Wine 1004

The globe’s best wines for $20 or less were recently crowned at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Drinkers who love a wine bargain will want to pay attention to the Decanter World Wine Awards “Value” category. Newly expanded this year to include 20 instead of 10 wines, the category honors incredible wines that are under $20 dollars. In other words, these wines offer elite, wine-snob-approved flavors at everyday prices.

Last week, when Decanter World Wine Awards debuted its results, I wrote about how Clos du Val, Yettalil wine was the only U.S. wine to earn a coveted Best in Show award. But with a list price of $200 it is outside many wine lovers’ price range. And even those who can afford more expensive wines — or those of us who can’t afford them but buy them anyhow — still appreciate a great value wine.

“The value component has always been important,” said DWWA co-chair Michael Hill Smith AM MW in a post announcing this year’s winners. “I think it’s been done better this year than perhaps any other because we make absolutely sure that we’re really selecting the top wines.”

To select the world’s Best Value wines, Decanter uses a method similar to that for Best In Show awards. Initially, all wines entered in the competition — this year more than 18,143 wines from 57 countries — are blind taste tested by a panel of expert judges. For Best In Show, all platinum medal award winners are tasted again, and for Best Value, all gold medal wines that cost less than 15 pounds or about $20 are retested. This year, 93 wines fit the bill, and from those, the following 20 wines were selected. They are listed below in no particular order. The winery name is listed first, followed by the wine’s name, then country of origin and region.

Blue Canyon, Estate Grown Chardonnay, United States, California

Spier, Signature Collection Albariño, South Africa, Stellenbosch

Vernice, Glam, Italy, Campania

Salzl Seewinkelhof, Grüner Veltliner, Austria, Burgenland

Gérard Bertrand, Héritage An940 Bio Viognier, France, Languedoc-Roussillon

Marks & Spencer, Classics no.2 Riesling, Germany, Pfalz

Cotnari, Busuioaca De Bohotin, Romania, Moldova

Angel’s Estate, Deneb Rose, Bulgaria, Southern Region – Thracian Lowland

Sarl Du Grand Bourry, Chevalier Delaude, France, Languedoc-Roussillon

Finca Sophenia, Altosur Malbec, Argentina, Mendoza

Bare Bones, Shiraz, Australia, Victoria

Bodega Doble, 5 Meses, Spain, Ribera del Duero

Barton & Guestier, Syrah-Grenache-Carignan, France, Languedoc-Roussillon

Cavit, Terrazze Della Luna Teroldego, Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol

Schieber, Trilógia Bikavér, Hungary, Dél-Pannónia

Vignobles Luc Schweitzer, Château Bourdieu, France, Bordeaux

Château Lamothe-Vincent, France, Bordeaux

Robert Oatley, Semaphore Series Shiraz, Australia, South Australia

Celler Masroig, Solà Fred, Spain, Montsant

Cascina Pian D’or, Bricco Riella, Italy, Piedmont

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Most of us think of wine pairings and automatically start picturing juicy steaks next to glistening glasses of red wine. Or, perhaps we’re conjuring up images of wine and cheese spreads on an hors-d’oeuvres table. However, sometimes you want something simple, comforting, and light but don’t want to forgo your favorite glass of wine. If that’s the case, a simple chicken soup can actually work pretty well with your alcohol.

Catherine Fallis, master sommelier and author of “Ten Grapes to Know: The Ten and Done Wine Guide,” spoke with Daily Meal and provided a few exclusive insights into how to bring this pairing to life. She explains that when it comes to the ideal wine, “a chilled, medium-bodied lightly or unoaked dry white wine, such as a Pinot Blanc, Albarino, or Chablis” are all good picks. These wines create a perfect balance that works against the temperature and taste of the soup.

Read more: Canned Soups You Should And Shouldn’t Buy

Catherine Fallis explains that the reason medium-bodied, dry white wines are such a good pick for chicken noodle soup is that they “both soothe and cleanse the palate while lifting the delicate flavors and textures of the hot soup.”

