Gus Clemens on Wine explores and explains the world of wine in simple, humorous, fun posts

This is the weekly columnWine has been a staple of food and culture for 8,000 years. It is not going away. But the wine industry's exhilarating days of the past 50 years are fading. Let's explore.Gino Colangelo is the founder of Colangelo & Partners, a leading PR force in the wine, food, and spirits industry worldwide. I asked him about the state of the wine world today.Gino ColangeloWhat are the biggest threats to the wine world?Gino: “Depends on the day of the week. Tariffs are looming. Economic uncertainty is certainly an issue. But I still see the anti-alcohol movement as the biggest existential threat. If a 25-year old today decides that health risk starts at one glass of wine/day, what does that do to the lifetime consumption of that person? We need to fight back hard against the misinformation and propaganda surrounding wine and health. That's why I started, together with esteemed wine writer Karen MacNeil and wine PR pro Kimberly Charles, two wine advocacy campaigns: Come Over October ( Link ) and Share & Pair Sundays ( Link ). Both campaigns will be annual. Creating a positive narrative around wine will take years.”Your wine elevator pitch?Gino: “Wine has a unique ability to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together. Wine is social, cultural, historical and sustainable. Wine is good economics for rural populations—farmers —around the world. And, ultimately, wine is food. It belongs on the dinner table.”Wine pricing?Gino: “I think there will always be a place for sub-$10 wine but Americans are appreciating better wines—which is a good thing. Most of our clients are at $15-$25. That seems to be a strong part of the market. There is a lot of trading down now from $50+, for example, among large segments of the wine drinking population. Besides, there's a world of very good and interesting wines at $15.”Wine trends?Gino: “I think rosé is trending down. Low/no-alcohol is certainly trending though there's much work to be done on the quality/taste front. Thousands of vineyard acres are being ripped up in California. I think this is an inevitable correction in the supply of wine grapes. ‘Natural wine' continues to trend among some demographics—though I still haven't heard a clear definition of the category. Movement away from 15 percent+ wines to more restrained styles is a positive trend, I would say. Also, interest in indigenous varieties, whether that's Saperavi from Georgia or Nero d'Avola from Sicily is still trending.”Last roundLet's eat kids. Let's eat, kids. Commas are important. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnAnswers to common wine questions:• What is the difference between my home refrigerator and a wine refrigerator?Your home frig's internal temperature is around 35 degrees, while a wine frig is between 50 and 60. Your home frig is designed to extract humidity, a potential danger to wine corks. A wine frig strives to have a cork-friendly 45-60 percent humidity. Your home frig likely uses a compressor that causes vibration. A wine frig likely uses a thermoelectric cooling system without moving parts, thus no vibration. A constant temperature between 50-60 degrees, a humidity of 45-60 percent, and no vibration is the ideal way to store wine. Your home refrigerator or a cool, dark closet will work to store wine, but a dedicated wine frig is the ideal way to go.• What affects the sensation of “body” in a wine?Wine is described as light, medium, and full. Milk provides an easy comparison. Skim milk is light body, whole milk is medium body, and cream is full body. Higher alcohol typically results in fuller-bodied wine. Higher tannins, residual sugar, glycerol, and polysaccharides (from yeast and grape cells) contribute to fuller bodies wines with richer texture. The grape variety also influences the sensation of weight and body.• Can I ask for a taste before I order wine by the glass in a restaurant?Depends on the restaurant. Some restaurants will offer a very small taste, but offering a taste usually is to determine if the wine is off or flawed, not to give you a chance to see if you like it. BTW, if you plan on drinking two or more glasses of the wine, it usually is cheaper to buy the whole bottle. If you do not finish the bottle, you typically can take the corked bottle home, often covered in a bag. Put the partially consumed bottle in the trunk when driving.• Is there a difference between table grapes and wine grapes?Absolutely. If you taste a wine grape, it is much sweeter, juicier, and softer than a table grape. Wine grapes also have thicker, chewier skins, and prominent seeds. Table grapes usually are bigger, more crispy and more crunchy. Table grapes have thinner skins and smaller seeds or no seeds at all. Table grapes are picked sooner to capture the acidity and freshness—and to allow for travel and handling before sale and eating. Wine grapes are picked later to achieve ripeness and juiciness. They begin processing the grapes in the winery within hours of their harvest.Last roundWhat do you call a lazy kangaroo? A pouch potato. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnSome answers to common questions:• What does “fruity” and “sweet” mean in a wine review?They are two different concepts. Fruity or “fruit-forward” wine is one where fruit flavors dominate over other flavors such as vanilla, oak toast, minerality. Sweet wine has perceptible residual sugar because not all of the grape sugar was converted into alcohol or sugar was added after complete fermentation.Confusion arises when a dry wine with little or no residual sugar has very ripe fruit flavors. Our minds and tastebuds associate vivid fruit flavors with sweetness. We think the wine is sweet, even if lab results show there is little or no residual sugar. Most table wines are dry or off-dry (0-35 g/L). Dessert wines such as sauternes, porto, and sherry usually have significant residual sugar (120 or more g/L).• What do “perlage,” “mousse,” and “bead” mean in sparkling wine?Broadly, they all refer to the bubbles. Perlage can indicate finer, softer, smaller bubbles. Mousse can imply creamier bubbles. Bead can refer to the trail of bubbles rising in the glass. There is no hard definition and the terms can be used interchangeably.• What should I do if I break my wineglass at a restaurant?Notify a staff member immediately. No need to be embarrassed or make excuses; this happens all the time. The staff will want to clean it up themselves so you won't cut yourself and make the situation even worse. The staff has the tools and experience to make the problem go away quickly. You might sweeten the tip, however.• What is “structure” in a wine?Structure is an abstract term that is hard to define. Structure is about the relationship between all the components in a wine—tannins, acidity, alcohol, body, glycerol, and more. When a wine has “good structure” it means all the parts work together harmoniously. Tannins are the base element of wines with good structure, but structure is the sum of all the parts of a wine. You may not be able to define it, but you will know it when you taste it.• How do I open a bottle of wine with a wax seal?Ignore the wax seal, insert the worm through the wax into the cork and twist it down. Pull the cork. The wax seal will shatter to bits and fall away. If some wax clings near the opening, peel it away before fully pulling the cork.Last roundMay your troubles be less, your blessings more, and nothing but happiness come through your door. I think that means a wine delivery. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWine has an image problem that is both its biggest asset and its Achilles heal. Wine is the most complex alcohol drink.If you examine wine's consumer base, wine drinkers tend to be older, better educated, upper-middle class or above. The popular image: wine drinkers are old, snotty, rich people. Not an ideal demo if you are a marketeer striving to expand your winery's customer base.Let's admit the basic truth behind the stereotype. Wine is complicated. I don't need to know where the hops or barely or water came from to slam back a light beer. Just put the 18-pack in the cooler and start pulling pull tabs. Most wine drinkers do not approach wine that way.As Baby Boomer wine drinkers began to savor the complexity of wine in the 1980s, words like “terroir” and “new French oak” and “malolactic conversion” and “whole cluster fermentation” and “carbonic maceration” and “sur lie” and “bâttonage” and “solera system” became part of their vocabulary. Not words typically blurted out by beer Bubbas at the local dive bar during happy hour.As wine appreciation soared beginning in the 1980s, so came slick wine magazines, wine books, wine websites, wine gurus, wine tourism, wine clubs, and states opening up to direct-to-consumer wine sales from an exploding number of winemakers dedicated to quality. Ah, what heady times those were.No trend lasts forever, although it can be argued that after 8,000 years wine hardly is a trend. But the wine world certainly faces headwinds in the 2020s. Wine is not going away, but the intoxicating wine burgeoning of the last 40 years appears to have reached an apogee.And so winemakers have to assess who they are and what their product is. I suggest embracing wine for what it is—complicated, sophisticated, and still down-to-earth enjoyable. Dumbing down will not convince 21-something newbies to spend $18 on a bottle of wine instead of $10 on a six-pack of beer, hard cider, or malt beverage. But when, by happenstance, they experience a quality meal with a quality wine, then comes the “ah-ha” moment. This is what wine is all about.Tasting notes• Domaine Bousquet Malbec, Tupungato Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 2022: Fresh, crunchy, flagrantly ripe fruit. Simple but decadently indulgent in pleasuring your palate. $10-14 Link to my review• Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc, California 2023: Easy drinker, nice introduction to famously food-friendly sauv blanc. Round, smooth, happily approachable, pleasurable mouthfeel. $15 Link to my reviewLast round: My wife told me: “I never listen to her.” Something like that. I don't recall exactly. I don't pay that much attention to what she says. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnFollowers of my wine writing know I do not do negative wine reviews. I consider myself a curator rather than a critic. If you want snark about a particular wine, others are happy to satisfy you.Why this conscious choice? There is limited space and time in my newspaper columns, online posts, podcasts—and my life, for that matter. I choose to spend that allotment on subjects you may enjoy and convey positive commentary about wines, people who make them, and where they are made. The world has a plethora of people engaged in putdowns and callous comments. I am not among them.That said, there are wines I do not savor, and I have flirted with mentioning them in the 16-plus years of this column. Excellent wines do not have to be expensive, but they are seldom cheap. If you spend less than $10 on a bottle, the odds are good it will not be undrinkable, also not remarkable. Wine is a business. You get what you pay for.“Supermarket wines”—frequently touted as exclusive although they often are generic commodity wines with a catchy label slapped on a “shiner” bottle. But they are drinkable. They oftentimes have added residual sugar—no winery goes broke making sweetened wines—and ramped up alcohol. Fine. If you enjoy, it is good wine for you. Just know, quality wine can be more, especially when married to a quality meal.There are boxed wines—really a bag in a box—that are environmentally responsible to the Earth and fiscally responsible to your budget. Bota Box and Black Box certainly have more than drinkable offerings, and there are others. There also are several bag-in-a-box wines that are plonk made only so the wedding party or the charity gathering will juice up the participants while not bankrupting the hosts.Quality wines cost money because they take time, effort, skill, and luck to make them. Those are the wines I print/post about. It is a wonderful privilege to receive many of these wines free from the wineries who want me to review their effort. I also purchase wines to review. In all cases, as I sip and stare at the screen on my computer, my thought is “would my readers and followers find joy and pleasure?” If yes, I write. If no, I delete.Wine is a special food that has enhanced human life for 8,000 years. All I want to do is a small part in advancing that mission.Last roundIf cats could text you back, they wouldn't. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnSpring is here. What wines are especially suited for the warming days and the return of plants from dormancy? There are many happy choices.Bright acidity, floral aromatics, freshness, lightness, and lower alcohol are hallmarks of wines that pair with the dynamic character of the season. Here are some classic suggestions:• Sauvignon blanc. New Zealand efforts burst with lime and passionfruit and aromas of freshly mowed grass. Efforts from France's Loire Valley lean more toward flinty minerality. West Coast sauv blancs can be silky with notes of honeydew melon. All work with spring salads, seafood, goat cheese.• Riesling. Dry versions from Germany's Mosel region deliver floral aromas and crisp apple, sometimes honeysuckle and nectarine. Very versatile. Pair with a picnic.• Vinho verde. Portugal's light, high acidity, slightly effervescent, lower alcohol wine is another picnic pleaser with citrus and apple notes. Seafood is classic pairing, so is a fresh tomato and cucumber salad. It also pairs well with spicy foods. Serve well chilled.• Dry rosé. Of course. Provencal styles deliver strawberry, watermelon, lemon-lime, grapefruit, delicate whiffs of roses and other flowers. Light bodied, crisp, refreshing. Another very versatile food wine and can be enjoyed sipped by itself during a lovely spring afternoon.• Pinot noir. The light red is versatile. Enjoy ripe strawberry flavors amid silky tannins.• Gamay. These wines from France's Beaujolais can be slightly chilled. They deliver vibrant flavors of strawberry, raspberry, cherry, and cranberry. Thanks to carbonic maceration—where fermentation begins inside the intact berry in an oxygen-free tank—you also may get banana, kirsch, or bubblegum. Usually light bodied with good acidity, low tannins, low alcohol, silky mouthfeel, refreshing. Another very versatile food pairing wine.Not all wines are well suited for spring. Wines to think twice about before opening:• Heavy, full-bodied reds. Grippy tannins and higher alcohol of cabernet sauvignon, syrah/shiraz, mourvèdre can make them awkward springtime wines.• Mass-market blends with residual sugar. With candied fruit flavors, thick, syrupy textures, and elevated alcohol they are not sprightly in spring. Or any season, some would argue.• Heavy-oaked chardonnays and viogniers. Butter and vanilla notes easily overpower spring's lighter fare. Save those for winter.Tasting notes:• Rabble Sauvignon Blanc, Central Coast 2022: Nuanced, balanced, impressive interplay of tartness and hint of sweetness with plenty of fruitiness. $18-21 Link to my review• Mendes & Symington Monção e Melgaço Contacto Alvarinho Vinho Verde DOC 2023: Bright, refreshing, great minerality, outstanding quality. $22-27 Link to my review• Maison Sainte Marguerite Symphonie Rosé, Côtes de Provence 2022: Elegant, refined, classic, harmonious Provence rosé. Finesse, freshness with minerality, bright acidity. $24-28 Link to my reviewLast roundA book fell on my head. I can only blame my shelf. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnSixty years ago, Texas wine was a curious microdot in the wine world. Two Texas Tech professors piddled around with a few grapevines, originally intending to make grape jelly to supplement their income.“Doc” McPherson, a chemistry professor, and Robert Reed, a horticultural specialist, wondered if the Texas High Plains around Lubbock could diversify regional crops beyond cotton and corn. Texas Tech encouraged them. In 1969, the pair planted a vineyard with more than 140 different grape varieties to see what worked.Texas stereotype: it is too hot and too dry for grape production. Flawed stereotype. Yes, there are hot summer days, but at elevations of 3,300-4,000 feet—that's why it is called the “High Plains”—the diurnal shift, a significant factor in quality wine, could be 40 degrees. There was fast-draining, phylloxera-free soils. A major aquifer to provide irrigation. Relatively cheap land and Texas money to buy it.Jon LebkowskyToday, the Texas High Plains grows some 85% of Texas grapes in a wide range of varieties. The palette available to Texas grape growers is a signature feature. Heat-tolerant Mediterranean and Rhône varieties tempranillo, mourvèdre, viognier lead the way, but there are many more—likely 75. Texans are still figuring it out.California dominates U.S. wine with 85% of the market, followed by Washington State with 5%, New York State with 3.5%, Oregon with 1.5%—closely followed by Texas and Virginia also with 1.5%.From humble beginnings, Texas now has more than 1,000 licensed wineries, 430 full commercial operations. By comparison, Napa has 500 physical wineries. In another comparison, the Texas Hill Country AVA, centered around Fredericksburg, is the second-most visited AVA in the country, trailing only Napa. The Texas wine industry annually contributes more than $20 billion to the state's economy, supports 75,000 jobs.Texas is not going to challenge the West Coast wine behemoths. It does have a solid niche in Texas, where most Texas wine is sold. Wider distribution will come. Right now, Texans can kick back at a charming Fredericksburg tasting room and note the state has come a long way from curious profs planning to sell grape jelly between semesters at Texas Tech.Tasting notes:• William Chris Vineyards Purtell Vineyard Grenache, Texas High Plains 2020: Smooth, easy drinker from a top Texas winemaker and leading Texas wine grape grower. Delivers svelte sophistication of grenache. $21-25 Link to my review• Wedding Oak Winery Chenin Blanc, Texas High Plains, Phillips Vineyard 2023: Vivid citrus, tree fruits in clean, precise manner. No interference from oak, nice depth, complexity. $30 Link to my reviewLast roundWhat happens when a microscope crashes into a telescope? You have a kaleidoscope. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnIt used to be simple. Good wine had a natural cork. Cheap wine had a screw top. Not any more.The 1990s wine boom stressed cork production and engendered an increase in “cork taint” caused by the chemical compound trichloroanisole (TCA). By some measures, 5% or more of cork-closed bottles exhibited the musty, wet cardboard aromas of cork taint.The wine industry responded. Natural cork makers focused on sanitation and quality control. The problem lessened but cannot be totally eliminated. Alternatives blossomed, but all closures proved to have some problems.• Screw tops eliminated TCA, but in low tannin wines there can be a reductive process that produces sulfur odors. Wet cardboard was replaced by rotten-egg smells. Careful use of sulfur and liner improvements have reduced this issue. Today, 90% of wines made in New Zealand and Australia employ screw tops.• DIAM corks are made by dismantling natural cork into fine granules, then reconstituting with polyurethane binders. The process eliminates TCA and can be fine-tuned for oxygen ingress. But that fine tuning can introduce variables, including the same sulfur issues as screw tops, muted aromatics, and thin, flat flavors. DIAMs also cost significantly more than natural cork.• Synthetic corks. Eliminates TCA, but can prevent the micro-oxygenation desired in aged wine. There also is an environmental trade-off. Synthetic corks rely on non-renewable plastic, contributing to microplastic pollution.• Glass closures. Vino-Lok glass stoppers eliminate TCA and create a seal that virtually prohibits oxygen ingress, a good or a bad thing depending on the wine. The stoppers require significant modifications to a bottling line, a hurdle for smaller producers. They also require specialized bottles, which can cost 20-30% more than a standard Bordeaux bottle.• Natural corks are made from the renewable outer bark of the cork oak tree. When a tree reaches 25-30 years old, its bark can be harvested every 9-12 years for 200-plus years. Cork closures have been the gold standard in closures for centuries. Cork tree forests sequester a significant amount of carbon dioxide, up to 14 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. Because of the renewal of bark, harvested trees absorb 3-5 times more carbon than non-harvested trees. Cork trees also support Mediterranean biodiversity and sustain rural economies in Portugal and Spain. Deep roots systems stabilize the soil and retain moisture.Bottom line: there are advantages and disadvantages to each type of closure. Natural cork-based products still close almost half of the world's wine bottles and 70% of premium wines. Natural corks are not going away any time soon.Last roundPerfect pairing: I like wine. Wine likes me. Pull the cork, twist the screw top.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnI find Perplexity a useful AI tool researching wine and other topics. In an act of hubris, I challenged it to evaluate Gus Clemens on Wine.Today's column addresses some of the Perplexity results. You can generate your own evaluation of the column at the site, or evaluate yourself if you have an online presence and the nerve to so venture. Here I address Perplexity's principal findings:• No wine scores. From the start of my wine writing in the newspapers and online in 2008, I chose to emphasize narrative, backstory, nuanced tasting notes. I consider 100-point systems falsely specific, while acknowledging their marketing value. Perplexity: “By focusing on narrative-driven evaluations and contextual insights, Clemens aims to demystify wine appreciation while resisting the homogenizing effects of score-driven criticism.”• No negative reviews. Perplexity accurately portrays me as a curator rather than a critic. If I do not like a wine or find it underwhelming, I do not publish a review. If I publish a review, it means I found something worthwhile in the winery's effort, as may you. I do not waste your time with negatives. I also snarkily note: “If you want snark, watch cable news.” Life is too short for me to savor putting down other people or their products.• Texas wines. Perplexity gives me more credit than I deserve for promoting Texas wines. For the first decade, I rarely visited Texas wine, reflecting my original Texas editor's dictate to write about wine that people could find and afford, an approach I agreed with. At that time, Texas wine was challenging to get and often over-priced. Times changed. In 2019, I devoted several columns and online wine reviews to Texas wineries and wines, reflecting the significant emergence of Texas in the wine world. My audience now reaches well beyond Texas—where I live—but I have no shame or reluctance in telling today's Texas wine story.• Welcomed kind words. Perplexity generally delivers positive reports. Indulge me as one of its conclusions affirmed what I hope readers get from my work: “Following Gus Clemens offers more than wine recommendations—it's an invitation to join a global conversation about wine's role in culture, history, and daily life. His work bridges the gap between expert critique and everyday enjoyment, empowering readers to explore with confidence. Whether dissecting Texas' emerging wine scene or decoding Portuguese Porto production, Clemens equips his audience with knowledge, humor, and ethical clarity.”Last roundHow do you throw an egg at a wall without breaking it? It does not matter. Eggs do not break walls. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnBy best estimate, there are some 10,000 different grape varieties in the world. If you tasted a different one every day, it would take you more than 27 years to complete the task. Thankfully, the world of wine is confined to a smaller number.About 6,000 grapes belong to the principal fine wine species Vitis vinifera. Only about 1,300 are actively used in winemaking. Only 13 varieties make up one-third of global winemaking; 33 varieties make up more than half of global use.The variety of grapes is significantly different depending on the country. Italy apparently has the most diversity, home to more than 1,300 varieties used in wine making. Sangiovese is Italy's most-planted grape, but it only accounts to around 8% of grapes grown.In contrast, New Zealand cultivates around 30 varieties, with sauvignon blanc accounting for 78% of production. Sauv blanc, pinot noir, pinot gris, and chardonnay account for more than 90% of New Zealand's wine grape production.The wine industry in the United States is so large and chaotic we do not know how many wine grape varieties are grown, and there are some native wine grapes that are not Vitis vinifera. We do have an idea about the top 10, which account for more than 80% of grape production. The numbers are rough because there are 50 different wine producing states with 50 different counting regimens. And the numbers change every year according to the vagaries of agriculture.According to the best-available numbers, there are 457,700 acres planted in the top ten varieties in the U.S. What follows are acres and percentages of the total:• Chardonnay: 106,000 (23.2%)• Cabernet sauvignon: 101,300 (22.1%)• Pinot noir: 61,800 (13.5%)• Merlot: 51,900 (11.3%)• Zinfandel: 47,000 (10.3%)• Syrah/shiraz: 22,000 (4.8%)• Pinot gris: 19,800 (4.3%)• French colombard: 19,700 (4.3%)• Sauvignon blanc: 17,300 (3.8%)• Rubired (used in bulk wine): 10,900 (2.4%)Tasting notes• Stoller Family Estate Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 2023: Presents without complications of oak or excessive malolactic fermentation. Simple, clean, pure. $19-25 Link to my review• Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma 2021: Drinks like a Napa, priced like a Sonoma. Go-to rich red wine play year after year. $25-35 Link to my review• Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Canoe Ridge Estate, Horse Heaven Hills 2019: Consistent cab made by Washington State's largest winemaker; tasty tannins, generous fruit. $30-36 Link to my review• William Chris Vineyards Mourvèdre Reserve, Texas High Plains 2018: Solid, silky presentation of mourvèdre, a grape that found a home in Texas. Good balance of fruit, acidity; reserved, elegant tannins. $35-38 Link to my reviewLast roundI tell everyone about the benefits of eating dried grapes. It's about raisin awareness. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnIt is a new year and there are sweeping changes in wine bottle sizes in America. Yep, wine makers and glass blowers have a whole new tool kit to entice you into experiencing whatever elixir they have conjured from grape juice and yeast and wood and whatever else the white-coated wine wizards have procured.Last year your bottle choices were limited. Wine could only be sold in 187 mL single-serving bottles (think airplane or rip-off hotel frig), 375 mL “half bottles,” 500 mL bottles, standard 750 mL bottles, and 1500 mL magnums. Also way-oversized bottles named for Biblical figures and mythological kings (Midas is the largest size, equivalent of 40 standard bottles of wine—almost 8 gallons).David HerreraThe days of limited sizes are no more. Regulators replaced restriction with confusion. It now is legal to package wine in the following new categories:• 180 mL• 300 mL• 330 mL• 360 mL• 473 mL (16 oz.)• 550 mL• 568 mL (19.2 oz)• 600 mL• 620 mL• 700 mL• 720 mL• 1.8 L• 2.25 LWelcome to 2025, the Wild Wild West of wine packaging.The change allows American winemakers easier entry into some international markets where bottle sizes have been different for years. New sizes help harmonize U.S. packaging with international standards. It gives consumers more choice, albeit at the expense of confusion. What is the difference between a standard 750 mL bottle and a 720 mL bottle? The answer is about one fluid ounce.Expectation: it will not make much difference in the short term. A 750 mL bottle will remain the standard. There are tens of millions of those bottles already on the shelves or in the production pipeline. The plethora of finished product will take years to work its way through the consumer digestive tract.Big producers likely will offer some of these new sizes, they may have bottling lines producing them now for the international market. Small producers may not make any changes, or only to the one or two sizes that generate the most demand.Retail—wine stores and supermarkets—will be an even bigger challenge. Stores have limited shelf space. If a store stocks three different bottles sizes of one brand, two different brands will have to go. The most likely way you will be able to purchase the new, non-traditional size bottle will be directly from the winery, if they offer the new size.And so it goes in the wine world.Last roundThe police executed a surprise raid on the psychics' wine social. Interestingly, none of the psychics saw that coming.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnValentine's Day cometh, time for expressing love and affection, although one can argue that should be on your to-do list every day.The celebration has roots as far back as ancient Rome. It was then called Lupercalia, a day dedicated to Lupercus, the god of shepherds, and aimed at promoting health and fertility. As do many celebrations, Lupercalia-Valentine's links to seasonal change. In the Northern Hemisphere, mid-February typically marks the end of the coldest nights of winter. Spring starts five weeks later.The pagan festival fell out of favor with the fall of Rome. In 494 CE, Pope Gelasius I officially banned the festival. Two years later, however, the same pope set things in motion for today's celebration when he recognized a Christian martyr, Valentine, as a saint. Executed around 270 CE, Valentine supposedly wrote an affectionate letter to his jailer's daughter and signed it “from your Valentine.”And then came the so-called “Dark Ages” and Lupercalia and St. Valentine were largely lost in the mists of memory. Until cometh Geoffrey Chaucer and his poem “The Parliament of Fowls” in the 1380s. Wrote the English poet: “For this was seynt Volantynys day, when euery byrd comyth there to chese his make.” His effort may have been an effort to celebrate the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia.Chaucer's effort inspired others. By the 1400s, February 14th, the day in 496, when Gelasius canonized Valentine, the day became roughly the Valentine's Day we know today. The story is somewhat muddier, of course. There are three saints named Valentine and the Catholic Church removed St. Valentine's Day from its official calendar of feast days in 1969 due to lack of reliable information about the saint. That should not stop you from celebrating love and affection on February 14.Wine, of course, can be part of your celebration. Classic pairings:• Sparkling rosé. Can be expensive Champagne or the many alternatives. Clever folks will pair the rosé with a dozen roses and note their love always sparkles.• Rosé in general. Non-sparkling, “still wines,” can still indicate you are still the love of my life.• Ruby or tawny port paired with dark chocolate is classic.Tasting notes• Avaline Rosé, Vin de France: Light crowd pleaser made with cavalcade of classic rosé grapes, led by grenache. $16-20 Link to my review• Kopke 20 Years Old Tawny Porto: Archetypal tawny made by the oldest Port house in the world (1638 founding). $70-80 Link to my reviewLast roundWhat did the light bulb say to the switch on Valentine's Day? You really turn me on. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWine columnists are expected to have opinions, and I have many. Here are four to rile up readers.• Stemless wine glasses. They do hold wine and they are harder to break and easier to clean than traditional stemware, but they also commit three cardinal sins for wine enjoyment. First, you have to hold the bowl to use them. That means fingerprint smudges on the glass, diminishing a vital part of wine enjoyment—admiring and evaluating the wine's color. Second, it is somewhat harder to swirl wine in a stemless. Third, bowl holding warms the wine, diminishing the taste of the wine. See, swirl, smell, sip, and savor are classic—if simplified—elements for tasting wine. Stemless glasses mess with three of the five elements.• Over-inflated prices and heavy bottles. You produce a decent $30 bottle of wine. Then you put it in a very heavy bottle and charge $60. Studies indicate if people know the price and feel the bottle weight, they consider the heavy bottle, higher-priced wine a better wine than the exact same wine poured from a lighter bottle with a lower announced price. Price is an imperfect indicator of quality. Bottle weight has no impact on wine quality.• Commodity/supermarket wines with added sugar, high alcohol, and oak. I get it, many people, especially occasional sippers, enjoy wine with those qualities. If that is good wine for you, enjoy away. But sweetness, high alcohol, and big oak are the enemy of wine's best place in your life—paired with food. Also note, added sugar, elevated alcohol, and oak are proven ways to hide flaws of inferior wines.• The ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) crowd. I once was part of that throng when the chard I tasted was suffused with butter and overladen with oak. Thankfully, those days are passing, and many California chardonnay makers have seen the humiliating error of their ways and now strive to strike a balance between reasonable and food friendly alcohol, complex layering of fruit flavors, and a lingering finish. Chardonnays with no oak are lean and crisp with stone fruit flavors. Chardonnays with appropriate oak present fuller body and a creamy mouthfeel. If you have lingering antipathy toward chardonnay, try one of today's quality chards to change your mind.What are your gripes and opinions?Tasting notes• Stag's Leap Wine Cellars KARIA Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2022: Graceful, fruit forward, some depth and complexity. Nice Napa chard from historic maker. $36-50 Link to my review• Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 2021: Plush, smooth, powerful cab. Luxurious instead of smack-your-face power. $56-75 Link to my reviewLast roundMy four food groups: cabernet, chardonnay, malbec, Champagne. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWine labels and wine reviews may include various references to wine blending. Some are specific and informative. Others are distinctions without a difference. Let's explore the most common blending terms.• Blend. Broadest term. It includes combining various fruits or vinifications to create, develop, or enhance a wine using more than one grape variety and/or vintage. It includes growing and fermenting different varieties together, blending grapes immediately after or years after harvest, combining various vintages, combining wines fermented using different yeast clones, fermenting techniques, and aging regimens.• Field blend. Mixture of varieties that are grown, harvested, and fermented together.• Non-vintage. Involves blending grapes from different years. This is designed to reduce vagaries of different vintages to produce wine true to a distinct house style, ensuring consumers they will enjoy a consistent experience. Non-vintage is very common in Champagnes, Porto, and sherry. It can include blending of different varieties, but also a single variety from different vintages.• Assemblage. Blending of vinified wines before bottling. This term often is used in Bordeaux and Champagne. Term may have been coined by 17th-century monk-winemaker Dom Pérignon.• Marriage. Synonym for assemblage. A combination of wines blended before bottling.• Meritage. Portmanteau created to designate high-quality American wines that pay homage to Bordeaux blends. It combines “merit” and “heritage” and rhymes with “heritage.” It is not a French word with the pronunciation of the last syllable sounding like “garage.” Red meritage must be a blend of at least two varieties—cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, petit verdot, St. Macaire, gros verdot, or carmenère. White meritage must be a blend of at least two varieties—sauvignon blanc, sémillon, or muscadelle du Bordelais. American winemakers must follow strict guidelines to use the term.• Cuvée. All-purpose term with no regulated definition. A cuvée is wine made from a blend of different grapes, vineyards, or vintages. Basically, another word for blend.• Coupage. Another synonym for assemblage, except can have a negative connotation when it describes a wine were other wines were added just to increase the quantity of the wine.Tasting notes• M. Chapoutier Belleruche Côts-du-Rhône Blanc 2022: Vibrant, fresh blend led by grenache blanc, also roussanne, viognier, clairette, bourboulenc. $14-18 Link to my review• Carpineto Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2019: Field blend of at least 80% sangiovese; some canailo and other red grape varieties. $25-29 Link to my review• Flat Creek Estate Buttero Red Wine Blend 2018: Blend of sangiovese, primitivo, montepulciano from Texas winery. $35-48 Link to my review• Syncline Wine Cuvée Elena, Columbia Valley 2021: Classic Rhône blend of syrah, grenache, and mourvèdre. Sophisticated and approachable. $65 Link to my reviewLast roundWine flies when you're having fun.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnBlending is essential to making some of the world's most iconic wines. We explored the several ways to blend last week. This week, specific wines created by blending.• Champagne can be a blend of pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier. It often is a blend of different vintages. Champagne houses aim to produce a distinctive, consistent product year after year, and blending grapes and vintages is how they do it. Most of the time. In exceptional years they may make a single vintage Champagne, and houses also can produce a single variety Champagne.• Bordeaux, the world's largest fine wine region, almost always produces blended wines. Key varieties are cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, and petit verdot for red wines. Bordeaux also produces blended white wines—Bordeaux blancs—using sauvignon blanc, sémillon, and muscadelle.• Chianti usually qualifies as a sangiovese varietal, but in lowest classification up to 20% may be white grapes malvasia and trebbiano.• Super Tuscans are sangiovese-based wines from the Chianti region but must be called something else because less than 90% of the wine is sangiovese. Super Tuscans are blends of sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, and others, often with a significant oak influence and high alcohol. Italian rules once required them to be labeled vino da tavola “table wine”—indicating the lowest quality. Wine makers rebelled, coined Super Tuscan, and in 1992, Italian authorities relented and recognized the blend's name.• GSM wines—a blend of grenache, syrah, and mourvèdre that also can contain splashes of 19 other grape varieties—is a distinctive Côtes du Rhône blend that spread worldwide. Notable GSM regions include Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Bandol, and Languedoc in France. Now also in Australia and California.• Rioja is Spanish blend with tempranillo leading the way, supported by mazuelo, graciano, and sometimes garnacha.• Porto (port wine) is a Portuguese fortified wine that allows more than 80 varieties in the blend. Touriga nacional, touriga franca, and tinta roriz (aka tempranillo) are the leading grapes.• USA, where anything goes. Unlike the Old World, New World makers seldom have any legal restrictions on what they make. Blends can consist of whatever grapes a winemaker pleases. Makers can follow Old Word formulas, but they also throw in zinfandel and other varieties. A goodly number of California makers use field blends and could not tell you exactly what grape varieties are in their wine.Last roundCowboy giving instructions on how to get to a West Texas ranch: “Go out yonder, take a left, and you are almost there. Be sure to close each gate after you pass through.” Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnIn general, wines can be divided into varietals and blends. This being wine, it is not so black-and-white simple. Let's explore.A varietal wine has a single variety of grape on the label. That means the named grape is the predominant grape used to make the wine. In the U.S., the named grape must make up at least 75% of the wine. Oregon, however, requires at least 90% of the grape for pinot noir, pinot gris, chardonnay, and riesling. There are 18 grape varieties exempt from the strict Oregon rule, reverting to the more generous rules in the rest of the U.S. Hope that clears things up for you.A wine blend, as the name implies, means a blend of grape varieties where none reach 75% of the wine. Blends are very common and make some the great wines of the world. Blending is both art and science and the core of what can distinguish one maker's effort from another's. Blending can occur in the vineyard, where different varieties are planted together to make a “field blend.” Other blending techniques occur in the winery. Bordeaux blend may be the best known, where cabernet sauvignon, with its structure and tannins, is blended with merlot with its softness and fruitiness. The result is better than a mere sum of its parts.There are different blending methods:• Pre-fermentation blending involves combining juice prior to fermentation. This method helps integrate flavors and is used with grapes with complementary characteristics to create a more harmonious wine.• Post-fermentation blending occurs after fermentation. This allows the winemaker to assess the characteristics of each element once it is wine, giving more precise control over the final product.• Barrel blending allows winemakers to assess individual wines after being influenced by wood. This allows adding complexity, such as the spiciness of French oak and the vanilla of American oak.• Microvinification involves fermenting small batches of grapes separately, then experimenting with different combinations of varieties, maceration, oak and aging regimen, and other variables. The process is used to produce complex wines.• Automated blending systems use sensor and software to measure and control proportions. Often used in making bulk wine and supermarket/commodity wines to achieve consistency year after year.• Corrective blending is used to address challenges and flaws. It can be used to balance tannins and acidity, and to adjust alcohol levels.All the techniques, from varietal to blend, are ways winemakers strive to create wine for you to enjoy.Last roundDid you hear about the big origami company that went out of business?It's true, they just folded.Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columWine scores. Oh, my. On one level, ridiculous. On another level, essential to wine's success over the past half century. Some observations.Anyone who ever took a test or got a report card in grade school immediately understands a wine score. Robert Parker was the most visible person to grasp that, and a parade of imitators reinforced it. Many were based on a 100-point scale, but in practice it is a 80-100 point scale. If your wine score was a 79 or less, you might as well drink it alone, directly out of the bottle, preferably disguised by a brown paper bag so as not to reveal your pathetic wine-buying error.There are other scoring schemes. Jancis Robinson, England's gracious gift to worldwide wine information, uses a scoring system that goes from 12 to 20 points, but she also opts for decimals, so her 20-point scale actually is a 17-point scale. Others use stars, usually 5, and half stars can be awarded.Except, wait. Wine evaluation is not sweating students filling in boxes with No.2 pencils while the clock ticks and gimlet-eyed proctors observe. The exact same wine tastes different given the circumstances of the sipping. How many of you experienced exalting joy sipping wine at a winery redolent with the bonhomie atmosphere of friends and a bucolic tableau spilling forth from the charcuterie board and tasting area, only to later discover you did not experience the same elevated bliss at home, in the kitchen, with last night's dirty dishes stacked in the sink awaiting Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty attention?Professional wine scorers often taste multiple wines at a time. Taste, spit, punch a one or two sentence description into the laptop, assign a score. Rinse. Repeat with another wine. That is not how normal human beings experience wine.For the 17 years of this wine column, I have eschewed scores. I understand their simplicity and value, but I decided to go with my strength as a story teller and entertaining writer for my lane. The world did not need another pince-nezed cognoscente to contribute to effluence of wine tasting evaluations in a grade school paradigm.I hope you agree, and thank you for being part of the adventure.Tasting notes• Cline Family Cellars Hat Strap Chardonnay, Los Carneros, Sonoma County 2021: Rich, full-bodied, admirable restraint on the oak and butter, while still deftly delivering some of that popular style. $25-30 Link to my review• Rodney Strong Vineyards Russian River Valley Reserve Pinot Noir 2021: Smooth, compelling complexity and depth. Easy drinker with delicious fruit. $60 Link to my reviewLast roundLast night I watched Dancing with the Tsars. Peter and Catherine were great. But Ivan was terrible. Wine time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnHappy New Year. We survived another sun circumnavigation. Sunlight grows slowly longer. Spring rebirth looms over the sere, cold-swept horizon. Endure these last temperature-challenging months, and we emerge into warm, bright shining mornings. Two wine types provide solace during this frost-dusted interlude: Porto and sherry.Porto and sherry are fortified wines produced on the Iberian peninsula. Porto in Portugal in the Douro Valley region and sherry in the Jerez region of Andalusia, Spain. Both are sweet wines with compensating acidity. Considered among the greatest fortified wines, both deliver succor when shivery winds swirl.Porto typically has an ABV of 19-22%. Sherry is similar at 15-22%. Higher alcohol delivers comforting warming sensations. And, admit it, a pleasuring slight buzz.Sherry pairs well with nuts, olives, cured meats—common winter appetizers. Porto pairs with chocolate desserts and blue cheese, notable conclusions to winter repasts. The two can bracket a memorable winter feast. And what better time to fatten up and escape than when frigid flurries fly?Production of Porto wine dates to Roman times. The Porto we enjoy today developed in the 17th century when British merchants sought alternatives to French wine. Portugal's fecund Douro Valley—a UNESCO World Heritage Site today—beckoned. Grapes grew from headwaters in Spain to the port city of Porto—thus the name. Most of the wine is made in Vila Nova de Gaia directly across the Douro. You can walk across a bridge to get there. Wine ships from the port of Porto.Sherry has similar back story. Viticulture dates to BC Roman times. Even under Moorish conquest (711-1264 AD), sherry production continued in spite of Islamic alcohol prohibitions. In the Spanish age of exploration (think Columbus and conquistadores), ships sailed around the world with sherry in their holds. Sherry production involves a “solera system” where wines from succeeding vintages are blended and exposed to air. This oxidation is the reason the wine became better, not worse, on long sea voyages.Both Porto and sherry are delicious with unique flavors. Certainly they are comforting in the depth of winter. They also can be enjoyed any time of the year.Tasting notes• Warre's Vintage Porto 2016: Plush dessert in a glass with alcohol oomph (20%). Wonderfully expressive dark fruits. Elegant, balanced, charming. Sweetness deftly paired with excellent acidity. $100 Link to my review• Lustau East India Solera Sherry: Sweet, smooth, velvety. Excellent balance of sweetness and acidity. Fascinating interplay of tangy, salty notes of oloroso (80% of blend) and the sweetness of pedro ximénez. $28 Link to my reviewLast roundWhat do you call someone who drinks fortified Spanish wine? A person who sherry-picks their alcohol.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columThis column runs on Wednesdays in most markets—Christmas Day in 2024. If you have not secured your wine before now, no chance today. We can, however, look forward to New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.Sparkling wines are stars of New Year celebrations. Statistics indicate roughly 25 percent of all Champagne is sold between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Something like 360 million glasses of sparkling wine are consumed on New Year's Eve.People who don't usually drink sparkling, drink sparkling around the New Year celebrations. On a more sobering and serious note, New Year's Eve statistically is the most drunken night of the year, with sparkling wine playing a major role. The unfortunate quip is “New Year's Eve is amateur drunk night.”Enjoy wine in moderation so you can be around for the next annual celebration. With that in mind, a primer on the types of sparkling wine:• Champagne. Produced exclusively in the Champagne region of northeastern France (no matter what some rogue labels claim) using the traditional method (méthode champenoise) with secondary fermentation in the bottle. Three primary grapes—pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier.• Crémant. French sparkling made outside the Champagne region, using grape varieties typical to their regions using traditional method.• Cava. Spanish sparkling, primarily produced in Catalonia. Made using traditional method using Spanish grapes xarel·lo, macabeo, and parellada; also chardonnay and pinot noir.• Prosecco. Italian sparkling from the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions using the Charmat method where secondary fermentation occurs in large tanks. Glera is the prime grape.• Franciacorta. High-quality Italian sparkling from Lombardy primarily made with chardonnay and pinot noir using traditional method.• Asti and Moscato d'Asti. Sweet sparklings made in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy using the moscato bianco grape. Asti is fully sparkling (spumante). Moscato d'Asti is semi-sparkling (frizzante).• Sekt. German sparkling made with various grapes, some using traditional method, others Charmat.• New World Sparklings. Made in U.S., Australia, New Zealand and some other countries using traditional grapes and traditional method.• Cap Classique. Sparkling in South Africa using various grapes, primarily chardonnay and pinot noir, using traditional method.• Junk Sparkling. My term for very cheap wine infused with CO2 in the same way as soda pop. Guzzle this dreck at the close of 2024 and it is unlikely you will enjoy the dawn of 2025.Last roundMan walking home after too much sparkling at a New Year's party. Policeman sees him weaving and asks where he is going. Man: “To a lecture.” Policeman: “Who gives lectures this late on New Year's Eve?” Man: “My wife.”Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columWith Christmas/holiday feasts coming soon, what is the ideal alcohol percentage for wine paired with food? The answer is 10-14%. Why?U.S. labeling laws are loony, so the ABV amount on the label can be inaccurate, but this is a discussion of wine-food pairing quality not bureaucratic gobbledygook. Lower alcohol wines allow the grapes to show off and complement food rather than flaunt over-ripe fruit and alcohol.We got to high alcohol wines several decades ago when American wine drinkers were neophytes. Big, blowsy, high alcohol red wines tended to get higher scores, and high scores moved bottles off shelves.My theory on how this came to be: wine tasting can be intense. Professional tasting protocols—small pour, see, swirl, smell, sip, spit, write evaluation—usually involve multiple wines. For some reviewers that could be 30 or more wines at a time. When tasting that many, nuances vanish. Yes, you spit the wine, but the alcohol and flavors still dull your senses. Wines with the most impact on dulled senses—over-ripe, high alcohol wines. Most people do not taste and spit 30 wines at a sitting, so “professionals” evaluate in a different world than average drinkers.For a grape variety to best show its stuff, it is harvested a skosh earlier than when higher-scoring, higher alcohol wines are harvested. For higher alcohol, grapes must hang longer to get riper to boost sugar that will be converted into alcohol. That creates wines that are more fruit-forward and concentrated and alcoholic. It creates wine that appears to be slightly sweet—from ripe grapes, not residual sugar—and sweeter because alcohol fools our palate's sweetness evaluator. Sweeter wine sells, especially to occasional wine drinkers.The process creates wines with less acidity that are less authentic to the variety of the grape. It also creates wines that pair less well with food. Big alcohol wines often are not even intended to be food wines. They are more “cocktail” wines, an alternative to people who aren't into tequila shots. They are wines to be sipped milling about at an event or sitting at a bar ogling tonight's prospects.OK, it is your life, live it as you wish. For me, wine's best place is as part of a meal, to be savored over time and food and convivial conversation. Wines with less alcohol that more accurately reflect the grape, terroir, and skill of the winemakers are a better fit for that paradigm. Something to consider for the holidays.Last roundWhy do Christmas trees hate knitting? They keep dropping their needles. Wine time, and Merry Christmas.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnIf you have a wine lover on your Christmas/holiday gift list, some recommendations.Wine always is appreciated. Gift wine they enjoy, a proclivity you likely know, but if you do not, ask. If you are trying to disguise your gifting intentions, there are many clever ways to inquire. Wine lovers are never hesitant to discuss wine.There are almost infinite options depending on the depth of your friendship and your pocketbook. For casual friends, a single bottle festively wrapped works. For deeper friendships, several bottles or large format bottles play well. You also can go with one or more bottles of high end wines costing three figures. Just do not give with the expectation they will share it with you, although that certainly can happen. Win-win.For very close friends or family, consider a gift membership in a winery's wine club or a non-winery subscription service. That becomes a gift appreciated all year.Practical non-wine gifts:• Waiter's friend hinged corkscrew. Has everything you need to open a bottle of wine, cheap enough to be a stocking stuffer. Worst choice—winged corkscrew. Everything about a winged corkscrew is wrong.• Simple wine decanter. Avoid fancy, showy ones that are easy to break and impossible to clean.• Wine chiller. Essentially an insulating shield to keep wine at the proper temperature. The most popular are made of stainless steel or marble.Wine reading/research material:• Magazine subscriptions. Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast are the leading monthly magazines.• Website subscriptions. Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast are excellent online; unfortunately, they are not bundled with the printed magazine. Wine Folly offers on-line classes, informing videos, and Wine Folly—The Master Guide ($21) is an excellent, easy reference book. RobertParker.com and JamesSuckling.com are filled with searchable wine evaluations and features. wine-searcher.com and vivino.com are search engines for almost every wine made. And there is my Substack blog: gusclemens.substack.com .Books:• Rosé Revolution by Rasmus Emborg and Jens Honoré—massive, beautiful coffee-table tome. $45• Wine and the White House: A History by Frederick J. Ryan, Jr.—massive, beautiful coffee-table tome. $65• Malbec mon amour by Laura Catena and Alejandro Vigil—definitive work; Catena is Argentina's leading spokesperson for (and maker of) malbec. $20• The Mad Crush: An Obscure California Vineyard and the Quest to Make One Great Wine by Sean C. Weir—engaging, expanded version of cult winemaking memoir (paperback). $15Last roundQ: Why is Christmas just like your job?A: You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit who only works one night a year gets all the credit. Wine time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columNebbiolo is the extraordinary grape closely identified with the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy and particularly with the region's great wines: Barolo and Barbaresco. Let's explore.The origins of the nebbiolo name is a bit foggy. It likely derives from the Italian word “nebbia” or the Piedmontese word “nebia.” Both mean “fog”—a reference to fogs that come to the Langhe region, where the grapes are grown, during the October harvest.Italian Piedmont region vineyardNebbiolo grapes make wines with bold flavors and very high levels of tannins and acidity, which is why they require several years of aging to become drinkable, and can age for decades. While the wines are bold, the color is not—more the pale ruby also associated with pinot noir.Nebbiolo flowers early and ripens late, so vineyard site selection is important. Vines are vigorous, requiring significant management to ensure quality grapes. This finicky nature challenges grape growers and increases the price, but the reward is some of the world's most prestigious wines.Barolo and Barbaresco—named for the small villages in the center of their production areas—are the iconic nebbiolo wines. They are produced in adjacent areas in the Langhe hills of Piedmont. Barolo is southwest of the city of Alba. Barbaresco is northeast of Alba, 14 miles away from Barolo.Although geographically close, the wines have somewhat different characteristics. Barolo—called “the wine of kings and the king of wines”—is more robust and full-bodied with higher tannins and acidity. And the “kings” quote is not just a clever 18th century tagline. The Savoys, Italy's first (and last) kings really did love Barolo.Barbaresco is more approachable and elegant with softer tannins and lighter body. There is a royalty quote about Barbaresco, too: “We call Barolo the king, and Barbaresco the queen.”Italian DOCG regulations are strict for both. Barolo must have a minimum of 38 months total aging, with a minimum of 18 months in wood. Barbaresco must have a minimum of 26 months total aging, with a minimum of nine months in wood. In both cases, winemakers routinely exceed the minimum requirements.Tasting notes• Riva Leone Barbaresco DOCG 2017: Prominent tannins, as expected in Barbaresco, well-balanced by acidity. Recommend decanting, pretty much standard on a young Barbaresco. $35 Link to my review• Pio Cesare Barolo Pio DOCG 2018: Polished, approachable, delicious from signature maker. Rich dark fruits framed by approachable tannins and oak. You can let this age gracefully, but when decanted it is wonderful now. $75-85 Link to my reviewLast roundWhy did the math student do multiplication problems on the floor? Because the teacher insisted students could not use tables. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWine is in turmoil. People are turning to alcohol alternatives. Red wine sales are down, white and rosé are up. French and Italians and Spanish are drinking less wine. There is a glut of wine. What?!This scenario was improbable just a few years ago when wine world was surfing on the wave of the global wine boom. Old world drank almost all they produced, China guzzled, U.S. boomers joyously enjoyed. Then COVID and anti-alcohol reports—all alcohol is bad for you—and alcohol alternatives. Semi-full stop. Too much wine, too few drinkers. Industry semi-panic.Well,  take a deep breath. The wine industry is not in the ditch with donkey's feet pointing toward the sky. Yes, there is retrenchment, which every industry experiences. Welcome to the real world dot-com millionaires who overpaid for Napa acres so you could experience your Falcon Crest fantasy. You likely will lose money. You got into this because you had money to lose.White wine's ascendancy is the interesting part of this evolution. Red wine has long been king. Not now. White wine's typically lower alcohol content, compatibility with heathy foods like salads and lighter meats and fish, and fruity deliciousness is celebrated while massive oak and malolactic fermentation/conversion are in the rearview mirror of commodity wine makers. Less flamboyant efforts have pushed whites—and rosé—to the front of wine buying queue.Which should be ecstatic joy for wine makers. Red wines take time. Usually at least three or more years from vintage to store shelf. White and rosé can easily get there in one or two. If you are a business person, consider a situation where you produce or buy a product and know you will not be able to sell for two, or five, or ten years, how much intestinal pucker are your prepared to endure? Such is the world of wine.Wine drinkers should not despair. White and rosé wines are wonderful. They especially go well with heart-healthy foods. Rosé wines in particular straddle the divide between fish and lighter meats, not to mention vegetarian fare.Look, I get it. A rich red wine with assertive tannins and high alcohol remains on my list, especially when munching on fatty cow flesh. But that is only one box on my dietary check list. White and rosé certainly are OK.Last roundLittle girl in a drawing lesson. Teacher went over to her and she said, “What are you drawing?”Girl: “I'm drawing a picture of God.”Teacher: “Nobody knows what God looks like.”Girl: “They will in a minute.”Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnThanksgiving is the great American gastronomic holiday. Halloween is for foolishness, costumes, and candy. Christmas is for worship, family, and unseemly lust for gaudily wrapped material goods (somewhat antithetical to the Christian origin of the holiday).Thanksgiving is the quintessential harvest feast. Turkey and ham and cranberry sauce and corn on the cob and cornbread and pumpkin pie and whatever else you can conjure up from the cornucopia of agricultural abundance the good Lord bestows on American tables.The wine: pinot noir. I know arguments can be made for zinfandel and Bordeaux blends (American Bordeaux blends), even some whites and rosés. All well and good and maybe part of the groaning Thanksgiving sideboard of excess of everything. But if you want one wine for this bacchanalian extravaganza, it is pinot noir.Pinot is among the lightest of the red wines. It thus works well with a wide array of foods you conjure up for your Thanksgiving feast. It is especially suited for turkey, goes very well with ham. The stronger California versions of pinot can hang with slow-cooked brisket. It especially is nice for family members put off by tannic, assertive red wines. Thanksgiving is a meal of comity and convaiviality. Pinot noir encourages that.Pinot noir is a famously fickle grape, also one of the oldest varieties used for winemaking. The Catholic church was critical to its development beginning in monastery vineyards in the 6th century, then specifically named in the early 1300s. It spread to Germany as spätburgunder and in Italy as pinot nero. France's Burgundy region is the cathedral of pinot noir, but California's Russian River Valley and Oregon's Willamette Valley now produce some of the world's best pinots.Pinot noir is a challenging grape due to its thin skin—thus its reserved tannins—and susceptibility to various viticulture challenges. It is called the “heartbreak grape” for a reason, which means pinot noir can be expensive. It also is worth it for your biggest gastronomic celebration of the year.Tasting notes• Project M Wines Personify Oregon Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley AVA 2022: Delicate, silky on initial attack, rising to power, complexity later in the palate. $40 Link to my review• Dobbes Family Estate Eola-Amity Hills Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2021: Excellent fruit effort. Nice tang, clean, precise, complexity, length. $45 Link to my review• Soter Vineyards Estates Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2021: Juicy, concentrated flavors. Plush, complex, elegant, impressive structure, length. Warm vintage well played by Soter, producing a more assertive pinot noir that you anticipate from Willamette. $55-63 Link to my reviewLast roundWhat did the farmer say when he accidentally squashed his pumpkin? Oh my gord! Wine time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columIt takes two to four centuries to grow the oak tree for a wine barrel. Then, after tree harvest, four, usually more, years to season the wood and the staves. Finally, it is time to turn the staves into a wine barrel.Staves are planed into the correct shape, tapered and beveled to fit exactly together. A master cooper—the barrel maker—arranges 30-32 staves in a circle held together by temporary hoops. At this point, the future barrel resembles a flower with the bottom of the staves together and the tops splayed out.The “flower” then is toasted over an open oak fire and sprayed with water to soften the wood and make it pliable. A cable system draws the splayed ends together to create the iconic barrel shape, with very careful attention to the grain of the wood.The basic barrel shape then is “toasted” over an oak fire to develop flavors and aromas. This is a key part of the operation. The amount of the flame—light, medium, or strong—determines the character of the barrel. Low toasting emphasizes fresh fruit and elegance, while strong toasting delivers smoke, coffee, vanilla, crème brûlée, butterscotch, meats, and other flavors.At the same time, heavy toast makes for silkier, softer tannins because heavy toast breaks down the oak tannins. Smoke is another characteristic of heavy toasting. Heavy toast is often used for big, bold red wines that can stand up to the oak influence. Heavy toast also can require longer aging for the flavors to integrate and add complexity to the wine.In addition to how the barrels are treated, the type of oak also influences the wine. French oak produces a more subtle and delicate influence, but more tannin structure and mouthfeel. American oak imparts flavors more quickly and adds roasted coffee, coconut, sweet spice and more robust oak.Cooper making wine barrel—Creative CommonsFrench, American, and eastern European oak all contribute oak nuances. The different origins of the oak deliver various levels of the oak influence.The bottom line is wine is an agricultural product—grapes and wood. It also is the work of human hands and experienced minds.Tasting notes• Funckenhausen Malbec Blend, Mendoza, Argentina 2022: Vibrant, juicy full-bodied malbec-led blend. Argentine wine with hint of German heritage. $12-16 (1-liter bottle) Link to my review• The Prisoner Wine Company Saldo Red Blend 2019: Dependable celebration of ripe zin with supporting cast. Big, powerful, not quite as high alcohol as previous vintages, but still up there are 15% ABV. $32 Link to my reviewLast roundA pregnant woman began shouting: “Couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't, didn't, can't, don't!” She obviously was having contractions. