America: Cool It on Chilling White Wine

Wine panel rates the best from South America

(NEWSER) - We have reached “the vast plateau in the middle of summer,” the time when “one of wine’s primary purposes is to offer relief from the daily bout with seasonal oppression,” writes Eric Asimov in the New York Times. Summer wines, “like a good beach read, should be engaging enough to retain interest but not heavy.” Sauvignon blancs fit perfectly, so his tasting panel sampled a variety from South America: More»

(NEWSER) - It’s not easy, but it is possible to find inexpensive American wine that “will fascinate and intrigue,” Eric Asimov writes in the New York Times. Whereas European vintners grow a diverse range of regional grapes, Americans generally stick to classics like cabernet sauvignon, resulting in “a small amount of top-flight wine along with an ocean of generic.” Still, there are notable exceptions. More»

Price does matter, but it's possible to find exciting varieties

(NEWSER) - Chardonnay is ubiquitous, but the “countless weak versions,” especially in the $10 category, disappoint wine lovers, writes Eric Arnold in Forbes. Nevertheless, Americans gulped down about 60 million 9-liter cases in 2008. If you’re willing to beef up your budget and experiment a bit, you may be surprised at the variety of “styles and flavors—and there's joy to be found in discovering which suit your palate best.” More»

Exporters try to cast off a critic's harsh judgment

(NEWSER) - South African is the ninth-largest producer of wine, with several distinctive varietals that should be poised to break into the global marketplace, the New York Times reports. But the country’s wines have been dogged by comments made in 2007 by an influential British wine critic, who said after a tasting of several South African reds that half were marred by a “peculiar, savage, burnt rubber” odor. More»

Those who are still holding back may be surprised at what's out there

(NEWSER) - America is slowly warming to rosé wines, but for anyone still refusing to take rosé seriously, the time has come, writes Eric Asimov in the New York Times. “Rosé is the quintessential daytime wine, perfect for outdoors, wonderful in the summer”—and it’s surprisingly easy to find varieties “without the soda-pop dollop of sugar that can turn a rosé into a wine cooler.” More»