Rosé season cometh...

Ahhh Rosés, one of summers most food friendly wines. They go from the BBQ on down. Rosés are also considered by many as being too sweet and therefore...unacceptable.

While there are very few sweet still out there in the market. Believe it or not Rosés are actually dry wines. Their various color ranges, of course, come from the amount of time the juice spends in contact with the skins of their red grapes. Just about all red wine grapes can be made into Rosé or blush wines, as the American's prefer to call them. Today Malbec - Grenache - Gamay - Cinsault are just a few of the grapes producing some dry and satisfying Rosés.

Another good thought is that more areas that produce wine are now making Rosés. I mean from north to south and east to west, here in America alone you will find quite the variety. Australia is also producing them as well as Tuscany - Trentino Alto Adige - and Sardinia in Italy. So it goes in Spain in La Rioja. There will be much to be appreciated by wine lovers and wine adventurers.

Provence, Portugal, Loire Valley & Beaujolais regions are of course still the rule from which all these others will be judged. And let us never forget the grandest of all Rosés - Champagne.

Here is just a little trivia for some who do not already know. There are at least 15 Co-ops in the Beaujolais region who now produce "Beaujolais Nouveau Rosé". First introduced in 2006 at the request of the Japanese market. It was again released in 2007. Only 400,000 bottles have been made so far. (as per Decanter Magazine)

So, when the fresh spring air finally reaches your bones and you are ready to step out from the comforts of your winter wine doldrums, check out our great selections of Rosés at Grape Finds.

Super Bowl Wine?

We are again at Super Bowl time. This year's game will make or break a teams history and, according to the stats of the game, be the first time these two teams have ever faced off at the Super Bowl.

So get the menu planned, set the scene and lets talk wines for the foods, or at least some of them. There are as many foods for the game as people cooking.

Here's what Coach Clyde recommends for a winning team:

Pretzels - Chips - Popcorn & Dips = Sparkling Wines & Riesling

BBQ - Grilled Meats - Burgers & Garlic Bread = Cabernet, Malbec & Tempranillo

Potato Salad - Coleslaw - Bean Salad - Pasta Salad - Wedges & Other Salads = Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc & Viognier

Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes = Sauvignon Blanc & Riesling

Chili & other Spicy Foods = Tempranillo, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Chardonnay & Viognier

Subs and other Sandwiches = Merlot, Rhone, Gruner Veltliner & Pinot Grigio

So which ever you choose to cook remember to come and see us for other helpful advice for some items we may have missed.

Go Team!

Clyde knows wine!

Coming soon! Got a question about wine? Just ask Clyde or visit GrapeFinds.net.

Pair Food & Wine like a Pro!

Food and wine, wine and food, food wines-in the last few years, the art of the match has become such a hot topic that you might believe the relationship between wine and food had only recently been discovered! We’ll be sampling some savory treats and tasty pours to help you unravel the (not-so-mysterious) world of wine and food--and learn to pair like a pro.

Corkscrew Clyde's wine pairing tip...

Think of your wine as a condiment. Ketchup tastes great on top of a char-grilled burger but not so tasty on top of your Tuna Tar-Tar. Once you know what to expect from a wine made from a particular grape varietal, (light or full bodied, dry or sweet, tannic or not tannic) experiment how it will interact with food components (sweet, salty, savory).

Sign up for on of our upcoming Food & Wine Pairing classes and you will get the opportunity to learn some of our favorite pairings. Six courses of food paired with eight of Corkscrew Clyde's favorite picks will leave you utterly satisfied and prepared to pair like a pro.

Visit Corkscrew Clyde at Grape Finds, 700 Main St. (Big Y Plaza), Great Barrington, MA