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWine is an agricultural product. Hardly an earth-shattering revelation. But consider its scope. Not just wine vines, as essential as they may be, but in many cases—trees.Wine and wood have a marriage dating back millions of years. Wine vines are tree climbers, a relationship accelerated after the astroid-Armageddon when 75% of all plant and animals species became extinct. Trees and grapevines survived and flourished in the aftermath.Fast forward to recent times and the intimate nexus of wood and grape juice becomes more significant. Not only do/did trees provide grape vines a trellis upon which to climb to sunlight, they provide flavors and nuances for finishing wine.Time scales underscore the magnificence of wine creation. Vines must grow for three years before they deliver anything useable as wine fruit, and 20 or 30 or 100 years for the best. Forests are even more long term. Better quality oak in France and America are at least 200 years old, best longer than that—top French oak comes from 400-year-old trees. Think of that. Wood that enhances and finishes the quality wine you drink today began when the American Revolution began. George Washington could have seen the sapling that grew to make the barrel used in making the red wine in your glass tonight.Just as there are grapes of varying quality and characteristics, so with oak trees. Wood factories divide raw product according to quality. Oak designated for wine barrels cannot have flaws, so only around 20% is used for wine barrels. The remaining wood goes for furniture, home construction, and other products.After seasoning for several years, wood destined for wine barrels is sawed into staves. Staves are evaluated for grain and flavor. Smell is important here as staves of different flavors and smell are used depending on what characteristics the winemaker intends. Then staves age two or more years before they go into the cooperage to be fashioned into barrels.Just as winemakers blend grapes from different plots and different grape varieties, so do barrel makers blend different types of oak, different types of wood grains, and other variables. The variable of grain ranges from extra fine grain to big grain. The tighter the grain, the lesser the micro-oxygenation, which is the interaction between the juice inside the barrel and the atmosphere outside the barrel. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on what sort of wine the maker wishes to make.Once staves are cut, they go to the cooperage. Another complex story.Last roundA fool and his money are soon parted, especially in a wine bar.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnSome facts and trivia to lighten your mood as we prepare for the horrors of “fall back” when the government gives back the imaginary hour it stole from us on the second Sunday in March.• Do heavier glass bottles indicate higher quality wine?Glass weight does not affect wine quality. But there has long been a marketing illusion that better wines come in heavier bottles, and winemakers have tended to put their premier efforts in heavier bottles. But so have lesser wines been put into heavy bottles so sellers can charge more. Happily, there is a mounting movement to reduce bottle weight, which cuts down on CO2 emissions and shipping and other costs.Symington Family Estates recently switched to lighter bottles for its Cockburn's Port line. Their new 750 ml bottle weighs 450g down from 585g. Other wineries, especially for wines not made for aging, have shifted to cans and “juice boxes” for even greater savings.• Will the LED lights in my wine cellar cause light strike in my wine?UV light and heat are enemies of wine, especially in long-term storage. Traditional lights give off UV and heat. Good news is LED lights give off minimal heat and almost no UV radiation.• What do the fancy names for bubbles in Champagne mean?“Mousse” generally refers to the overall fizziness, also the frothy head at the top of the glass. “Perlage” is French for a string of pearls and refers to the column of bubbles rising in the glass. “Bead” basically means the same as perlage.• What are the most planted wine grapes in the world?This answer changes and reporting is not uniform, but best answer in 2024 is cabernet sauvignon is the most planted red and chardonnay is the most planted white.• How do you open a bottle with a wax seal?Ignore the wax seal. Plunge the corkscrew through the wax and pull. When the cork is pulled, the wax will fall away. Just before you fully remove the cork, you can clean up any wax debris if needed.• What does the wine descriptor “racy” mean?Racy is more a style, not a descriptor of quality, smell, or taste. It basically means a wine with vibrant, fresh acidity. While it most often is associated with white wine, red wines can be racy, too. Racy is a positive comment and indicates the wine will “cleanse the palate” and work well with food.Last roundA friend asked me how much I spend on a bottle of wine?I said: “About 45 minutes, longer with a meal.” Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnHalloween is next week, but if you are giving wine advice it's best to give your audience some time to act on it.First, I know of no decent pairing of wine with treacly sweet trick-or-treat candy. With somewhat less sugary candy, you can go with light, sweet wines. Wine must be at least as sweet as the candy.If the treat is dark chocolate, you have real options. Dark chocolate typically contains 50-90% cocoa solids. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the better to pair with wine. Vintage or ruby port, sherry, and marsala are classic fortified wine pairings. Non-fortified pairing wines include zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and New World pinot noir.If you are not part of the child extortionists plot, you can always enjoy the frivolity of an adult costume party and real wine pairings. Charcuterie boards work well with almost the entire panoply of wine. If you are enjoying a full regular meal, the usual food-wine pairings apply.When you get to dessert, dark chocolate is in play. With pumpkin pie there are several choices:• Mascatel sherry. Its honey, caramel, and raisin notes nicely pair with the pie.• California chardonnay. A full-bodied chard with plenty of oak, butter, and vanilla flavors will work especially nicely with pie crust.• Tawny port. Nutty and dried fruit flavors complement the pie.• Oloroso sherry. Sweet, nutty flavors match with autumnal flavors of the pie.• Late harvest gewürztraminer. Nutmeg, vanilla, and cinnamon flavors in this sweet wine complement spices in pumpkin pie.• Riesling ice wine. Sweetness and acidity work with the pie's rich, creamy textures.As with candy, the key is the wine must be at least as sweet as the pie. In fact, that is a good rule of thumb for all wine and food pairings.Now you are set for the last day of October ordeal or fun fest, however you roll. Answer the doorbell, pay off the kiddos demanding tribute, practice moderation, wake up the next morning to prepare for the next holiday.Tasting notes• Cockburn's No. 1 Special Reserve Porto NV: Delicious, approachable. The world's most popular special reserve premium port. $18-20 Link to my review• Lustau East India Solera Sherry: Fascinating interplay of tangy, salty notes of oloroso grapes (80% of blend), sweetness of pedro ximénez grapes. $22-28 Link to my reviewLast roundThis Halloween I decided to go as a harp. At the party, a gentleman asked, “what are you supposed to be?”“A harp,” I replied.“No, no,” he protested. “You're too small to be a harp.”“So,” I asked, “are you calling me a lyre?”Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnOctober begins the 17th year of this wine column. Reflections.• Quality wine is made by grape farmers in a vineyard, not by lab coats in a winery. When this column started, I could enjoy mass production wines manipulated by oak and tartaric acid and Mega Red. As years and tasting passed, my palate grew to more appreciate wines truer to place and variety. Supermarket mass production wines have their place, but as your wine odyssey unfolds their role diminishes.• Wine is more complex and interesting than you can grasp in a lifetime. Anyone who claims to know everything—or almost everything—about wine just proved they do not. Wine is an infinite Fabergé egg. Opening each shell presents you with a more beautiful and fascinating layer.• Texas wines would get there. My first publisher—of a Texas newspaper—specifically told me to avoid writing about Texas wines. They were hard for readers to buy. Winemakers struggled to find grapes and cellar practices that worked in Texas. No more. Texas wines have made enormous strides. They compete on quality and are beginning to compete on distribution. They tend to be somewhat overpriced, but sell out because of the proud loyalty of Texans. If Texans will buy $18 wine for $25 dollars, Texans will sell it to them. Then use profits to elevate their wine to be worth $25.• If you enjoy a wine, it is good wine for you. Ignore my and others opinion of it. I stated that in the first column. I believe it more today.• You never run out of things to write about. Early on, people worried I would exhaust my subject. Not close to the truth. I have written more than 800 columns, all posted on my website. Not a single repeat. No expectation whatsoever I will run out of material.• Supercilious tasting notes and wine scores are ridiculous. Sixteen years ago, I bet people wanted to know about wine. How it is made. The people who make it. The places it is made. What the jargon meant. With tens of thousands of readers around the world, I remain all-in on that bet. If you come to me for a pithy sentence and some score on a 100-point scale, you came to the wrong place.My writing career has taken me many places. Sports editor of a major newspaper. Author or participant in some 20 books. A successful advertising agency owner. This column remains a beloved highlight in that career, and I deeply appreciate your being part the journey.Last roundWhat washes up on tiny beaches? Microwaves. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnScare headlines: “Drinking any alcohol is a cancer risk.” Well, okay, the question is how much of a risk?In this discussion, remember the adage popularized by Mark Twain: “Three types of lies. Lies. Damn lies. And statistics.” Stories about cancer risk with alcohol often can be taken with a grain of salt.No question alcohol can put you at a greater risk of cancer. But how much greater risk? That is where the statistical hanky-panky emerges. A popular reference comes from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction's 2023 Guidance on Alcohol and Health: Final Report. A bottom line: limit consumption to no more than two alcoholic drinks a week.The devilish detail is the comparison of no-alcohol risk and the risk of some alcohol—usually two glasses of wine a day. Here are the findings:• The breast cancer risk for no-alcohol females is 17.3 of 100,000 deaths (1.73%). Two-a-day drinkers increase their risk to 22 of 100,000 deaths (2.2%).• The colorectal cancer risk for no-alcohol people is 9.2 of 100,000 deaths (.92%). Two-a-day drinkers is 11.1 of 100,000 (1.1%).• The liver cancer risk for no-alcohol people is 3.2 of 100,000 deaths (.32%). Two-a-day drinkers is 3.6 of 100,000 deaths (.36%).• The oesophagus cancer risk for no-alcohol people is 1.5 of 100,000 deaths (.15%). Two-a-day drinkers is 2.1 of 100,000 deaths (.21%).The statistical trick is to state increased risk in relative terms, not absolute terms. Breast cancer risk is 17.3 of 100,000 among non-drinkers and 22 of 100,000 for drinkers. The increase in drinkers is 27% measured in relative terms—22 is 27% more than 17.3. In absolute terms, the increase is .47% (17.3 plus .47 equals 22). If a woman drinks two glasses of wine a day, she increases breast cancer risk by less than one-half a percent.That is the reason the anti-alcohol zealots harp on relative and not absolute numbers. One is alarming but misleading. Two-a-day female wine drinkers do not increase their death rate by 27%. They increase their cancer chances from 17.3 per 100,000 to 22 per 100,000.No one argues that excessive alcohol does not pose significant health risks. But misleading the public about the risks of moderate consumption is not the way to affect this issue. Go ahead and have that glass of wine with your meal tonight. It is very unlikely to kill you. And the bonhomie you enjoy with that meal has its own benefit of increasing joy and enriching your life, which studies show helps prolong life.Last roundWhat do elves use to make sandwiches? Shortbread. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnIf you go into almost any wine shop, liquor store, or supermarket wine section in the United States—and now in most places in the world—you will find wine bottles arranged and named by the variety of grape used to make the wine.When the bottle contains a predominant percentage of a single grape variety (generally 75% in the U.S., 85% in Europe) it can be labeled as a varietal wine. It has not always been that way, and you have an iconic American wine family to thank for the change.The classic naming convention came from Old World wine countries—France, Spain, Italy, Germany,  and other European countries. The name came from the appellation—Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rioja, Priorat, Chianti, Barolo.Sophisticated wine drinkers understood designations. Bordeaux—blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and a few other grapes. Burgundy—pinot noir. Rioja—tempranillo. Priorat—garnacha and carignan. Chianti—sangiovese. Barolo—nebbiolo.When California wines stunned the world at the Judgment of Paris in 1976 the contestant wines were identified as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, but that was not the norm. Back then, many American wines were labeled with names like “Claret”—cabernet sauvignon, maybe. “Burgundy”—pinot noir, maybe. “Hearty Burgundy”—not pinot noir, but a blend of zinfandel, petite sirah, and carignan. “Champagne”—any sparkling wine made any way, to the fury of winemakers in the Champagne region of France. The Mondavi family, led by Robert, realized most Americans were just getting into wine and needed something simpler. When Robert left the family's Charles Krug operation to found his own winery in 1966, he began labeling his wine by the variety used. For the most part. When it came to sauvignon blanc, then considered déclassé, not the hot white it is today, Mondavi blinked and appropriated its French name “Pouilly-Fumé” to create “Fumé Blanc,” a blend of mostly sauv blanc with a splash of sémillon—but with enough sauv blanc to be labeled as a varietal. Today, it is among the winery's best sellers.The American naming revolution largely won the day. Old World wineries still use their historical names, but likely you can read the varietal or variety-blend somewhere on the label. Almost every New World wine will carry the varietal or variety-blend information.The revolution made figuring out wine easier for people to figure out. And is an important reason for wine's unprecedented increase in popularity the past half century. Thanks, Bob.Last roundMy English teacher looked at me and said: “Name two pronouns.” I said: “Who, me?” Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWinemakers: To oak or not to oak, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take up oak to craft your wine to shake the spheres of ordinary.Oak and wine were made for each other. The wood and how it is treated introduces flavors compounds and textures. Oak barrels allow slow oxygenation, which engenders complexity and depth. Malolactic fermentation in oak converts tart malic acid into softer lactic acid, creating a creamier, buttery texture. The winemaker must decide if oak is in the wine's future. For some whites, the answer is no. For reds, usually yes.Next decision—which oak to use. There are some 600 species of oak trees. They are divided into two main groups: red oaks and white oaks. In North America alone there are about 90 native species.American white oak (Quercus alba) has wide grain and high levels of lactones, delivering flavors of vanilla, coconut, marshmallow, volume, creaminess, and sweetness. It usually receives a medium toast (flame treatment inside the barrel). It often is used for bold wines—cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah—because its robust flavors and higher oxygen ingress complement such wines.European white oak (Quercus petraea) has finer grains. It has a more subtle influence on wine than American oak and imparts elegant flavors of vanilla and spice, and thus is preferred for lighter wines—pinot noir and chardonnay. The tight grains also mean a more measured integration of flavors, often preferred for premium wines. At medium toast, French oak imparts notes of coffee, chocolate, leather, and mushrooms. Wine must spend more time in French oak than American oak to attain these flavors.Eastern European oak, particularly from Slovakia, Hungry, and Romania, are similar to French oak. They can be more subtle than French oak and provide more delicate flavors.Bourbon barrels are another category, pioneered in the 20th century by Chilean mega-maker Concho y Toro with its American label, 1000 Stories. It involves using American oak, blackened and heavily charred to make bourbon and whiskey in first use. In second use with wine, the barrels deliver caramel, burnt sugar, dried herbs, coffee, and vanilla. Wine finished in bourbon barrels are only part of a blend—around five percent—but add smoothness and another layer of flavors with hint of its bourbon back story. They also are a booming category in wine because they are smooth and delicious. Wood you not be interested in trying this category?Last roundI only know 25 letters in the alphabet. I don't know Y. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWhat makes a great wine? There is a hard and fast answer: “great wine comes from great vineyards.”What makes a great vineyard?• Terroir. This is big net answer because the French term includes soil composition, climate, topography, even the culture and experience of the vineyard-winery workers.