Each of these wines also has its own tasting notes that work well with your soup. For its part, Pinot Blanc has herbal notes that can work against the parsley, oregano, and other seasonings you’ll often find in chicken soup. If it’s Albarino you’re dealing with, this wine has salty and bitter notes. These can work well against the richer flavors of a creamy chicken soup and, as Fallis notes, help cleanse the palate. Chablis has similar mineral and salty notes to Albarino that can help enhance the vegetables and herbs in the soup.

And if you’re a fan of chicken noodle soup with pasta or matzoh in it, don’t worry about needing to mix up your wine pairings. Fallis says you can still drink the same wines with the soup as the noodles and matzoh “are both very mild in flavor or texture.”

Read the original article on The Daily Meal.

SUMMERTIME, with all of its dappled delights, is in full flower. We can see that in the powerful sunlight and the lovely later nights, for starters, as well as the variety of produce on the market shelves. Another sign of the dazzle-iest season may be found in the sorts of festivals that are on the sunny-spirited slate. One of those happenings, the California Wine Festival, isn’t a one-time-only kind of thing; the gathering, which spotlights a host of sublime vintages from around our state’s fantastic wine countries, has a tradition of passing through some of California’s most picturesque coastal communities over the course of several months. Spring has its festival, and fall, too, but summertime, it will not surprise you, gets two vino-taculars. And they’re nearly back-to-back, with Carlsbad up over the last weekend of June 2024 and Santa Barbara three weeks later on July 18 and 19.

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THE BEACHSIDE WINE FESTIVAL… is a major draw — that’s the Saturday event — while a Sunset Reserve & Rare Tasting is the sippable centerpiece on Friday evening. You’ll want to peruse either Carlsbad or Santa Barbara to find out which wineries and eateries will be stopping by, but the lists, for both locations, are lengthy. The California Wine Festival in Carlsbad will include Polemonium Wines, Hawk and Horse Vineyards, Mendocino Farms, and Inferno Woodfired Kitchen, as well as several other great choices; complimentary nibbles, like cheeses and such, are part of your ticket as well. If you’d like to attend both the Carlsbad and Santa Barbara dates, note that they are separately ticketed. And if you can’t make either? Look to November, when the California Wine Festival visits Huntington Beach. More information about the long-running festival, including the festival beneficiaries, is located on the site.

Nearly two years after detailing plans for a location in Huntersville’s Birkdale Village, Foxcroft Wine Co. is finally closing in on its debut there.

The restaurant and retail shop is set to open June 26 at 16915 Birkdale Commons Parkway, according to Foxcroft’s website.

ALSO READ: East Charlotte bar fined for ‘inappropriate sexual behavior’

It’s in a 4,000-square-foot space next to Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar. Its patio overlooks the main lawn and event stage in Birkdale Village.

In addition to an expansive wine list — it boasts 40 wines available by the glass and a representation of more 400 grape varieties by the bottle — Foxcroft dishes up a menu of small plates, salads, and entrees.

Read more here.

VIDEO: East Charlotte bar fined for ‘inappropriate sexual behavior’

Ask most wine aficionados about wines from France or Italy, and they’ll wax poetic about the differences between the two. Ask about Japanese wine, and you’ll likely get a blank look, or even, “Do you mean sake?”

Japan has taken on many Western drinking traditions. Beer is Japan’s go-to drink; Japanese bartenders craft cocktails with the precision of tea ceremonies. The best Japanese whiskys are now nearly as renowned as its Scottish inspiration. Wine, however, has yet to catch on.

Wine makes up just 4% of Japan’s alcoholic beverage sector — a tiny margin compared to 16% in the United States. Most wine consumed in Japan is imported, and of the wine produced in Japan, 80% is made from imported grape concentrate. In Japan, these wines are labeled “domestic wines;” only wines made with Japanese grapes are classified as “Japanese wine.” Authentic Japanese wines only make up 4.8% of the Japanese market, and they’re virtually impossible to find outside of Japan. But, thanks to a new generation of Japanese experts and winemakers, that’s starting to change.

Read more: 13 Liquors Your Home Bar Should Have

The history of Japanese wine is murky. Some sources claim that Japanese wine only dates back 150 years — but the full history of Japanese wine goes back much further.

