Gus Clemens on Wine explores and explains the world of wine in simple, humorous, fun posts

Tannins are natural and essential to wine. They also are wine’s most misunderstood element. Even wine scientists admit they do not fully understand tannins. One expert called tannins a “chemical train wreck.” Let’s explore.What do we know? Tannins are natural organic and phenolic compounds found in almost all plants. They provide protection as a chemical deterrent against plant-eating animals and insects. Their bitter, astringent taste is unpalatable to herbivores. When consumed by insects and some herbivores, tannins interfere with digestion, negatively affecting growth and development.Wine toasting I created in AI to give you something to look atTannins are powerful antimicrobial agents, protecting plants against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. Tannins disrupt microbial cell walls and interfere with cellular processes. This is particularly important in bark and roots, where tannins are the first line of defense against soil-borne pathogens.Tannins are potent antioxidants. They are important when plants produce elevated levels of potentially harmful free radicals as a result of drought and other environmental challenges.Tannins efficiently absorb UV light, protecting against harmful solar radiation. Particularly important in sensitive plant tissues.While tannins deter harmful organisms, they have a role in attracting beneficial insects, particularly pollinators. They also are involved in the activation of nodulation genes that favor nitrogen fixation in plants that have symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.Tannins aid reproduction by helping seeds maintain dormancy by creating barriers to water uptake and germination. Located in the seed coat, tannins allow seeds to survive unfavorable conditions, then to germinate when conditions are favorable.Tannins are among the most abundant secondary metabolites produced by plants. The multi-faceted success of the tannin-production strategy is proof of its efficacy.But, enough of the general science, you are reading this to learn something about tannin in wine.More AI art I created to keep you interestedWine tannins primarily come from grape skins, seeds, and stems. Oak barrels also contribute, although oak tannins are different from grape tannins.Tannins provide the body and a framework—structure—that supports other elements in wine, such as acidity, alcohol, and fruit flavors. Tannins also provide color (anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid, are responsible for red and purple hues in wine), astringency (puckering sensation inside your cheeks), and texture.Texture or “mouthfeel” is the physical sensation in your mouth most often associated with wine tannins. Common texture descriptors include:• Silky, velvety, fine. Smooth, refined tannins feel soft on the palate.• Chalky, dusty. Tannins feel gritty or powdery.• Grippy, astringent. Pronounced tannins create a drying sensation, think over-brewed tea.• Granular. Tannins have coarse, rough texture.Tannins can be a key component in food pairing. They particularly interact with proteins and fats on a molecular level. Lipids in fatty foods bind to tannin molecules, reducing tannic astringency, activate salivary glands to help break down meat protein, and enhance both the wine fruit flavors and the savory meat flavors. That is why rich, tannic red wines are classic pairings with a juicy steak.On the other hand, winemakers can deliberately reduce tannins by limiting by the amount of skin contact—often none or very little in white wines, minimal in rosé—which allows the acidity and fruit to play center stage. Avoiding oak reduces tannins, but some whites are aged in oak to gain oak tannins, which mainly influences mouthfeel and texture rather than astringency. Oak-aged whites usually fall into the silky, velvety, rounder, creamier category. With enough oak, there can be subtle drying and fine-grain elements, which adds complexity, enhances food compatibility, and boosts aging potential. But winemakers walk a tight rope here. Too much oak flavors and oak tannins in white wines creates a lurid, blowsy cartoon wine.Tannins are a natural preservative. Tannins from tree bark are used to “tan” leather to preserve it. Tannins particularly serve the preservative role in red wine. Their critical function is as an antioxidant. Tannins serve as sacrificial molecules that bind with oxygen molecules before the oxygen can downgrade fruit flavor, mute colors, or create offensive odors and flavors. Tannins capture free radicals and oxidation, allowing other components to develop complexity and depth. The antioxidant capacity of tannins reduces the need for sulfur dioxide in wine and permits a more natural preservation strategy.Tannin evolution is a sophisticated process of molecular transformation. In the beginning, tannin molecules are small and can create bitter, harsh sensations—qualities of their defense properties. That’s why young tannic wines can be almost undrinkable. Over time, tannic molecules undergo polymerization where individual molecules link together to form complex chains that interact differently on your palate. Complex chain tannins taste softer and less astringent. Bottle aging is a real thing.Tannins also stabilize color, or subtly modify it. Young red wines get their color primarily through unstable free anthocyanins which would fade without tannins. During fermentation and early aging, anthocyanins bind with tannin molecules to form polymeric pigments, which tend to stabilize the color. As wine ages, however, there is a slow change to brick-red hues. Brick red hues often are a marker for quality, aged red wines.Tannins are a core element of the world’s great wines built for aging. But that comes at a cost. Such wines can be undrinkable in their youth, requiring years in oak and then in bottle to evolve into the pinnacle pours treasured by wine connoisseurs. That process adds costs. The winery most hold the wine for years before they can get return on their investment. The customer must do the same, which means a dedicated place like a temperature-controlled cellar before they can enjoy.Such patience is hard to find in today’s world of social media, cell phones, and on-demand streaming content. The large majority of wines are made to be enjoyed when you get home from the store. Even winemakers capable of making age-worthy wines now reduce tannins with techniques like holding back on lengthy maceration (time on skins, a major source of tannins), or employing strategies such as cold soaking, gentle cap management, micro-oxygenation, sur lie élevage, fermentation in concrete eggs and other methods. There is a possible trade-off: reducing the ageability of the wine.Red wines are wines with the most tannins and wines most-associated with aging—although there are white and sparkling wines that are aged—in those cases, acidity is the main preservative, not tannins.Here are some of the most tannic wines and the length of aging time for them to achieve their peaks:• Nebbiolo. Used to make Barolo and Barbaresco in northern Italy, nebbiolo wines—by DOCG regulations—must be aged a minimum of 38 months from November 1 of the harvest year. Top-tier Barolo Riserva must age a minimum of 18 months in barrel and cannot be released until January 1 of the sixth year after harvest. Barolo and Barbaresco easily can age 25 years before reaching their peak.• Cabernet Sauvignon. While winemakers make plenty of drink-now cabs, classic, age-worthy cabs from Bordeaux, Napa, and Coonawarra need 10-20 years to approach their best drinking stage.• Monastrell (aka Mourvèdre). When made in southern France’s Bandol, the wine needs 8-15 years to achieve its potential.• Sangiovese. Brunello di Montalcino and top-level Chianti need to age 10-20 years to taste their best.• Other wines that need 10-20 years include Gran Reserva Rioja, Ribera del Duero (made with Tempranillo), Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, some Australian Shiraz (made with Syrah/Shiraz).Many of us will never taste such wines. We don’t have the money, time, and patience. But if you do get the opportunity, you will experience extraordinary flavor complexity, sophisticated textures, and the emotional-intellectual pleasure of tasting what soil and human toil gave birth to decades in the past, thanks in large part to tannins.Tasting notes• Portlandia Pinot Noir Oregon 2022: Admirable nuance, refinement for value pinot noir; example of how well Oregon—and Portlandia—does PN. It is lighter and more delicate than the standard CA PN at this price point. $16-19 Link to my review• Ernesto Catena Vineyards Ánimal Natural Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Mendoza 2023: Rich, delicious dark fruits, good value from a scion of Argentine wine’s over-achievers. $22-25 Link to my review• Rex Hill Vineyards Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2022: Usual pinot noir flavors, raspberry and cherry, then pitches in cranberry and tartness that bodes well for food pairing and adds unexpected drama. $38 Link to my review• Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2022: Nicely structured, complex celebration of Napa cab with a smoothing dash of famed Duckhorn merlot. Elegant, genteel lane of Napa cab. $80 Link to my review• Stags’ Leap Winery The Leap Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown Stags Leap District 2020: Rich, dense, very smooth. Not as age-worthy as previous offerings, but smoothly delicious now and for next several years. $95-120 Link to my reviewLast roundI am sure my wife has been putting glue on items in my weapons collection. She denies it, but I am sticking to my guns. Wine time.This is a reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber ($5). No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Links worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Subst

