Simple Recipe: Chicken Liver Pate
It’s been a while since I published any recipes on this blog. It doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t have any recipes to share. So let’s correct it.
As the title says, I like simple recipes. The meaning of “simple” is relative. For example, I’m sure that the absolute majority of people consider an omelette simple – both in recipe and in the making. And yet making an omelette can be a test for the chef, which is easy to fail. And take a look at the Japanese omelettes, those that are oozing when sliced on top of other food. Good luck making those in your home kitchen. Simple? Maybe not so much.
In my book, simple means primarily the way of cooking. For example, chicken legs or braised beef in the slow cooker are simple – put together all ingredients at once, turn it on, close the lid, walk away, come back in 6 to 8 hours for a delicious meal. That is what I call simple. Making delicious onion soup, on the other hand, is very far from simple. Despite a very few ingredients, the process is very involved – look away, and you will have to start all over. I’m sure you got my point.
Okay, now to the chicken liver pate. I love chicken liver pate. When it is well-made and tasty, just spread it on the toast, maybe add some onion preserve or a cornichon, take a bite, and your taste buds start singing. To me, it is one of the simple pleasures.
I started making chicken liver pate a while back, as it is very difficult to find a tasty version in the store. For the longest time, my go-to recipe was the one from Emeril Lagasse from the Food Network, which I followed very closely. Making chicken liver pate using this recipe is an involved step-by-step process, requiring about an hour or a bit more of active labor.
And then there is Instagram. It really became a source of cooking inspiration for me, with lots and lots of interesting recipes (not all recipes are created equal; you have to be ready to fail). A few days ago, I saw someone making a chicken liver pate in a very simple way, combining all ingredients in the tray and baking all at once in the oven, then processing it through the blender, and voila – enjoying the chicken liver pate. So I decided to try more or less the same, just incorporating a couple of elements from Emeril’s recipe into the process.
Two elements that I decided to add were cognac and green peppercorns. While making the chicken liver pate throughout the years, I tried different options, and found both irreplaceable, at least for my taste. So here is my new favorite recipe for the chicken liver pate.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of fresh chicken livers
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 large red onion, sliced into 8 pieces
- 2 carrots, peeled and roughly sliced into big chunks
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced into quarters (don’t peel it)
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 of a cup Cognac or Brandy
- 1 teaspoon green peppercorns
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 3-4 allspice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. In a small roasting pan (I used a 9×9 glass pan), combine chicken livers, slices of carrots, onion chunks, apple chunks, garlic, 1/3 of the stick of butter sliced into chunks and placed evenly, bay leaves, and allspice. Add salt and pepper.
3. Put into the oven and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
4. Take the pan out of the oven, add green peppercorns, and pour in the cognac. Mix the contents of the pan, and put it back into the oven for 10-15 minutes.
5. Take the pan out of the oven. Let it cool for 5 minutes or so. Remove bay leaves and allspice.
6. Transfer the content of the pan into a blender and add the rest of the butter (2/3 of a stick) to the blender in small chunks.
7. Blend until smooth, 2-3 minutes, scraping the walls of the can as needed.
8. Transfer into a glass container, let it cool off, and place it in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours (preferably overnight).
That’s all! Next, enjoy it with the toast or whatever way you like.
Notes:
1. Emeril’s recipe calls for soaking chicken livers in the milk for 2 hours in the fridge to remove bitterness. I have done it both ways, soaking and not, and I don’t see a difference. I didn’t soak it this time, and it was just delicious.
2. You can adjust the amount of green peppercorns to your liking. More peppercorns means spicier pate. But it is a mild spice.
3. Don’t substitute green peppercorns with black. The taste will be too aggressive. Green peppercorns are also softer, so if you use black peppercorns, the texture will be affected. If you can’t find green peppercorns in the store, you can buy them on Amazon.
4. Don’t substitute cognac with other types of alcohol (yes, you can use Armagnac or other brandy). Cognac brings both sweetness and a flavor profile that goes well with the other ingredients. I tried once using a bourbon, and the taste was ruined.
That’s all I have for you for now. But more of the simple recipes are coming.
Bon appetit!
And a Few Good Wines, Previously Was New Year 2026 Wine Escapades
For how long is it appropriate to celebrate the New Year?
Scrap that.
For how long is it appropriate to write a post about New Year’s celebratory wines? A week? Two? Four?
Okay, so as I’m writing this on the last day of the month, this is not a celebratory New Year’s post, but rather an account of wines we had an opportunity to experience.
As a tiny excuse to my tardiness, I want to mention that we celebrated the arrival of the New Year 2026 three times. So here are my notes from those celebrations.