While the first private, western-style winery didn’t open until 1877, the Japanese have been fermenting grapes for centuries. According to legend, the history of Japanese grape cultivation begins with an eighth-century monk named Gyoki. One night, the Buddha of medicine came to Gyoki in a dream holding a bunch of grapes in one hand and a bottle of medicine in the other. The dream inspired Gyoki to found the Daizenji temple in Koshu Valley, where he grew grapes and other plants for medicinal purposes. Soon, farmers were growing grapes throughout the Valley. Damaged grapes were fermented into wine, often heavily sweetened to mask the taste of the low-quality fruit. In Japan, this wine is called budoshu, or grape alcohol. Some Japanese wine drinkers consider it distinct from Western wine, but the similarities are undeniable.

Traditionally, budoshu played a smaller role in Japanese culture than shochu or sake. The people who drank it were often grape farmers, who would make the drink to serve on special occasions like weddings or funerals. In the early 20th century, the government cracked down on home brewing. But farmers still fermented the drink in secret, hiding the crocks from authorities. Now, though, Koshu Valley grape farmers make budoshu under a special license — continuing an age-old tradition.

The Japanese first encountered European wines when Portuguese missionaries introduced the drink in the 16th century. Nobles began drinking imported Portuguese wines, and some even tried to make their own. However, when Japan shut itself off to foreign influence, European practices — like drinking wine — went underground or disappeared entirely.

Almost 300 years later, Japan reopened. The country quickly started to adopt Western culture and had its first European-style winery by 1877. The winery sent researchers to Europe to study winemaking, but the endeavor was literally — and figuratively — fruitless. Western grape varieties failed, and early Japanese winemakers had a flawed understanding of the process. They approached winemaking like making sake, focusing on technique and technology instead of the grape quality. But sake isn’t like wine, and the wine they produced wasn’t very good. The Japanese public showed little interest, but the wine industry continued to grow. Suntory, the famed Japanese beverage brand, launched a heavily-sweetened wine as its first product in 1907. In the 1920s, a man named Zenbei Kawakami set out to develop a wine grape that could survive Japan’s climate. His efforts produced Muscat Bailey A grapes, now one of Japan’s most popular grapes.

The industry continued to grow after World War II. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics brought a cosmopolitan crowd to the country — and a fresh interest in wine. Popularity boomed in the 80s, and wine developed a reputation as a status symbol. By the ’90s, Japanese winemakers were gaining recognition.

Perhaps the biggest barrier to Japan’s burgeoning wine industry is the country’s climate. Despite Japan’s long history of cultivating grapes, the weather is too cold and damp for most popular varieties of wine grapes. Koshu grapes, the variety traditionally grown in the Koshu Valley, are well adapted to Japan’s climate. However, the celebrated pink-skinned grapes aren’t considered true wine grapes. Wine made from Koshu grapes can be bitter and acidic; traditionally, Japanese winemakers added sugar to compensate.

Some modern Japanese wineries have been able to make the grapes work, though. The most successful Koshu wines eliminate the traditional added sugar. Without sugar, Koshu wine is very dry with a low alcohol content. It has a clean, crisp, and refreshing taste, often with a strong mineral note. Japanese winemakers also use Muscat Bailey A grapes, which are more in line with traditional wine grapes.

Researchers are still trying to develop wine grapes that thrive in Japan’s climate. Japanese farmers now grow varieties of Chardonnay, Riesling, and Merlot grapes; grapes from Alpine regions of Europe show promise in the country’s chilly, mountainous Hokkaido region. But some aficionados think that Japan’s best wines are the ones made from local grape varieties. Instead of poor imitations of European wines made from subpar grapes, these wines are special in their own right, something different and unique. Winemakers just have to learn to adapt, using techniques like removing bitter skins.

Climate aside, Japanese wines have another hurdle to overcome: the Japanese public. Not only is wine relatively unpopular in Japan, but Japanese wines specifically struggle to find a fanbase. When Japanese people drink wine, they typically favor bottles from Europe. Chilean wines are popular, too, thanks to trade agreements with Japan.

However, Japanese wine — and wine in general — is slowly catching on. Younger generations, who approach with curiosity, are more willing to try local wines. And there’s clear potential for wine to make its mark on Japanese culture: the Japanese public does have an apparent interest in the drink. In the early 2000s, “The Drops of God”, an ode to wine in manga form, became a bestseller; the series helped readers develop a more complex understanding of wine. Japan boasts more sommeliers than any other country, too. The majority of wine sold in Japan is served at restaurants, where sommeliers help diners pair wine with their food. It mirrors the Japanese practice of Omakase, where the chef picks your food for you.