Wine writers freely admit that trying to describe how a wine tastes is the classic “like dancing about architecture” folly. But amid the thousands of wine choices, people still want guidance. Even if the guidance has flaws, it still beats the “even a blind squirrel can find a nut sometimes” method.There are three commonly used terms in wine reviews that cause controversy—OK, more than three, but today we are going to focus on “round,” “minerality,” and “masculine-feminine.” I will present my take on and use of the terms.• Round. This is a descriptor of texture and mouthfeel rather than flavor. Round means there are amiable tannins, balancing not shrill acidity, integration of wine components, full and creamy texture. California merlots often are round because of their mellow tannins and smooth texture. New Zealand sauvignon blancs are not round thanks to their electric acidity and ramped-up citrus. In general, red wines are more likely to be round than white wines.Round is intended as a positive trait in most cases. Sometimes—as with the New Zealand sauv blancs—you did not come to the wine for round. You wanted sharpness, edges that “cleanse the palate” after a bite of food.I use the term “round,” but I also can argue against it. Round is overly broad and vague. It is extremely subjective. My “round” may not be your “round”—but that criticism can be leveled at almost all wine descriptor terms. The term can be paired with other descriptors for a fuller picture.Texture: creamy, smooth, velvety, silky, supple. Structure: balanced, harmonious, well-integrated. Others: soft (low tannin levels), opulent (rich fruit flavors), plush (rich, luxurious texture).For the record, I strive to reduce use of the term unless it is paired with further descriptors. I think that is a well-rounded approach.• Minerality. Oh, boy, this gets wine geeks a’going. The controversy centers on sensory experience clashing with science. First, the science: wine vine roots do not absorb minerals and mineral tastes directly from rock minerals or limestone. Roots absorb dissolved chemical elements—nitrogen, calcium, iron, potassium. But they absorb these elements primarily from organic matter, not from rocks.Still, wine writers rock on with a flood of related metaphors: flint, chalk, wet stone, crushed rock, gunflint, sea salt. It you want to know what we are talking about, you are told to lick a stone, suck on a pebble, or smell sidewalks after a rain. Not something most people do.My minerality references hinge on three elements.The main trigger for my use of “minerality” is salty flavors. Salt or salinity are real, measurable flavors in some wines, usually wines made from vineyards near the ocean or irrigated with water containing significant amounts sodium chloride and related salts. Salt is a mineral. It appears in the wine because when dissolved in water it can be absorbed by the plant roots and leaves and found on the surface of grape skins and stems. Assyrtiko wine from the Greek island of Santorini is the poster child because of the salt captured by vines trained in the basket-shaped koulara system to acquire water from salty Aegean Sea fogs.Assyrtiko vines on Greek island of SantoriniWine vines cannot extract mineral tastes from rocks in the soil. They can, however, acquire salt minerals that exist in water. The key distinction: general “minerality” taste references lack scientific support. Salt absorption and its impact on taste are scientifically measurable. The mineral taste did not come from rocks, but from salt dissolved in water.The second minerality trigger for me is the smell of wet rock or wet concrete after a rain—a smell scientists call “petrichor”—an earthy scent produced when rain falls on dry soil or rocks. Chablis is most famous “wet stone” wine. The reference is to a smell, not the taste of a rock in my mouth.My third minerality trigger, and I admit to squishiness on this—and to a resolve to restrain use—comes from high acidity, a linear, mouth-watering feel. Also when there is no malolactic conversion and low fruitiness or oak influence (in science terms, when fruit esters and terpenes are subdued).Supporters of the “minerality” term argue it is a useful, if vague, sensory category. It is a shorthand for a style—acidic, lean, unsweetened by oak or overt fruit. Supporters admit “minerality” has nothing to do with actual minerals extracted from rocks, then point out that people heavily involved in wine—winegrowers, winemakers, wine experts—perceive something. Wine writer Terry Theise described minerality as “an unnamable thing that is definitely there but hasn’t yielded to explanation.”Critics argue that “minerality” is romantic nonsense lazy wine writers use to fill out the required word count for their comment. It is a substitute for more specific descriptions. Scientists emphatically assert that whatever you think minerality is, it is not you tasting minerals extracted from rocks where the vines grew.Bottom line: “minerality” is a subjective metaphor. Most wine descriptors are subjective metaphors. It is not easy to use words to describe an individual perception of taste, smell, texture. It can, however, be fun to take one side or the other and argue through the evening over a charcuterie board and bottles of quality wine.• Masculine-feminine. Finally, a wine descriptor I avoid and one I can trash. The cliché is “masculine wines” are bold, powerful, tannic, structured, full-bodies, assertive, robust. “Masculine wines” resemble the manly men who drink them. Think cab, barolo, syrah. “Feminine wines” are light, soft, delicate, elegant, silky, supple. Think rosé, pinot noir, pinot grigio. Tannin structure is the usual dividing line, followed by body or weight in the mouth and assertive flavors.Well, screw that. The terms are sexist, problematic, and outdated. Wine is not black or white, male or female, it is endless shades of gray and a rainbow of colors. The masculine-feminine meaning as a wine descriptor relies on tired and grossly inaccurate gender stereotypes.Guys, in the third decade of the 21st century, this is a stupid fight to pick. You run a risk that if you pick this masculine-feminine fight, the woman who is offended could whip your ass. Just sayin’.Tasting notes• Franciscan Estate Chardonnay, California 2022: Clean, vivacious, delicious chardonnay unencumbered by oak or malolactic conversion. Slight sweetness—hugs border between dry and off-dry. Fruit forward with emphasis on freshness rather than complexity. $13-15 Link to my review• Maison Sinnae Chusclan Elements Sol, Côtes du Rhône Villages 2021: Fresh, balanced, vibrant with core of red fruits. Well behaved tannins and balancing acidity make this a fun, easy drinking, uncomplicated, straightforward pleasure. Excellent QPR. $17 Link to my review• Gigondas La Cave Vacqueyras Beaumirail 2022: Elegant with generous, delicious, seductive layers of fruit, especially after some air exposure. Faithful presentation of Gigondas GSM style and terroir. $22-26 Link to my review• Wente Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore Valley, Wetmore Vineyard 2021: Superb, especially attractive QPR pour; drinks like cabs premium Napa-Sonoma cabs. Dark fruit flavors predominate. Decanting reveals structure, depth, length, ameliorates significant tannins. Widely available. $24-35 Link to my reviewLast roundJudging by the price, this wine pairs best with a Swiss bank account where you hide your money or a trust fund your rich grandfather set up for you with money from a Swiss bank account where he hid his money. In any event, if you are pouring, I am drinking. Wine time.This is a reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber ($5). No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Links worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Substack. Entertaining, informative.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on Wine This is a public episode. 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After 17 years of communicating to readers as a newspaper wine columnist with a side gig online, the ground shifted, the medium and the stylistic conventions of the message changed.As a newspaper writer, the style leaned toward formality and objectivity, even though a newspaper column is more personal than a formal newspaper story. For instance, in the beginning of the column’s life, when I expressed an opinion not supported by facts or other sources beyond my personal perspective, the convention was to phrase it as “in this wine writer’s opinion.” A bit arch, yes, but it followed the canon of objective news writing.As the column evolved, I became more comfortable with the grammatical first person: use of subject pronouns—I, me, mine, myself, my. By that time, the column had become a discussion with readers rather than a news story about wine. There was more freedom, but there remained awareness that as a newspaper wine columnist, my first job was to inform people about wine. If I entertained them as part of the formula, well and good. But entertainment and personal discourse was value added, not Job One. My primary assignment was to interest people in wine, a product sold by supermarkets and wine-liquor stores advertising in the paper, thus paying for the newspaper and my work.In 2024-2025 there was a sea change in newspaper wine writing. In major publications such as the Washington Post, the Oregonian, the Seattle Times, the Los Angeles Times, and my position as nationally syndicated by Gannett/USA Today in hundreds of smaller newspapers ended. Declining newspaper circulation and resulting budget cuts and declining wine sales were the reasons. It was a cold-water-in-the-face reminder that nothing lasts forever.Fortunately, during the 17-year newspaper run I invested in establishing an online presence. First at my website, which I controlled, and on Facebook, which was easy. Then came Twitter/X, Substack, Linkedin, Bluesky, Apple podcasts, and Vocal. These initially existed as adjuncts to the print work. Today, they are my only platforms.Writing to my online audience is different from writing for a newspaper reader. Online is more intimate and personal. After all, the online audience is engaged with me and my work without distractions of other coverage. The newspaper writing was, in part, to provide editorial content to support advertising. Particularly in the beginning, my column anchored the front page of the “Food Section” of the newspaper, chock full of ads from grocery stores and wine and liquor stores that sold wine.Now my work stands alone. You come to it because you want to be entertained and educated by my content of words and pictures. You made a conscious decision to click on the specific link or open the email. You did not just open a newspaper thrown on your front lawn. The online medium is more intimate. The connection is more a conversation with a friend—in the case of the podcasts, an actual verbal communication. I am comfortable with the new challenges.The change also affects the dynamics of creation. Gone is the tyranny of a 450-word requirement to fill a specific space in a print hole. Gone is the tyranny of a weekly deadline—in my case, I submitted all four or five of a month’s columns together at one time at least a week prior to the first column’s deadline. Frazzled editors loved that, but it meant I wrote weeks ahead of publication.I intend to strive to post every week, but now I can slide if exigencies interrupt or opportunities present for more than once a week. And, beyond columns, there remains my near-daily tasting notes, plus the extra bonus wine time humor material. My trepidation is providing you with too much content.If you have read this far, I thank you for being part of our wine and humor adventure together. The online platform you are reading or listening to is my only communications link. I would appreciate your help in recruiting others who you believe might enjoy or be entertained. Hit the “share” button or mention me in a chat or email. Almost all content is free and signing up is made as easy as possible—as is unsubscribing if things don’t click.I’ll be seeing you on the internet.Tasting notes• Ricardo Santos Bodega y Viñedos Tercos Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina 2022: Amiable, soft-tannin, red fruit expression of Mendoza malbec. No palate challenges, depth, or complexity, but easy choice when you want an affordable, no-drama dram. $14-15 https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/ricardo-santos-bodega-y-vinedos-tercos-malbec-mendoza-argentina-2022/#more-20691• La Mascota Vineyards Unánime Chardonnay, Argentina 2022: Consistently good value that blends Old and New World approaches to chardonnay. Not sharp and angular, also not a buttery fruit bomb, reasonable alcohol (13.5%). $15-22 https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/la-mascota-vineyards-unanime-chardonnay-argentina-2022/#more-20797• Domaine St. Laurent Rosé de Pinot Noir Block One Rouge Valley, Oregon 2023: Delicate, elegant, showcases light red fruits. Versatile, easily can be enjoyed on its own or paired with lighter fare. $25 https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/domaine-st-laurent-rose-de-pinot-noir-block-one-rouge-valley-oregon-2023/#more-20675• Ricci Curbastro Franciacorta Brut NV DOCG: Textbook Franciacorta—balanced, elegant, refreshing, clean. Classic quality from Italy’s premier bottle-fermented wine region. $38-47 https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/ricci-curbastro-franciacorta-brut-nv-docg/#more-20878• Grgich Hills Estate Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2021: Delightful celebration of Napa fruit and winery skill by makers that put Napa chardonnay on the world map. Crunchy, full bodied, delicious from a vintage that encouraged ripeness and depth. $45-50 https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/grgich-hills-estate-chardonnay-napa-valley-2021/#more-20853• McGrail Vineyards Graduate Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore Valley 2019: Burly example of dark fruit Livermore Valley cab. Not for everyone, but works for those who crave a take-no-prisoner bold red to pair with hunk of sizzling beef fresh off the grill. $65 https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/mcgrail-vineyards-graduate-cabernet-sauvignon-livermore-valley-2019/#more-20850Last roundA truck loaded with thousands of copies of Roget’s Thesaurus crashed yesterday losing its entire load. Witnesses were stunned, startled, aghast, taken aback, stupefied, confused, shocked, rattled, paralyzed, dazed, bewildered, mixed up, surprised, awed, dumbfounded, nonplussed, flabbergasted, astounded, amazed, confounded, astonished, overwhelmed, horrified, numbed, speechless, perplexed.Wine time.This is a reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber ($5). No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Links worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Substack. Entertaining, informative.