Wine Basics
Best Wine for Beginners: Easy Styles and Where to Start
Start with fruity, gentle styles: Moscato, off-dry Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir and Malbec. Here is why they work, bottles to try and how to explore.
6 min read
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Wine Basics
Wine basics in plain English: how wine is made, how to store and serve it, how long it lasts once opened, and what is wrong when a wine tastes sour, smells off or turns brown.
Wine Basics
Brut vs Extra Dry: Which Sparkling Wine Is Sweeter?
Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut: 12 to 17 grams of sugar per liter against under 12. Here is the full sweetness scale and when to choose each style.
5 min read
Wine Basics
Can You Bring Wine on a Plane? TSA, FAA and Customs Rules
Yes, in checked bags with no TSA limit for table wine. Carry-ons allow only 3.4 oz. Here are the TSA, FAA and US customs rules, plus how to pack bottles.
7 min read
Wine Basics
Corkage Fee: What It Costs and How to BYOB Politely
A corkage fee is what a restaurant charges to open a bottle you bring. Here is what publications report it costs, how the rules vary and BYOB etiquette.
7 min read
Wine Basics
History of Wine: From Neolithic Jars to Today
Wine is at least 8,000 years old. Here is its history, from Neolithic jars in Georgia and Iran to Egypt, Greece, Rome, the monasteries and the New World.
10 min read
Wine Basics
How Are Corks Made? From Cork Oak Bark to Bottle
Wine corks are cut from the bark of the cork oak, stripped by hand every nine years. Here is how corks are made, the main cork types and how they compare.
7 min read
Wine Basics
Is Wine Gluten Free? Grapes, Labels and Exceptions
Wine made from grapes contains no gluten ingredients, and TTB lets it say gluten-free. The exceptions are flavored wines and malt-based wine coolers.
5 min read
Wine Basics
Low Acid Wine: Softer Grapes, pH and How to Find Them
All wine is acidic, but some is softer. Here is what pH and TA mean, the lower-acid white and red grapes, and how warm climates and winemaking lower acidity.
6 min read
Wine Basics
Low Alcohol Wine: Light Styles and What the Label Means
Moscato d'Asti, German Kabinett and Vinho Verde are naturally light. The lowest-alcohol wine styles, their ABVs, and how US labels work under 7%.
6 min read
Wine Basics
Low Sugar Wine: Driest Styles and How to Read the Label
Most dry wine has very little sugar. Here is what residual sugar means, the driest styles, the label words to look for, and USDA sugar figures per glass.
6 min read
Wine Basics
Malolactic Fermentation: What It Is and Why It Matters
Malolactic fermentation turns sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid. Here is how it works, where buttery Chardonnay comes from and which wines skip it.
7 min read
Wine Basics
Oxidized Wine: Why Wine Turns Brown and How to Tell
Oxidized wine has taken in too much air: it turns brownish and tastes flat and nutty. Here is why it happens, how to tell, and when it is on purpose.
7 min read