Today, there are over 200 wineries in Japan. Koshu Valley, which has long been the center of Japan’s grape production, is making a name for itself as an underrated wine region, and many vineyards offer tours. If you’re planning a visit to Japan, consider adding one to your itinerary. It’s a fun way to support Japan’s burgeoning wine industry — and a rare chance to taste something unlike any other wine in the world.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.

At last weekend’s North Coast Wine & Food Challenge in Santa Rosa, Allison Weakley of Burlingame plotted her path with a map of the 102 wineries pouring. She was determined to try a range of wines in the double digits.

The wines poured at the festival earned a gold medal or higher in The Press Democrat’s North Coast Wine Challenge in April.

For Weakley, and those like-minded, vetted wines with impressive scores are a big draw. They give curious palates a good place to start their tasting quest.

Weakley said she was taking notes on the most impressive wines at the festival so she could come back to the North Bay, visit their tasting rooms and potentially become a wine club member at some of those wineries. Her strategy is spot on.

In addition to the North Coast Wine Challenge, The Press Democrat also has weekly blind tastings and these wines can earn up to five stars.

While there are quite a few factors that come into play in these weekly tastings, balance and complexity are key. These two factors are typically the most influential in choosing which wines rise to the top.

Balance is the rounding out of these elements: sweetness, alcohol, acid, and tannin. Many are familiar with alcohol levels and sweetness in wine, but they may not know as much about acid and tannin.

Here’s a quick explanation: A wine with high acid tastes crisp and even a little tart. A wine that’s “tannic” can taste markedly astringent. Balance keeps all these elements in check, so no one element dominates, and the wine’s aromas and flavors are well integrated.

Complexity, on the other hand, is what gives a wine its intrigue because with each sip, you discover another flavor. When a wine has layered flavors, it’s considered complex.

What follows are 10 wines that have been vetted in recent Press Democrat blind tastings. These impressive wines, snagging 3.5 stars and up, won’t disappoint curious palates.

St. Supery, 2023 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc, 13.5%, $28, 4.5 stars. Refreshing with crisp acidity, this Sauvignon Blanc has notes of grapefruit, lime and a hint of jalapeño. It’s striking.

Cormorant Cellars, 2021 Zabala Vineyard, Arroyo Secco, Monterey County Chardonnay, 13.4%, $27, 4.5 stars. Aromas of melon and citrus follow through to the palate. Buoyed by crisp acidity, this Chardonnay has pitch perfect balance. It’s striking and delivers for the price.

Valette, 2022 Sonoma Coast Rosé of Pinot Noir, 13.5%, $37, 4.5 stars. Aromas of strawberry, cherry and crème brûlée follow through to the palate. Pitch perfect balance. Nice length. Well crafted.

Roederer Estate, NV Anderson Valley Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine, 12.5%, $39, 4.5 stars. Aromas and flavors of watermelon and strawberry follow through to the palate. Flavors of citrus and brioche are also in the mix. Nice mousse.

Coil, 2022 Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, 14.3%, $45, 4 stars. A complex Chardonnay with layered notes of honey, pear and hazelnut. Well crafted.

Pedroncelli, 2021 Sonoma Classico, Dry Creek Valley Red Blend, 14.4%, $22, 4 stars. Aromas of black raspberry, black cherry and cracked black pepper follow through to the palate. Lovely.

Honig, 2023 Napa/Lake Sauvignon Blanc, 13.5%, $24, 4 stars. A tasty Sauvignon Blanc with notes of grapefruit, pear and jasmine. Citrusy finish. Top rate.

Graziano Family of Wines, 2020 Mendocino County Petite Sirah, 15%, $23, 3.5 stars. An edgy Petite Sirah with concentrated notes of blackberry, red plum and toast. Feisty.

Wither Hills, 2023 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, 13%, $15, 3.5 stars. An edgy Sauvignon Blanc with great minerality. Very aromatic with notes of grapefruit, lime and a hint of peach.

Splurge-worthy: Shafer, 2021 TD-9 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 15.3%, $75, 4 stars. A supple Cabernet with aromas and flavors of black currant, thyme and cocoa. Great bones — structure. Pretty.

You can reach wine writer Peg Melnik at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pegmelnik.

When shopping for alcohol at Costco, most people’s eyes are usually peeled for deals on things like single malt scotch or Japanese whisky. So, when you unexpectedly spot a coveted wine with a $40k price tag, you’re going to have some questions — the first being how it might pair with your food court hot dog or $5 rotisserie chicken. That’s exactly what happened when shoppers came across a six pack of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2009 Collection at a Costco location in San Francisco listed for $39,999.99 in 2022, and again in 2024 for a pack of four bottles of the 2014 vintage.

Hailing from Burgundy, the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 2014 Collection has the distinguished classification of Burgundy Grand Cru. These are known for being the most expensive wines sold at auctions, with an average price tag of $20k per bottle — which makes Costco’s listing quite the steal. Popular for its intricate flavors, the Romanée-Conti label dates back to 1232. Located in the center of Burgundy, the vineyard’s soil is packed with limestone and clay, which give all of its wines a distinctive terroir that only grows more and more elegant with time. While perhaps better served with a sirloin or an epoisses cheese than anything you’ll find at the Costco food court, the better question here is not what to eat this wine with but how do wines of this caliber end up at Costco in the first place?

Read more: 13 Liquors Your Home Bar Should Have

With roughly $2 billion in wine sales annually, Costco is one of the largest wine retailers on the globe, so it’s no surprise that its team of wine buyers is composed of those considered to be some of the most influential on the globe, too. In turn, the wholesaler’s chief wine buyer — be it the current Annette Alvarez-Peters or her predecessor, David Andrew — are, by industry accounts, the most powerful in the business. But Costco’s overall approach to selling wine differs to that of other wine retailers in the US.

Rather than stocking up on thousands of different varieties, Costco’s wine team only stocks about 100 to 120 wines at a time. That selection rolls in and out, with a wide variety of origins and prices — but only because it has the connections to be able to do so. In addition to wines sourced from prestigious regions, Costco’s private label Kirkland brand has an outstanding reputation for selling great wines from noteworthy wine makers at unbeatable prices.

While the selection at Costco might be smaller than at a supermarket, every wine is chosen to deliver the consistent quality and value that customers expect. Most of what you find is based on locality and regional preference, but you never know when you’ll find something unexpected like the Romanée-Conti. The catch is, though, that things are always coming and going. So if you see something you like, you better get it while you can.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.

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Future concept, two friends having picnic in safety suits on polluted field

Summers are heating up. Currently, New Yorkers like me are hiding inside the confines of dark, air-conditioned rooms waiting for the invisible dome of trapped hot ocean air to deflate or release. Bees are searching for water. Plants are wilting. Even the chipmunks have taken a break from digging holes along the house foundation to hide in shady thicket. It’s during moments like this that a slew of wine articles suggest “beating the heat with…” insert wine of choice from bubbles, crisp whites, to rosé and chillable reds. The irony of drinking cold wine to combat a sweltering summer night is not lost on me.

Cold champagne bottle in ice bucket and two glasses of champagne on the deck by the swimming pool

Ancient vineyards unearthed by archaeologists prove Romans grew grapes in Britain during a warmer climate cycle. During the Little Ice Age from roughly 1300 to 1850, temperatures plummeted, turning England’s climate hostile to viticulture. Today, English wines shine anew, producers benefitting from human-induced climate change. While viticulture surges at new latitudes, many of the world’s longstanding vineyards face existential threat. Tools to manage and adapt exist but may not be enough to save the icons of fine wine.

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Climate change, considered long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, harms viticulture in several ways. In traditionally arid regions like California and Spain, and increasingly Washington State, Oregon, and even Bordeaux, fires burn through vineyards, threaten lives and structures, and leave nearby fruit, otherwise unaffected, tainted with smoke. Companies are working on technologies to remove smoky aromas and harsh mouthfeel from wine, like membrane filtration, but a one-stop affordable solution remains elusive.

cluster of green wine grapes hanging in vine tree branch of withered vineyard, in winter or autumn season, in Castile, Spain, Europe

Drought, a mix of reduced rainfall and annual snowpack, worsened by faster evaporation from higher temperatures, dries up rivers, lakes, and reservoirs used for irrigation and winery operations. When rain finally falls, it runs off cement-like soil instead of penetrating deep to root systems.

In prior summers, Europe’s rivers, from the Loire, Rhine, to Danube, have shrunk to alarming levels. The drought triggered a change in long-standing laws prohibiting irrigation. Recently, the appellations of Pessac-Léognan, Pomerol and Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux received permission to irrigate after heatwaves and low rainfall threatened vines with hydric stress.

Nantes city between the branches of the Loire river aerial view in Loire-Atlantique region in France

Heat waves, typically defined as dayslong temperatures above 95°F, halt grape development as vines shutter to preserve water resources. Even abnormal heat takes a toll on wine quality. Warm conditions early in the season accelerate grape development. Faster ripening pushes up harvest dates from late summer or fall when weather is cooler, to the hottest part of the season, which causes potential alcohol to rise, acidity to fall, and flavors to diminish in complexity.

Of course, wine regions aren’t ready to give up. Researchers have made strides in water conservation. Improvements in soil moisture monitoring managed with computers and phone apps, coupled with improved irrigation techniques like drip and deficit, help wineries save resources by precision targeting water usage. Converting older suitable vineyards to dry farming can save water while increasing wine quality as yields falls while fruit flavors concentrate. A rootstock called “M,” developed in Italy for resistance to water and heat stress, has shown good results during this summer’s heat waves.

Aerial view of a solar farm in the countryside. Environment and green energy concept.

To manage intense, direct sunlight which burns grapes, Australians developed a chemical sunscreen to spray on clusters. Other techniques for shielding grapes, especially thinner-skinned varieties like Pinot Noir, include hanging shade cloth in smaller vineyards, and focusing on canopy management to ensure leaf cover for dappled light, in larger ones.

Scorching heat isn’t the only consequence of climate change. Many winemakers cite intense, unpredictable weather as their main concern. Supercharged rainstorms, especially around harvest, frost, and hail, especially in regions previously unaffected by these occurrences, catch growers off guard with little chance to protect fruit against damage. Increased humidity invites new pests and diseases into the vineyard.

Managing climate change with technology, adapting by planting more heat resilient grape varieties on new rootstocks, or moving vineyards further north and up mountains, offer solutions to deeper pocketed producers, in that order.

Farmer using smart farming technologies for higher efficiency in a vineyard

Smaller wineries can budget for smart phone apps warning of weather systems, or possibly hail nets or frost sprinklers, if such events become common enough to justify the expense.

Converting vineyards to heat- and drought-resistant varieties like Mourvèdre, or experimenting with hybrids, costs wineries in materials, labor, and time lost in harvest cycles. New world wineries with fewer rules on what they can grow, can switch grapes more readily, but wineries in Europe, beholden to appellation laws and reputations built over centuries, have less flexibility.

Buying and converting land to vineyards in cooler-climate latitudes and elevations, whether Champagne producers in England or Germans in Norway, requires significant financial resources and is a solution accessible to very few.

Unfortunately, several wine regions sit on the precipice of an identity crisis. Climate is a large piece of the terroir puzzle, and wines reliant on delicacy, freshness, even lower alcohol levels for typicity, like Riesling in Germany’s Mosel Valley and Pinot Noir from Burgundy, are challenged to maintain the historical profile that made them famous and valuable.

Burgundy is a historical region in east-central France. It’s famous for its Burgundy wines as well … [+] as pinot noirs and Chardonnay, Chablis and Beaujolais.

Is Burgundy still Burgundy if grapes ripen into 15% alcohol fruit bombs that taste more like California than France? Will distributors and customers remain loyal, or will Pinot Noir lovers in search of the holy grail of freshness and finesse pivot to wines from Canada, Tasmania, even Hokkaido, instead?

While some regions contend with a recalibration of typicity, others face existential threat. If fine wine viticulture is no longer possible in the hottest, driest regions of the world, some wineries may convert crops to table wine, table grapes, or abandon viticulture altogether, especially if governments hit a crisis point and force the prioritization of resources like water and labor for food production over wine.