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on Wine This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnI get it. Using words to describe what a wine tastes like is like dancing about architecture. But wine writers do it anyway, and wine readers read it anyway.Part of the reason: something is better than nothing. And, to be fair, the typical word salad does convey a rough idea of what to expect when you pull the cork or twist the Stelvin closure. Cherry, raspberry, plum for that bottle of red. Apple, citrus, lemon-lime for that bottle of dry white. The words may alert you about flavors or styles you want to avoid, or flavors or styles you enjoy or want to explore.But I expect another reason people read wine descriptions is the writer’s attempt to be witty, clever, entertaining. Examples:• For a dry, zero residual sugar wine: “So dry it endangers the water level in swimming pools.”• For a tannic red built for aging: “So much structure you may have to pay property taxes.”• For a sauv blanc: “Aromas of gooseberry and honeydew, with a whiff of your neighbor mowing his front lawn.”• For a cool-climate riesling: “The aroma of petrol is a sign of quality, trust me on this. Give it some time to breath and it will be like that diesel truck was never there.”• For sweet dessert wine: “So sweet diabetics best consult their physician before sipping.”• For a low quality, high alcohol wine: “Bottle should be concealed in stained brown paper bag and wine consumed under a highway overpass.”• For over-the-top butter, oak, and alcohol chard: “So big and voluptuous it makes Marilyn Monroe look like the poor little match girl.”• For poor quality merlot: “Gives deep insight into the movie Sideways.”• For extremely refined, expensive Premier Grand Cru Bordeaux: “So elegant and sophisticated it makes Maurice Chevalier look like one of the Three Stooges.”• For delicious riesling: “Creates an unusual yearning to wear lederhosen.”• For over-oaked wine: “Tastes like liquid trees.”• For especially delicious wine: “A foretaste of your experience at the wine bar in heaven.”• For bottom-shelf supermarket wine: “Perfect if you crave the lowest common denominator.”• For low-end boxed wine: “Your credit card will love you at check out. Your head, not so much tomorrow morning.”• For full-bodied red wine: “Easily could compete in a Mr. Universe contest.”• For very high acidity wine: “Enough acidity to clean hard water stains.”• For quality rosé: “Good first date wine, assuming you desire a second date.”Tasting notes• Domaine Bousquet Unoaked Chardonnay, Tupungato Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina 2023: Clean, bright expression of high altitude Argentine chardonnay made by trailblazer in organic, biodynamic, and regenerative agriculture. $13 Link to my review• Château Maris La Touge 2019: Straightforward crowd pleaser; affable tannins and acidity allow ripe, flavorful fruits to lead the silky parade on your palate. Excellent integration of darker fruit elements without intrusion of oak. $20-23 Link to my review• Early Mountain Vineyards Novum, Virginia 2022: Lively, tasty unusual dark fruit blend of Virginia grapes—cab franc, merlot, and tannat. A must-try wine both as a blend you seldom encounter and as an excellent example of a Virginia wine. $60 Link to my review• Aperture Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County 2019: Amazingly approachable with silky tannins and mouthfeel. Rich dark fruit flavors. Round, polished. $70 Link to my reviewLast roundIn the corn (maize) maze, I felt like I was being stalked. It was eerie, but—shucks—I didn’t have a kernel of an idea what to do, so I just played it by ear. Wine time.This is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Links worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Substack. Entertaining, informative.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on Wine This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWhat makes a wine sweet and what makes a wine taste sweet? As you might expect in the convoluted world of wine, the two are not the same. In the wine world, things are not always what they seem.Wine sweetness is determined by “residual sugar” or RS. There are other mechanisms both artificial and natural that give you the sensation of sweetness, but wine’s definition of sweetness focuses on RS.When yeast eats the sugar in grape juice it turns natural sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2). If the winemaker allows the yeast to eat all the sugar, the alcohol level increases and the RS goes down, in many cases to zero or close to zero. Such wine clearly qualifies as “dry wine.”If the winemaker at some point stops the conversion of sugar into alcohol and CO2, then the wine will have measurable amounts of RS. At higher levels of RS, such wine clearly qualifies as “sweet wine.”The devil, of course, is in the details and the shades of difference between no RS and a lot of RS.Sweet wines are officially classified as having 45 grams or more per liter (g/L) of RS. Basic sweet wines have 45-120 g/L. Dessert wines 75-200+ g/L. Extremely sweet wines such as some pedro ximénez sherries or Tokajis contain 400+ g/L.Most dry wines have 0-4 g/L, but if the wine has high acidity it can have up to 9 g/L—that will get us into the weeds of how we perceive sweetness later in this piece. Some supermarket reds labeled “dry” will have 10 g/L—mass market wineries do not go broke selling sweetened wines.There is a middle ground of “off-dry” and “semi-sweet” wines. Off dry, also known as “medium-dry,” have 4-12 g/L. Medium-sweet has 12-45 g/L. As mentioned, 45 g/L is generally held as the dividing line between sweet and dry.But measures of RS obtained from white-coated wine wonks in test-tube infested laboratories is not how you experience wine sweetness. Oh, no. Mother Nature and physiology have a magician’s hat of tricks to amuse and confuse you. Here are major ones:• Acidity. Acidity is measured two ways: pH (potential Hydrogen) and TA (Titratable Acidity). They are two different measurements. Wine pH is the concentration of free hydrogen ions and indicates the strength of acidity. The pH scale is logarithmic and runs from 0 to 14, with water in the middle at 7. A pH score of less than 7 is acidic, more than 7 is alkaline. Most wines score between 2.8 and 4.2. Takeaway: the lower the pH number, the more the acidic strength.TA measures the quantity of acids. Wines can have identical TA scores but different pH scores depending on buffering compounds, mineral content, and the type of acid (there are six different types in wine, with tartaric, malic, and citric the most noticeable). TA is the key indicator as to how tart or sour a wine will taste. Red wine TA generally ranges from 5.5 to 7 g/L, while white wines range from 6.0 to 8.5 g/L. Takeaway: the higher the TA number, the more tart the wine.When it comes to sweetness, pH and TA influence your perception. Acidity counteracts sweetness. Very sweet wines like port and cherry usually have high acidity which prevents them from tasting cloying or syrupy. On the other hand, lower acidity allows the natural sweetness of wine to come through, resulting in a rounder, softer mouthfeel often described as silky and smooth. Too little acidity creates wines that are “flabby”—dull, heavy, flat—and also emphasizes the perception of alcohol, making the wines taste “hot.”Okay, we mowed our way through the wine acidity weeds, but our trek into the jungle of wine sweetness perception is far from over.• Fruit ripeness. Ripe fruit contains more sugar, which yeast will convert into alcohol and CO2, which makes the wine dry. Yes, dry when RS is measured, but the human body is not a laboratory instrument. Fruit ripening transforms grape flavor from green and herbaceous to citrus and orchard fruits in white wines and red and black fruits in red wines. When grapes reach full phenolic ripeness—which includes tannins, flavonols, and other phenolic compounds—your sense of smell (which very heavily influences your sense of taste) and mouthfeel tell your brain this is sweet even when RS is low. Juicy, ripe fruit wines taste sweet even though they are not sweet, measured by sugar content.• Alcohol. You perceive ethanol—the alcohol in wine—as sweet even though it has no sugar content. High alcohol wines usually mean ripe fruit wines, so the perceptions support each other. High alcohol, ripe fruit wines taste sweet even if there is little or no RS.• Oak. Aging wine in oak can significantly enhance sweetness perception. Oak extracts vanilla, caramel, chocolate, butterscotch, coconut, and other aromatics and flavors strongly associated with sweetness.• Glycerol. A natural byproduct of fermentation, glycerol contributes to wine texture, viscosity, and mouthfeel. Again, signals to your brain that mimic sweetness signals regardless of sugar content.So, truly sweet wine—measured by sugar content—can be perceived as not so sweet when there is high acidity. Truly dry wine—measured by absence of sugar—can be perceived as having sweetness because our sensory perceptions of wine sweetness are influenced by many factors beyond actual sugar content.Human beings are complicated and our perceptions of the world and wine are influenced by a motley mob of influencers. If it were simple, wine would not be so wonderful.Tasting notes• Dr. Konstantin Frank Célèbre Riesling Cremant, Finger Lakes NV: Sparkling riesling is not common wine. Excellent, a great bargain, demonstrates how well the Finger Lakes region is doing with riesling. Fruity, inviting, easy drinking, vivid acidity (2.86 pH). $25 Link to my review• Bodegas Barbadillo La Cilla Pedro Ximenez Jerez-Xérès-Sherry: Unctuous, delicious exaltation of dark, jammy fruits embraced by good, balancing acidity. Sweet, rich, complex, decadent. Made using pedro ximénez grape, known for its rich sweetness, as this effort emphatically demonstrates and celebrates. $30 Link to my review• Concannon Vineyard Mother Vine Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Livermore Valley 2020: Made using foundational California cabernet sauvignon clones from the mother vines. Features elegance over power. Excellent fruit and balance, smooth and easy in the mouth (3.70 pH; 6.7 g/L TA). $55 Link to my reviewLast roundIf a child refuses to sleep at nap time, are they guilty of resisting a rest?Wine time.This is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Links worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Substack. Entertaining, informative.