https://uncorkedwave.com/ Wine news, picks and guides for readers across the United States. en-us Sat, 14 Nov 2026 16:12:43 GMT Uncorked Wave https://uncorkedwave.com/assets/img/og-card-v1.jpg https://uncorkedwave.com/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/what-wine-goes-with-thanksgiving-dinner/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/what-wine-goes-with-thanksgiving-dinner/ Uncorked Wave Pairing Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, dry Riesling, sparkling and Zinfandel all work at Thanksgiving. Here is the reasoning, from acidity to tannin, for a mixed table. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/beaujolais-nouveau-2026-release-november-19/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/beaujolais-nouveau-2026-release-november-19/ Uncorked Wave News Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT This year's Beaujolais Nouveau is released Thursday, November 19. What Gamay is, how the wine is made in weeks, and how Nouveau differs from the crus. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/willamette-valley-wine-country-thanksgiving-2026/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/willamette-valley-wine-country-thanksgiving-2026/ Uncorked Wave Travel Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Wine Country Thanksgiving runs November 20 to 22 and 26 to 29, 2026. How the open houses work, what to book, and how to get around without driving. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/six-wines-under-25-portugal-spain-france-chile-argentina/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/six-wines-under-25-portugal-spain-france-chile-argentina/ Uncorked Wave Bottles Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Six wines under $25 from Vinho Verde, Rioja, Côtes du Rhône, Colchagua and Mendoza, each checked against the producer and a US retailer listing. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/champagne-prosecco-cava-cremant-holiday-guide/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/champagne-prosecco-cava-cremant-holiday-guide/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Two ways to make bubbles, four names on the shelf, and why Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut. A clear guide to buying sparkling wine for the holidays. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/bordeaux-left-bank-right-bank-label/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/bordeaux-left-bank-right-bank-label/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Left Bank Bordeaux leans on Cabernet Sauvignon, the Right Bank on Merlot. The main appellations, and what the château, appellation and Grand Vin lines mean. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/california-2026-harvest-early-light-crop/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/california-2026-harvest-early-light-crop/ Uncorked Wave News Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Sonoma County growers estimate a 2026 crop 35% to 40% below average, and Napa picks began in July. What the early, light harvest means for future bottles. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-much-wine-to-buy-for-a-holiday-party/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-much-wine-to-buy-for-a-holiday-party/ Uncorked Wave Pairing Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT A 750 ml bottle pours about five 5-ounce glasses. Use this per-guest planning table to buy the right amount of wine for a holiday party of any length. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/pinot-noir-vs-cabernet-sauvignon/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/pinot-noir-vs-cabernet-sauvignon/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Thin skins or thick, cool coast or warm valley: how grape, climate and winemaking make Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon so different in the glass. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/finger-lakes-riesling-lakes-and-sweetness-scale/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/finger-lakes-riesling-lakes-and-sweetness-scale/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Deep glacial lakes keep Finger Lakes vineyards steady, and a four-step scale on the back label shows how sweet a Riesling is. Here is how to read both. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-direct-to-consumer-wine-shipping-works/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-direct-to-consumer-wine-shipping-works/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT The three-tier system, the Supreme Court's 2005 Granholm ruling and today's state permits explain why wine shipping rules change at every state line. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-rose-is-made-color/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-rose-is-made-color/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Rosé is not red and white wine mixed. Here is how direct press, skin contact and saignée work, and why one rosé is pale and another deep pink. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/barolo-vs-barbaresco-nebbiolo-aging-rules/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/barolo-vs-barbaresco-nebbiolo-aging-rules/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Barolo and Barbaresco are both 100% Nebbiolo from Piedmont's Langhe hills. The official aging minimums, Riserva rules and release dates set them apart. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-to-open-sparkling-wine-safely/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-to-open-sparkling-wine-safely/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Chill it, aim it away from people, cover the cork with a towel and twist the bottle. How to open sparkling wine safely and keep an open bottle fizzy. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/oaked-vs-unoaked-chardonnay-label-clues/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/oaked-vs-unoaked-chardonnay-label-clues/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Chardonnay can taste rich and toasty or crisp and lean. Here is what oak and malolactic fermentation do, and the label and region clues to look for. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/napa-or-sonoma-first-wine-country-trip/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/napa-or-sonoma-first-wine-country-trip/ Uncorked Wave Travel Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Napa is compact and reservation-driven; Sonoma is larger and looser. Here is how fees, bookings and car-free options compare for a first wine country trip. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/corkage-fees-and-byob-wine-etiquette/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/corkage-fees-and-byob-wine-etiquette/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT How corkage fees work, the etiquette of bringing your own wine to dinner, and how New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas handle BYOB. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/port-wine-styles-ruby-tawny-lbv-vintage/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/port-wine-styles-ruby-tawny-lbv-vintage/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Ruby or tawny, LBV or Vintage: how each style of Port is made, the temperature to serve it at, and how long an opened bottle keeps, per Port's regulator. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/rioja-crianza-reserva-gran-reserva-vinedo-singular/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/rioja-crianza-reserva-gran-reserva-vinedo-singular/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva set Rioja's aging minimums. Zone, village and Viñedo Singular labels pin down the vineyard. Here is what each one requires. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-to-taste-wine-at-home-four-steps/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-to-taste-wine-at-home-four-steps/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT A simple four-step way to taste wine at home, based on the methods WSET and the Court of Master Sommeliers teach, plus how to set up a side-by-side flight. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/organic-wine-vs-made-with-organic-grapes/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/organic-wine-vs-made-with-organic-grapes/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT On a US label, organic wine and wine made with organic grapes follow different rules. Here is what each means, plus what natural and biodynamic certify. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/storing-wine-at-home-without-a-cellar/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/storing-wine-at-home-without-a-cellar/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Cool, steady and dark beats a fancy cellar. What temperature, light, humidity and bottle position actually do to wine, and which bottles to open young. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/argentine-malbec-mendoza-uco-valley-altitude/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/argentine-malbec-mendoza-uco-valley-altitude/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Most Argentine Malbec grows in Mendoza at 430 to 2,000 meters. How the Uco Valley, a desert climate and a Southern Hemisphere harvest set it apart from Cahors. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-to-read-a-us-wine-label/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-to-read-a-us-wine-label/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT A grape name means at least 75% of it. An AVA means 85%. Here is what federal rules require behind a US wine label's grape, place, year and alcohol. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/virginia-wine-regions-avas-grapes/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/virginia-wine-regions-avas-grapes/ Uncorked Wave Travel Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Virginia's nine AVAs, the grapes it grows most (Cabernet Franc leads), and how to visit Charlottesville, Loudoun and the Shenandoah Valley without driving. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-dealcoholized-wine-is-made/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/how-dealcoholized-wine-is-made/ Uncorked Wave Guides Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Vacuum distillation, spinning cone and reverse osmosis explained, plus what dealcoholized and alcohol-removed mean on a US wine label below 0.5% ABV. https://uncorkedwave.com/news/plan-a-winery-day-reservations-fees-driver/ https://uncorkedwave.com/news/plan-a-winery-day-reservations-fees-driver/ Uncorked Wave Travel Sat, 14 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Book the driver first, then the tastings. How many stops fit, what fees run and when they are waived, what to bring, and how to get bottles home.