Of course, worst case scenarios are just that. The wine industry is working hard to innovate and adapt. What does seem inevitable is that in one lifetime, cartographers will stay busy redrawing a shifting and shrinking map of the world’s fine wine regions.

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By Andrew Paul

Posted on Jun 18, 2024 3:19 PM EDT

Although wine dates back to the earliest human societies, actual samples from ancient cultures are rare to find. Thanks to a well-preserved tomb and a little luck, however, a team of archeologists and chemists from Spain’s University of Cordoba recently announced what they believe to be the oldest known wine ever discovered. At over 2,000-years-old, the vintage libation also contains a macabre additive—the skeletal remains of a Roman aristocrat.

Back in 2019, archeologists uncovered two glass funerary urns while excavating a six-person tomb from the first century CE near Carmona, Italy. Inside one of them, the cremated bones of a man named Senicio were immersed in a red-tinged liquid that researchers believed was wine.

[Related: Ancient, surprisingly well-preserved purple dye uncovered in Greece.]

Interring bones inside an urn with wine was a popular burial ritual among the Roman elite, but the custom was largely reserved for men due to societal prohibitions on women drinking alcohol. Just how rigidly women upheld this standard is likely up for debate, but when it came to a final resting place, Roman men were solely those receiving a boozy trip to the afterlife. Women—such as Hispana, who occupied the tomb’s other glass urn—were traditionally accompanied by jewels, perfumes, and fabrics like silk.

According to their paper published in Journal of Archeological Science Reports, the fact that any liquid remained inside the urn for over 2,000 years initially surprised researchers. But because the mausoleum remained fully intact and sealed for millennia, conditions barred the chance for evaporation, leaks, exposure to the elements, or even graverobbing. That said, it was possible the wine turned to vinegar long ago—if that were the case, the title of “oldest wine ever recovered” would still belong to a fourth century CE bottle currently stored in Germany’s Historical Museum of Pfalz.

With a taste test out of the question, the team conducted multiple analyses to determine traits like the liquid’s pH level and chemical composition. Researchers also focused on a set of compounds present in all wine known as polyphenols. Using a technique called high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, the team identified extremely low amounts of seven polyphenols also present in the surrounding region’s Montilla-Moriles, Jerez, and Sanlúcar wines.

Organic chemists noted that the lack of one polyphenol called syringic acid, as well as with the liquid’s mineral salt composition, indicate Senicio’s remains were soaked in white wine. While some degradation over time was inevitable, the team are still confident the wine is now officially the oldest ever found in its original liquid state. And if anything deserves a toast it’s a new archeological world record.

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Searching for a gift for the connoisseur in your life — whether they be grilling gurus, travelers, or coffee snobs — can be daunting. These experts know all of the ins and outs about super niche specialties and can be relatively intimidating, but perhaps the most intimidating of them all is the wine-o. Surely, you’re aware of how hard it is to find the best gifts for wine lovers when you, yourself, might not be the most knowledgeable on the subject. No worries, though. Our expert gift finders came up with a foolproof list that’ll impress everyone from the sommelier of the friend group to the person who’s always buying two-buck-chuck.

Our wine lovers’ gift guide includes everything from automatic bottle openers (a lifesaver), to tiered and rotating serving platters (complete with wine glass and bottle holders) to hilarious custom face cork stoppers (that are painstakingly designed to look just like your giftee — it’s wild).

Read on below for the best gifts for wine lovers. Everything is under $100, and some of our favorite finds are under $10. Cheers!

First thing first: If you’re looking for a wine gift you can give anybody from casual sippers to serious wine-o, this electric wine opener is it. It’s on sale for under $10 and makes opening a bottle so seamless.

Senior Editor Summer Cartwright owns this cheap gadget and says, “It’s so simple to use and makes wine nights easy, breezy, beautiful. Simply plop it on top of your bottle, press a button, and the cork is removed in seconds.”

Head’s up: If you’re gifting this, include a pack of AA batteries — it requires four of ’em and they’re not included.