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on Wine This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnRevolution and evolution in wine in the 17th and 18th centuries set up the sparkling wine world we enjoy today. Christopher Merret’s experiments in secondary fermentation. Dom Pérignon’s vineyard and winemaking improvements. English breakthroughs in glass making.But that is not the whole story by a long shot. It took a young widow with no business experience, but with more than a healthy dose of grit, determination, innovation, intelligence, and audacity to revolutionize Champagne production, create the product we know today, and establish one of the world’s preeminent luxury brands.Madame ClicquotBarbe-Nicole Ponsardin was born in 1777 and grew up during one of the most turbulent times in French and world history. Her father adroitly navigated the treacherous tides of the French Revolution. The family retained influence, even hosting Napoleon and Josephine at L’Hôtel Ponsardin.In 1798, Barbe-Nicole married François Cliquot, the son of Philippe Clicquot, owner of a successful textile business and vineyards in the Champagne region of France. The marriage consolidated the interests of two wealthy families.Veuve Clicquot vineyardTragedy struck in 1805 when François died at age 30, leaving 27-year-old Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Cliquot a widow with a young daughter, Clémentine. Devastated by his son’s death, Philippe Clicquot moved to liquidate the family wine business. No, announced Barbe-Nicole. She wanted to risk her inheritance to continue making wine in Champagne.Under the new Napoleonic Code that was proclaimed just the year before, a widow possessed legal rights that married women did not: they could own and operate a business. Recognizing her intelligence and determination and the new law’s prerogatives for widows, Philippe acceded to demands of his son’s widow.Madame Clicquot was an innovator from the beginning. In 1810, she created what is considered the world’s first vintage Champagne.Veuve Clicquot Comet Vintage labelIn 1811, she created the 1811 “Comet Vintage,” so named for the Great Comet of 1811. She added a star to her corks and labels to identify the wine.In 1814, amid the chaos of the crumbling Napoleonic Empire, she audaciously shipped 10,550 bottles of the Comet Vintage to Russia, risking bankruptcy and possible imprisonment. The Champagne was such a success, she followed up with a second ship carrying 12,500 bottles.Veuve Clicquot riddlingAround 1816, Madame Clicquot revolutionized Champagne. Sparkling wine faced a problem. It didn’t sparkle. The critical second fermentation left the bottle filled with cloudy sediment from dead yeast cells. According to legend, she had her staff drill holes obliquely into her kitchen table to hold bottles at an angle. This allowed the bottles to be turned to encourage the sediment to gather at the neck of the bottle where the plug of yeast detritus eventually could be removed. The process is known as “riddling.” It revolutionized Champagne making and is still used by Champagne and sparkling wine makers using the méthode champenoise (traditional method) today.In 1818 Madame Clicquot created the first blended rosé Champagne by blending white wine with still red wine—again, the process still used today.Madame Clicquot benefitted from the very high quality of her vineyards. They are the foundation of the Veuve Clicquot operation today. In 2025, Veuve Clicquot owns almost 1,000 acres, one of the largest estates in Champagne. An exceptional 95% of those vineyards are Grands Crus or Premiers Crus; only 25% of the entire Champagne region are so classified. Veuve Clicquot has 12 of the 17 Grands Crus communes and 20 of the 44 Premiers Crus communes. The winery also enjoys the benefit of quintessential chalk caves that provide ideal conditions for aging.Veuve Clicquot chalk cavesMadam Clicquot never remarried, remaining a widow (“veuve” in French). Had she remarried, her business and her achievements would legally transfer to her husband. At the time of her death, at age 89 in 1866, sales of her wine exceeded 750,000 bottles a year, was an international brand, and one of the world’s most prestigious Champagne houses. She certainly had earned her description as the “grande dame of Champagne.”Veuve Clicquot summed up her philosophy of life in a letter to her granddaughter: “The world is in perpetual motion, and we must invent the things of tomorrow. One must go before others, be determined and exacting, and let your intelligence direct your life. Act with audacity.”And so she did. Today Veuve Clicquot is part of the LVMH luxury goods conglomerate. Her image appears on the wire cage—another of her innovations, by the way—covering each bottle. So, too, her moto for her Champagne: “Only one quality, the finest.” Never underestimate what one person can do, especially if they are an audacious female.Veuve Clicquot vineyardThere is a recent movie of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Cliquot’s life “Widow Clicquot” available through several streaming resources, including Netflix. As with all historical dramatic productions, it must toy with possible truths to create dramatic tension and narrative drive, but it admirably restrains from excess. Worth a watch.Tasting notes• Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Yellow Label Brut Champagne NV: house’s signature wine; consistently delivering freshness, strength, creamy mouthfeel, a symphony of fruit from some of the top vineyards in Champagne. One of the most affordable premium, elite Champagne pours. $45-74 Link to my reviewLast roundHaunted French pancakes give me the crepes. Wine time.This is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Links worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Substack. Entertaining, informative.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on Wine This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWine has been evolving for at least 8,000 years, and so it goes in the world of sparkling wine.First, the basics. Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon invented sparkling wine, exclaiming: “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars?” Nice story, certainly not true. The earliest reference to the Dom Pérignon quote occurred two centuries after the monk’s death.In truth, during Dom Pérignon’s lifetime bubbles were considered a dangerous flaw. The bubbles naturally occurred when cold weather stopped fermentation in the bottle at the onset of winter. Come spring, fermentation resumed and too often caused glass bottles to explode. Dom Pérignon worked to suppress refermentation, not to encourage it.Photo by Victor GrigasWhile he certainly did not invent Champagne, Dom Pérignon clearly was a wine pioneer. He introduced strict grape selection and early-morning harvesting to preserve freshness. He blended different vineyards parcels before pressing to improve balance. He produced a clearer, lighter wine from black pinot noir—“blanc de noirs”—a step toward modern Champagne style. He championed cork closures over wood and rags.Méthode champenoise, however, was invented by English chemist Christopher Merret. In a paper published by the Royal Society six years before Dom Pérignon arrived at the abbey to work on wine, Merret described adding sugar—today’s dosage—before bottling to create sparkling wine. Trouble was, bottles exploded.Fortunately, the English were responsible for another key Champagne breakthrough: sturdy glass bottles. In the 1600s, King James I (he of English language Bible fame) banned the use of wood for making glass because he needed timber to wage war with his navy. Glass makers turned to coal—England had plenty of that resource—which produced much higher temperatures. Clever glassmakers soon developed ways to make much stronger glass bottles—three to four times as strong as previous wood-fired methods.Stronger bottles prevented the explosions that occurred with secondary fermentation. The pressure inside a Champagne/sparkling wine bottle is 70-90 psi. By comparison, the pressure inside the tire of your family car is 28-36 psi.The glass bottle breakthrough allowed winemakers to continue secondary fermentation experiments. Both the English and French recognized stronger glass bottles meant a new way to store and ship wine. Before the sturdy bottles, most wine was sold in barrels to be tapped in wine stores, similar to filling your growler at a beer brewery. In an additional fillip, the English also rediscovered the use of cork stoppers imported from Portugal.The revolution in glass engendered rapid developments in wine. Sparkling wine was possible. Individual bottles—sparkling or still—could be shipped distances because bottles and corks prevented oxidation and the spoilage of wine. Wines turns to vinegar with oxygen exposure because the acetic acid bacteria that causes the transformation, cannot survive without oxygen. The wine world we know today was born.The 1700s were an era of revolutions and dramatic change among nations of the world and the world of wine. Winemakers digested and incorporated the new tools and techniques the era presented. This set the stage at the dawn of the 19th century for a 27-year-old widow who inherited her husband’s wine business and was not about to step aside and defer to men. She proceeded to accomplish the sparkling revolution mistakingly attributed to Dom Pérignon. That story next week.Last roundTwo men meet on opposite sides of a river. One shouts: “I need you to help me get to the other side.”Second man shouts back: “ You already are on the other side.”Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Links worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Substack. Entertaining, informative.