A big hand for Sean for coming up with some great pairings for wines and American dishes. However, I still can’t seem to come to terms with seeing the words ‘prawn’ and ‘po-boy’ in the same sentence. InterWined reckons that it’s time to offer its own advice for picking an excellent American wine.
Finding decent American […]

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Whether it be a bottle of champagne served in celebration or a simple glass of table wine poured to help end a miserably long day, InterWined.com believes in the power of wine to mark each and every occasion as unique. It’s just one of ways that we find life and wine intertwine.
So, when Joel of […]

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The white 2005 Parducci Sauvignon Blanc. Grassy and crassy, with a citrus nose. Simple and zippy. A fun, fun wine. Could be aged in oak for awhile, though, to soften those edges: 8.5 alone; 8.7 points as part of a mixed case.

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The 2005 Cline Cashmere (14.5%) from California is a tremendous and complex blend of Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache. A light, fresh berry nose with the colour of a Pinot Noir.

The wine itself is ripe and fresh, with a notable flavour of green olives. There is nice tannin and a smooth mouth feel…but there is maybe too much burn on the finish: 8.6 alone; 8.8 with discounted mixed case.

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Last Friday saw InterWined invited to four parties: a dinner at the Italian Embassy…a wine party for Covent Garden designers, Will and George…a gathering of amateur actors at a pub in Islington…and a Christmas Party for the Islington Conservatives.
InterWined.com is sorry to report it only was able to attend the latter, due to a […]

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Hey, did you know Parducci winery in Mendocino, California is the only carbon neutral winery in the United States?
That’s OK, neither do the guys at the wine shop in London that sells it. Apparently saving the environment means little, yet there is an entire section of the shop dedicated to the vineyards that save […]

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One of the best ways to purchase halfway decent wine without everyone else knowing how little you may know is to pick the right vintage.
Case in point, in the £5 to 10 range in England, California suffers. Maybe it’s because of the low dollar that we don’t get many decent California wines and it is […]

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InterWined.com’s ‘Friend in Houston’ remarked that an earlier post, which suggested drinking Sauvignon Blanc out of a straw, was a neat idea, but that the suggested wine, Beringer, was just not good enough…
True enough, of all grapes Sauvignon Blanc is going through the same overproduction phase as Pinot Grigio, in Italy, in the early 2000s. […]

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InterWined recently received a series of private messages from the United States asking for some wine-buying guidance.
In response, InterWined recommended some wines from a Houston wine retailer called Specs — mainly white wine such as Albariño from Spain and Riesling from the Mosel and Rhine in Germany. These wines are great served slightly chilled and very versatile with food.

Here’s a recommendation for those hot summer picnics:

Get a bottle of Beringer Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (or similar California Sauvignon Blanc), £7 at Tesco, and widely available in the US. Pour a glassful into a tall tumbler over ice and sip through a straw. California Sauvignon Blanc is often filled with melon and citrus, but does not have a very enjoyable aroma in this price range, so it’s best to ‘keep it real’. But don’t go adding strawberries or lime wedges…it’s not a cocktail.

Simply pour the California Sauvignon Blanc over ice and sip…simple, refreshing, enjoyable and relaxing.

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A standard California table wine, The Boulders Viognier 2004, goes for £5. Viognier is an ancient lady, common in the Rhone. Needs sun as it is prone to rot.

The Boulders isn’t very floral, as one would expect when the grape is grown in America or Australia. A probably a bit too heavy for such a heavy dish. But Interwined has a big belly, so here we go: Greasy and tart, some hints of orange zing, quick finish, but heavy in body. Perfect with fish and chips. By itself: 8.2.

German Riesling is the fall back guy for difficult food pairings. 2004 Mineralstein Riesling, from between the Mosel and Rhein rivers, around £7 from Marks and Spencer. The low alcohol, nice apricot aroma and peach-smartie type flavor really enhance the spice on Buffalo chicken wings (what spice is that, anyway?). The wine itself is a gem, dry and flinty, with a unbelievably long finish… If Cricket were a wine sport, Mineralstein would be it’s star.
Perfect wine Buffalo chicken wings: 8.6.

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