days. But what makes Phil special is his relentless optimism and whimsical nature. He's kind of like a big kid, and boy do we love him for it.
DRINK THIS
Unico Zelo 'Fresh A.F.' | Riverland, South Australia, Australia
With its deep red hue, this fantastically hip Nero d'Avola reads like a stereotypically "dude" wine. But its whimsical notes of glazed blueberry hand pie and fresh, snappy wild berries give it a childlike essence that perfectly reflects Phil's sweet demeanor and contagious energy. Add a little chill to this one before you serve it to make it shine!
Like every character in The Last of Us, Joel Miller has been beaten...
Photo: via Melville
*This post is part of our Grower of the Month series, in which we spotlight a winery (or two) that we love!*
This month's Grower of the Month is a double feature! Enjoy this peek into two California wineries that embody the spirit of minimalist winemaking.
LIOCO
California's LIOCO winery is run by husband-and-wife duo Matt and Sara Licklider (pictured above), but it began as a dream between two wine professionals. In the early 2000s, Matt and wine director Kevin O'Connor set out to craft wines that favored nuance and sense of place over the more forceful and exaggerated winemaking techniques dominating the market at the time.
Their small operation is now run by Matt, his wife, Sara, and a teeny tiny team of winemakers and tasting room staff. Together, they purchase fruit grown primarily from Santa Cruz, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties and then simply "get out of the way." That's it! The LIOCO mission is to let exceptional fruit take the lead, with just a little nudge here and there...
Photo: Svitlana via Unsplash
Welcome back! I hope your day is sunny and bright! Here are a few things we discovered on the internet this week, plus a wine pairing for each one.
FRIDAY FAVES - 9.16.22
- These punch needle kits look like a cozy Fall activity! Add a fireplace and some wine? *chef's kiss*
> DRINK THIS: Viña Cobos 'Felino' Cabernet from Argentina
- A 95-year-old artist finds his muse among the pastries.
> DRINK THIS: Domaine J. Laurens 'La Rose No. 7' sparkling wine
- If you're in the South Minneapolis area, check out Alma Provisions! It's a teeny tiny outpost of one of the city's best and established restaurants. Pop in for pastries, sandwiches, bespoke apothecary items and gorgeous home goods.
> DRINK THIS: Domaine des Cognettes Muscadet-Sèvre et Maine 'Selection'
- A fascinating article on what it's like to go to trash collector school. Seriously!
> DRINK THIS: Alloy Wine Works 'Antipasto' wine in a can!
- Making wine in a California heat wave. Yeesh!
> DRINK THIS: Lioco 'Sonoma County' Chardonnay
-The...
Photo: Camille Brodard via Unsplash
Today is National Drink Wine Day! But let's be real. Over here, EVERY day is Drink Wine Day. So while this—ahem—holiday doesn't change much for the crew at Sip Better, it does give us an awfully nice excuse to highlight some of the wines we're currently loving. These three wines are peppy and fun, great for lifting your spirits up and out of the dregs of winter. All three are also wonderful food wines, so don't be afraid to mix and match them with whatever cozy foods you're digging into these days.
Enjoy!
THREE WINES WE'RE LOVING
Stolpman 'Love You Bunches' Sangiovese | Santa Barbara County, CA
This super-fresh red is totally worthy of its adorable name. Stolpman winemakers pick their Sangiovese grapes while they're still low in sugar and high in acidity. Then they ferment the grapes whole and uncrushed (in bunches!) inside of sealed tanks (that's called Carbonic Fermentation). This method tames the more tannic side of Sangiovese and produces a wine popping with sour cherry and berry...
