That’s a pretty bold statement in the world of wine, and especially within legendary Montalcino—a hilltown in Tuscany blessed with some of the finest vineyards in the world. It’s an area famous for producing Brunello, which is a clone of the Sangiovese grape, and thrives in Montalcino’s climate. To say one winemaker is the best [...]

There is no doubt that the 2004 film Sideways has been a boon to Pinot Noir, educating masses of casual wine drinkers about the delicate grape through its equally delicate protagonist, Miles. What that audience might not know though, is that Pinot Noir is truly global—grown all over the world in microclimates perfect for the [...]

If your experience with Riesling has mainly to do with a certain nun dressed in blau on the bottle’s label, then now is the perfect time to explore the variety and complexity of one of the world’s most underappreciated grapes—through August 1st, it’s “Riesling Week” co-sponsored by the European Union and Wines of Germany. However, [...]

The World Cup starts on Friday, and in addition to showcasing countries with world-class soccer (or football… or fútbol) teams, many of the participants are two-way players—they also create world-class wines. Of the 32 countries in the tournament, at least 15 produce wines known around the world, and a few others (Slovenia, for example) have [...]

How’s your palate when it comes to GSMs? Don’t know what a GSM is? Here at Just Grapes, we can help! On June 17, we’re hosting a Wines of Australia class, where you’ll taste the distinctive Australian blend of Grenache, Shriaz, and Mourvèdre (GSM), plus amazing Australian Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blancs, Cabernets, and much more (including [...]

Holiday shopping got you down? Just can’t find the perfect gift for those people on your list? Just Grapes has the answer! We’re truly a one-stop shop for everyone on your shopping list (even the little ones–our never-expiring tasting cards will still be valid once they turn 21!). To make it even easier, we’ve put [...]

While very few welcome winter with open arms, there is something undeniably charming about softly falling snow, the tiny white lights glittering from trees lining the streets, and the general warm fuzziness of family and friends around the holidays. In Chicago especially, there are tons of wintry events going on to keep the holiday cheer [...]

By Maggie Smith Our monthly make your own barrel meeting was last week. I hate calling them meetings since at your typical work meetings you don’t drink wine, dine at Province, and chat with amazing food and wine loving people. However there was some “work” to be done. We combined our Cabernet tasting with our [...]

By Maggie Smith Are you one of the many confused wine drinkers that doesn’t understand why some wines are labeled Shiraz yet some are labeled Syrah? Lets do some myth busting and work this out! Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape, just different styles. Syrah has been around for…let’s just say forever; and then [...]

By Maggie Smith Are you one of those people that love to drink wine but steer clear from French wine because you just don’t know what type of wine is in that bottle? There’s usually indecipherable French writing, probably a picture of a chateau-looking house, and what seems to be a name of a place [...]