Dry or Sweet?

Every single wine starts with sugar. But by the time it’s ready to bottle, a wine can be anywhere from completely dry, without any measurable sugar, to syrupy sweet. That decision rests with the winemaker.

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Shawn Bankston
Beyond the Label

Wine labeling is an unusual business. Because of differences in labeling laws, wine producers don’t have to put an ingredient label on the wine they make.

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Shawn Bankston
How to Pair White Wine with Food

White wine is famously food-friendly, but it can still feel overwhelming to select the ideal food pairing. There are a few simple rules to keep in mind to prevent any of the elements in the food and the wine from clashing with one another.

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Shawn Bankston
All About Rosé

For the last several years, rosé wine has been enjoying a major moment in the spotlight—with its playful pink hue and easygoing life-of-the party personality, it’s difficult to imagine a more crowd-pleasing style of wine. But what exactly is rosé wine, and how does it get its gorgeous pink color?

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Shawn Bankston
Tasting Terroir

Why does Pinot Noir from Austria taste different from Pinot Noir from the famous Burgundy, even though it’s the same grape variety? The answer is a word you’ve probably heard in the wine world—terroir.

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Shawn Bankston
From Vineyard to Bottle

Humans have been making wine for more than 9,000 years. Read more about how winemakers have learned to produce the beautiful kaleidoscope of flavors and textures present in Natural Wine.

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Shawn Bankston
Flowers in Wine?

Have you ever watched a winemaker swirl and sniff the contents of a glass and then confidently declare something like, “I detect a bouquet of bruised apples” or “I notice some wilted gardenia flowers”?

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Shawn Bankston