Wine

Wine

I'm having trouble talking about it. Everything's still burning. I did go down to work yesterday because the insurance broker needed photos. I watched a few of our customers walking around the premises and you can tell the effect that it's having on them. They're not really customers any more, they've become friends. I know what they're going through is hard and I can't help.

the company behind a new wine shop in downtown DC, Berry Bros. & Rudd, launched in London way back in 1698. The company's Jamie Ritchie gives us a peek at some of the rarest-and priciest-offerings at its first US store. Château Lafite Rothschild 1961 Imperial (6L), $100,000 "Large formats of this age are incredibly rare. This one was bought by Berry Bros. & Rudd on release and has been in our care ever since. We still have the original ledgers that itemize the purchase."

Dubai: The world's most expensive glass of champagne Luxury excess finds its natural home in Dubai, which tops Blacklane's Champagne Index as the most expensive city in the world for a glass of champagne, averaging $49 per 125ml pour - 21 per cent higher than in New York. The survey's most extravagant single pour was recorded at the Waldorf Astoria Dubai, where a glass of Veuve Clicquot costs $64.

Starbucks' Reserve Roasteries sell whiskey barrel-aged cold brew, some beer is aged in bourbon barrels, and wine is an obvious beneficiary of this method too. Though the practice of aging wine in bourbon barrels is contested by some consumers - naysayers say the process diminishes the flavors that come from thoughtfully growing and sourcing the grapes, thus undermining the farmers - others are staunch fans of the finished product.

According to Mike Zolnikov, who tends a couple of acres of Pinot Noir and an acre of Chardonnay on a flat, slightly soggy patch of the central Willamette Valley, in Oregon, it had been a once-in-a-decade growing season. "Not too hot, not too wet," he recalled, wistfully. "It would have been a really great year." A few hundred miles south, in California's Napa Valley, the winemaker Ashley Egelhoff, of Honig Vineyard and Winery, was feeling similarly about her Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc.

By age 10, the Mill Valley native had lived in Saudi Arabia, skied the Swiss Alps and traveled through Kenya, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Spain. At the time, his father was an engineer who had been temporarily transferred overseas, bringing the family along for a two-year adventure. In Saudi Arabia, his mother taught fourth grade, navigating laws that barred her from driving or riding a bicycle, while Cobb and his brother sailed and snorkeled to escape the sweltering heat.

Natural wine is no longer just a niche obsession among sommeliers in gentrified neighborhoods and funk-loving nerds; it's a major category that has evolved into a highly giftable, drinkable universe. There are the artistically labeled pét-nats for festive toasts, elegant skin-contact bottles that look good on any tablescape, and endlessly sippable, chillable reds that feel tailor-made for long December nights.

Longtime Berkeley-based wine importer and retailer Kermit Lynch, one of the keystones of the Berkeley food world for five decades, has just expanded with its second-ever retail location, in Larkspur. It's big news for wine lovers in and around Larkspur that Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant will open a new location at the Marin County Mart tomorrow, Tuesday, December 9, just in time for holiday imbibing.

The new space brings nearly 50 years of wine-world expertise in a design-friendly corner of SoHo. Instead of feeling like a techy showroom or your grandad's dank cellar, the shop is built to look like a warm, modern home-with terracotta arches, natural wood and soft lighting. There's also a consultation nook where staff can walk through everything from picking out perfect wine glasses to selecting a bottle for a party that won't embarrass you in front of your oenophile friends.

Jaime Rojas was 44 the first time he tasted wine made from grapes he grew himself. The wine - a Pinot Noir 2016 - came from Bravo Toro, the small vineyard at his home in Santa Rosa. Nearly 30 years had passed since he first stepped into Napa Valley vineyards as a teenager, pruning and grafting for wineries that would bottle the fruit he helped grow - wines he never had the chance to enjoy.

Jaime Rojas was 44 the first time he tasted wine made from grapes he grew himself. The wine a Pinot Noir 2016 came from Bravo Toro, the small vineyard at his home in Santa Rosa. Nearly 30 years had passed since he first stepped into Napa Valley vineyards as a teenager, pruning and grafting for wineries that would bottle the fruit he helped grow wines he never had the chance to enjoy.

But for most of us, we're just trying to enjoy wine and have it on hand, and we're forever looking for ways to keep it organized within the tight space of our kitchens, dining rooms, or home bars. It would be especially appreciated if we could do so in a way that's aesthetically pleasing, but is that too much to ask?

They say wine gets better with age, but if it's not stored properly, you might wind up drinking something equivalent to vinegar. One way to ensure that your wine always stays fine is with a wine refrigerator. Sometimes called a wine cooler (not to be confused with any '80s teenagers drink of choice), these fridges come in a range of sizes, block out harmful UV rays, and provide the perfect climate for storing wines you don't plan to consume immediately.

Wine tasting never felt so cozy. The charm of apres-ski takes a decadent twist at Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor in a decked-out winter greenhouse overlooking the winery's lake. Thanks to a partnership with Pendleton, cozy blankets and pillows aboundthere's even a dog bed for folks who want to bring along their pooches. The tasting flight highlights include French onion soup paired with chardonnay, tableside raclette (atop potatoes, wild mushrooms, and more) paired with pinot noir,

Whether you're working with a specific budget, taste, or food pairing, there are some factors to consider. Even if you've narrowed it down to red wine, there are endless options available on the market. Plus, if you're hosting, chances are you want your guests to enjoy the experience and to be impressed with the selection you've put together. There's no need to be an expert on the matter thanks to this trusty guide.

Made in Italy, Asolo Prosecco features the DOCG classification, which stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, meaning controlled and guaranteed designation of origin. This is the highest classification for Italian wines, and means that the product has undergone incredibly strict quality control and testing regulations. When you see this acronym on a bottle of Italian wine, you know that the origin and varietal of grapes as well as the aging period have been carefully vetted.

Just an hour west of St. Louis, set along some of Missouri's most gorgeous scenery, is the tiny town of Augusta. The population hovers around 300 people, and it's still a hidden gem for most people not from the Show-Me State. However, this slow-paced small town is also home to one of the richest wine-making traditions in the U.S.-so much so that it actually earned the title of the first American Viticulture Area (an official wine-growing region) back in 1980.

These bottles are generally crowd-pleasers, and they pair well with a wide range of foods. And if you want more certainty that they're esteemed wines, they've also won one or several medals at wine competitions. Although countless delicious wines haven't received awards (that entails actually entering a competition), you can be certain that these bottles have received a seal of approval from plenty of wine professionals ... so your guests should be satisfied!

Every November, one of the UK's leading Italian wine importers, Liberty Wines, hosts a tasting of new-season Tuscan olive oils (and corresponding wines) over lunch at London's River Café - an event attended by the producers and a roll-call of well-known chefs (guests at this year's lunch included Jamie Oliver, Henry Harris, Tomos Parry and the River Café's own Ruth Rogers). The oils are, genuinely, straight off the presses and there's a vitality, a vibrancy to them that I find absolutely thrilling.

In the tasting room of a Bordeaux winery, a photo on the wall shows a pastoral tableau: three generations of the Dubois family, sipping wine on the patio of their Les Bertrands château, with their Australian shepherd, Namek, perched at their feet. Out the window, chestnut trees sway in the breeze, with sunlit vines stretching for acres beyond. It's this mesmerizing serenity that draws millions of tourists to southwest France every year

Domaine Carneros (NV) Cuvee de la Pompadour Brut Rose, Carneros ($47) Named in honor of Madame de la Pompadour the paramour of French King Louis XV this pale pink sparkler from Domaine Carneros is perfect for pre- (or post-) feast sipping. Comprising 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, this traditional-method sparkling wine yields aromas of orange blossom, strawberry and a hint of dried rose petals, followed by watermelon and a generous, creamy mousse on the palate. Available at Bottle Barn and other local retailers, domainecarneros.com.

I am passionate about establishing the Paso Robles region as the new benchmark for Bordeaux varietals in the U.S. market and beyond, showcasing our wines on the world stage, The significant, almost earth-shattering, results this region has achieved over the past decade are why I am thrilled to join the Paso Robles CAB Collective - to continue driving its growth and ensure the region builds an even stronger foundation for the future.