Relatable and valuable pieces shared by wine students, industry professionals, and enthusiasts!
The Virginia Wine Tasting Guide
Virginia is a hot wine region right now. It’s a top ten region in both consumption and production, and the state is starting to get more respect from winemakers in top regions like California and Oregon. This is a result of the work that Virginia is doing to...
All You Need To Know About Washington Wine Country
When you picture Washington State, do you imagine rolling desert hilltops lined with vineyards and bountiful sunlight? Probably not. Most of us picture Washington as the gloomy, grey-skied Seattle. But just three hours east of those grey skies is an entirely different...
What is Biodynamic Wine? Your Questions Answered
Let’s be real. On the surface, biodynamic wine is a bit of a woo science, where moon cycles determine watering days and cow horns are planted between vineyards to improve the soil. There’s no doubt biodynamic farming is deeply spiritual, but it’s also rooted in...
Oxidation: From Flaw to Fabulous
Oxidation is a touchy subject in the wine world. It dances between being a flaw and a highly-pursued trait of many fine wines. For a wine to be oxidized, it must be exposed to oxygen, either accidentally or intentionally. First note, there’s a big difference between...
The Distinctive Wines of Alsace: French Terroir and German Legacy
Alsace hardly falls in line with the other French wine making regions, from the grape varieties planted, to the styles of wine produced, down to the bottles used. Considering its location, Alsace falls on the northeastern part of France on the...
All You Need To Know About Rioja: A Regional Guide
Did you know Spain is the world’s 3rd largest producer of wine? Or that Spain has the greatest amount of land dedicated to growing wine worldwide? Most of the credit goes to Spain’s fine wine capital, La Rioja. Known for making exceptional Tempranillos, you may be...
5 Top Tips for the CSW Exam
by Sedale McCall
A Quick Guide to Oak Barrels
(and how they affect wine) For almost as long as there’s been wine, it has been stored in oak barrels. Barrels were used initially because they were easy to transport, yet sturdy and durable. It wasn’t until they were well integrated with winemaking that we realized...
3 Ways the French Wine Scholar Program is Different from WSET3
Both a different level of detail and lots of time spent studying, here are 3 ways these popular exams differ!
6 of the most questionable words in wine
Disagreeable. Dubious… I toyed with the right word to use here. I read these words in headlines for wine articles week after week after week after week …so I thought I’d share them and get your take!
Finger Lakes Wine + the Riesling Camp Experience
An immersive look into the region and the Riesling!
The Story of Malbec, Carménère, and Tannat
In the mid-19th century, Malbec, Carménère, and Tannat left their homeland in France heading to South America - future unknown. Just like most immigrants, armed only by their abilities and potential, these grapes have adapted and prospered in their new homes. Malbec...
Core Contributors
Oliva Abramson
Olivia is a Washington-based freelance writer with a Level 2 Award in wines from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. She has a passion for all things food, wine, and travel, though her heart belongs to the Pacific Northwest. When she’s not sipping on a glass of Washington Cab., she’s usually bikepacking, crocheting, or chillin’ in the sun with her dog Tater.
Rana Masri
Rana is a certified WSET3 and French Wine Scholar. She is a forever student with a passion for wine stories and converting wine drinkers to enthusiasts following their own wine journeys. Rana comes from the ancient land of wine Lebanon and currently lives in Dubai with her other two passions, her kids.
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