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USA Today
08-08-2025
- Lifestyle
- USA Today
10 unconventional wines to drink now instead of your usual go-to
Wine bars like Little Thing in Seattle, Washington, are excellent for finding unconventional wines – Photo courtesy of Lesley Balla Staring down a wine list or a bottle shop shelf can feel like sensory overload. So many names, regions, and varietals — it's tempting to play it safe and stick with what you know. But here's a little secret: Stepping outside your comfort zone could land you a new favorite. The best wine bars and shops, such as Little Thing Wine in Seattle, Washington, highlight lesser-known regions and grapes, as well as unconventional wines that deserve to be discovered and savored. At Little Thing, if you say you love sauvignon blanc or chardonnay, owner Dylan Joffe might offer something similar (and usually better) if she doesn't have either on her shelf. Joffe was the wine buyer for another popular shop for years before opening her Beacon Hill outfit. Every month, she offers a new selection of wines for the shelves and through the wine club. Little Thing is precisely what the wine industry needs right now: A place that attracts a new generation of wine drinkers with alternative wine picks while also catering to palates more set in their ways. Advertisement Below, Joffe offers some alternative wines for moving beyond standard varietals, often pointing to domestic wines, emerging regions, and low-intervention wines with an eye towards sustainability. The best part: No matter where you buy them, these wines are usually super affordable, often priced under $40. If you like chardonnay Chenin blanc is a good alternative wine if you like chardonnay – Photo courtesy of SrdjanPav / iStock Via Getty Images 'Chenin blanc is the first one that comes to mind,' says Joffe. 'Chenin and chardonnay are chameleon grapes that can be anything the winemaker wants them to be. They can both take on things like oak, or they can shine in stainless steel. They can be sweet or dry, and they can both be used for sparkling wines.' Aligoté and roussanne are two other grapes she'll point to for chardonnay fans. 'Aligoté is like the black sheep of white grapes,' she adds. 'It's what Burgundy farmers drink after a long day of farming chardonnay. If you like Burgundy-style chardonnay, this is a much more price-focused option, and we're seeing small pockets in the U.S.' If you like sauvignon blanc Picpoul is a great alternative for sauvignon blanc drinkers – Photo courtesy of Reva Keller / Little Thing Wine 'Sauvignon blanc can be really different from many locations, but what most people like about it is the green, herbaceous, grassy quality. It's a bright, citrus, minerally, vibrant, easy-drinking wine,' says Joffe. 'I like to point people to things like Perdu Picpoul. Picpoul, a grape largely from Picpoul de Pinet in the Languedoc region of France, means 'lip stinger' in French. These wines can be super acidic and food-friendly,' she adds. Joffe also likes dry rieslings from Germany, Austria, or Alsace, even domestic ones, for sauv blanc fans. "And if you want to take a chance, high-acid rosés made with cabernet franc or sangiovese have some lovely herbaceous qualities to them." Advertisement If you like pinot noir Pinot noir lovers might like other light-bodied varietals like gamay – Photo courtesy of LordHenriVoton / E+ 'What makes pinot so adored is that it's lighter bodied in the world of red wine," says Joffe. "These wines have beautiful red fruit and earthiness, good acidity. It's hard to find all of that in one other varietal.' Alternatives she likes to offer are gamay, frappato, and pretty Washington state grenache that "feels pinot noir" to her. Advertisement 'Gamay, which is synonymous with Beaujolais, has similar qualities to pinot noir, albeit with a little crunchiness. Meaning it's like biting into juicy, ripe fruit," she adds. "Gamay is twinkly; pinot is more serious. We're seeing some fun gamay production coming from the U.S., specifically Oregon." Frappato is a red grape from Sicily, Italy, that Joffe feels is 'pinot-adjacent.' It has pretty red fruit, but instead of earthy, it leans towards spice and tobacco. 'In general, Sicilian reds are different than pinot noir, but this is an easy jump to make. It's very volcanic, so you get that mineral smokiness that can be intoxicating if that's your thing.' Pinot noir alternatives Gurrieri Frappato, Sicily, Italy Advertisement For many people, cabernet sauvignon is the only wine they know, so they gravitate towards it. It's an intro grape to wine, easy to remember, and easy to wrap your head around. 'People get attached to cab because it's an obvious grape in the best way possible,' says Joffe. 'Liking cab is code for liking full-bodied red wines.' Cabernet sauvignon is bottled and labeled as such in the U.S.; that's why we know it. In Bordeaux, however, it's blended with many other varietals. 'If someone comes into Little Thing looking for a cab, I'll lean towards different blends, like a lovely Spanish blend or one out of Lebanon or central Italy. Wines out of these regions are fuller-bodied with tons of tannin, acidity, and vibrancy.' Cabernet sauvignon alternatives Tenuta di Valgiano Palistorti Rosso, Tuscany, Italy
Spectator
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Wine Club: a summer selection from Corney and Barrow
Lunch at the Academy Club with my wicked chums Mark Slemeck and Charlie Grey was probably not the best preparation for tasting a dozen or so wines for this offer from Corney & Barrow. Mark likes his wine but likes his caipirinhas better and Charlie is more of a Pinot Grigio/Newcastle Brown Ale kind of guy. They both made deep inroads into the academy's list though, declaring each bottle better than the last as they eyed up their next selection. It was a relief when we got booted out and I finally managed to give the boys the slip as they tottered off to the Groucho Club for post-prandials and mischief. I kept my hangover at bay tasting these wonderful wines below and was well into my second wind by the time I got to the Sancerre. I think you'll agree that it's a pretty fine selection. There's a lot of rubbish Picpoul out there, but the 2024 Maison Azan Picpoul de Pinet (1) is anything but. Exclusive to C&B, it's made by Olivier Azan, the first in the region to farm/produce wine organically, and I love it. Fresh, creamy, herbal with a hint, perhaps, of melon and slightly salty, it's delightfully easy-going. £11.93 down from £13.25. The 2024 Weingut Frank Grüner Veltliner (2) is a bang-on example of this most food-friendly of grapes/wines, from tenth generation winemaker Harald Frank in Herrnbaumgarten, Weinviertel, north-east Austria. With plenty of citrus, fresh apple and a touch of spicy pepper (Grüner is known here as 'pfefferl' or 'little peppery one'), it's crisp, clean, fresh and extremely enticing. £13.46 down from £14.95. The 2024 Pazo la Maza Albariño (3) from the most southerly part of Rías Baixas, close to Portugal, is as tasty an Albariño as you'll find. Much less acidic and much peachier than others I've had of late, it's thoroughly enjoyable and, at just 12% vol, it's a perfect Wednesday wine. £14.36 down from £15.95. The delectable, organic/biodynamic 2023 Sancerre Domaine du Nozay (4) is sheer class, produced by former paratrooper, Cyril de Benoist, nephew of Aubert de Villaine, former co-manager of Domaine de Romanée-Conti no less. Rounded and full, with grapefruit, peach and pear, I can't imagine anyone not lapping it up. £23.36 down from £25.95. The 2024 Intipalka Tannat (5) is included not because it's fun to have something from Peru, nor because – as anyone who's read Professor Roger Corder's Wine Diet knows – there's evidence to suggest the moderate consumption of South American Tannat is good for the heart. No, it's included because it's darn good – full, rich, concentrated and succulent, with dark bramble fruit lifted by a refreshing acidity. £11.48 down from £12.75. The 2022 Les Villaises Saumur Champigny (6) is a great summer wine. Made from 100 per cent Cab Franc by the excellent 80-year-old, 40-grower-strong Caves de Saumur co-operative, it can stand a bit of chilling and is full of lively red and dark berry fruit, fine acidity and, above all, freshness. £13.46 down from £14.95. Zweigelt, a crossing between St. Laurent and Blaufrankisch, is Austria's most widely planted red variety, and I drank buckets of it when I was in Vienna the other month. None of them was nearly as good as the 2020 Kracher Zweigelt Trocken (7), brand new to Corney's list and about which they're very excited. With rich, juicy, light-on-its-feet dark fruit, raised in old oak, it's soft, silky and seductive. £15.26 down from £16.95. Finally, the 2017 Roc de Cambes (8), offered at such a significant discount that it's pretty much the same as its opening en primeur price. From François Mitjavile (of Tertre Roteboeuf fame) and his vineyard in the Côtes de Bourg, it's Merlot-based and with its glossy, mouth-filling dark cherry fruit and long, long finish, it's in glorious condition and more than living up to its pedigree. It's Cru Classé-beating class in a glass at just £53.95. The mixed case contains two bottles each of wines 1-3 and 5-7. Wines 4 and 8 are offered in boxes of six. Delivery is free for orders over £150. Order online today or download an order form.
The Guardian
06-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Dining across the divide: ‘I was expecting a staunch Tory, pro death-penalty, climate nihilist'
Occupation Software project manager Voting record David, whose parents were staunch trade unionists, backed the Conservatives until 1997, when he voted for Blair. Recently he has voted Lib Dem and describes his politics as 'all over the place and dependent on the subject matter' Amuse bouche Once – at the rooftop pool of a posh Beverly Hills hotel, with jet lag and flu, and on new medication – David barked like a seal at Liv Tyler Occupation Council compliance officer Voting record Voted for Labour when Corbyn was leader, but has since switched to Green. Describes himself as socially and fiscally progressive and to the left of Starmer's Labour party Amuse bouche When Laurence was 16 his college band was asked to support Clem Burke, the drummer from Blondie, and his band. 'I felt he was up himself, but it was something to tell our parents' David I was there first. The waitress, who was a delight, sorted a glass of Picpoul for me. Then Laurence rocked up. I noticed that the button-down collars on his shirt weren't buttoned down, which I thought displayed an admirable streak of rebelliousness. I had some hummus and then grilled meat. Laurence I'm vegetarian and the first thing David asked me was, 'What can I order that can most offend you?' I had three or four Asahis. By the end, David said, 'You've got to stop drinking that shit, get into some fine wine.' David As this country lurches more towards a rightwing agenda, capital punishment would probably become a vote winner. Laurence It would be a step backwards as a society, to have state-sanctioned killing of criminals. David State-sponsored killing is completely different: it means going out to assassinate someone. We talked about the Southport stabbings, and I said, 'I want you to imagine what it's like being the parent of one of those girls who died.' The destiny of those people has been changed by this horrific event; do you think they should have the option to change his destiny? Laurence I don't think seeing a killer executed is what brings victims' families any sense of justice, or solace. People close to me have been victims of serious crimes, and often they don't get justice, but they can still heal. It's through talking, engaging with other victims. How we support victims is what is important. David We agreed we didn't think net zero was attainable. He said we'd be lucky if there's a 2C increase in global temperatures. I think we'll be lucky if it's 3C. There isn't the will in China, Brazil, the Middle East, Russia or the US now. Surely what we should be doing now is preparing to adapt for what's going to come our way. Laurence I agree that we need to adapt and accept the reality. But I am also more optimistic, in the sense that we should still be trying, because we have a responsibility to younger people. David Laurence thinks billionaires should be taxed more and that wealth should be distributed more evenly. If you returned to the super tax levels of the 1960s and 70s, people would just leave. That's what happened then. And there are always going to be competent lawyers and accountants who are able to get you out of a hole. Laurence There's clearly a flaw in our economic system if people are allowed to be that wealthy. David thinks focusing on billionaires is overblown, but it's the right thing to do ethically, as well as a source of taxation. David Everybody should commit to a fair share of taxation. But there are lots of people who find a way out. Some of them are not super wealthy, they do cash in hand, I know plenty. Laurence He's more of an individualist and a realist: everyone's in it for themselves – that's just the way it is. I'm more: no, there is this wealth in society, we should be redistributing it fairly. David When we shook hands at the end, he put his other hand on my shoulder, which was lovely. We may have differences, generationally and politically, but I think I saw his points and he saw mine. If I saw Laurence again, I would buy him a pint of the shitty lager that he likes. Laurence I was expecting a staunch Tory, pro-death penalty, climate nihilist, but of course there's nuance to these things. I had a nice evening. Additional reporting: Kitty Drake David and Laurence ate at Cappadocia in Bristol Want to meet someone from across the divide? Find out how to take part
