Through The Grapevine
Through The Grapevine is Master Wines’ online blog. We use this blog to share company updates, family stories, and relevant news in the wine world that we think you might like. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing it!
Provence – Le Charmel Rose, 2019
Mel and I have 50% of our hearts still in Provence. It is impossible to be stressed there.
Thanksgiving Alternatives
If, like us, you have had occasion to spend Thanksgiving by yourselves why take on the turkey at all? Vegetarians don’t. What about duck? What about vegetarians?
Houston
Doesn’t everyone want to be in Houston in July?!!! For us, the whole point of going to Houston IN JULY was to taste our Le Charmel, Tiamo and Tortoise Creek wines with our Texas importer, Pioneer Wine.
Harry Cipriani Finger Sandwiches
Today Harry’s Bar is famous the world over with outposts in New York and Buenos Aires. The restaurant invented the world-famous Bellini cocktail which is a mixture of Prosecco sparkling wine and pureed fresh peaches.
California Trip 2018
We had immense local asparagus spears with shaved pieces of Parmesan and I immediately knew I’d arrived in heaven.
Burgundy
With apologies to the great poet, John Masefield, I just want to tell you about a trip Mel and I took last month to Burgundy.
Beef Ribs and Pinot
It’s the first blizzard of the year here just north of Boston. Memories of 9ft of snow a couple of years back come flooding unwanted into one’s brain.
Randall’s Frittata
As well as being a brilliant wine maker, Randall is a writer, a poet and a botanist, so he spent the morning on his stomach gazing into the stream.
Master Wines 2016 Year In Review
We'd like to take a moment to thank all of our friends and family for a wonderful 2016. We feel truly blessed to be able to share our love for wine, food, and life every year. We look forward to a happy and healthy 2017 for people around the world, and especially our...
British Thanksgiving “Lunch” in Provence
It is the only time in my life that I had three chefs with three Michelin stars each at one sitting. I don’t think I ever wish to do it again.
Costieres De Nimes and Le Charmel “vin du Vallée du Rhone”
by Melvyn Master Our wonderful Rhone Wine Le Charmel comes from the wine region of Costieres de Nimes which is the wine country north of the old Roman town of Nimes in the Southern Rhone Valley. This part of the Rhone is usually predominantly planted with the...
Pinot Noir – Difficult Grape, Great Wine
by Phillip Holland & Melvyn Master Most of us - whether our pocketbook allowed it or not - have gone down the rabbit hole of Pinot Noir at some point in our wine appreciation journey. While your first Pinot Noir may have been a simple, light, and fruity number...
French Edition of an American Tradition
While it is true that the Southern United States isn’t known for their wine regions, it is also true that the rural South and the French countryside have quite a bit in common: generous sunshine, agricultural communities, comfort food, and an appreciation for an...
Bordeaux
It's challenging to write “just a few words” about probably the most important wine region in the world! Many books have been written on this great wine and so - how to précis this into a few sentences? Well, just a few basics then! The history of Bordeaux wine spans...
Sustainable Farming
Our Tortoise Creek Chardonnay (read Janie's Grapevine post about Chardonnay and Asparagus), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel are from a certified sustainably farmed vineyard . But what does that mean? Sustainable farming is similar to organic farming but...
Asparagus & Chardonnay
Asparagus is such a true herald of spring. The spears of this fairy fern brave the last of the winter onslaught to bring us dreams of renewal. We love them hot, we love them cold. We dunk green stems in warm butter with a squeeze of lemon or in wickedly rich...
Spring Awakening
Artichokes used to be my favorite appetizer in Provence when we lived there. They were served in every restaurant quite simply with lovely thick mustardy vinaigrette.
Wine of the Month, February 2016 – Organic Tiamo Chianti D.O.C.G.
Chianti and Tuscany Chianti is amongst the greatest red wines in the world and is predominately made with the Sangiovese grape. Much like in neighboring France, wines in Italy are named according to their region of origin. As such, you will rarely see Sangiovese...
French Wine Trip – December 2015
by Janie Master Paris was half empty two weeks before Christmas. Mel and I couldn’t believe it. The cafes, however, were full of Parisians. So unbelievably sad to think that the Daesh (ISIS) terrorists who had killed 129 people and wounded 352 mostly young people...
New Wine Resolutions
New Wine Resolutions Every year, it’s the same old thing: Lose weight, get in shape, maybe save a buck or two - oh, and how about that interesting hobby that you never seem to really pursue? The initial high of hopes and dreams is inevitably followed by the low of...
Wine Of The Month, November 2015 – Tortoise Creek Merlot “The Revivalist”
Tortoise Creek Merlot "The Revivalist" The Tortoise Creek Merlot “The Revivalist” is a celebration of an Old World grape pumped up with New World enthusiasm. We source our “Little Blackbird” grapes from a beautifully maintained, sustainably farmed vineyard near Lodi,...
Wine of the Month, September 2015 – Tortoise Creek Pinot Noir “Mission Grove”
Our Pinot Noir sits in between its California cousins and French parents. Light in body like you’d find in France, but more of a fruit forward profile as is typical in the New World.
Wine of the Month, August 2015 – Le Charmel Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie A.O.C.
The Le Charmel Muscadet pays tribute to the traditional profile of the Loire valley’s Muscadet while also showcasing a more modern flavor focus.
Wine of the Month, July 2015 – Mont Gravet Cotes de Gascogne
Mont Gravet is a delicious white wine from the Gascony region of France. It is made of 100% Colombard – a grape you may not be too familiar with, but will surely enjoy. It is a fruit forward, citrus flavor driven wine that is designed with summer in mind, which is why we are featuring it for the month of July.