Pairing Wine to Our Favorite Dads in Pop Culture

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...

Pairing Wine to Our Favorite Moms in Pop Culture

If your mom were wine, what would she be? In honor of Mother's Day, we took a crack at pairing wines to some of our favorite moms in pop culture and it was so much fun, we might make it a regular thing. Try it for yourself! 

If you're a Gilmore Girls fan, you know that the only thing it's more famous for than its idyllic Autumnal setting is Lorelai and Rory's crazy eating habits. Lorelai is the quintessential Cool Mom, and both she and Rory subsist largely on diner food, gallons of coffee, and take-out. We found the perfect wine for Lorelai and the best part? It's great with take-out of ANY kind!

DRINK THIS
Union Sacré 'Sangio' Carbonic Sangiovese | Paso Robles, California
This Carbonic Sangiovese is lite, brite + candied cherry with an extremely bodacious personality! Zesty with raspberry + berry notes.  Def ready to drink! Serve it with a chill + get ready to chilllll with a little Gilmore Girl throwback sesh!

We like her for her raspy voice and love her for her role as the moral...

Wines from Eastern Europe: A Beginner's Guide

Eastern European wines are more widely enjoyed than ever these days! But with this infusion of amazing indigenous grape varietals comes a certain amount of confusion. What the heck does furmint taste like? If I'm a Pinot Noir lover, which Armenian grape will I like best? Great questions! Consider this post your entry point into lesser-known wines from Eastern Europe.

Enjoy the journey!

HUNGARY

 

Winemaking has been a part of Hungary's history dating back to the Romans. The country boasts 22 different wine regions and is most famous for the Tokaj region's aszú—a sweet and golden-hued wine made from the furmint grape—which was hugely popular among European royalty for centuries. Seasons of war, plague, and Communist rule have sent Hungary's wine industry on a rollercoaster of changes, but today, many Hungarian winemakers are once again turning toward small, low-intervention, family-run operations that value quality over quantity.

Hungarian wines can seem a bit tricky to navigate because...

Become A Better Taster // Chardonnay

This is part of an ongoing series called Become A Better Taster! Each post will illustrate the essential aromas and tasting notes associated with a specific grape varietal. Use this post as a baseline when tasting your next Chardonnay!

 

What do you smell and taste when you're swirling a Chardonnay in your glass? Not sure?

Below is a handy visual guide to the classic aromas and tasting notes you might find in any Chardonnay. There will be differences and nuances in texture and flavor depending on the origin of the wine, how it was grown, fermented, and stored (more on that below). But here are the basics, to help you find your footing when exploring a new-to-you Chardonnay. Clink, clink!

 

SOME NUANCES YOU MIGHT TASTE

• Chardonnay grapes grown in cool climates will skew toward cold cut pear, green apple, and raw almond notes.
• Warmer climates will produce notes of baked yellow apple and tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, and guava.
• Different soils will also affect the flavor...

5 Rom Com Wine Pairings for Valentine's Day

Photo: Roman Odintsov via Pexels

The Month of Love has arrived! And we’re leaning in hard with some cheeky wine pairings to our favorite rom coms, one from each recent decade. What could be more fun? No matter who you're sunggling up with in front of the screen, we hope these sweet and goofy Valentine’s Day pairings make you smile for a while. Enjoy!

Remember that pretty, glowing final scene where Sam and Jake Ryan finally kiss over a classic birthday cake? Of course you do! It’s truly what teenage dreams are made of. Here are a few frothy wines to pair to your favorite cake for Valentine’s Day.

- Elio Perrone 'Bigaro' | Naturally a bit sweet, this strawberry-scented sparkler is beautiful with buttercream and dense chocolate cake
- Meinklang Frizzanted Rosé | A little dry, a little sweet, this Austrian bubbly cuts through buttery richness and cream cheese frosting
- Hush Heath 'Balfour 1503' Sparkling Brut Rosé | Delightful English Champagne-style sparkling wine, a friend to dessert all kinds

There’s so much to...

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