This Father’s Day, Wine for the Lion-Hearted
Posted on by Mark Oldman

Father’s Day might be the day you expect to be exchanging neckties, but no longer. These kingly wines are perfect for the paterfamilias in your life:

father's day wine

Amarone: You’ll free papa of his Viagra habit with Amarone (Ah-ma-ROW-nay), a powerful Italian red made from dried grapes. Its intense raisin-and-espresso flavor will put a macho swagger into anyone’s step. Try Masi, Zenato, Domini Veneti, and Santi.

Zinfandel: For grill meisters, this rich, peppery red has never met a rib it didn’t like; Look for the Ridge, Ravenswood, Rosenblum, or Rancho Zabaco. Unleash a Zinfandel from California’s Amador County for an especially high-alcohol, brawny version.

Coppola: From the man who brought us Apocalypse Now and The Godfather, we have equally arresting wines from Francis Coppola’s Rubicon Winery, such as the flagship Rubicon Estate, the RC Reserve Syrah, or the dependable and affordable Rosso Shiraz.

Pol Roger: There’s no better way to express your admiration for Dad than through the powerfully flavorful delights of Pol Roger Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, a Champagne named for this paragon of courage and determination.

Port: While other fathers finish dinner with a chocolate parfait, treat yours to a bottle of port, the powerful fortified wine that soothes the soul with the taste of sweet black fruits.  Track down Dow, Fonseca, Graham’s Quinta do Noval, or Taylor Fladgate.

Nine Ways to Seduce With Wine This Valentine’s Day
Posted on by Mark Oldman

Valentine’s Day may seem like a cliché day filled with flowers and chocolates. But you can impress your date beyond their wildest expectations with these wines. If you aim to make pulses race this Valentine’s Day, head straight for one of these choices:

valentine's day wine

1) Rosé (pink) Champagne: Its color blushes with excitement, its bubbles tickle the palate, and its price — high because of its scarcity — says that you care enough to pour the best. Try Veuve Clicquot, Billecart-Salmon, or Laurent-Perrier.

2) Sofia: For more casual bubbles, consider the Coppola 2004 Sofia Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine, about $20 on shelves.  Named for the famous director’s daughter, it is light, refreshing, and faintly redolent of pears and peaches.  With its Valentine’s Day -appropriate, girly-chic label and pink wrapping paper, it is the vinous equivalent of a hip bed-and-breakfast.

3) Red Burgundy: If chosen carefully, a bottle from the Burgundy village of Chambolle-Musginy (especially the perfectly-named “Les Amoureuses”) or Volnay can coat your tongue with more velvet than the walls of Mae West’s bedroom.

4) Château Calon-Ségur: Tailor-made for seduction, this red Bordeaux features a lover’s heart — fat and curvy like a child’s drawing — smack in the center of its label.

5) St. Amour or Fleurie: These well-named Beaujolais wines are also well-priced, at under $15 a bottle, and they are irresistibly light and fruity. Go for Duboeuf, Drouhin, or Jadot.

6) Shellfish with Rich White Wine: Whether it’s lobster with Meursault or crab-stuffed avocado with California Chardonnay, this creamy pairing has a long history of making people reach for the “Do Not Disturb” sign.

7) Prozac-co Smoothie: Mix Prosecco (the Italian bubbly, try the Zardetto), vodka, and lemon sorbet together in a blender, serve in a champagne flute, top with fresh mint. Valentine’s Day as never tastier!

8) Chaucer’s Choice: Gently simmer a light red wine with a small amount of honey, nutmeg, and cinnamon (based on the medieval spiced wine called hippocras).

9) Cleopatra’s Bliss: Drink a cold glass of late-harvest dessert wine in a hot bath of powdered milk.