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3 Wines to Help You Through Post Avatar Depression

Well, it’s finally happened: 12 years after the release of the original, James Cameron’s beautifully realized sequel Avatar: The Way of Water is in theaters and on track to become one of the highest grossing movies of all time. It’s a cinematic event to be sure, lovingly crafted by Big Box Office Jim to make you feel for 3 hours like you are actually living in the gorgeous alien world of Pandora, swimming with whales and drinking weird blue Avatar wine. 

Unfortunately, you do not. The crushing realization that happens as you walk out of the theater, this dark knowledge that you will never swim with the mighty Tulkun nor fly between the narrows of the Ayram Alusing, is devastating and well documented. While PADS (Post Avatar Depression Syndrome) can be alleviated by going back to the movies, each visit to the home of the Na’vi will only worsen the symptoms. That’s where we come in. Here are the three best wines to help you forget the entrancing power of Avatar: The Way of Water

Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a white wine best served chilled. It’s great for drinking while at the beach or near a different body of water, and maybe if you drink enough of it you’ll be able to convince yourself that Earth’s normal, boring oceans and lakes are any bit as cool as the great reefs of the Metkayina Clan. They aren’t, obviously, but that’s what the chardonnay is for. A good Avatar wine if ever there was one.

Zinfandel

As reds go, a Zinfandel is exceptionally strong and rich. The hope here is that when you drink it, it’s earthy tones and high alcohol content will act like a splash of cold water or a cup of coffee, shocking the system into the present moment and leaving the stunning world of Pandora behind. You are earthbound, Zinfandel will say to you. You will never be an 8 foot tall blue demigod. Leave your dream behind.

Rosé

Maybe the best way to cast aside your obsessive desire to abandon your pathetic human form and take up the powerful body of a Na’vi warrior is to replace it with a new obsession.  Pandora is not real, and thus you can never actually fulfill your fantasies, but Rosé is, and you can enjoy a glass whenever you like. So do yourself a favor. Rip off the bandaid and instantly replace it with a new one. Build up your Rosé stash, and watch as the amount of times you wake up in cold sweat wondering why you don’t have a tail drops ever downward. Looking for a good Rosé brand? Crack open a bottle of Amarose today.

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picnic_wine
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Top 5 Picnic Wines

The days are getting colder and in just a few months winter will be upon us, but It’s not yet too cold to have a picnic! Picnics, like rosé, are often mistaken as a spring and summer thing, but an autumn picnic and a glass of wine can cheer you up even as the days get shorter. If you have a group of friends and a desire to go out and enjoy the October foliage, here are 5 wines that are perfect for sharing on a picnic blanket with a basket of hors d’oeuvres.

    Sauvignon Blanc

    A light and fruity white wine, Sauvignon Blanc pairs perfectly with a breezy picnic meal without overwhelming the flavors of the food. If you incorporate chicken or soft cheeses into your picnic spread, a Sauvignon Blanc is a perfect choice to elevate your picnic game to the next level.

    Prosecco

    Prosecco, a sparkling wine from Italy, is a perfect picnic wine for a crisp october day. It’s generally a little sweeter than Champagne, and so it goes perfectly with picnic foods like cured meats and cheeses. Get a few friends together and let the bubbly flow!

    Pinot Noir

    Red wines are not generally known for being a drinkable picnic wine, but if you get a light enough bottle, you’ll find it fits in just great. Pinot Noir is perfect for an october picnic, combining the fruity aromas and low ABV of a more conventional picnic wine with a heartier tannin backbone, a perfect reminder of the transition from summer to winter.

    Riesling

    When it comes to picnic wine, it’s hard to find a stronger pick than a Riesling. This light and sweet white wine goes perfectly with seafood and poultry, as well as classic picnic fare like fine cheeses, charcuterie meats, and dried fruit. Grab a bottle and grab some friends and enjoy the outdoors while you still can!

    Rosé

    I said it was hard to find a stronger pick than a Riesling, but I didn’t say it was impossible. Rosé is that stronger pick. Perfectly light, perfectly fruity, but still imbued with enough complexity to make it interesting, rosé goes perfectly with any picnic foods and is ideal for sharing with friends and family. It’s delicious. Especially Provence style rosé made in Lodi California. Speaking of, head on over to our online store and buy yourself some Amarose! Your future picnics will thank you.

amarose
CategoriesUncategorized

Lodi Rosé: Your New Obsession

To those in the wine world, both Lodi, California and rosé wine carry certain connotations. Some consider Lodi to be cheaper and less prestigious than other wine regions, and likewise rosé is sometimes considered less refined and less complex than other wines. Not only are neither of these assumptions true, but when combined, they take the best of each and combine them to create wines that are just as (if not more) delicious as reds and whites from Napa, while still having a lighter impact on your wallet. Lodi rosé will change the way you view wines– and here’s why.