• Soil. Different grape varieties thrive in different types of soil. Merlot is particularly suited for clay soil that holds water. Cabernet sauvignon prefers gravelly soil that drains well. Chardonnay enjoys limestone soil. Sauvignon blanc's ideal is sandy loam. The mineral content of the soil also can enhance character and complexity.• Climate. Well, of course. In particular, diurnal shift—the change in temperature from day to night—is a precious quality. Hot day engenders ripeness and tasty fruit, while cool nights develop balancing acidity.• Topography. In cool climates in the Northern Hemisphere south-facing slopes maximize heat and sun exposure. In warm climates, east, north, or northeast facing slopes help avoid overheating. Water drainage, slope, and elevation all can play a part.• Vineyard management. When nature gives you advantages, it is up to you to make the most of them. That includes decisions on farming methods. What to plant and how to plant. Pruning and canopy management are vital, a task that demands experienced vineyard workers.Where do these elements exist? The glory of wine, engendered by wine grape diversity, is there are places all over the world where you can make good wine. From the drenching rains of Minho province in Portugal to vineyards in the Atacama Desert in Chile—the driest place on earth—to the cold climes of the Niagara Peninsula and Okanagan Valley in Canada, clever humans have figured out what grape variety, vineyard configuration, and management decisions work in their special place in creation.After the interplay of these elements in the vineyard, the job of making great wine then falls to the artistry of winemakers. There is an almost universal agreement among great winemakers: their job is to largely stay out of the way and allow the vineyard to express itself. After all, “great wine comes from great vineyards.”Tasting notes• Serego Alighieri Possessioni Garganega e Sauvignon del Veneto 2021: Fresh, fruit-forward blend of garganega (the main grape of Soave) and sauvignon blanc. $20 Link to my review• DeLille Cellars Métier Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2021: Bold but approachable. Saturated with dark fruit flavors. $23-30 Link to my review• Texas Hills Vineyard Sangiovese, Texas High Plains, Newsom Vineyards 2015: Delicious Texas interpretation of the great red grape of Tuscany. Almost decadent ripeness. $25 Link to my reviewLast roundThank you for explaining the meaning of “many.” It means a lot to me. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWine is your friend, especially when sipped with friends during a convivial meal. You are obliged to protect it from its enemies.Classic factors that negatively impact wine quality:• Oxygen. Exposure to oxygen can be wine's valued friend or its mortal enemy. The key is moderation. Readers know of my advocacy of decanting—exposing wine from a freshly opened bottle to air to soften tannins, blow off odors, integrate elements. That exposure is relatively brief, measured in minutes or small number of hours. It is a common technique for red wines that also can improve some whites.But too much oxygen is the most significant threat to wine. Too much during the winemaking process can darken white wines to a brownish hue and rob red wines of vibrant color, shifting them into orange or russet shades. Too much oxygen in opened wine will flatten its flavors and aromas. Eventually it will turn the wine into vinegar.• Light. Ultraviolet light, both from the sun and artificial lighting, degrades wine's flavors and aromas. That is why many wines come in dark bottles and should be stored in a dark environment.• Heat. Higher temperatures accelerate aging and eventually spoil the wine. One telltale sign of excessive heat exposure is a cork that has lifted, also leakage of wine out of the bottle. It is best to store wine between 45 and 65 degrees F, with 55 degrees the ideal.• Vibrations. Constant movement disturbs sediment and messes with the aging process. This especially is important for wine put down for aging.• Humidity. Some humidity—70% is ideal—helps keep corks from drying out. Too much humidity will not affect the wine, but can lead to mold growth that damages labels.These are things to think about, but not to obsess over. Wine is a tough hombre. Even when abused by oxygen, light, heat, vibrations, and humidity, it usually remains drinkable. It just will not deliver the same tasty pleasure you get when you treat it right.Tasting notes• Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling, Columbia Valley 2021: Incredibly delicious. Ste. Michelle has delivered this amazing value, wonderful riesling for years. $10-14 Link to my review• Vallformosa Mistinguett Brut Rosé NV: Simple, safe, tasty sparkling that will offend almost no drinker or any pocketbook. $14 Link to my review• Trefethen Family Vineyards Estate Grown Chardonnay, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 2021: Mellow, well balanced, classic Napa chard, well-done oak and malo. $28-33 Link to my review• Compris Vineyard Midnight Journey Syrah, Chehalem Mountains AVA 2021: Savory, smooth delight scores all points you look for in a syrah. $50 Link to my reviewLast roundWhat kind of exercise do lazy people do? Diddly-squats. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWine snobbery is a detestable trait. But you can be a “good” wine snob. Here's how.• Respect the preferences of others. Never be condescending or judgmental. Basically, don't be a jerk. Good advice for many situations.• Be a life-long wine learner. Wine knowledge is vast and ever-evolving. Anyone who claims to know everything about wine just proved they do not. That applies to you and your fellow wine drinkers.• Enjoy wine. Wine is a palate pleasure, not a vehicle to flaunt status or a way to show off. Geez, please.• Accept and appreciate the preferences of others. If you want to be a “good” wine snob, work on “tasting through someone else's mouth.” Who knows, you may have an epiphanic moment and discover a whole new lane of delectation—maybe you will find something you like that you did not expect to like.• If someone asks for wine advice, gently guide rather than dictate. Sublimate the tyranny of your proclivities. Instead, facilitate helping others find their own wine way.• Celebrate diversity. There are thousands of wines made thousands of ways. That is wine's wonder and glory. It is not your way or the highway. If it is your way or the highway, then don't let the door hit your butt on the way out to travel that lonely road.• Explore new horizons. When you celebrate diversity, you may stumble upon pleasures you never expected. That is the wonder of wine.• Patience is a virtue in almost all things, including wine. Allow others to learn about wine at their own pace, and allow yourself to do the same.This column strives to entertain and inform you about wine. Sixteen years ago, I wrote in my first column: “If a wine tastes good to you, then it's good no matter how a wine expert responds.” I have stayed true to that proposition, and suggest you do the same. Thank each of you for being part of the journey.Tasting notes• J. Lohr Los Osos Merlot, Paso Robles 2021: Soft, creamy, plush mouthfeel, gains subtlety with exposure to air. Not complex, just a delicious, easy drinker. $12-17 Link to my review• San Simeon Sauvignon Blanc Paso Robles 2023: Bright, refreshing, good acidity, vivid fruit—all  you want from a sauv blanc from long-time quality maker. $18-20 Link to my review• Invivo X SJP Sarah Jessica Parker Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand 2022: Exciting, edgy NZ pinot. Real collaboration between quality maker and celebrity. Good texture and complexity. $19-27 Link to my reviewLast roundWhat do you call Dracula when he has hay fever? The Pollen Count. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnEven if you only dip your big toe into wine wonkiness, you likely encounter the term “malolactic fermentation” or MLF. What is that?Well, this being wine, it actually is not fermentation, which involves yeast. It is a conversion, which involves bacteria. The primary bacteria is Oenococcus oeni—try saying that three times in a row after a couple of glasses of wine (or even before). The process is a decarboxylation conversion—malic acid turns into lactic acid. What does that mean in words of less than five syllables?Malolactic conversion reduces acidity and softens the taste of wine. It almost always is done with red wine. It usually is done with white wines where a rounder, creamier profile is wanted. Chardonnay is classic example, as are viognier, marsanne, roussane, and white Burgundy. On the other hand, MLF usually is prevented in sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio/pinot gris, riesling, vermentino, and other whites where acidity and floral aromas are prized.Wineries encourage MLF by inoculation of bacteria and control of temperature (warmer is better), acidity (lower is better—above 3.3 pH), and avoiding sulfur dioxide. Wineries discourage MLF by keeping temperatures lower, keeping pH less than 3.3, adding sulfur dioxide, sterile filtration, and other methods.If you enjoy a full-bodied, creamy, buttery, smooth chardonnay, you have MLF in an oak barrel to thank. If you prefer tangy fruit, great acidity, the powerful aromatics of sauvignon blanc or riesling, you have the prevention of MLF to thank.Almost all red wines undergo MLF. Some beaujolais nouveau wines skip MLF. Italian amarone typically does not undergo MLF. Just about every other red has MLF as part of its making regimen.Like their color, rosé wines fall in the middle. Classic Provence rosés usually avoid MLF. Darker rosés and rosés finished in oak are much more likely to have partial of full MLF.Sparkling wine MLF depends on the maker. Krug and Bollinger use full MLF. Louis Roederer often blocks MLF. Cristal—Louis Roederer's prestige pour—experiences partial MLF.Malolactic fermentation—technically malolactic conversion—is an important winemaking tool. If you have read this far, you have more than dipped your toe into wine wonkiness.Tasting notes• Trefethen Family Vineyards Estate Grown Dry Riesling, Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley 2022: Sleek, crisp, delicate aromatics. $22-28 Link to my review• Sealionne Wines Halcyon Chardonnay, Chehalem Mountains AVA, Willamette Valley 2022: Unique flavors through fermentation mix of stainless steel, oak, amphora. $45 Link to my review• Three Sticks One Sky Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021: Superb, classic Sonoma pinot from highest vineyard in the AVA. Delicious fruit, depth, length, structure. $85 Link to my reviewLast roundDouble negatives are a big no-no. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnCommercialization defines wine 8-21-2024Wine is fermented grape juice, an agricultural product like green beans and corn. But that is not how we think about wine. Why?We think of wine as a consequence of culture rather than agri-culture. Wine is treated like an aesthetic product, similar to the arts, with special terminology, in-depth discussion and analysis, reviews by experts.But wine also is a commercial product. It has been for thousands of years, and the special dynamics of it being a commercial product shaped wine and how you think about wine. In 2021, the most recent complete statistics, the world made 34 billion bottles of wine with a market value of $53 billion. Wine is a commercial product.Place—“terroir”—is a central belief in wine's mythos. As far back as ancient Greece, elites believed wines from distant places were special. The simple folk drank locally produced fermented grape juice or beer. The rich and powerful drank wine. Commercial value was enhanced by the wine coming from a distant place.Gironde Estuary. Photo: Chell HillThat had a major impact on where “fine wine” came from. When you mention Bordeaux your first thought is about wine, not about an estuary. But the Gironde estuary is why great wine chateaus are located on Bordeaux's left and right banks. The sea gave chateaus trade access to England and Northern Europe, where climate prevented wine production. When you can't produce something in your back yard and must have it shipped to you, it takes on special value you are willing to pay for.All the great wine regions of France, Italy, and Spain—the world's largest wine producers—are located on rivers that facilitate transport and trade. The situation creates a self-reinforcing loop. The chateaus of Bordeaux make money exporting a luxury product, then use the generated wealth to improve their product and reinforce the sophisticated image of their product and create more demand for it.Terroir is a real thing, but it is the product of winemakers using profits to experiment and learn about what works best on their piece of land. Commercial trade is the reason wineries were located where they are. Knowledge paid for by profits from commercial trade is the reason those places became the best places to make wine.I believe wine can be a mystical artistic expression of soaring human endeavors and the good graces of God and nature. But we got there because someone made fermented grape juice worth buying and someone else was willing to pay for it.Last roundThe past—history. The future—mystery. Today—a gift. That is why we call it the present. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnDid the extinction of dinosaurs play a part in the creation of wine? While it may sound far-fetched,  according to an article in the prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Plants, there is scientific evidence to support the theory.Researchers discovered fossil grape seeds in South America dating back 60 million years. Fossil grape seed evidence in India dates back 66 million years. The dinosaur extinction occurred 66 million years ago. Coincidence? Science indicates no.The extinction marks the end of the Cretaceous Period. Approximately 75 percent of all plant and animal species were lost, including all non-avian dinosaurs. That transformed the entire world. With large animals not around to eat or knock down trees, forests reset themselves, becoming much more dense and layered. Trees grew taller, and there were many more of them.Grape vines are tree climbers. Trees are their natural habitat. As trees grew up, grape vines were right there with them, climbing toward sunlight. Vineyard structures are simulated trees. The increase in birds and mammals also helped. Grape globes are designed to be eaten. Grape seeds are designed to survive digestion, then spread by animals that eat them.Soft, grape globes, of course, did not fossilize. Seeds did. Although grape seeds are tiny, scientists identified particular shapes and other morphological features. CT scans identified internal structures that confirmed the grape seed identity.While grape vines existed before the great extinction, the extinction created vast new, favorable conditions and ecological niches. The extinction did not cause the appearance of grape vines, it did favor their spread and diversification, as it did for all flowering plants.The next time you sip wine or munch on a raisin or a table grape, pause to thank the asteroid that slammed into Earth 66 million years ago. That event may have killed dinosaurs, but it helped give us grape vines. And wine.Tasting notes• FIOL Prosecco Rosé Millesimato 2021: Fresh, fruity, elegant, fun. Blend of 85% glera and 15% pinot noir. Ideal for a Sunday brunch. $18 Link to my review• Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet Blanc X Nathan 2023: Low acidity—for a sauv blanc—allows tasty fruit to shine. People not into sauv blanc will enjoy this effort. $16-19 Link to my review• Etude Pinot Gris, Grace Benoist Ranch Vineyard, Carneros 2022: Bright, fresh, easy drinker; delivers depth, aromatic intensity. $23-28 Link to my review• Rodney Strong Vineyards Russian River Valley Reserve Chardonnay 2021: Rich, premium pour. Skillfully touches all the bases of the oak and malo Russian River style; avoids cartoony excess. $46-50 Link to my reviewLast roundDrinking wine usually is not the answer, but it does help you forget the question.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnAugust. For many, triple digit degree days. Time to beat the heat with chilled rosé.Except, what exactly is rosé? Surprisingly, in the often rigid, rule-ridden world of wine, there is no consensus definition of what is a rosé.Are not wines divided into red, white, rosé, and amber/orange? It might be nice, but they are not. Turns out, only white wine has a strict definition. At an event in London, renowned rosé specialist and Master of Wine Elizabeth Gabay stated: “I think we should get rid of the terms red, white, rosé and orange wine, because the gradations are not really there.”When asked if the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) should come up with hard and fast definitions, she replied: “Absolutely not. I love the blurry line.”SamanthaThere is a generally accepted, but rough, division. White wines are fermented with no or only briefest contact with grape skins. Juice is separated from grape skins before fermentation begins.OIV also has a definition for white grapes when fermentation occurs during prolonged contact with skins, pulp, seeds, and stems. This is “amber” or “orange” wine, a reference to the wine's color. There is some term turmoil about “orange” because the wine is not quite orange and it is not made with oranges, but there is agreement that so-named wines are made with a defined method.When it comes to red wine and rosé, however, the OIV does not have a precise definition. The organization does provide methods for assessing wine colors using spectrophotometry. The OIV states it “has a general definition for wine, but no specific definition for wine colours, which can be described according to the grape varieties and production methods, or by colour determination via analytical methods.”Specifically on rosé wines, the OIV comments: “For what concerns rosé wine, the main problem is a lack of a clear definition and therefore for many counties this category is included in red wine.”While the definition may not be precise, there is no question rosé is on the rise. Globally, white wine represents half of all wine produced. Red wine represents 42% and rosé 8%. But, in 2021 (last year for complete numbers), red wine production decreased 25% from its peak in 2004, white wine increased 13% from its low in 2002, and rosé increased 25% from its low in 2001.Rosé—you know it when you see it.Last roundWhy do scuba divers fall backwards off of the boat? Because if they fell forward, they'd still be in the boat. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnTasting science used to be so simple. Alas, no more.Back in 1901, a German scientist opined various taste receptors were orderly segregated on your tongue in specific places. Sweet on your tip, salty on the sides, sour behind them, bitter in the back. Nice, neat, wrong.Modern science—the flawed German study is from 1901—confirms the perception of taste is remarkably complex and not limited to your tongue. Judging flavors is deeply integrated into what is good for you to eat and what is not, so it should be no surprise that hundreds of thousands of years of tasting experience created a complex and extremely sophisticated human palate. If it had not, you and I would not be around to read about this.Yes, it does start with the tongue. Sensors alert the brain when they encounter nutrients or toxins. Pleasure or poison is the first threshold. Horrible, you instinctively spit it out. But your response does not stop after that initial pass-fail taste test. When alerted, your gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, fat cells, brain, muscle cells, and lungs also spring into action. Your tongue taste buds alert your body in the same way an airport system responds to an airplane coming in for a landing. Your tongue may be the control tower, but it only sets everything else into motion.Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist who won a Nobel Prize for his studies on digestion in 1904, showed lumps of meat placed directly into a hole in the dog's stomach would not be digested unless he dusted the dog's tongue with some dried meat powder to start things off. Dog food, wine. Who knew they would be connected?I do not know of scientific studies to back me up, but I assert there is a connection between wine—essentially liquid fruit—and your body's collective response to nourishment. Wine has complemented our food for at least 8,000 years, likely longer. When human beings find something that works, they tend to expand upon it.Cheers.Tasting notes• Rainstorm Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2022: Bright, fresh with good tartness, citrus. Delightful wine with the tartness and acidity to pair well with lighter fare. $16-18 Link to my review• Ramōn Bilbao Verdejo, Rueda 2022: Crisp, fruity, refreshing. Bright, inviting, vibrant pleasure in the mouth. $18-23 Link to my review• Becker Vineyards Prairie Cuvée, Texas High Plains 2019: Light, refreshing, full fruity flavor. Classic Rhône blend using Texas-grown grapes by substantial player in state's ascendency in the wine world. $25 Link to my reviewLast roundCommas are so very important. “Your dinner” (no comma) leaves you nourished. “You're dinner” (comma) leaves you eaten. Wine time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnDirect-to-consumer (DtC) wine shipping enjoys exponential growth. This is a great and welcome boon to wine makers, especially smaller ones who effectively are ignored by mega wholesalers.But the trend rattles those same near-monopoly wholesalers—Southern Glazer's and Republic National. And they are fighting back by lobbying to restrict DtC in state legislatures and making delivery more complicated.Fear mongering about DtC leading to minors securing alcohol is a major meme. Claim: when DtC rules are relaxed, there is more underage drinking. They offer no proof of their claim because none exists. In fact, underage drinking is historically down in the past decade.Common sense and experience tells you teenagers are not going to order wine online to be delivered days later. Why would anyone under 21 go to that trouble when all they need do is raid their parent's stash, recruit a friend who is over 21 to buy, buy themselves at a compliant store or with a fake ID, or simply steal from the store? That is how it has worked from time out of memory.That is not to say DtC providers should ignore underage drinking. Many times a week I receive DtC wines from wineries who want me to review their wine. I am in my mid-70s. Delivery people still ask to see an ID the first time they come, and have me sign for the delivery every time. That is reality. Ignore the bogus scare tactics of those who oppose DtC.The core of the problem is the entrenched hangover from Prohibition: the three-tier system. The system divides the alcohol supply chain into producer, wholesaler, and retailer. The two middle-men, the wholesaler and the retailer, each get their cut of the action and raise the product price.Smaller wineries are not noticed by the big dog wholesalers and must make do with wine club and on-premise winery sales. That hurts the boutique wineries and deprives you of quality, small production wine experiences. As DtC opportunities increase, it benefits wineries and consumers. It hurts big wholesalers and retailers, and they are using all their lobbying clout to thwart this trend.You can easily surmise where my sympathies lie.Tasting notes• Grape Creek Vineyards Cuvée Blanc White Wine, Texas 2022: Excellent mouthfeel and rich, tasty fruit backed by jaunty acidity. Sterling example of why Texas wines must be taken seriously. $24-30 Link to my review• Three Sticks One Sky Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021: Delicious fruit, depth, length, structure. $85 Link to my reviewLast roundQuestion: “Which hand do you use when cutting your steak?”Answer: “I don't use my hand, I use a knife.” Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnA miracle is happening right now in vineyards throughout the northern hemisphere.“Véraison” is the French term for the time when a wine vine's tiny, tight green nubs morph into plump, tasty, colorful globes. Red grapes transition from green to red, purple, blue, or black. White grapes transition from green to translucent yellow, orange, or gold.In addition to color changes grapes undergo other vital changes.• Grapes soften, become juicier and more pliable.• Grapes can double in size as they accumulate sugars and other nutrients.• Glucose and fructose levels—sugars—increase, critical to the later production of alcohol.• Malic acid decreases, making tartaric acid predominant, critical for flavor balance.• Herbaceous—green—aromas and taste degrade, replaced by fruity aromas.• The concentration and composition of phenolic compounds, especially tannins, change. Riper grapes with well-developed phenolics are smoother, more complex, and have a more pleasant mouthfeel.• Vines shift from energy production through photosynthesis—leaf production—to energy consumption, concentrating energy to make ripe, sweet grapes.• Véraison occurs in the northern hemisphere beginning in mid-to-late July, but grape variety, temperature, climate, and region influence the process. It may not begin until mid-August some places.• Véraison may not occur simultaneously in a vineyard or even on a single vine. Vines that undergo véraison more evenly generally produce wines with greater complexity and depth.• Véraison means harvest is 45 to 60 days away. Precise timing of the harvest is critical in the production of quality wine. That largely is under the control of humans. Véraison is the magical time that sets up the harvest. That is almost exclusively under the control of God and Mother Nature. The wine you enjoy is the product of this symbiotic relationship.Tasting notes• MGM Mondo del Vino Riva Leone Gavi DOCG 2021: Delicious dry, light wine with admirable crispness and delicious cortese fruit. $15-17 Link to my review• Gigondas La Cave Le Dit De Saint Tronquet, Côtes du Rhône Villages Plan de Dieu 2022: Solid GSM from Rhône Villages cooperative in a special place—“God's Plan” [Plan de Dieu]. $18 Link to my review• Hahn Family Wines Appellation Series Chardonnay, Arroyo Seco 2021: Rich, full, round, clean; impressive example of oaked chardonnay, touches all the delicious, well-made chard bases. $22-25 Link to my review• Texas Heritage Vineyard Viognier, Wildseed Farms Vineyard, Texas Hill Country 2022: Deep, delicious, robust, aromatic expression of Texas viognier. $21-28 Link to my review• M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Petite Ruche Blanc 2021: Plump pleaser, rich, fruity, medium-plus body marsanne play. $27 Link to my reviewLast roundDid you hear about the mathematician who was afraid of negative numbers? He would stop at nothing to avoid them. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnAs the Nat King Cole song goes, “Roll out those lazy, hazy days of summer.” But instead of soda and pretzels and beer, it is so much nicer to sip well-chilled rosé.The rosé cliché is that it is only a summertime wine. Not remotely true, but rosé certainly is a lovely libation—both in taste and color—as we endure the trials Sol slings at us.Rosé is light-bodied, fresh and fruity, moderate alcohol. Those are all good things for a scorching day thirst quencher. Rosé also pairs well with the lighter food we eat in summer.Rosés come in many colors. Some sippers immediately think of the very pale rosés from Côtes de Provence, but color is an indication of style, not quality. Rosés from the Tavel region of the Rhone Valley or the Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo region of Italy are dark rosés and excellent rosés.There are four techniques used to make rosé:• Direct pressing involves pressing red grapes immediately after harvest allowing minimal skin contact and occurs before fermentation begins. This produces the palest pink wine. Pale rosés usually deliver flavors of strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, cantaloupe. Pale Provence rosés are made using this technique.• Saignée (French for “bleeding”) involves allowing a portion of red wine to “bleed” off early in fermentation. This produces wines darker than direct press. Saignée tends to promote raspberry and blackberry flavors and aromas. Saignée rosé wines also can be more tannic and suitable for aging.• Maceration involves leaving the juice in contact with the skins for an extended period. The longer the maceration, the darker the color. When the desired color is achieved, the must—the mix of juice, skins, stems, and seeds—is pressed and fermentation begins. This is another popular method in Provence and is used to make their most serious rosés.• A final method, particularly used in Champagne to produce rosé sparkling wine, involves blending a small amount of red wine into white wine. Champagne makers focus on a consistent product year upon year. Blending allows for the most control of the product.Tasting notes• Ultimate Provence UP Côtes de Provence Rosé 2022: Tangy edge plays well with juicy red fruits. Richer, more body than the diaphanous efforts of some Provence purveyors. $20-23 Link to my review• William Chris Vineyards La Pradera Rosé, Texas High Plains 2022: Tasty red fruit with an emphasis on mourvèdre in this vintage. $24 Link to my review• Wedding Oak Winery Sweetheart Rosé, Texas 2021: Delight, delicious fruit. Elegant, substantial. Complexity from a well-coordinated mélange of Texas red grapes. $29 Link to my reviewLast roundHyphenated and non-hyphenated. Ah, the ironies of the English language. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWe celebrate the 248th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence tomorrow. There may be fireworks and parades, but most of us will simply honor the Fourth with family and friends. And barbecue, or at least outdoor time.What wine do you pair with backyard festivities. Some ideas:• The day is very likely to be hot. While heavy, bold, high alcohol red wines work well with barbecue and grilled steaks, such libations do not work well with July heat. Big red wines taste heavy. High alcohol and high heat do not play well together.• There are light-bodied, chillable reds with enough body to pair with the fare, and their lower alcohol, fruit-forward presentation works with both heat and meat. Think gamay, lighter pinot noir, and offerings actually labeled as “chillable red.” All of these can be chilled, a good way to go in high summer.• Amber wines, also inappropriately called “orange” wines. These are white wines made with skin contact like they were a red wine. Refreshing and hip. Great food wine with spicy food, sausage, grilled vegetables.• Pet nat (pétillant naturel) is sparkling made the very old fashioned way—the way sparkling was made before méthode champenoise was invented. Like amber wines, the next big thing in wine. Ideal for casual, fun happenings. Bubbles buoy the Fourth vibe. Yeasty flavors and hint of residual sugar are ideal for barbecue seasonings.• Rosé wines. Get over it, guys. Rosé wines are versatile and delicious and are not girly, girly sissified swill. Only insecure males think such thoughts.• Versatile, food-friendly whites. Dry riesling, grüner veltliner, vinho verde (which can be white, rosé, or red). Excellent, refreshing wines that can be served quite chilled. Lower alcohol and good acidity makes them excellent food wines that fare well with fare in a summer scorcher.Tasting notes• Herzog Wine Cellars Lineage Rosé, Clarksburg 2022: Easy-going, pleasant delight. Perfect warm weather sipper with lighter food or just enjoyed by itself. Mevushal. $17-22 Link to my review• Hager Matthias Pét Nat Grüner Veltliner 2021: Refreshing, lower alcohol effort that is and trendy and versatile and presents excellent fruit. $29 Link to my review• Kivelstadt Cellars Wayward Son Skin Fermented Pinot Grigio, Pintail Ranch Vineyard, Clarksburg, Sonoma 2022: Tasty, serious skin-fermented amber wine made with pinot grigio. $25-32 Link to my review• William Chris Vineyards La Pradera Vineyard Blend, Texas High Plains 2020: Rich, delicious celebration of a five-grape medley of Texas High Plains red fruit. Solid, smooth, easy drinker from significant Texas maker. $45-50 Last roundWhat did Luke Skywalker say on the 4th of July? “May the fourth be with you.” Wine time.Thank you for reading Gus Clemens on Wine. This post is public so feel free to share it.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnPét-Nat or Pétillant-Naturel. What the heck is that “next big thing” in wine?The “next big thing” designation is ironic because, in truth, it is the oldest thing in sparkling wines. It was how sparkling wine was made before the development of the methods you know today. In English, Pétillant-Naturel simply means “naturally bubbling.”Pét-Nat is made using a technique—“méthode ancestrale”—that originated in Limoux in southern France in the 1500s. It involves a single fermentation. Méthode champenoise or “traditional method” uses two fermentations to make Champagne and other sparkling wines.Bottling takes place before the primary fermentation is complete. Yeasts remain actively converting sugars into alcohol. And into CO2—the bubbles. The wines tend to be lower in alcohol with softer, more delicate bubbles than sparkling made using traditional methods. Because there is less pressure—half that of Champagnne—Pét-Nat typically is sealed with a crown cap, the closure you find on beer or soda pop bottles.Pét-Nat usually is unfiltered, so it often is cloudy. Those are the spent yeast cells that created the alcohol and bubbles. It is made with a variety of grapes, resulting in a spectrum of colors and styles. There are a wide range of aromas and flavors. Often there is a slight sweetness, although there are dry examples. Adjectives like wild, funky, rustic often are associated with Pét-Nat.Christian Chaussard in Vouvray revived the ancient technique in the early 1990s when he accidentally produced a fizzy wine by bottling before fermentation was complete. He found the wine tasty. Buyers found something new and trendy. Pét-Nat started being the “next big thing.” At first, there was more buzz about it than sales or availability warranted, but that changed. You likely can find Pét-Nat at a well-stocked supermarket today. It typically is affordable, casual, refreshing. Lower alcohol makes it attractive for everyday drinking and to those seeking to reduce alcohol intake.A caution. Pét-Nat production is hard to control and requires winemaker skill. Results can be variable, depending on the grapes used and where they were grown. Quality is not guaranteed. Pét-Nat is a process description, not a narrow wine description.Worth a sip, especially if you are a new and trendy sort of sipper.Tasting note• Hager Matthias Pét-Nat Grüner Veltliner 2021: Refreshing, lower alcohol effort that is and trendy and versatile. Presents excellent fruit. Works well as aperitif. $20-29 Link to my reviewLast roundI told my daughter to go to bed because cows were sleeping in the fields.