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on Wine This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnSummmer-time, and sippin’ rosé is easy… fish are jumpin’… and the cotton is high.OK, bastardizing George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess intro may be a déclassé way to introduce a high summer homage to the pink-blush stepchild of both red and white wine. Times change. “One of these mornings you’re going to rise up singing, then you’ll spread your wings and you’ll take to the sky.” And so it has been with rosé.In the past decade-plus rosé has risen from wine sipped by m’lady on her fainting couch or slurped by repressed soccer moms in surreptitious soirées, with ice cubes bobbing in their fully filled ice tea glasses (yes, I am looking at you, closet white zinfandel drinkers). You did what you had to do.This is the middle of the third decade of the 21st century. Today, rosé is recognized as a real wine category that can unabashedly be enjoyed by manly men and girlie girls and all the silly permutations in between. Cash register receipts affirm it.While wines in general have treaded sales waters in recent years, rosé wines have been on a consistent rise. US rosé sales increased in volume 1,433% from 2010 to 2020, and has only barely slowed in the recent years of the current wine sales retreat.To the ecstatic delight of makers, most of the rise is attributable to to Gen Z and Millennials, the very consumers that desperate, salivating wine promoters pursue. Rosé is Cinderella. Once shunned by burly, brusque red wine brothers and haughty, condescending white wine sisters, rosé bided its time until the vicissitudes of fashion inevitably caused trendsetters to frantically scour for the “next big thing.” And there was rosé—the blessed bridge between red and white—and the answer to a winemaker’s prayer.Like white wine, rosé is a fast turnaround product. One, two years, sold. Reds are so much more lumbering, taking years—ye, gods, sometimes almost a decade—before they reach their sellable state. Gimlet-eyed bankers avariciously grasping winery loan notes are not noted for patience or understanding.The rosé rise particularly is attributable to a shift away from the treacly sweet by-product of red wine production in the past. Such plonk was never mainstream, but it was effervescently successful when American wine drinkers were toddling neophytes just beginning their journey into the universe of the serious, dry wine most common today. Dry rosé is real, serious wine. It is the most common rosé wine you can purchase. Dry rosés are delectably versatile wines that can work just as well as an aperitif for giddy ingenues as for pompous panjandrums of pairing facing an eclectic cornucopia of food courses.Rosé’s time has come. If alive today, Porgy and Bess would be sipping it on their veranda while celebrating the recent rise in their 401K portfolio. The fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high.Tasting notes• H&B Provence Rosé 2023: Delicate delight, very nice Provence rosé managed in a somewhat testing year. Fruit-forward, fresh, subtle herb and minerality. It received praise as being a quality wine that achieved better than its vintage peers. Excellent if not exceptional. But excellent in a Provence rosé is no faint praise. $20 https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/hb-provence-rose-2023/#more-20437• Domaine St. Laurent Rosé de Pinot Noir Block One Rouge Valley, Oregon 2023: Delicate, elegant, showcases light red fruits. Versatile, easily can be enjoyed on its own or paired with lighter fare. Tad more substantial than typical Provence efforts, but reflects that tradition. $25 https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/domaine-st-laurent-rose-de-pinot-noir-block-one-rouge-valley-oregon-2023/#more-20675• Luc Belaire Rare Rosé Sparkling NV, France: A top-selling sparkling rosé in the U.S. Faint sweetness, restrained acidity, and delicious strawberry flavor make it a crowd pleaser. $30 https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/luc-belaire-rare-rose-sparkling-nv-france/#more-20672• Dutcher Crossing Grace Reserve Russian River Valley Brut Rosé NV: Very brisk with significant acidity backbone supporting fresh raspberry, strawberry, and cranberry fruit notes. Depth and complexity from 20 months bottle aging on the lees. Sophisticated effort with power and attitude. No wimp pink sparkling this. $59 https://www.gusclemensonwine.com/dutcher-crossing-grace-reserve-russian-river-valley-brut-rose-nv/#more-20502Last roundTwo young boys are at their first wedding. One turns to the other and asks: “So, how many wives can a man have?”Second boy: “Apparently it is 16. Four better. Four worse. Four richer. Four poorer. And you gotta put up with them in sickness and in health until you die. Jeez!”Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Links worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Substack. Entertaining, informative.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on Wine This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnIt is high summer in the Northern Hemisphere. What wine fits into the zeitgeist of pools splashing with bikini-clad frolickers slathered in sun screens, outdoor cooking, indoor binge watching movies on a wide screen while the AC heroically soldiers on?A surprising star shines bright: sparkling wine.First, sparkling is the wine best served around 40 degrees, lighter versions as low as 37. That is the coldest temperature recommended for wine. If you like a cold one on a hot day, sparkling is the answer.Second, sparkling is the most versatile food wine. Examples:• Hot dogs. If you want a drink for your dogs, look no further than well-chilled sparkling. The high acidity of sparklers is a perfect palate cleanser for the fatty richness of a hot dog. The bubbles also provide a scrubbing mechanism, re-setting your palate for your next dog bite. Champagne, Spanish cava, New World sparklings, Italian prosecco—they all have a dog in the hunt for pairing with your wiener wonder.Jefferson• Watermelon. Sparkling not only is secularly popular, there are solid scientific reasons it works. Watermelon and sparklings have complementary flavors. Watermelons deliver honey-like sweetness, bright fruit, citrus undertones. These are the same descriptors often found in sparkling reviews, especially sparkling rosés. Sparkling’s high acidity is counterpoint to watermelon’s natural sweetness, enhancing the fresh, crisp qualities found in both. Sparkling’s bubbles amplify the cooling sensation of the fruit, especially efficacious in high summer. Prosecco particularly shines here.• Buttery popcorn. You have had your saturation of pool floating and UV attacks on your epidermis and have retreated to the cool embrace of your air conditioned room with the wide screen to watch the latest, mindless summer movie. Sparkling wine definitely can help here. Buttery chardonnay is the apex pairing with buttery popcorn, but sparkling is a photo-finish second. Sparkling’s effervescence and crisp acidity are a felicitous contrast to buttery popcorn’s buttery richness. Prosecco and Spanish cava will provide wallet-friendly alternatives to Champagne or other pricier picks.In all cases, colder the better. You can serve sparkling right out of your refrigerator. If you need a quick chill, put the bottle in a bucket with half ice and half water, plus some salt for the fastest chill—this method is much more efficient than putting bottles in the freezer.Enjoy the joys of high summer. The attraction of life is change. Soon enough you will miss the pool water being so warm, the days being so long and hot, and the friends and family gathered around the outdoor grill listening to the doggies sizzle. It is high summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the depth of winter in the Southern. Enjoy the moment.Tasting notes• Gruet Brut Rosé NV: Delicious, accessible, correct pinot noir brute sparkling made with 100% pinot noir. Red fruits on the nose and palate are framed by excellent acidity, a lengthy column of tiny bubbles, and invigorating mouthfeel. $17 Link to my review• VARA Winery VARAxLG Brut Blanc de Blancs American Sparkling Wine NV: Superb sparkling wine made in Albuquerque, NM in collaboration with Laurent Gruet of Gruet Wine fame. Further proof American sparkling made in New Mexico is an incredible value and easily matches sparklings made elsewhere. $40 Link to my reviewLast roundWhy did the lions move at the end of summer?Because the pride goeth before the fall.Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Substack. Entertaining, informative. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnAs someone who loves writing and wine, it was a quick and easy call 17 years ago when the local newspaper publisher asked me to write about wine in his publication.It has been a happy 17 years with too many joys to mention. But there are downsides. Tasting a lot of wine is part of the job, and that can become tedious. That is especially true of boring, cookie-cutter wines.Often identified as “supermarket wines” or “mass production wines.” Meiomi and Mark West are among the best known—they sell hundreds of thousand bottles a year (Meiomi, one milllion)—but there are many others. They are not terrible wines with obvious flaws. Usually there are no flaws, but wines designed to have no flaws in mass production also means they have no soul. They are boring. Taste enough of them and you are besieged by a depressing ennui.Maksym KozlenkoSuch wines will be fruit-forward approaching jammy. There likely is some residual sugar to flirt with sweetness. They will be around 14.5% ABV. Reds likely will be blends, but cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir will be 75% of the blend, just qualifying them to be labeled by the varietal name.If they don’t go for a varietal naming, they will be labeled with a focus-group refined name concocted by their marketing department with special attention on an eye-catching label. When wines taste much the same, the key to success is what the bottle looks like standing upright on a crowded supermarket shelf.For the same money, you can experience distinctive wines that reflect the place and time they were made and offer individualistic takes on what constitutes wine. Their production numbers will be far less. They can come from anywhere, but South America (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay) and the Iberian Peninsula (Spain, Portugal) particularly abound in such values. I don’t want to slight the Languedoc of France, various part of Italy (especially Sicily), and others—including smaller operations in California, Oregon, and Washington State—the list could go on. You get the idea.My wine reviews gravitate to such wines, while affordability and availability (internet wine sales really help here) remain important considerations.As long-time readers know, I consider myself a writer who happens to write about wine rather than a wine cognoscente attempting to be a writer. Also, a curator rather than a critic. If I publish a wine review, I do so because I think readers may find in it something to enjoy. I chose to spend our limited time together presenting a wine worth trying rather than warning you about a wine to avoid.If you enjoy them, there is no reason to avoid supermarket, mass production wines. They are often serviceable, if rarely exciting. If you dare for something beyond bland, I offer you my tasting notes.Tasting notes• Domaine Bousquet Gaia Cabernet Franc, Gualtallary Vineyards, Mendoza, Argentina 2018: Rich, tasty, balanced cab franc from one the world’s leading producers of organically-farmed wine. Tasting this at seven years old mellowed the wine, it also proved its ageability for an affordable wine. $15-18 Link to my review• Bodegas Virgen del Galir Pagos del Galir A Malosa Godello, Valdeorras DO, Spain 2020: Premium white wine made with godello, Spain’s come-back grape. Excellent taste and body. Elegant, subtle, wonderfully reflects rugged terroir of the Valdeorras DO, especially its minerality. $15-21 Link to my review• Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling Finger Lakes 2023: Another example of Dr. Konstantin Frank’s masterful skill with riesling in the Finger Lakes region of northwestern New York State. Keuka Lake provides superb conditions for cold-climate riesling grapes, as does the region’s soil composition. The Keuka Lake plots provide the bulk of the grapes and their shallow, shale-based soils deliver minerality, acidity, and structure. $20 Link to my reviewLast roundIf at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving probably is not for you. Wine time.Thanks for reading Gus Clemens on Wine. Please share and invite friend to subscribe.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Substack. Entertaining, informative. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnPeople ask what was the most expensive wine I ever received for review. I think their question reflects curiosity about what wine I get to review and how does expensive wine taste.From the beginning, my work was directed at wine that people could purchase in a local store, or at least online. So reviewing 30-year-old wines costing four figures was out of the question, even if I obtained such wine through some vinological miracle.The CliffsNotes answer to “what’s the most expensive” question is around $250. Such offerings are not common, but not rare. Some come with strings attached—in exchange for receiving the wine, they ask me to interview the winemaker—or chef de cave, the cellar master in charge of making Champagne. My answer: “Sure, Brer Fox don’t throw me into that briar patch.” The marketeer sending the wine also knows if I spend the effors to interview the winemaker, there is excellent chance there will be a review. And a very good chance the wine will be worthy of a review.The expensive wines generally are Champagnes and Napa cabernet sauvignons. In most cases, these are legitimately priced offerings. Some, however, are nice enough wines with a flashy price slapped on to create the illusion of superior quality. Buyer beware. Over-inflated prices can be found on some subscription wine club offerings—it gives the illusion of a bargain. I seldom receive or review such wines. High prices can suggest high quality, but does not guarantee it.The next level down of ultra premium wines fall into the “around $100” range. These are much more commonly offered for me to review. They often are excellent wines, as I strive to convey in my reviews. But, are they really worth the premium price? There rests a classic dilemma.Do you buy a $105 bottle of unarguably very good wine, or do you buy four bottles of almost as good—or as good—wine. Or five or six bottles of pretty good wine? If you are a casual drinker or really can’t tell the difference, the more affordable is the obvious answer.Today, almost any wine you buy for $15 or more is a good wine. Buy it, drink it that evening, don’t sweat the credit card bill or the negative blather of some condescending critic. If you get deeper into wine, the higher shelf offerings will be there waiting for you. Or you can happily stick with old friends. The wine you enjoy is the right wine for you.Last roundWhy are married women often heavier than single women?Because single women come home, see what is in the fridge, then go to bed.Married women come home, see what is in the bed, then go to the fridge.Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Substack. Entertaining, informative. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnVintage and location are keys to understanding wine in Texas, which now produces the fifth most wine in the United States.Texas wine growers must contend with unpredictable and extreme weather events, making each Texas vintage an adventure. Therein lies both the magic and the challenge, because weather and weather events dramatically impact each year’s Texas wine and what grapes are grown.When late frosts or hail thin the grape crop, the crop tends to more more concentrated—often making for better wine. Heat stress can reduce sugar accumulation, which is why Texas grape growers turned to varieties that do well in the heat. Drought can stress vines and reduce yield, but Texas grape growing regions long ago adopted farming methods and irrigation technology to deal with it. Add to that vast amounts of wine-vine-friendly land and the wealth to invest in the wine lifestyle, and you have the formula for Texas success. A surprise to those whose opinion of Texas is based on inaccurate stereotypes.More than 80% of Texas grapes are grown on the Texas High Plains, the vast flatlands of the southern portion of the Texas Panhandle, known in historic times as the Llano Estacado. The Texas High Plains AVA encompasses some 8,000,000 acres (12,500 square miles, larger than nine states) with Lubbock as the largest urban center.The High Plains are called the “high plains” for a reason. The great, very flat plateau has elevations from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above sea level. That puts it in the same league as high elevation vineyards in Argentina and Chile.Long a region of cattle raising and cotton, peanuts, squash, and melon farming, the High Plains also are a place of unpredictable weather. Late spring frosts, hailstorms, torrential rains, drought, and sudden freezes are all part of the deal. Such variability means vintages can vary markedly from year to year. That’s not a bug in Texas wine, it is a feature.The High Plains AVA provides many winegrowing advantages. The high elevations mean hotter temperatures and more UV during the day. That encourages quicker fruit ripening—some Texas harvests begin as early as late July—and thicker skins. The elevation also means cooler nights, the coveted “diurnal shift” that preserves acidity. Early harvests give Texas wines their distinctive minerality. Thicker skins make for darker, more intense red wines.High Plains soil usually is red sandy loam or sandy clay loam. The phylloxera louse hates sandy. The winds are reliably strong, hot, and dry. Mildew and fungus hate windy, dry heat. The soils have excellent drainage characteristics. Wine vines love good drainage.All well and good, but Texans had to figure out what grape varieties are best suited for this inviting wine vine environment. It was pretty clear from the beginning cool-climate varieties like chardonnay, riesling, and cabernet franc would only work in very limited Texas places. But tempranillo, mourvèdre, blanc du boise, chenin blanc, and viognier proved to do well.Texas is a very big place with winegrowing spread across its vastness, so broad generalizations are inherently flawed. The Texas Hill Country AVA, for instance, is somewhat different than the High Plains AVA. While the Hill Country grows many of the same grapes that work on the High Plains, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, gewürztraminer, albariño, and roussane are a larger part of the mix in the state’s second-most important winegrowing region. The Texas Hill Country is the state’s largest AVA at 9,000 acres, more than 14,000 square miles. It is the third-largest AVA in the United States and contains two sub-AVAs.Fredericksburg, Texas (Larry D. Moore photo)The Hill Country AVA demonstrates the diversity of the Texas wine industry. While most Texas wine grapes are grown in the High Plains AVA, the Hill Country AVA is the Texas wine showcase. Centered around Fredericksburg, a charming Texas-German town located between San Antonio and Austin, the Hill Country AVA is the second-most visited AVA in the United States, second only to Napa.In addition to the big two there are six other Texas AVAs:• Fredericksburg is a sub-appellation in the Hill Country AVA. It surrounds the town of Fredericksburg.• Bell Mountain also is a part of the Hill Country AVA; it also is near Fredericksburg.• Escondido Valley is located in Pecos County in the Big Bend area of western Texas. “Escondido” is Spanish for “hidden.”• Mesilla Valley primarily is located in New Mexico, with a small portion in Texas along the Rio Grande around El Paso. “Mesilla” is Spanish for “high plateau.”• Texas Davis Mountains is located in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas surrounding Fort Davis; it is particularly a high altitude AVA with elevations of 4,500-8,300 feet above sea level.• Texoma is located on the Texas-Oklahoma border north of Dallas. It is the newest Texas AVA.All these factors—variable weather challenges, vast and variable land conducive to grapegrowing, discovery of grape varieties that thrive in Texas conditions, the economic power of the second-most populated state and the state with the nation’s second-highest GDP—make Texas an exciting frontier in the wine world. Watch this space.Tasting notes• William Chris Vineyards Purtell Vineyard Grenache, Texas High Plains 2020 is smooth, easy drinker from a top Texas winemaker and leading Texas wine grape grower. Delivers the svelte sophistication of grenache. Very approachable. Clean, fruit-forward. $21-25 Link to my review• Becker Vineyards Prairie Cuvee, Texas High Plains 2019 is light, refreshing, full fruity flavor. This is classic Rhône blend well executed using Texas-grown grapes by a substantial player in the state’s ascendency in the wine world. $25 Link to my review• Wedding Oak Winery Sweetheart Rosé, Texas 2021 is rosé delight with delicious fruit. Elegant and substantial. Complexity from a well-coordinated mélange of Texas red grapes that deliver fruitiness and intriguing florals. Well made Texas wine. $29 Link to my review• Wedding Oak Winery Chenin Blanc, Texas High Plains, Phillips Vineyard 2023 delivers vivid citrus, tree fruits in clean, precise manner. No interference from oak, nice depth and complexity. $30 Link to my review• William Chris Vineyards Mourvèdre Reserve, Texas High Plains 2018 is a solid, silky presentation of mourvèdre, a grape that has found a home in Texas. Good balance of fruit, acidity, and reserved, elegant tannins. Tasty, well behaved, worthy Texas tipple. $35-38 Link to my review• Flat Creek Estate Buttero Red Wine Blend 2018 is fruit-forward expression of classic Italian grapes—sangiovese, primitivo, montepulciano—from a quality Texas winery that specializes in Italian grapes. $35 Link to my reviewLast roundHumpty Dumpty had a great fall. He said his summer was pretty good, too. Wine time.Last round bonus humor• If you fret your microwave has been collecting data and your TV set has been spying on you, just remember your vacuum has been gathering dirt on you for years. Wine time.• This week has been tough—constant rane, hale, gails, drissle, thundre, litnin, hy tydes, tawnaydoes, and rizzing colde. It was a really bad spell of wether. Wine time.• Why are married women often heavier than single women?Because single women come home, see what is in the fridge, then go to bed.Married women come home, see what is in the bed, then go to the fridge. Wine time.• Man asks this wife: “What would you do if I won the lottery/“Wife: “I would take my half and leave you.”Man: “Great. I won $12 today. Here’s your $6. Stay in touch.” Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Dave McIntyre’s WineLine Longtime Washington Post wine columnist now on Substack. Entertaining, informative. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnTo everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. In June of 2025, such a time has come for my wine writing adventure.In the summer of 2008, the editor of my local newspaper, the San Angelo Standard-Times, challenged me to write a wine column that would entertain and inform the average wine buyer. The “buyer” part was important because the weekly column would be an anchor on the Wednesday food section of the newspaper and advertisers wanted information about wines customers could buy in local stores.And so a wonderful adventure began. By September I had written enough test drafts to find a voice, approach, and word length to prove to myself I could pull this off. Imperatives included a word length to fit into the news hole on the front of the food section, a commitment to file well in advance since the section often was one of the first to be processed in the newsroom, never to miss a deadline, never to lazily submit a previous column even if my well of ideas was dry. I take pride in hitting every single one of those marks the past 17 years.It was pleasing when sister papers of the Standard-Times—in Corpus Christi and Abilene—picked up the column. Then the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, which was not part of the company at that time. Then came newspaper sales and consolidations and, soon, I was providing columns for the new mothership, Gannett-USA Today. Now the column appeared all over the United States, from Florida to California. Those were heady times for a wine writer in San Angelo, Texas.That was the case for more than a decade. I was a nationally syndicated wine columnist and expanding into non-Gannett-USA Today newspapers since I own the rights to my work and only sold papers the rights to use my work in print and online. The money was nice, the audience was more important.At the same time, I was online almost from the beginning. I owned an advertising agency that made websites, so from the first months my columns and wine reviews were available in a searchable, free website— Link —and on Facebook. Then Twitter (X). Eventually Bluesky and LinkedIn.Wide exposure brought delightful benefits. Winemakers around the world sent me samples to taste and write about. I got to interview and be interviewed by notables in the wine world. When I visited wineries, I got special treatment. I told many folks, this was one of the best writing gigs in my more than 50 years as a professional writer. And I could toast my good fortune with a high-quality bottle of wine the maker had begged me to receive for free.Much of this delicious adventure continues, but in 2025 one chapter closes. Local daily newspapers throughout the United States have entered hospice protocols. Gannett is doing its best to remain viable, but clearly denouement looms. At first, because of shrinking space, my wine column stopped running weekly and became episodic, especially in the non-Texas newspapers. Then in the Texas newspapers. Invoices went unpaid. When I queried editors about the situation, silence.In correspondence with Dave McIntyre, who ended his weekly wine column in The Washington Post this January after 16 years, I realized we faced similar pressures in a changing newspaper environment. “Despite our efforts to spread the appeal of wine, a wine column is aimed at a niche audience,” he wrote, “while newspapers increasingly grade the success of an individual article on the number of readers who click on it.”This is not a valedictory column. I enjoy writing about wine and reviewing wine and do not intend to stop. I just face the reality that newspapers no longer are one of the vehicles to reach readers.In some ways, I celebrate new freedom. I no longer am subject to the tyranny of a 450-word count. I no longer am confined to a once-a-week schedule. That likely does not mean fewer columns/posts, likely more, but not always on Wednesday.To the newspapers that carried my column for most of the past 17 years, thank you. It has been a joy of my life. To all my readers/followers, this is not goodbye. See you on the internet.Links to where to continue to find Gus Clemens on Wine are below.Last roundAncient Egyptian architect: “Do you know how to build a pyramid?”Ancient Egyptian builder: “Well, yeah, up to a point.”Wine time.Links:Gus Clemens on Wine websiteGus Clemens on Wine FacebookGus Clemens on Wine Twitter/XGus Clemens on Wine BlueskyGus Clemens on Wine Vocal (long form )Email: wine@cwadv.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWe know wine is magnificent paired with food, enhancing qualities of both. Wine and food also can be a welcomed pairing when dealing with the vicissitudes or triumphs of life. Examples:• Emotionally wrought day with friends or family. Pair movie theatre popcorn and a bottle of buttery chardonnay and a stupid comedy movie.• Signal success at work or in your family life after overcoming obstacles. Pair a bottle of expensive Champagne, a tin of caviar, or—if you are not into salty fish eggs—white chocolate truffles and the movie The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.• Mind-numbing day dealing with mundane, pedestrian issues. Pair a bottle of quality pinot noir from the Willamette Valley, camembert or gruyère cheese, and an intellectually challenging documentary from the BBC.• A foolish argument with your loved one, followed by an embarrassing resolution. Pair a bottle of premier merlot, gourmet burgers, salty french fries, and the movie Sideways.• A gritty, muscle-aching day of physical labor you want to forget, even though there is some pride you survived. Pair a high-alcohol California zinfandel from Lodi and the movie Rocky.• A difficult day writing programming or fathoming spread sheets fellow workers could not comprehend or sorting out gibberish in a note from your boss or a client. Open a bottle of dry gewürztraminer or pouilly fuisse because you like the white wine and you know how to correctly pronounce the name, pair with honey-glazed, smoked salmon and the movie A Beautiful Mind.• An outdoor meal with a swaggering braggadocio who will tell you repeatedly how much the Kobe beef he is grilling cost and how lucky you are to have been invited to share a slice. Pair with the movie The Wolf of Wall Street and a quality Portuguese red costing less than $20—many exist—but do not mention the cost until he praises the pairing.• A lovely warm day with gentle winds, beautiful clouds, the faint smell of rain, all shared with a loved one. Pair light fare, a spring salad with fruit slices, a circle of brie, a dry Provence rose, and whatever sappy movie she wants to watch on The Hallmark Channel. See what happens. Trust me on this.Tasting notes• Markham Vineyards Merlot Little Cannon Vineyard, Napa Valley 2021: plush, elegant merlot from exceptional Oak Knoll vintage. Vivid aromatics, soft tannins and acidity check all the boxes for marvelous. $67 Link to my review• Champagne Ayala A/18 Le Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut 2018: sleek, superb, pure chardonnay, vintage-dated effort, something of a rarity in Champagne. Excellent fruit. $85-130 Link to my reviewLast roundAutocorrect is my wurst enema. Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnAs May flowers fade, the more stern months of summer saunter into our lives and our wine drinking regimen.Time to lay down big, bold reds and celebrate the buys of summer. Rosés. Lighter whites. Lighter reds, maybe chilled, maybe even with an ice cube floating in the glass. Wine punches like sangria come into play, so refreshing on a warm picnic, backyard soiree day.Stokesiren photoThis also can be the time for wines in a can. Perfect for sipping in a boat or by a pool where glass is déclassé or on a picnic or hike where you don’t want weight to slow your gait. After sailing or rowing or motoring or splashing or trekking to a scenic rendezvous, sipping on a light, refreshing Bacchus elixir can become part of a long-relished memory.This also is a time for wines typically not considered for summer. Sherry, for instance. In Spain—where true sherry is made—there is a long-standing tradition of summer sherry. Consider sherry with ice, a splash of citrusy soda, and a fresh mint leaf. In the lower Adulucía, they mix sherry with well-chilled carbonated water and a mint leaf. Use the lighter sherry styles—fino and manzanilla.Red wines can be served very well chilled or on ice to beat the heat. Gamay and pinot noir, light red wines, are the most appropriate candidates. Pour inexpensive stuff. Use a large ice cube—like you would do with bourbon. Alternatively, chill the wine in your refrigerator (usually 35º F).Easy peasy warm weather wines (all served well chilled): rosés, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, un-oaked chardonnay, albariño, vinho verde, assyrtiko, dry riesling, gewürtztraminer, verdejo, vermentino, grüner veltliner.The best summer wines combine brisk, refreshing acidity with regional flavors. But it must be acknowledged we are privileged to live in an era when summer heat can be relegated to a passing nuisance. If you must, crank down the AC, dig in to your fatty beefsteak and massive Napa cab. As long as you are discreet, no one will shame your for it.Tasting notes• Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Aveta Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley 2023: Distictive interpretation of sauv blanc from famous, quality maker in a stellar vintage in Napa. $30-38 Link to my review• Three Sticks Casteñada Rosé, Sonoma 2023: Polished, demure, elegant; fresh, fruity; polite tannins, refreshing acidity, and complexity justify its premium rosé status. It is the highest priced rosé made in Sonoma. $45-55 Link to my reviewLast roundI am through with Amazon. I ordered grain for my chickens. Then, after I got it, they sent me an email asking for my feedback. Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnCava is Spanish sparkling wine made using the traditional method developed in Champagne, right?Not so simple. In 1872, Spain’s first méthode champenoise sparkling wine was made in the Penedès region of Catalonia, the steadfastly independent northeastern area of Spain with Barcelona as its capitol.France insists traditional method sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it is made in Champagne. So Spaniards came up with “Cava” and establishing the Cava Denominación de Origen (DO). Although not a strict cava requirement, the Spanish grapes xarel-lo, madabeo, and parellada were the predominant grapes, in the same way chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier are primary grapes in Champagne.Keith Williamson photoCava holds a middle-niche in the sparkling world. French Champagne is the aristocratic pour, almost always costing $50 or a lot more. Italian prosecco is everyman’s sparkling, made using a tank method that keeps prices in the $9-18 range. Cava hits the price point between, $15-35.Spain had a winning hand. Makers could argue they matched Champagne quality at half the price, while being more sophisticated than prosecco. Spanish makers made impressive manufacturing modernizations that reduced labor costs without sacrificing quality. Production soared to 250 million bottles, led by mega-producers Freixenet and Codorníu.So far, so good, except cava production spread throughout Spain. While the Penedès region remained the heart and soul of cava, starting in the 1990s the cava brand stopped identifying Penedès sparkling and became a generic term for Spanish sparkling. Cava stood for a Spanish production method rather than a specific terroir.The Penedès region struck back. In 2012, makers established a distinctive wine category—Classic Penedès—to celebrate and proudly identify the Catalan winemaking identity. Classic Penedès requires wines to be organic and estate-bottled. Each bottle must be vintage-dated, include the disgorgement date. They must age for at least 15 months. Oh, and it has to be produced in Catalonia’s Penedès region.In 2017, the requirements were formalized with the creation of the Corpinnat collective. The name etymologically means “born in the heart of Penedès.” A Corpinnat spokesperson explains: “We’re spreading the message that our place makes the wine, not just the method. Corpinnat emphasizes location over production technique.”Fastidious care of the land is part of the deal. In 2025, Penedès will become the world’s first wine region to become 100% organic.Spanish cava is a delicious value. But if you want the highest quality—a quality that rivals Champagne at much less the price—look for wines with Corpinnat on the label.Last roundHow much do rainbows weigh? Not much. They’re actually pretty light. Wine time.