Believe it or not, it’s that time of year…. again. A time to sit back and reflect, but also to look to the future. But speaking in wine terms, it’s the time of year to pick out that bottle (or bottles) of bubbly to ring in the New Year. As much as we love our champagne, vintage champagne no less, it’s not always the practical choice. Unless you plan on not drinking what so ever…

Rather than bringing a bottle of a nameless, never-tried bottle of Pinot Noir to your holiday parties, bring something the hosts will actually remember that it was you who brought it. Bring something that they’ll be thankful for the morning after two too many egg nogs or a night of putting up with the relatives in town for Hanukkah. Bring them Joe. Two pounds of coffee is the new bottle of wine. Don’t be an…

We know it’s not quite Thanksgiving yet, but our mouths are already watering with the thought of all that turkey and stuffing goodness. Alongside those thoughts are ones of what wines to pair with our cornucopia of delights. With all the different flavors and components on the table it may seem impossible to choose just one white and one red. But do you really want to get into the intricacies of pairing different wines with…

It’s been three years now since the movie Sideways popped into our lives. To some this may be long forgotten, but to us in the wine world we are still feeling the effects of that one special phrase that Miles uttered (actually screamed) “If anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am not drinking any fucking Merlot!” And that was that. This one little phrase pushed Merlot to the bottom of the wine totem pole and…

This post by DCist contributor Gayle S. Putrich No need to worry. Everything you have heard about dining at the Inn at Little Washington is still true. Yes, it is a long drive from our beloved District of Columbia. Yes, it is very expensive. And yes, it is worth the hour and a half (or more) in the car and every single damn penny. A friend and I spent what felt like a week getting…

By DCist contributor Amy Monroe How do you know what’s naughty or nice — in wine, that is? After much swirling and sipping, DCist offers up the following options for all the wine enthusiasts on your holiday gift list. Each selection is truly one of our taste-tested favorites. And if after trying anything listed below you disagree, don’t write. Just bring us the remainder of the unfinished bottle and we’ll happily toast you before we…

After teasing locals for months with a simple sign out front and a bare-bones Web site, de vinos — a wine shop at the strategically located intersection of 18th Street, U Street, and Florida Avenue NW in Adams Morgan — finally popped its cork last week with a very soft opening. How soft? “We really decided to open early because so many people were knocking on the door,” said Ernesto Martinez, a wine distributor from…

In recent years, Virginia has aggressively billed itself as an East Coast alternative to the wine country destinations of California and the Pacific Northwest. And unsurprisingly, Virginia wineries have sprung up like magazine articles apologizing for Kanye West’s self-confidence. But with very few exceptions, the wines coming out of the Old Dominion generally either cost far more than they should (Chrysalis Vineyards’ passable viognier runs a hefty $29 per bottle, while Alban Vineyards’ excellent Central…

Now that you’ve mastered making our braised lamb with eggplant cream and are ready to serve it at your upcoming Supreme Court nominee hearings party, it’s time to pick a wine to pair with the dish. Because our braised lamb is really just boeuf bourguignonne wearing agneau’s clothing, we suggest matching the dish with beef Burgundy’s classic partner, pinot noir. Not only does it make sense to pair your braised lamb with the very liquid…

By DCist Food and Wine Writer Michael Mugmon. Before putting fork to mouth, DCist considers a restaurant’s prospects by examining the quality of its wine list. If it’s evident that a restaurant owner cares deeply about the wines served with the food, then it’s likely the owner also cares deeply about the ingredients going into the kitchen and the dishes coming out of it. Too often in Washington, a restaurant’s wine list reveals the owner’s…