Winemonger.com

Drink this With It — Moric Blaufränkisch Burgenland 2011 or rather, cook this to go along with it! In addition to 2011 being a marvelous year for all three native reds of Burgenland (remembering now that Blaufränkisch was sensational in ’09, but some how Sankt Laurent and Zweigelt managed to frequently be more expressive under the leaner conditions of 2010), 2011 also marks the first vintage that Roland Velich has been able to send ...

My mouth is still bitter when I think of the trip to the winery of Giobatta Vio in beautiful Liguria, Italy. The birthplace of pesto-- the land of artichoke. I think of the salted breezes and fresh seafood that comes with that scent, and the incredible bottles of Pigato, Vermentino and Rossese that were tasted. And of course, the meal: a five course feast featuring the wines and local bounty. And yes, ...

I'm pretty sure it's the Gothic writing on the bottle, or perhaps the dark spice in the wine, but Umathum reds are really THE wine to be opening on Halloween night.

As summer turns to fall, we like to cook "crossover" meals- we're not yet ready for stews and massive chops, but we want something cozier than a salad of summer vegetables. On our menu? This recipe for lamb meatballs and collard dolmades

With the weather finally cooling down, this recipe for pork medallions kicked up with figs and apple is just perfect... especially when paired up with a great Blaufrankisch.

Or, Winemongerer James Wright visits Hannes Schuster of the Rosi Schuster estate and tastes through his Saint Laurent and Zweigelt red wines...

Meet Saint Laurent, one in the Triad of Important Austrian Red Wine Grapes. “You have to be a little crazy to grow this varietal ” winemaker Birgit Braunstein once confessed to me, “but I believe the rewards merit the pain of it all.”

While occasionally profound, Zweigelt is so frequently delicious, and handles such a wide range of culinary demands, that one is amazed at its versatility. Try it with highfalutin’ Mexican cuisine, molé or adobo—take it to tandoori, pair it with panang—Zweigelt paints the very picture of panache…

Blaufränkisch likes easy weather and to be protected from the wind. It grows happily in a variety of soils, but will very easily convey their character all the way into bottle and beyond—can be “made” into wine that is light or hearty, with or without the influence of cooperage. We are just now learning how well Blaurfränkisch from Burgenland can age—and that growers who desist from heavy-handed wine-“making” often produce bottlings that are fully expressive while showing ...

This is what you want to be drinking this Halloween.