Celebration #1- January 1st, New Year’s Day
To celebrate the New Year in style, I decided to do a Champagne-off between Pol Roger and Bollinger Champagnes. I have a lot of respect but very little experience with both, so I decided to compare them side by side.
This was definitely an interesting experiment. Upon opening, Bollinger had a somewhat restricted nose, but nice palate with a hint of toasted bread, apples, and lemons. Pol Roger had a beautiful, inviting nose with freshly baked bread, minerality, and green apples. However, it was mostly flat on the palate, so after the first few sips, we decided to drink Bollinger first.
30-40 minutes later, I poured another glass of Pol Roger, and oh, the palate changed dramatically. Now there was everything you want in champagne – toasted notes of the freshly baked bread, apples, lemons, crisp acidity – all elegantly woven together. So while both Champagnes were excellent, my preference lies with Pol Roger.
NV Pol Roger Champagne Reserve Brut (12.5% ABV)
Beautiful, inviting nose, with toasted bread and apples.
Palate initially mostly closed, just acidity. After 30-40 minutes, the palate is alive with toasted bread, apples, lemon, minerality, crisp acidity.
8+
NV Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée Brut (12% ABV)
Beautiful nose, apples, brioche
Restrained on the palate, lemon, crisp acidity, lots of energy, very elegant.
8, excellent Champagne
I also tasted this sparkling wine, even though it was mostly used in a delicious holiday cocktail:
2021 Casasetaro Pietrafumante Caprettone Spumante Methodo Classico Italy (12.5% ABV, 100% Caprettone (new for me!) grape)
Crisp, refreshing, with steely, minerally acidity. This makes you crave oysters in a heartbeat.
8, excellent
2019 Saxum James Berry Vineyard Paso Robles Willow Creek District (15.9% ABV, 55% Grenache, 29% Mataro, 13% Syrah, 3% Carignan)
Of course, 7 years is not an age when you want to open Saxum wine. Black fruit on the nose with some baking spices. Dark and brooding on the palate, black fruit, cocoa, a hint of the forest floor. A bit more mellow after being open for 3 days, more pleasant to drink.
8, delicious
2017 ArPePe Nebbiolo Rosso di Valtellina DOC (13% ABV, 18 months total in big barrels and in bottle)
After a short breathing time, this wine showed brilliantly. Fresh cherries on the nose, restrained.
Cherries and violets on the palate, sandalwood, medium to full body, elegant, round, delicious. Glad we opened it.
8+, delicious
Second celebration:
On Saturday, we got together with friends to continue celebrating the New Year. This time, the wine lineup was a bit different, focusing more on the aged wines and the wines that might be past prime.
We started with a couple of Champagnes:
NV Veuve Fourny & Fils Champagne Brut Rosé Premiere Cru (12% ABV, disgorged 07/15)
Dark golden color
Apples, Almond extract, bread, tertiary aromas
Toasted bread on the palate, apples, brioche, cut through acidity even on day 6 after opening.
8+, while actual bubbles subsided, it was a very tasty wine. Really enjoyable even as a flat wine.
2017 Champagne Christophe Mignon Adn de Foudre Pinot Noir Brut Nature (12% ABV, disgorged 11/01/2024)
Bright Golden color
Apples and fresh bread
Apples, fresh bread, a touch of hazelnuts, cut through acidity. Very refreshing and very enjoyable.
8+, excellent, even on day 6
Next, this white wine was probably the most impressive out of all the wines we tasted that night:
2013 Domaine William Fevre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros (12.5% ABV)
Bright golden
A touch of gunflint, Granny Smith apples, lemon
Fresh, bright, apples, velvety smooth texture, great mid-palate presence, good structure, a distant hint of butter, impeccable balance.
9-/9, outstanding.
Then there were reds.
1999 Frog’s Leap Merlot Napa Valley (12.5% ABV)
1999 Simi Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (13.5% ABV)
Both wines were varietally correct upon opening, but it did felt that they were near the peak. No over yet, but having maybe only about 5 years of life left, before they will be officially declared past prime.
8- for each one.
2019 Revelry Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley (13.9% ABV, 22 months in French oak)
Dark garnet
Cassis, blackberries, eucalyptus
Cassis, mint, blackberries, sweet basil, round, smooth, medium to full body, perfect balance, medium-long finish.
8+/9-, a beautiful wine.
1993 Renwood Grandpère Zinfandel Shenandoah Valley (15% ABV, Bottle #19727 of 1904 cases produced)
Dark garnet
Black fruit, good intensity
Tart blackberries, coffee, a touch of toasted hazelnuts, good acidity, still present tannins with a pleasant grip on the tongue, delicious.
9-, I wish more wines would have this energy and deliver this much pleasure
Celebration Number 3
The week after, we celebrated the New Year. Again. With friends, of course.
First, a couple of Champagnes.