“What does that have to do with anything?” she asked.“It means it is pasture bedtime,” I responded. Wine time.Thank you for reading Gus Clemens on Wine. This post is public so feel free to share it.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnThere is panic and turmoil in high dollar wines you and I do not buy.This is not about big dollar wines we could buy—Caymus, Jordan, Daou. You can purchase them at higher-end grocery stores. The turmoil is with wines you only can buy from an allocation list or very high-end wine stores. Covid and an influx of wines competing at pompous price points upended everything.A lot goes into wines in that rarified price category. Millions invested—in Napa vineyards, in famous winemakers, in famous architects for the winery and tasting rooms. All goes into the bottle price.And then there is trophy wine branding. People buy such wines not just for silky tannins and layers of bing cherry, ripe raspberry, and blackcurrant backbone. People buy so they can say to themselves, and especially to others, they can buy the wine.When a winery decides to play in that bedazzling arena, it must protect its brand. And that is when flop sweat starts dripping. Recent years have not been kind. Demand down. People pinching purses purchase product from lower shelves. Purveyors panicked when pricey vintages went unsold. Then—horror of horrors—they did the unthinkable. They discounted.When you sell your wine for $750 a bottle, the play is “if you won't pay this much, there is someone else who will, and when this sells, there aren't any more.” But rarity and exclusiveness are evanescent qualities. When the first merchant decides to clear his shelf and sells the wine discounted to $500, the shift hits the fans. Why pay high when you can wait and buy low. People who can afford such luxuries figured this out long ago.When a Calistoga high end winery discovered a shop was going out of business and offered their wine at clearance prices, the winery immediately sent a distributor to buy the entire inventory to protect the price point.“The moment people feel the product is easy to get at a discounted price, all of a sudden the rarity has evaporated,” Dave Parker, CEO of rare-wine retailer Benchmark Wine Group in Napa, told Wine Spectator.If you are like me, you are not going to buy a $750 bottle of wine even at $500. But it is nice to note that as wine over-supply and clearance pricing trickles down, we may be in line for some sweet deals.Last roundAn orangutan in the zoo has two books: The Bible and Darwin's Origin Of Species. The orangutan is trying to figure out if he is his brother's keeper—or his keeper's brother. Wine time.Thank you for reading Gus Clemens on Wine. This post is public so feel free to share it.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Balanced Diet Original recipes, curated links about food systems, recipe reviews. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnMost of us drink a bottle of wine soon after purchase. From an hour after we get home to a couple of days or weeks. Wine storage in such cases basically is unimportant.But what about those who actually age wine. Maybe you bought a case at a winery and want to savor it over the next year or two. Or you open one bottle a year on a special day for the next dozen years. Or, maybe you really have gotten into wine and have a sizable collection you want to preserve and keep in optimal condition. What to do? Guidelines:• Temperature is wine's greatest enemy. When it gets too hot, say spending a day or two in high summer in your car, heat will dull aromas and flavors. It also may cause the cork to lift and some wine to ooze out. Cold can be bad, too. Your refrigerator likely is around 35-38º F and has very low humidity that eventually can shrink the cork, but even if that does not happen, wine at near freezing temperature dulls flavor.• The ideal temperature for wine storage is around 55º F, but between 50º F and 70º F will work. You mostly want to avoid temperature shifts, especially significant ones. But don't fret about this too much. If you are storing in your house and consuming over the next year or so, it is unlikely in today's HVAC homes you will flirt with danger.• UV light is the other potential vino villain. The reason most wines come in colored glass bottles is to thwart the rapacious ravages of sunlight. A closet or well-shaded part of your house will work fine.• Humidity is somewhat controversial. Conventional wisdom is to lay wine on its side so the cork is wetted by the wine, but cork producers contend the humidity inside the bottle is constant lying down or standing up, so don't stress about this. Whatever. Horizontal is more efficient use of space, which is reason enough.• Wine enchants you, wise investments enable you, and you are big into wine. Maybe 100 or more bottles, some trophies you want to age. Time to invest in a wine fridge. From my personal experience, go with a single temperature zone and go with generous space in the shelving to accommodate fatter burgundy/chardonnay bottle sizes. And you will be surprised at how quickly you run out of space.Last roundI met my future wife while she was working at the zoo. She was in her uniform. Straightaway I knew she was a keeper. Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Thank you for reading Gus Clemens on Wine. This post is public so feel free to share it.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on Vocal This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly column“If you could only drink one wine for the rest of your life, what wine would that be?” I get that question often.As a Catholic, my tongue-in-cheek answer: “Consecrated communion wine because I am in Hell.”Related question: “What is your favorite wine?”As a humorist, my quip: “Whatever you are pouring.”The answer to the base question: I enjoy all competently-made wines. When I taste sweeter wines, although not my first choice, I strive to evaluate the wine from the perspective of someone who prefers sweeter wines. And share fair comments with readers.That said, there are wines I am more likely to pour:• Pinot noir. Lighter body, delicate, nuanced flavors, good acidity, restrained tannins, elegant and silky mouthfeel. Versatile pairing from fish to poultry to white meats and lighter beef. Delicious as a red wine, a key component of many Champagnes.• Sauvignon blanc. Good to great acidity; pairs with with huge range of foods.• Red blends. I prefer blends over pure varietals because blends can deliver more complexity and depth, although I can enjoy a pure varietal play. Blend examples include:• GSM. Grenache-syrah-mouvédre. Wonderful blend of three varieties I enjoy.• Bordeaux blend. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, sometimes petite verdot, malbec, carménère. Classic big reds.• Spanish blends. Tempranillo-garnacha (Rioja). Garnacha-cariñena (Priorat). Tempranilo-cab, merlot, malbec (Ribera del Duero). There are excellent Spanish white blends, too.• Italian blends. Sangiovese with a variety of blenders.• Sparkling wine. From Champagne, to Spanish cava, to Italian spumantes and proseccos.• Chardonnay. So versatile. Can be made in almost every style; a key component of Champagne and other sparklings.• Australia. Shiraz, perfect for beef pairing.• New Zealand. Sauvignon blanc and, increasingly, pinot noir.• Chile and Argentina. Huge values. Is there a better value-for-price play than malbec?• Portugal. Wide selection at fantastic price points.• Zinfandel. Bold ripe fruit, soft tannins, potentially high alcohol. What's not to love?• Others: riesling, vinho verde, grüner veltliner, maderia, gewürztraminer, viognier, pinot gris/grigio.Happy to narrow it down for you.Tasting notes:• Hope Family Wines Treana Sauvignon Blanc, California 2022: Smooth, very approachable; retains food-friendly acidity. $18-20 Link to my review• Lake Sonoma Winery Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2020: Fulsome, substantial expression of Russian River Valley chard. Rich, engaging in the mouth. $20-25 Link to my review• Privé Vineyard Pinot Noir, Chehalem Mountain AVA 2022: Refined, reserved joy in the mouth. Solid reason Willamette Valley is world-class provider of pinot. $60 Link to my review• Dobbes Family Estate Patricia's Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2021: Rich, opulent, hedonistic delight; excellent fruit, impressive complexity, wonderful texture, mouthfeel. $60 Link to my reviewLast roundSomebody stole Satan's hairpiece! There will be Hell toupee. Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Thank you for reading Gus Clemens on Wine. This post is public so feel free to share it.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on Vocal This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnIn an opinion survey by YouGov, Americans claimed “bottle or label design” was the least important factor in their selection of a wine. That might be an expected response to an online questionnaire. Few people confess to being lured by clever critter names and images, or campy convict references, or hernia-inducing bottle weights.But, come on, you are influenced. If you were not, wineries and marketing mavens and money managers would not pay so much attention and dollars to bottles/containers and labels. Anecdotal evidence is especially strong that people, especially those not heavily into wine, are influenced by these factors.Today, the container is the new delta in the wine consumer equation. Screw caps were the tip of the change spear in past decades. It now is generally accepted that screw caps, also called Stelvin closures, are just another way of sealing a container and is not an indicator of inferior quality. Whole nations—New Zealand is the poster country—predominantly use screw caps. No one questions their quality, especially for wines consumed in the decade after release.Newer battlegrounds involve containers. Massive glass bottles traditionally implied quality. That is an emotional rather than a rational response. Glass is glass. It works very well containing wine regardless of its weight. Environmentally and economically, weighty bottles make no sense in production, transportation, and disposal. Let us hope the growing trend of sensible bottle weights continues.Non-glass is the new front line in wine packaging. Boxed wine—actually a plastic bag inside a cardboard box—has a solid base. Once the realm of cheap, inferior wine, now many makers produce quality. The fact the wine stays fresh after initial opening for a month is a huge selling point. You can't age box wine, but almost all wine you buy is not purchased to be aged.Tetra paks are small boxes made of cardboard, plastic, and aluminum. They are especially ideal for wines drunk young at a beach, poolside, picnic, or any situation where portability and safety from broken glass is an asset. Versions of this have worked for milk, fruit juice, and other liquids for years. Why not wines?Cans. Similar advantages as tetra paks. Has worked for beer—for many foods and liquids—for more than a century. Why not wines?Focus on what is in the container and how you will use it, not the closure or its weight or the material used to make it. Onward into the future of wine.Last roundI met a microbiologist today. He was much bigger than I expected. Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on Vocal This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWhat do Americans think about wine? 5-22-2024What wines do Americans prefer, how much are they willing to pay for it, and what are their general views about wine?YouGov, a British market research and data analytics firm, recently surveyed 1,117 U.S. adults to gain insights. Their results are very detailed; we will give a simpler-to-digest overview. There is a plus/minus four precent margin of error. YouGov's research gives you a ballpark idea.Some 73% said they loved or liked white wine; 72% said the same about red wine. Rosé scored 66% in the love-like category; 63% said the same about sparkling.Gender preferences is a slightly different question. When asked what type of wine they prefer, 56% of males and 44% of females said they preferred red, while 42% of females preferred white in contrast to only 30% of males. Roughly 14% of both sexes either did not have a preference or were not sure.Health warnings about wine have been in the news recently. Americans apparently are not all that concerned. Some 40% asserted wine is beneficial to your health, 23% said it has no effect, and 27% were not sure. Only 11% believed wine is detrimental to health.When asked how much you typically pay for a bottle of wine, a whopping 45% said between $11 and $20. The number goes to 65% for the $11-$40 range. Price matters. A landslide 89% said price was very important or somewhat important.When asked if they thought they could tell the difference between a $10 bottle and a $100 bottle in a blind tasting of the same varietal, 35% said they definitely could or probably could, while 65% thought they probably could not, definitely could not, or were unsure.When asked how often they drank wine—a question where people often low-ball their answer—only 2% said they drank wine daily. Some 11% said a few times a week or once a week; 24% said only on special occasions, and the largest cohort—38%—said they never drink wine, although they may drink other alcoholic beverages.Tasting notes• Familia Traversa Sauvignon Blanc, Uruguay 2022: Intriguing tension between hints of sweetness and salinity. Very refreshing. Versatile. $9-14 Link to my review• Famiglia Pasqua 11 Minutes Odi Et Amo Rosé Trevenezie 2022: Crisp light delight. Strawberries, citrus in an engaging bottle. $16-18 Link to my review• Hahn Family Wines Appellation Series GSM, Arroyo Seco 2021: Classic GSM built to be an amiable palate pleaser. $18-23 Link to my reviewLast roundWhy do I waste energy saying “it is what it is” to someone who has no idea what it is? Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on Vocal This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnThe world has a glut of wine. In some ways, a good thing for wine buyers. With supply up and demand down, wine makers have to make sacrifices to move their product. The old seller's adage applies: “I would rather have 50% of something than 100% of nothing.”Maybe that higher-end, higher-quality wine of your fantasies will move into your pocketbook possibility zone. But danger also lurks. The brand that now looks like a bargain may not be exactly what initially enchanted your imagination.Fortunately, the label must give you clues. But you have to know what to look for.There is so much excess wine today makers are conjuring ways to use some of the glut to tempt you with a bogus bargain. A key ploy is to produce bottles with labels that look almost identical to their existing, higher-priced offerings. All seems the same, but there is one tell—the place where the fruit came from may be different from the one you think you are buying.Example: a wine labeled “Sonoma County” typically is a reassurance of quality, and indicates all—or at least 75% of the grapes—come from that premier grape growing region. When the wine label reads “California,” that is something else. The wine could have come from anywhere in California.If the label says “American,” 25% of it could be imported from overseas. Federal records indicate 68 million gallons of imported wine—most of it bulk wine—came into the U.S. in 2022, compared to 51 million gallons in 2020.You will most-often encounter vague designations in supermarket wines and discount wine stores. Many supermarkets sell wines under their “exclusive” labels. What that really means is the supermarket buys “shiners”—wine bottles without labels—and puts their “exclusive” label on the bottle. Two supermarkets can sell exclusive wines that came from exactly the same maker off the same bottling line. The only difference is the label.This is not a scam. If you like the wine, great. Enjoy away. Makers of shiners can make very acceptable wine. The wine may be a commodity wine made in huge amounts to a certain flavor profile concocted from bulk wine, but millions of people enjoy those wines. You can, too, with no shame.But if you always wanted to try the genuine article of your vino dreams, carefully examine the label. If a deal is too good to be true, it usually is not.Last roundThe CEO of IKEA has just been elected prime minister of Sweden. Currently, he is assembling his cabinet. Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite:  gusclemensonwine.comFacebook:  facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensLong form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on Vocal This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe