It's a white wine, but it's a red(ish) grape. 

What's going on here? 

Pinot gris, sometimes called the 'grey grape' is pressed lightly and not fermented on it's greyish purple skins. 'Gris' actually means grey in French. In Italy, the grape is known as Pinot grigio and a different style is produced with the same grape. 

The French style, Pinot gris, is one where the wine is full-bodied with powerful flavors. This somewhat creamier style is a result of lees contact, or dead yeast cells staying in contact with the wine. Over time, this gives the wine its richer and more nuanced flavors. 

The Italian style, most prevalent in Italy's northern foothills, is a crisp, lean and often citrusty white that does not experience contact with the lees after fermentation. 

Pair these wines with white meats, such as poultry and fish. Poultry spices and earthy vegetables are also excellent companions. 

Further discussion of the major styles of Pinot gris: ​http://winefolly.com/review/3-types-pinot-grigio/

Gris vs. grigio: http://winefolly.com/review/whats-the-difference-between-pinot-gris-and-pinot-grigio/

Here's another cheap and versatile sparkler. Cava hails from Spain and the vast majority of it from Catalonia. Bottles of Cava can be found for prices well under $10 up to much pricier vintages. 

Generally, this is a white sparkler, but it can also be rose. The wine is produced in the same manner as traditional champagne. 

Just try this one. It's high acid and bubbles make it a very affordable partner to almost any meal. 

Here's a bit more on Cava from beloved Wine Folly: ​http://winefolly.com/review/what-is-cava/

Mulled wine is a fall and winter holiday tradition that also packages itself well into November tailgates and dinner parties. There are hundreds of variations of this on the internet, but here's mine. It results in a fairly sweet wine that's rich enough to impress those who normally wouldn't drink sweeter styles. 

1.5 Liter of Chianti 
1 bottle fruity style Pinot Noir 
1 bottle of late-harvest Riesling 
(perhaps a few shots of vodka if you're concerned about evaporated alcohol) 

Pour wine into large mixing pot. Add 1/2 cup of raw unfiltered honey, 5 bay leaves, a sprig of rosemary, five cinnamon STICKS, partially crushed nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon imitation vanilla, 1 oz. fresh ginger. Stir until honey is melted and steam begins to rise. DO NOT BOIL! AVOID ground ingredients, as they create a sediment that looks disturbingly like vomit. 

While you're prepping your container, chop an apple and slice an orange across the middle to float on top. Remove the bay leaves so you don't slice anyone's insides open. Remove rosemary. Prep a concentrated brew of at least three Chai tea bags to give this one a final kick. It's the magic ingredient here. 

Should you feel basic and want to include Starbucks, a 20 oz. size of the Oprah Chai with two extra tea bags will suffice. Ask for six pumps of the Chai concentrate and NO MILK. 

I find that the best place to keep mulled wine after it's been heated is in a Gatorade-style water cooler. It's insulated enough to keep it warm for long periods and also portable. Pair this one with an outdoor drinking occasion, if only because it steams and looks festive while doubling as a hand warmer. 

Here's an episode of Champagne come to play in Michigan. I sampled this at the winery this past Friday and I must say it was one of the best sparklers I've had from Michigan. 

On the nose, this one has toasted oats and nuts, a flavor profile created from letting the wine sit on dead yeast cells in the bottle for two years. It sounds disgusting, but aging en tirage, as it's called, creates a much richer tasting wine. The fruits were mellow baked apple and pear and a hint of lemon pound cake. The palate has a medium body with crisp acidity courtesy of the Chardonnay, orchard fruit and nutty notes. It's delectable. 

Pair this with just about anything. The beauty of a sparkler is it's versatility. Sit back and enjoy this one with friends, perhaps those who don't always get to partake in the perks of the Land of the Hand. 

Cabernet Franc, that is. Pronounced Cab-er-nay Fru-nc. I'm very sorry, but there is no wine called Cabernet Frank. Should you ask for Cabernet Frank, I may assume you've been over-served and not bring you anything but water. 

Cabernet Franc is another grape I'm warming up to as time goes on. The last year Michigan saw a healthy harvest of Cabernet Franc was 2013, as it sustained significant winter kill the last two years. 

2 Lads once again comes up with a bold red with finesse in its 2013 Cabernet Franc. The nose on this one is fairly complex; ripe sweet cherry, cranberry, and dried roses dominate, but the oak aging leaves traces of vanilla and baking spices such as clove as well. Twelve months in oak give this one some structure, but the tannins are far from punishing. On the palate, there's the same cherry and cranberry, but the long and mellow finish of vanilla gives way to a candied strawberry. It's great stuff. Drink before 2019. 

Pair it with someone who likes reds as a Christmas gift, roasted meats, and perhaps 

Complied with help from the winery's specifics sheet. 