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Electric Wine Opener

amazon.com

$9.96

This serving set is the perfect gift for wine lovers who also love to host. The set of three bamboo serving platters fit perfectly atop empty (or full) bottles of wine to create a gorgeous set-up that’ll wow guests and help spread out the space.

When your loved one uses these, they’ll be able to fit more munchies underneath the platters to expand their offerings. Also, for just $20 more, you can customize the platters with names or initials of whatever you’d like.

Wine Bottle Topper Serving Set

uncommongoods.com

$50.00

If your giftee enjoys a chilled glass of white, rosé, or orange wine (especially during the summertime), gift them this cooling wine cup designed to keep their favorite beverage as crisp as possible. The cups come in sets of two, each featuring a 360-degree comfort grip.

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Cooling Wine Freeze Cup

amazon.com

$19.99

You know those things you see that make you think, “Wow, humanity really is evolved?” This is one of them. The set of wine glasses is designed to aerate as you pour in your vino. No extra stuff is necessary. Just pour it in and watch as it aerates in a few seconds.

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Stemless Aerating Wine Glass

amazon.com

$50.00

Think about how hilarious it’d be to gift a wine stopper to your friend who looks exactly like them. This Etsy seller crafts personalized wine stoppers designed to look exactly like who you please — from your puppy to your best friend.

Personalized Wine Cork Stopper

Etsy

$38.40

If you’re racking your brain trying to think of the best gift for a wine lover you know but not well enough to know whether they’ll like something quirky, stick to the basics. You can never go wrong with a gorgeous set of new wine coupes. This foursome is stackable, making it a great gift for those who live in an apartment or are tight on space. A total win.

Party Coupes

fromourplace.com

$76.00

Think of this as a lazy Susan — but for happy hour. The rotating carousel fits a whole bottle in the center, six glass holders, plus space at the bottom for snacks.

Wine & Cheese Carousel

uncommongoods.com

$130.00

If you’re looking to gift the perfect pour, these things work wonders. They fit into wine bottles and act as spouts so that when you or your giftee starts pouring a cabernet out, it’ll land precisely where you’re aiming. A pack of 50 sells for under $10, so it’s a stellar gift box addition or stocking stuffer.

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50 Pieces Silver Wine Pourers

amazon.com

$7.99

Breaking news: We’ve found the cutest pair of earrings ever created and your giftee will love you so much if you gift these to them. The BaubleBar gems are a cute accessory that’ll spice up any outfit they wear.

Nothing to Wine About Earrings

baublebar.com

$48.00

We’ve all been there — you buy a fabulous bottle of white and want to drink it ASAP but have to wait a half-hour so it can chill in the fridge. Or, you bring it to a picnic, and by the time you set everything up outside, the bottle is no longer cold. Enter this iceless wine chiller. You freeze the thing and plop it into your wine when you’re ready to drink.

It works in just 15 minutes to chill the whole bottle, acts as an aerator thanks to its clever pouring spout, and functions as a stopper.

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4-in-1 Iceless Wine Chiller

amazon.com

$24.89

This isn’t the sexiest of wine gifts, BUT it will certainly be the most used. Help your giftee survive accidents on their clothes, couches, and everything in between with this best-selling stain remover. (While wine’s in the name, it also works magic on other hard-to-remove coffee, dye, and ink stains.)

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Red Wine Stain Remover

amazon.com

$19.99

If your giftee is a dapper dude who loves to look as such, gifting them these cuff links will be a hit. He’ll be able to wear it to the next happy hour to show off to the crew.

Wine and Bottle Cuff Links

nordstrom.com

$85.00

Does your giftee love to camp, or do you two bond over outdoor sips? This outdoor wine table would be a great present for them. It’s basically like a stake, so you can push it into grass or sand to make it stick. The table holds a bottle and two glasses and has a flat surface for snacks. Pretty stellar.

Outdoor Wine Table

uncommongoods.com

$62.00

Is your friend the pretentious type who thinks they know more about wine than actual sommeliers? Gift them this wine trivia game and get the whole friend group to play together to see who really reigns supreme. It includes questions about grapes, wine storage, tasting, cork culture, and so much more. Oh, and it’s meant to be paired with a lot of wine. Duh.

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Wine Wars: A Trivia Game for Wine Geeks and Wannabes

amazon.com

$24.84

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