Aperitif hour is a small glass of something light and zesty before dinner to wake up your appetite. Vermouth, Prosecco, and dry sherry are classic choices. What is in your glass before dinner? ๐ฝ๏ธ๐ฅ
Norway's Nikolai Haram Svorte, 29, just won ASI Best Sommelier of the World 2026 in Lisbon, beating out a field of 66. France's Pascaline Lepeltier placed second, Japan's Wataru Iwata third. ๐๐คฉ
Sonoma County's 2026 harvest was one of its earliest and lightest ever, down 35 to 40 percent from average. Growers say the quality is outstanding despite the small yield. Less wine, more concentration. ๐ท
Fried chicken and wine nights. Natural wine raves with 1,000+ people. Gen Z is not skipping wine, they are just rewriting the rules around it. ๐๐
Bordeaux 2026 is in the books, one of the earliest harvests on record after a hot, dry summer. Yields dipped but early reports point to a rich, powerful vintage, with some comparing it to 2022. ๐ท
Sotheby's just sold 90 years of Chรขteau Haut-Brion history in one auction, 1935 to 2009, for 3.4 million euros. A rare Jeroboam of the 1989 set a record at 62,500 euros. ๐คฉ๐
Just so you know: Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are the same grape wearing two different outfits. Italian style tends to be light and crisp. Alsace style tends to be richer and rounder. Same vine, different personality. ๐ฅ
Napa Valley just finished one of its earliest harvests on record, picking Chardonnay back on August 2. Yields are down 30 to 50 percent, but winemakers say quality is way up. Small crop, big flavor. ๐
The Old Vine Registry just launched a seal for certified old vineyards, with five tiers from 35 to 150 plus years. Eleven producers in seven countries are first to carry it. Finally a real answer to what old vine means. ๐ณ
Quick no-snob lesson: a wine's "body" is really just how heavy it feels in your mouth, light, medium, or full. Do you prefer light wines or bolder ones?
#WineTips# #NoSnobHere#
Saturday = experiment day. Have you ever paired wine with something totally "against the rules" (like red wine with fish)? Tell us the verdict.
#WineExperiment# #BreakTheRules#
True wine-lover question (or a very convincing act): can you actually tell the difference between a wine and its next vintage, or is it mostly suggestion?
#WineTalk# #VintageOrNot#