Tonight
A glass, and the vines behind it.
Scan the bottle in your hand, or tell us what’s for dinner.
Today at the table
Thai, Sichuan, or other chili-lime heat
Capsaicin punishes alcohol and oak. Residual sugar and acid are the tools.
- Off-dry Riesling (Kabinett, Spätlese) — Sugar cools heat; acid stays bright.
- Off-dry Chenin or Gewürztraminer — Aromatic lift for lemongrass and coconut.
Places
Plan a tasting trip.
Tasting rooms, when to book, and a route that fits in two days.
United States
Napa Valley
Cabernet country with a tasting-room industry. Book the serious rooms. Spit. Hire a driver.
8 rooms · 1 day, with a driver
Argentina
Mendoza
Malbec under snow peaks. Luján de Cuyo for the classic; Uco Valley if you want altitude and a longer drive.
6 rooms · 2 days
France
Bordeaux
Left Bank Cabernet, Right Bank Merlot, and tasting rooms that are not California. You write ahead. You do not drop in on Lafite.
8 rooms · 2 days
Grape · of the day
Muscat
MUS-kat
Grapes that smell like grapes
A family, not one grape. Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is the noble one: orange blossom, fresh grape, and styles from bone-dry Alsace to sparkling Asti to dessert Beaumes-de-Venise.
