by Dina Given | Feb 10, 2025 | Wine Education, Wine Recommendations
What goes into the price of a bottle of wine? The short answer is, a lot! However, does that mean a more expensive bottle is always a better wine? The short answer is, it depends. Let’s break down how wine pricing is determined. Terroir Terroir is usually defined as...
by Dina Given | Sep 26, 2022 | Wine Education, Wine Recommendations
The first time someone asked me at one of my wine tasting events why blends were lower quality than single varietal wines, I was taken by surprise. It never occurred to me at the time that this perception even existed. After all, some of my favorite wines, and some of...
by Dina Given | Sep 25, 2022 | Wine Education, Wine Recommendations
At times you will see a wine label boasting the term, “Old Vines” or in France, “vieilles vignes”. It promptly begs a number of questions: How old is “old”? Does it mean the wine is better quality because the vines are old? What...
by Dina Given | Sep 18, 2022 | Grape Varieties, Wine Education, Wine Recommendations
Walla Walla, WA and Napa Valley, CA are separated by 750 miles, a completely different climate and a resulting distinctly different wine style. I find that Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla sits somewhere between Napa and Bordeaux in style. Washington State may...
by Dina Given | Sep 18, 2022 | Wine Education
Have a wine question? Send me an email! What are Wine Legs? Wine Legs, also called Wine Tears, are a fun quality to observe in your wine glass, but what do they really tell you? Legs are those droplets that slide down the inside of your glass after you swirl your...
by Dina Given | Sep 12, 2022 | Grape Varieties, Wine Education, Wine Recommendations
When I took my wine exam this past May, I was required to complete a blind tasting of 12 wines organized into four flights of three wines each. The goal of the first flight is to identify the common grape variety. I thought I had it in the bag, until I reached the...