Lodi’s Climate

    One of the reasons that Lodi, California is perfect for growing wine is its climate. Our tradition of winemaking comes from Europe, and Lodi’s climate is nearly a perfect match for places like southern France and Spain, areas that boast some of the best wine in the world. When you import Mediterranean grapes to America, there’s few places that can grow them better than Lodi. Not only that, but Lodi’s equivalents in the Mediterranean are also some of the preeminent producers of rosé. Lodi’s dry air and scorching summers ensure that the grapes used to make Rosé from Lodi is just as bold and full bodied as their European counterparts.

Rosé’s Diversity

    Rosé’s detractors in the wine world often deride the wine for its sweetness. And they’re not wrong– many rosés are overly sugary in a way that takes away from their natural flavors. However, Lodi rosé tends to be a fair sight more dry, while still maintaining that light, summery feel that makes the pink wine what it is. And if light and summery is a problem for the wine snobs, so be it! There’s nothing wrong with a refreshing wine.

    Lodi rosé is delicious, and it’s also diverse. Rosés from Lodi can have notes of mineral, citrus, apple, raspberry and more, ensuring that no two rosés are the same. If you’re looking to jump into the world of Lodi rosé, our professional, unbiased opinion is that you start with our very own 2021 Amarose. Fruity and floral, one sip of this crisp, dry Lodi rosé is sure to make you a lifelong fan. Pick up a bottle (or a few) right here!

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CategoriesTips

Response to ‘Millennials Aren’t Drinking Enough Wine’

About once a month for the past five years, there’s been an article released by a major publication saying something like ‘Millennials aren’t eating enough eggs,’ or ‘Millenials are killing the housing market,’ or ‘Why aren’t Millennials buying enough blood diamonds?’ Mostly you can dismiss these articles as quota-fillers written by bored journalists, and if you read a little deeper you can learn that all millennials really did to push all these great American industries to the brink of collapse was enter the workforce during a recession.

That said, The New York Times did publish an article recently that IS incredibly worrying. Deadly serious. Something that should cause every living person born between 1981 and 1996 to quake with fear. I am of course talking about Eric Asimov’s article ‘The Wine Business Sees a Problem: Millennials Aren’t Drinking Enough.’

Asimov cites surveys that show millennials favoring other beverages like beer and cider over delicious, classy wine. And listen, to an extent I get it. Beer is tasty! Cider is fun! But my god, are you really going to push wine to the curb? 

In the past few years, we’ve been asked to make a lot of sacrifices for the national good. Stay inside! Buy less gas! Work from home! What I’m asking isn’t even a sacrifice. I’m telling you to drink more. This is a gift!

You don’t even have to stop drinking beer or cider. Have a beer! Then have a glass of wine. Uber home. Have some wine in the back of the Uber. Maybe that wine is some delicious Amarose. Have another glass! It’s fine! You’re helping the economy!

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A vineyard in California with a beautiful sunset
CategoriesTips

You Should Be Drinking More Rose

It is a scientific fact that wine is good for you. Not only that, there are actually no adverse effects to drinking wine. It’s a miracle beverage. 10 out of 10 scientists agree. There’s no need for you to open a new tab to verify this information, the fact that  we’re saying it here, on the internet, with no cited sources should be enough for you.

            There’s a problem in the world of wine, however. Red wines get a lot of love as a healing tonic, and white wines also have a sizable lobby behind them, but there are comparatively few people out there who understand where to fit a delicious pink rosé.

            The common attitude is that rosé is a spring drink, something fun and flirty that should be consumed before the start of summer. That’s partly right –rosé is fun and flirty– but it not only can be enjoyed year round, it should be! Keeping a few bottles of rosé around throughout the year allows the taste to mature and will give you a different rosé experience in every season.

            Rosé also boasts a wide array of health benefits. It has a low calorie count compared to other wines, making it a perfect choice if you’re on a diet or if you just want something a little lighter than the average fare. Rosé will also help bring down bad cholesterol and contains a respectable dose of antioxidants, which, if I’m doing my research right, means that rosé will make you live forever.

            So put down the reds and the whites for a minute, and pick up a glass of rosé. Your body will thank you.

amarose
CategoriesWineducation

Dogs and Wine

If you took a poll of every living human, asking them to list their top two greatest joys in life, there would be a unanimous answer:  Dogs and Wine. Everyone agrees. But there is an unfortunate catch– dogs don’t drink wine. But don’t worry! Through extensive research, I have found, definitively, what type of wine various dog breeds would prefer if they were able to drink it.

