• How Heavy is Your Red Wine? Plus: 25 Varieties Ranked

    “I’d like a light red wine” or “that Cabernet is way too heavy for me” might be overheard in any wine bar around the world, expressing red wine preferences. When it comes to learning red wine appreciation, what exactly does “wine weight” mean? One wine expert says that the easiest way to assess a wine’s…
  • The Art of Collecting and Storing Wines: Tips for Enthusiasts

    Gone are the days when those keen about wine had to store barriques (225 liter barrels) or tonneaux (900+ liter barrels) in a cellar or basement. We can all be thankful for the relative ease and convenience of buying wine in bottles. Wine collecting today, however, can still present its own issues and questions. Those…
  • Napa versus Bordeaux

    Even for those who know little about wine, the names “Bordeaux” and “Napa” evoke visions of the best appellations of France and California, respectively. More precisely, uttering “Bordeaux and Napa” will provoke a comparison of their red wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon, with Napa inevitably portrayed as emulating the famed style of famous Bordeaux chateaux,…
  • The best cheap red wine 2023

    Whatever your salary or situation, everyone loves finding a bargain, especially in today’s tough economic times where the price of everything seems to keep going up. Wine prices have risen significantly in the past two years, but there are still some hidden gems to be found – and tasted. Finding a good cheap red wine…
  • Wine and cheese pairings

    If you love cheese and enjoy entertaining, then keep reading as knowing how to pair wine with cheese will make your tastebuds rejoice, and have your guests returning for more. While there are general guidelines or principles to consider when matching wine with cheese, it’s important to remember that personal preferences also play a significant…
  • When does opened wine go bad?

    The general rule for the staying power of an opened bottle of wine, providing it is recorked and refrigerated, is it will taste almost as good as new up to two days after being opened. But some wine can last up to a week. A wine’s shelf life once opened varies depending on a number…
  • How to learn about wine

    Learning about wine is these days a fun, flexible and convenient experience. There are a range of wine classes available for all levels that can be done from the comfort of your living room through online wine classes, or in-person at events and tastings. And, the great thing about today’s wine education options is that…
  • English Sparkling Wine: Mark Oldman’s 10 Best

    To appreciate the zesty, minerally charms of English sparkling wine, you need not be an incurable anglophile. Climate change and an influx of winemaking talent into southern England has enabled the crafting of world-class sparkling wine, with the best versions even rivaling those of Champagne. Mark Oldman has toured the wineries of Southern England extensively…
  • Secrets of Chardonnay

    Mark Oldman
    If any wine embodies a “big,” almost Texan spirit, it is the richer style of California Chardonnay: big weight, big alcohol, and big hints of tropical fruit and oak. But lighter and less oaky styles exist, both in California and especially in its spiritual homeland, the Burgundy region of France.