"american wine" news and stories

Tomorrow one of the most historically significant Presidential Inaugurations will be upon us. Whether you're whooping it up or crying tears of sorrow into your glass, we've got ideas for what to drink at your party (or pity party).

If you're celebrating:

The obvious drink of choice is sparkling wine--American, of course. According to Iron Horse Vineyards, their sparkling wines have been served at the White House for five consecutive Presidential administrations, and Iron Horse hopes Obama will do likewise. Their Wedding Cuvee ($38) is a popular choice and widely available, or try the Russian Cuvee ($33), which is slightly richer and sweeter than the regular Brut.

Roederer Estate sparkling wines have also been featured in White House dinners over the years. The Brut NV ($22) is affordable and widely regarded by critics as one of the top sparkling wines in the U.S.

Korbel has been the official sparkling wine for the past six inaugurations, but apparently Obama won't do sponsorship agreements this year and Korbel has to angle for honors with all the other wineries. At home, try Korbel's Brut Rose ($12) or Extra Dry ($12), which, ironically, is a little sweeter.

With any of these sparkling wines, splash in a bit of pomegranate liqueur or blue carucao (but not at the same time!) for the red, white, and blue look.

Another all-American wine is Zinfandel, a big, bold, fruity wine also ideal for celebrating. Try one from Lodi or Paso Robles for even bigger-than-normal flavor (Seven Deadly Zins ($17) is a good example) or a classic from Sonoma like Seghesio ($36).

What to drink if you're not celebrating--after the jump.

So everyone knows that California rules the U.S. wine roost, and Oregon, Washington, and New York aren't far behind. If you really pay attention, you'd add that Texas and Michigan are two up-and-coming wine regions worth looking into.

But did you know that all fifty states--yes, even North Dakota--make wine of some kind? "Of some kind" is the operative phrase here, as Time writer Joel Stein found out while doing a recent tasting of wines from every state of the union. What he found: lots of fruit wines, low quality in many states that simply don't have the right climate, and some surprises. Read the full story and see what Stein thought of your state's wine.

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