Gewurztraminer. It's not the thing people usually pick off the shelf unless they've tried it previously because that name is just a bit intimidating. But Gewurztraminer is worth a try. Gewurz means 'spice' in German, and notes of allspice to ginger and white pepper can be a unique characteristic of this wine. 

One of my favorite one from Northern Michigan comes from the Leelanau Peninsula. It's produced by Shady Lane Cellars. The bottle I sampled was from the 2013 vintage. 

The Shady Lane Gewurz was fairly typical of what you'd see in New World wines from this varietal. Gewurz has lost a bit of it's mojo after sweet and fruity wines fell out of fashion, as this is a wine that usually contains a few grams of residual sugar and has low acidity. Styles from places like the Alsace in France produce critically acclaimed wines, but most from the New World are far less focused. 

With that said, I'm going to be biased and talk about how much I like Michigan wine. 

Shady Lane's Gewurz from 2013 was definitely fruit-driven. On the nose, there was tangerine, orange peel, lychee, allspice, and a flinty smelling minerality. The palate was richer and more full-bodied than I expected, with a mellow and typical low acid finish. 

Since it is a wine with low acid, it can offer unique pairings. The low acid and small amount of residual sugar mean it can stand up to spicy Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and  Asian foods. Serve it as cool, just over 40 degrees. 

​Here's a look at Wine Folly's Gewurz page: http://winefolly.com/review/gewurztraminer-wine-guide/

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It should come as no surprise that I LOVE sparkling wines. Today is a quick review of another. It's actually one of the oldest sparklers made in France, producing its product, then considered quirky, a full century before Champagne became noted for bubbles. 

St. Hilaire is from the south of France, near a village named Limoux. It's considered to be among the quality of non-vintage champagne, and it costs a mere $13-16. Try it and be amazed. In my mind, the best sparkler at this price point that I've yet found. 

There are toasty aromas with that slight nutty nose you get with older sparklers. Dried fig and lavender are also present. Citrusy on the palate, medium body, and a crisp acidity to the finish. 

Just for fun, pour it to a snob who's in love with champagne and make them guess what producer it is. When they start grasping at straws, let them know it's from Languedoc and take a picture of thier face. 

And drink things that are that way, too! It's more a wine for a hot summer day, but Portuguese vinho verde is a delicious and effervescent white wine (and sometimes rose) that can be a simple quaffing wine to something decidedly good - and it's rarely more than $10 a bottle. If I'm going to make sparkling wine cocktails, this is usually the wine I'll choose. The region has, since 1999, allowed for the production of sparkling wines as well. 

Vinho verde means 'green wine,' and the bright and crisp acidity assure the drinker of that. Interestingly, this wine can pair well with more vegetal things like salad greens and still work. It goes hand in hand with fresh summer produce. 

In sharp contrast to what you'll find in many noted wine regions, many Portuguese wines are made from native grapes that are not the vitis vinifera species we go had over heels for. 

The white vinho verde I tried was a 2014 Famega. Should you want to try this wine, don't be too picky about matching the producer, since there are so many small wineries in this region. Instead, choose by price. You can find a good one from $8-12. 

Anyhow, this one had medium aromatics of underripe citrus, melon skin, wet chalk and green apples. On the palate, it was dry, light, and had flavors of white peach and orange. 

The best pairings for this are likely hard to find in mid-December. Pair it with your New Year's health kick and bring it out to work with all the green stuff you're likely to be eating. Also, feel less guilty since the low alcohol makes it somehow healthier. When midsummer and pool time rolls around, don't forget this under-appreciated sipper. 

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No, I'm not talking about bloodthirsty and land-lusting imperialists in the early Americas. 'Wild white' is the literal translation of Sauvignon Blanc. With the type of intense acidity that usually accompanies this grape, it's a fitting name. 

Today I chose to taste a Sauv Blanc that's typical of Napa Valley. The 2014 Fransiscan Estate Sauvignon Blanc was another bottle out of my comfort zone, again suggested by the folks at Vine & Brew. In the past, I haven't loved this grape, but after this bottle I'm ready to explore more. 

The wine shines a very pale straw hue. On the nose, you'll find high aromatics of grapefruit, lemongrass, elderberry, tangerine and lime dominating. There's also a minerality here that's a tad reminiscent of some French styles without oak aging. This is definitely a New World wine, as fruit drives the bus both in the glass and on the palate. The palate screams grapefruit and under ripe peach with a long finish. 

Although I enjoyed it immensely, this is one of those wines that's hard to drink by itself. I whipped up some pasta and covered it in olive oil and cream cheese and basil topped with Parmesan. The acidity present allows it to cut through both the basil and the fats. 

Pair this one with a vegetarian friend (Sauvignon Blanc can stand up to vegetables in fatty dishes), seafoods, fatty white sauces, and white meat.