  1. Corgis: Moscato

            Corgis are pale, fluffy, and sweet, and there’s really no wine they could pair with better than a nice moscato. If you have doubts, pour yourself a glass of moscato and pull up a picture of a corgi (or get the real thing, if you have one!). Take a sip. Then look at the corgi. Take another sip. Have another look. See? They are the same.

  1. German Shepherd: Pinot Noir

            It’s easy to imagine a German shepherd drinking a glass of pinot noir in between bites of dog food. Both dog and wine are simultaneously mature and agreeable, medium-bodied, and well-tempered. Next time you pair a pinot noir with dinner, think about the German shepherds in your life, and see if it all doesn’t taste a little bit better.

  1. Dachshund: Zinfandel

            Picture a dachshund trying to drink a zinfandel. It wouldn’t be able to! Its front legs are so stubby that there’s no possible way it would be able to raise a glass to its lips. You’d have to feed it like a baby! What silly dogs.

  1. Husky: Chardonnay

            Bobsleds. Chardonnay. Thick fur. Chardonnay. UCONN Women’s Basketball. Chardonnay. These things fit together so well I bet you didn’t even realize I was listing different items. Anyway, a husky would drink chardonnay. It just would.

  1. Shih Tzu: Rosé

            Nothing says springtime like a rosé, except maybe a shih tzu drinking a rosé. Light, fruity, and breezy, they might be the best match on this list. You owe it to shih tzus everywhere to get yourself some rosé. They want you to drink more rosé. Maybe even some Amarose! Just a thought.

amarose
CategoriesWineducation

Lodi Wine Country

If you ask for an opinion of the central valley from residents of California, travelers who might have visited on their way up or down the west coast, or really anyone with even a basic understanding of California geography, you will get largely the same story: The central valley is a boring, never-ending stretch of land on either side of I-5 that makes long-haul truckers long for the cornfields of Nebraska. For long stretches there is nothing but gray-brown landscape and overcrowded truck stops, the only reprieve from the misery coming in the form of the occasional tumbleweed, or perhaps a herd of cattle.

But those in the know are aware that the central valley contains more than a few hidden gems– places like Lodi Wine Country, where Amarose wine is made. Lodi is an ideal place for a winery, with a climate measurably cooler than the scorching heat of the southern central valley and sandy soil that is excellent for cultivating the complex, versatile flavor that makes Amarose so delicious.

Lodi is just east of the Bay Area, a short drive from San Francisco, Oakland, or Berkley, and just south of Sacramento, the state’s capital. The proximity to the sea and the many tributaries of the San Joaquin Delta have driven wine production in Lodi for more than 100 years and lend a pastoral beauty to the land that is absent in the popular image of the central valley.

Wine from Lodi tends to be bold and complex, with unapologetic fruit notes and a distinctively pale color that sets it aside from other California wines. Amarose exemplifies the best of the Lodi wine region– delightfully drinkable and versatile, with bold bursts of flavor and an instantly recognizable pale-pink color that lets you know that you are in for a treat.

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CategoriesWineducation

Why the type of glass you choose to drink your wine from matters

Picture this: You’re having a wine aficionado over for a drink. The conversation is flowing, and you decide to pour yourself a glass of wine. The nearest bottle is a nice red, the nearest glass a champagne flute. “What does it matter?” You think. “A glass is a glass” But as you pour the wine you hear a choked gasp and a thump. Your guest is dead, killed by second hand shame.

While it’s unlikely (but not impossible) that using the wrong type of wine glass would result in the death of your friends, there are concrete, proven reasons why you should drink certain types of wine in certain types of glasses. 

When it comes to red wine, you’re going to want to use a glass with a wide, open bowl. The reason for this is that reds need contact with air in order for the flavors in their tannins to activate. If you drink red wine from a small glass you won’t actually be getting the full, authentic flavor. Make sure to give your glass a swirl as well before taking a sip!

White wines are the opposite. Their flavor isn’t affected by air contact, so it’s best to use a smaller glass that can direct the aromas directly into your nose and mouth. These types of glasses also work best for rosé wine.

The world of wine glasses doesn’t just stop at red vs white– There are nearly as many varieties of glasses and there are varieties of wine, and each pairing is perfectly fitted to match the specific flavor needs of the wine-drinking experience. Sparkling wines, for example, are served in champagne flutes because the long, thin bowl helps keep the carbonation fresh. Cabernets have tall bowls so the full-bodied wine does not linger on the tongue for too long. 

The list goes on. No matter how impressive a wine’s pedigree, the drink is never complete until the wine is matched with the perfect glass. That’s not to say that it’s a crime to drink wine out of the wrong glass– just make sure your wine snob friends aren’t around when you do it.

Erica Neubauer
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