The preferred grape for amateur vintners was one that wasn’t particularly popular with the professionals: alicante bouschet, described in one 1883 wine guide as lacking “elegance, force and delicacy.” It’s what’s known as a teinturier variety, meaning that, unlike most red grapes, its pulp as well as its skin are deeply colored, resulting in wines so dark that they’re almost black.

On Father’s Day, tempt Dad’s palate with a bottle of fine wine, whether he prefers rich reds, refreshing whites or crisp rosés. To honor fathers everywhere, many of our selections come from family estates where winemaking skills are handed down from generation to generation.

Increasingly, The Dozen is covering wines not just from around the world, but from around the country. Many of these wines are not in general distribution through wine stores, but they are available direct-to-consumer through online shipping – since Covid, an increasing channel of distribution.

One of the native grape varieties leading the Georgian wine export growth is Saperavi, the most-planted red grape in the country. A surge in overall interest for the category among US consumers has catalyzed a series of promotions and events in the focus market dedicated to the ancient grape variety, which accounts for 33% of the wine produced in Georgia as the country’s most prominent red grape variety.

Fourth generation wine producer, Meaghan Frank, does a deep dive into her family’s rich heritage of growing vinifera grapes and making wine in the Finger Lakes Region of New York – an often-overlooked gem in the crown of American viticulture.

An interview with Meaghan Frank, Vice President.

The word is delightful.

The Finger Lakes may be America’s best cool-climate wine region. Here are our picks for winery visits, restaurants, and places to stay.

Women have worked in the wine industry for generations in the Finger Lakes, but it’s only in the last 50 years that they’ve taken on leading roles in viniculture – working to battle a male-dominated hierarchy. But as they’ve made progress, challenges in fighting stereotypes remain for even the world’s best female winemakers.