One Love

Cider and wine with more in common than you'd expect

We don’t usually drink hard cider at the same meal where we're drinking red wine. But Troy Cider warrants an exception. Last fall, Troy Carter, newly in business as a...

Springtime Sparklers

Unconventional grapes for a classic style of wine

Don’t tell Champagne we let you in on this secret: Sparking wine does not need to be made with the trifecta of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. Using varietals...

Three's Company

The guiding palates at Russian Hill's Et Al.

When Ceri Smith opened her Russian Hill wineshop, Biondivino, in 2006, she stocked it with a point of view, focusing on the unusual Italian wines she favored. Amaryll Schwertner...

In Search of Lost Grapes

A Valdiguié by any other name tastes as refreshing

Lighter red wines pair with all of summer’s perks: barbecue, fresh vegetables and pool- or riverside drinking. The best typically come from France or Italy. Then...

Summer Lovin'

An Austrian-style Riesling grown in the military's flight path

The noble grape Riesling has never received so much exposure, with the Summer of Riesling in full swing in restaurants and wineshops around the Bay Area. One of our favorite...

Half-Life

A wine list for commitment-phobes

Attention sommeliers: Wine guru David Lynch is judging you. Well, if not you, then your by-the-glass list. For Lynch, BTG is the “true measure of a wine program,” more...