Girl Meets Grape

Top 10 Party Wines for Ten Bucks and Under

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:24:15 -0800

Hitting that ten-dollar sweet spot is never more important than during the holidays. You, fabulous host that you are, want to serve...

How the French Stay So Slim

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:24:57 -0800

Someone sent me a book awhile back about why French women don't get fat; as I was pregnant at the time, I wasn't quite sure how to interpret this gift. Regardless, it is true that French women (and men!) don't tend to be...

Death in a Vineyard: The Real Cost of Two-Buck Chuck

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:28:50 -0800

I have recommended quite a few Trader Joe's wines over the last few years, but never their infamous "Two-Buck Chuck" as this product is all about price and hype and, frankly, just isn't drinakable. ...

Say No to Socks!: 3 Fantastic Father's Day Gifts

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:08:18 -0800

We used to ask my dad every year what he wanted for Father's Day (or for his birthday or Christmas for that matter) and every year his response was the same: socks, pistachios, and blank VHS tapes. My dad is the kind of dad who's generous to a fault and never spends a dime on himself. So, now we ditch the socks and put a little more thought into our Father's Day gifts -- three great ideas appear below. ...

The 10 Spot at BevMo and the 5-Cent Sale

Mon, 19 May 2008 17:22:44 -0800

Fans of the Ten Spot (wines that cost less than ten bucks yet taste yummy), will love the popular five-cent sale at BevMo, the relatively new player on the retail wine scene that has become a huge market force in California and Arizona. ...

Does Expensive Wine Taste Better?

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:07:26 -0800

This is a question I frequently answer in a variety of ways that aren't as simple as "yes," though it is tempting to be that blunt.

Taste is a highly personal thing, yet many wine consumers suspect that expensive wines are a scam designed to part them from their money. Similarly, some wine drinkers feel embarrassed if they like an inexpensive wine because it surely can't be "good" if it's affordable. ...

Kosher Wines for Passover

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:53:23 -0800

American wine consumption and knowledge are increasing astronomically, and this translates to higher expectations. In both my professional and personal circles, I have noticed a huge rise in demand for Kosher wines that aren't just Kedem or Manischewitz -- the two products traditionally served at Jewish holidays. Both of these sweet wines are made in the Northeast from vitis lambrusca table grapes, rather than from fine wine vitis vinifera grapes. ...

Grape of the Day: Malbec

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:59:30 -0800

Readers of this blog and the Ten Spot series will already be familiar with malbec, Argentina's most widely-planted red wine grape. Malbecs from the Mendoza Valley and other areas in Argentina consistently deliver great value for the price. Malbec, like many grapes, was originally cultivated in France where it is still known as one of the traditional five grapes in red Bordeaux wines. ...

Wines for Easter & Spring

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:39:00 -0800

Ahhhh, spring. Whether it's the cherry blosssoms in DC, the mustard blooming up in Napa Valley, or my neighbor's peach trees here in the Santa Monica Mountains, spring is in the air. That also means that Easter has sneaked up on me yet again --seems awfully early this year. If you haven't hard-boiled two dozen eggs, purchased stale marshmallow chicks, or even thought about Sunday's menu yet, don't worry. ...

Fighting Alzheimer's with Cabernet Sauvignon?

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:04:35 -0800

I was interested to come across a Mount Sinai School of Medicine study recently that links cabernet consumption to...