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you readingEmail: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnThe wine industry faces the first headwinds it has faced in half a century. Inevitably things get snippy in the previously collegial competition among makers.When the rising wine tide raised all boats, generosity and altruism were easy. Comity expected. Neighbor-helping-neighbor commonplace. Now sales are in decline. Competition thins the herd. Makers search for an edge, sharp elbows replace pats on the back.Texas is an example. From the state’s humble wine beginning in the 1970s until the 21st century, Texas was the gangly youngster learning how to walk. Its wineries had modest production. Texans bought almost all of it. Texas was a beer and whiskey and Tex Mex and fat, juicy steaks place. Not really wine-centric country. No need for others to play in that sandbox.Nothing stays the same. Texas population boomed, overtaking New York as the second-most populated state in the U.S. in 1994. Texas has four of the largest population cities: Houston #4; San Antonio #7, Dallas #9, Austin #11. There is a charming old German Hill Country town easily accessible for all of them—just over an hour from San Antonio and Austin.Fredericksburg, Texas (Larry D. Moore photo)Fredericksburg became the center of the Texas wine industry. Texans grew grapes on the High Plains in West Texas, but put their tasting rooms and wineries in and around Fredericksburg. They had a highway—US 290 that mirrors Napa’s SR 29. Today, the Texas Hill Country AVA around Fredericksburg is the second-most visited AVA in the U.S., trailing only Napa. Meanwhile, Texas winemakers hit their stride. The state has a vast wine vine growing region in the west with high altitude (3,000 to 4,000 elevations), significant diurnal shifts, sandy soil that vexes phylloxera aphids, brisk dry winds that thwart powdery mildew, water from the Ogallala Aquifer, and plenty of money to invest in lifestyle businesses.As a result, Texas now ranks fifth in U.S. wine production. The state is far behind the big four—California, Washington, New York, Oregon—but the state has the wine market’s attention.In 2024, Halter Ranch, a Paso Robles winery, opened a tasting room in Fredericksburg and planted an organic vineyard nearby. Needless to say, some Texas winemakers who sweated through decades of learning what works in Texas and building a market in Texas while skeptics laughed at their efforts were not ecstatic.With challenging times comes challenging competition. Texans strived to run with the big dogs. Now they are. Watch this space.Last roundWhen you apply insect repellent, do you realize you put on Off and you put Off on? Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. No matter how you subscribe, I appreciate you reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnMother’s Day easily can be promoted as “Buy Mom Some Wine Day.” There is the cliché joke: “buy mom wine because you are the reason she drinks.” But there is a less jejune reason to do the right thing—moms who enjoy alcohol drinks overwhelmingly prefer wine over spirits and beer.According to polls over several years, women make up some 60% of wine buyers. Gallup in 2021 reported women choose wine 49% over liquor 26% and beer 23%. Multiple surveys show women are the dominant consumer group in wine sales.So, if part of your Mother’s Day strategy is gifting her an alcoholic drink—accompanied by flowers, candy, cards, and obsequious fawning—then your safe choice is wine. Especially the wine she likes to drink. And if you do not know what wine that is, you have work to do.According to a superfluity of surveys, the “little woman’s” favorite is not automatically insipid white zinfandel or cloyingly sweet plonk or vanishingly ephemeral rosé. Moms like wines. Bold reds paired with the fat-dripping grilled steak she cooked for you. Mineral and saline whites from Santorini with the Mediterranean white fish she serves on special occasions. An etherial Willamette Valley pinot noir with the turkey she baked for your Thanksgiving feast. Nothing wrong with white zin, but that decidedly is not the momma whole story.In short, there is no timid stereotype female wine drinker. According to a cascade of scientific studies, women are gifted with more sophisticated and discriminating tasting resources on their tongues than men. Mom gets it that wine is a wonderful and appropriate companion to a meal. Especially one with the family where she was the lead character in the creation. Next Sunday, act accordingly if she is your mom or you are the reason she is a mom.Tasting notes:• Lake Sonoma Winery Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2019: Stays true to soft, round, easy drinking Lake Sonoma style. $25-29 Link to my review• Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2022: Outstanding, subtle richness, wonderful fruit, respectful, restrained winemaking. Creamy mouthfeel. $35-48 Link to my review• Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2020: Serene tannins, solid backbone of acidity frames impressive medley of dark fruits. $36-45 Link to my review• Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon 2020: Easy going, easily slurpable, eager-to-please wine from Dundee Hills pioneering winery. $44 Link to my review• Goldeneye Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley 2022: Superb cooler climate effort. Enchanting finish. Benchmark New World pinot noir. $45-62 Link to my reviewLast roundGod promised men they could find women who were good and obedient in all the corners of Earth. Then God made the Earth round. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires.Gus Clemens on Wine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnWine has been a staple of food and culture for 8,000 years. It is not going away. But the wine industry’s exhilarating days of the past 50 years are fading. Let’s explore.Gino Colangelo is the founder of Colangelo & Partners, a leading PR force in the wine, food, and spirits industry worldwide. I asked him about the state of the wine world today.Gino ColangeloWhat are the biggest threats to the wine world?Gino: “Depends on the day of the week. Tariffs are looming. Economic uncertainty is certainly an issue. But I still see the anti-alcohol movement as the biggest existential threat. If a 25-year old today decides that health risk starts at one glass of wine/day, what does that do to the lifetime consumption of that person? We need to fight back hard against the misinformation and propaganda surrounding wine and health. That’s why I started, together with esteemed wine writer Karen MacNeil and wine PR pro Kimberly Charles, two wine advocacy campaigns: Come Over October ( Link ) and Share & Pair Sundays ( Link ). Both campaigns will be annual. Creating a positive narrative around wine will take years.”Your wine elevator pitch?Gino: “Wine has a unique ability to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together. Wine is social, cultural, historical and sustainable. Wine is good economics for rural populations—farmers —around the world. And, ultimately, wine is food. It belongs on the dinner table.”Wine pricing?Gino: “I think there will always be a place for sub-$10 wine but Americans are appreciating better wines—which is a good thing. Most of our clients are at $15-$25. That seems to be a strong part of the market. There is a lot of trading down now from $50+, for example, among large segments of the wine drinking population. Besides, there’s a world of very good and interesting wines at $15.”Wine trends?Gino: “I think rosé is trending down. Low/no-alcohol is certainly trending though there’s much work to be done on the quality/taste front. Thousands of vineyard acres are being ripped up in California. I think this is an inevitable correction in the supply of wine grapes. ‘Natural wine’ continues to trend among some demographics—though I still haven’t heard a clear definition of the category. Movement away from 15 percent+ wines to more restrained styles is a positive trend, I would say. Also, interest in indigenous varieties, whether that's Saperavi from Georgia or Nero d’Avola from Sicily is still trending.”Last roundLet’s eat kids. Let’s eat, kids. Commas are important. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe

This is the weekly columnAnswers to common wine questions:• What is the difference between my home refrigerator and a wine refrigerator?Your home frig’s internal temperature is around 35 degrees, while a wine frig is between 50 and 60. Your home frig is designed to extract humidity, a potential danger to wine corks. A wine frig strives to have a cork-friendly 45-60 percent humidity. Your home frig likely uses a compressor that causes vibration. A wine frig likely uses a thermoelectric cooling system without moving parts, thus no vibration. A constant temperature between 50-60 degrees, a humidity of 45-60 percent, and no vibration is the ideal way to store wine. Your home refrigerator or a cool, dark closet will work to store wine, but a dedicated wine frig is the ideal way to go.• What affects the sensation of “body” in a wine?Wine is described as light, medium, and full. Milk provides an easy comparison. Skim milk is light body, whole milk is medium body, and cream is full body. Higher alcohol typically results in fuller-bodied wine. Higher tannins, residual sugar, glycerol, and polysaccharides (from yeast and grape cells) contribute to fuller bodies wines with richer texture. The grape variety also influences the sensation of weight and body.• Can I ask for a taste before I order wine by the glass in a restaurant?Depends on the restaurant. Some restaurants will offer a very small taste, but offering a taste usually is to determine if the wine is off or flawed, not to give you a chance to see if you like it. BTW, if you plan on drinking two or more glasses of the wine, it usually is cheaper to buy the whole bottle. If you do not finish the bottle, you typically can take the corked bottle home, often covered in a bag. Put the partially consumed bottle in the trunk when driving.• Is there a difference between table grapes and wine grapes?Absolutely. If you taste a wine grape, it is much sweeter, juicier, and softer than a table grape. Wine grapes also have thicker, chewier skins, and prominent seeds. Table grapes usually are bigger, more crispy and more crunchy. Table grapes have thinner skins and smaller seeds or no seeds at all. Table grapes are picked sooner to capture the acidity and freshness—and to allow for travel and handling before sale and eating. Wine grapes are picked later to achieve ripeness and juiciness. They begin processing the grapes in the winery within hours of their harvest.Last roundWhat do you call a lazy kangaroo? A pouch potato. Wine time.Email: wine@cwadv.comNewsletter: gusclemens.substack.comWebsite: Gus Clemens on Wine websiteFacebook: facebook.com/GusClemensOnWine/posts/Twitter (X): @gusclemensBluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gusclemensonwine.bsky.social .Long form wine stories on Vocal: Gus Clemens on VocalApple podcasts https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=apple+podcasts+gus+clemens+apple+p…&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8.Linkedin: Gus Clemens on WineLinks worth exploringDiary of a Serial Hostess Ins and outs of entertaining; witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane.As We Eat Multi-platform storytelling explores how food connects, defines, inspires. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gusclemens.substack.com/subscribe