Are you excited about wine but also...confused by it? Makes sense! There are many myths about wine floating around and a genuine dearth of accessible information on whether they are true or not. Often, the answers are complicated. Allow us to shed a bit of light on four of the biggest wine myths out there.
MYTH: SUGAR IN WINE IS BAD
Sugar: is it bad, is it good, is it totally misunderstood? YES. The truth about sugar is that it is a crucial component in the winemaking process. Natural sugar, that is. When yeasts munch on naturally occurring sugars (found in wine grapes and all other fruits), they produce alcohol and myriad complex flavors that wine drinkers love.
But things get sticky (ha!) when wine producers ADD cane sugars and concentrates to that naturally sweet grape juice. Many big producers—such as brands that rhyme with 'shapothic' and even a certain celebrity’s ‘clean’ wine brand— can add cane sugar and other junk to wine to create a richer, more voluptuous mouthfeel that...
Photo: Emily Rentsch
Super Bowl Sunday is a great excuse to break out the crunchy + hearty snacks our winter moods crave! Get ready for Super Bowl LVIII with these classic game day treats paired perfectly to Sip Better wine. (Yes, you can drink wine while watching football. It's allowed!)
NACHOS + MOCALI 'I PIAGGIONI' ROSSO TOSCANO (Tuscany, Italy)
Cheesy, crunchy, spicy, THE BEST. You gotta have nachos at your Super Bowl viewing party! Crunch away with a glass of this rustic Tuscan red full of juicy blackberry and cherry notes and tinge of pepper
PIZZA AND WINGS + LUIGI GIORDANO BARBERA D'ALBA (Piedmont, Italy)
Pizza and chicken wings might be the most iconic game day snack, and you should enjoy yours with this totally gulpable red wine. Its perfumey spice and palate loaded with blue fruit, red fruit, strawberry, cherry and more will keep you reaching for another glass.
RIBS + KIONA LEMBERGER (Washington, USA)
If you're a Zinfandel, Malbec or Merlot fan, you'll LOVE Lemberger! Juicy with blackberry, cocoa,...
So, how does Sip Better work behind the scenes?
Our founder and sommelier, Leslee Miller, spends hours tasting (sometimes 30-40 wines a week) with distributors who focus on small, family-owned, responsibly farmed, additive-free wines. Leslee also travels extensively (she's in New Zealand right now!), seeking out new, international wineries with the same mindset to introduce to U.S. importers and distributors who will represent them. Once a wine meets Sip Better's standards for quality, affordable price point, and our *better-for-all* philosophy, Leslee begins the process of entering it into the Sip Better wine club.
Between writing her own notes on each wine and combining them with the winemakers’ notes, Leslee formulates a description that includes winery information, tasting notes, winemaking attributes, vintage information and more. From there, she tacks on her best tips for enjoying that wine: which glass to serve it in, serving temperature, cellar recommendations and pairing...
Photo: Emily Rentsch
Adding winter twists to cocktails is a fun way to keep the drink rotation unique and fresh, whether it's for your home bar or your next cocktail party.
By following these simple recipes based on tried-and-true classics, you'll enjoy drinks with loads of layers, complexitity, and notable winter flavors like cinnamon, allspice, and coffee, that will surely delight you and your guests. All ingredients are available at Sip Better's flagship shop in Minneapolis!
BITTER, SWEET COFFEE
A coffee cocktail is perfect in the winter to not only stave off the early sunsets but to add roasted notes of chocolate and vanilla bean to stirred cocktails. Bitter, Sweet Coffee is a cocktail that uses the structure of an Old Pal cocktail with the added twist of Two James Coffee Liqueur and St. Agrestis Brooklyn Amaro for an additional layer of complexity.
1.5 oz Dampfwerk London Dry Gin
0.75 oz Bordiga Apertivo
0.75 oz St. Agrestis Amaro
1 oz Two James Coffee Liqueur
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a...
'Tis the season to feel frightened!
One of our team's favorite movie genres is Horror, so October is practically like Christmas here at Sip Better. Below, we've paired wine to a few of our favorite horror films (though it was agony trying to choose just six!). Now grab your wine, some salty snacks, and settle in with someone who will squeeze your hand during the creepy parts.
Happy Halloween!
What's the '90s greatest contribution to pop culture? The Scream franchise, of course! Besides the teenage eye candy and delicious jump scares, we love that each film in the series gives dedicated space to POPCORN. In fact, if Drew Barrymore's character hadn't gotten that fateful phone call in the very first scene of the very first movie, she'd be kicking back with a perpetual bowl of buttery Jiffy Pop. Our favorite thing to drink with popcorn and a scary movie is this luscious Chardonnay laced with notes of creamy lemon curd, baked apple, and tropical fruits.
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