The New England Patriots got the nod this year to play opening week's Monday Night football - as it happened, not just on a gorgeous night in Mass., but with the re-introduction of Tom Brady to the line-up. (Yeah, we've lost a few of our key defenders; but we still have Belichik. And we still have one of the top QBs in the league, even if he is a little banged up and not my personal favorite beyond the playing field.)
What's a girl to do on such a momentous night? Make pizza. From scratch. And enjoy exceptional wine(s) - during the preparation process and throughout the meal! What better excuse do you need to open two of the most highly sought and difficult to find wines in our market: Spencer Roloson Grenache Blanc and Grenache Noir? (Note, the former was enjoyed throughout the preparation process and the latter for the meal and game time festivities!)
Last Spring my "buddies" Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher wrote about the Grenache phenomenon in the US. I was thrilled by their musings. Yet, the only two Grenaches I've really been completely thrilled with coming out of the California winemaking community are both executed by Spencer Roloson. And they are hard to get your hands on!
Their Grenache Blanc is, quite simply, a rare treat. It is robust, lush, fleshy/fruity (think quince, citrus and pears) - almost perfect for Chardonnay drinkers looking for something different or unique, but more for the nerd drinker in each of us because of its incredible layers and unsuspecting earthiness. It's one of those wines every person I've ever introduced it to has enjoyed, no matter their usual wine drinking habits. It is a true, special and quasi-celebratory wine because it is so difficult to find and oh-so-satisfying on so many levels.
Their Grenache Noir is also a wine of true grace and panache... that's also a "teeth sinker". It is freaking delicious (a technical term...), offering concentrated red berry fruit with some herbs and a sprinkling of burnt orange peel. It finishes bittersweet, like the chocolate. YUM. This wine was a really nice, luscious pairing with our pizza topped with rosemary roast chicken, fresh pineapple, buffalo mozzarella, black pepper and basil. I wish it was 24 hours ago now, as I write this post....
Suffice to say, we're now officially in Football Season. I like a good beer with my ball. But a great wine - or two - is far more memorable. Cheers to Sundays!
What's your go-to Football wine?
As much as we may hate to admit it, the smell of autumn is in the air. September offers a great opportunity to embrace wines of all shapes and sizes, regardless of a specific need to celebrate. Sometimes simply unwinding at the end of a long day is the way to go. This month we offer some bubbly for just such an occasion, as well as a cool white that could fly under the radar screen if not given proper attention and a dynamic duo of opposing, but equally enticing reds. School may be back in session, but September is absolutely not a month for “Time Out” in the wine world!
Pop on over to 
September bridges summer and fall. I'm a personal fan of the former and never too excited about the latter because that just means cold weather is on its way. Fortunately in the wine trade, there is a silver lining: fall wine tasting events abound! Here's a list of what's on tap in/around Boston in the coming weeks:
Sept 17 (6pm - 8pm)
Westport Rivers Winery
I'm told I speak a special language with wine customers: Human. I think this is one of the greatest complements I can be paid. For some folks in the trade Human requires a bit of "study". But for my compadre Luke Wohlers of Lower Falls Wine, Co., it comes naturally. This is a guy who is Top Dog in the trade and someone I'm lucky to know.
This Labor Day treat yourself! Pop on over to 
A big fan of boutique wine shops, where lesser-known wines are given a fair shot and exceptional customer services are the name of the game, I'm not sure how I feel about chain stores getting press in major wine pubs. Don't they do ok on their own? No less, 
Ok, ok. It's "old" news, technically speaking. But how often have you actually come across a glass wine closure? I think I've seen about a half a dozen over the last year - and I know I've seen close to 1,000 wine bottles uncorked. That's a pretty small percentage!
Yesterday one of these half dozen wine bottles/closures came across the tasting table. And so we got to talking about it. Did you know 
Perhaps you’ve encountered a white wine that comes in a 1 liter bottle inside the cooler at your local fine wines shop this summer. There are a handful of them on the market this year. But it’s not necessarily something you see every day. Some of these wines are 100% Gruner Veltliner, Austria’s flagship white and a fast favorite here in the states; some others may be a little known white blend called “Edelzwicker.”
Eldelzwicker can be hit or miss, like any wine, but the stuff making it across the Atlantic and onto our shores so far has proven very worthy of our attention. Pop on over to 
Those of us in the wine industry know August is a sleeper month. Sales always drop as folks head out of town for some rest before school starts again. This calm-before-the-storm is a relief to many of us because we're about to embark on Trade Tasting Season, which starts in just a couple of weeks - and is, quite frankly, insane.
Further evidence of this quiet month is just how little truly newsworthy wine "news" is out there these days. No less, Decanter comes through for us once again this week! Here are three articles that rose to the top for me:
After a summer respite of sorts, this Monday we find ourselves concluding the Pour Favor series on eco-friendly wines with a discussion on Biodynamics. It’s the topic that “mindbottles” people the most. But I happen to find it the most fascinating – and so have saved the best for last!
Head on over to