NV Monmarthe Champagne Privilege Brut Premiere Cru (12.5% ABV, 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay, aged for 36 months in the cellar)
Outstanding. Inviting nose, fresh apples with a touch of brioche.
Round, generous on the palate, roll-of-your-tongue delicious, fresh and elegant.
8+, excellent
NV Lété-Vautran Chammpagne Zéro Brut (12.5% ABV, 40% Pinot Meunier, 40% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir)
Crisp and fresh on the nose
Palate is crisp to the point of austerity. Elegant, full of energy, very lean.
8+, another wine that is begging to be paired with food
2022 Cayuse Vineyards Camaspelo Walla Walla Valley (13.8% ABV, Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux blend) – I know I was not supposed to touch this bottle, but I couldn’t resist the urge. This wine was clearly opened before its time. Probably 15-20 years would make it a bit more approachable from the get-go.
The wine was decanted, and yet the mineral, volcanic profile was the most prominent, same as with most any of the Cayuse wines in any case. After 2-3 days, the volcanic notes subsided, and the wine appeared more drinkable and enjoyable.
8, definitely needs time
2009 Tallulah Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (14% ABV) – this was my last bottle. The wine was supposed to be special when I bought it, but it never reached that point. Well, until now, but with some reservations – even after decanting this wine, I had to wait for another 3-4 days for the wine to shine in varietally-correct way. But it did. It actually developed a cassis/mint/eucalyptus profile with a dash of dark chocolate.
8+ after extensive decanting.
There you have it, my friends – New Year 2026 wine escapade.
How was your January?
Struggles of the Winelover
Source: Pexels Cup of Couple
Yes, I’m on the streak. A self-focused experiment. I’m curious to see how many posts in a row I can write. Not just “hello – goodbye”, but posts with substance. Well, whatever. This is definitely not the topic of this post.
Oh, and here is a full disclosure – this post is about first-world problems. If you are not interested, you know where to click.
I bet you had no idea that winelovers struggle. No, not when we enjoy a glass of wine. When we enjoy wine, we simply ask for another glass. And no, not when we don’t enjoy wine. Then it is a very simple ask: “Can I have something else, please?” It is really that simple. If you don’t like the particular wine, there is no struggle – you just move on to the next.
The struggle starts when we need to choose the wine. At that moment, the struggle is real. A chain of thought might depend on the setting, but the unending back and forth is always the same.
When you are presented with the wine list at a restaurant, you need to decide based on price, based on mood, based on company, based on food. It always goes “this. Wait, no – this one. Hmmm. No, let’s go to a different region. Ah, yes, this one. No, wait, maybe this? Why is this so expensive? Ohh, why is this so cheap?” Well, got you. The last one is not real. If you know what you are doing, “why is it so cheap” is not the question you concern yourself with. But the rest of it? If you love wine and have ever chosen a bottle in a restaurant, tell me that I’m wrong. I dare you. Tell me that in the comments section. Go ahead, make my day.
The second one might be even worse. Now you need to select a wine for a dinner, get together with friends, a holiday, a birthday, an anniversary – you got the idea, right? This is where the struggle becomes even worse. When you need to choose a wine in the restaurant, you have a limited amount of time and a reasonably limited wine selection. None of it is in play at home. You start worrying about the wine months and months before the event – you can choose not to, of course, but only if you let yourself do this. Now think how many of us allow ourselves not do it, huh?
And here you are really screwed, as you have plenty of time to go “This! No, wait, that! Wait, no, no, I need something else”, following with “Is it too early? Can this already be past prime? It is my only bottle, should I open it now? What if it will be so much better in 10 years?”. And let’s not forget “Will they like it? Is that a good choice for that holiday? Is that special enough for the occasion? Maybe I can do better?” On, and on, and on. Endless. Frustrating. Annoying.
Why all of a sudden all of this soul-pouring sentiment? That’s easy, let me explain.
Any February is a tough month for the struggling winelover. You got Valentine’s Day in the middle of the short month, and then you have Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) on the last Saturday in February. And to add to the struggle, this particular February, we are flying to Florida to see our close friends, and they will have their wedding anniversary during our visit, so I definitely feel that I need to bring something appropriate to celebrate. There you go – three opportunities to struggle.
Source: Pexels Polina Tankilevitch
I still don’t know how we are celebrating Valentine’s Day. I’m sure we are not going to the restaurant, but we might decide to have some company. And it falls on Saturday this year, which is all the more reason to select a good bottle(s). In any case, what should we drink on Valentine’s Day? Yes, bubbles first, that is clear, but even that presents a dilemma. And what should follow the bubbles? What kind of red wine offers the best pairing for Valentine’s Day? If you have any thoughts – go ahead, don’t be shy.
Then the wedding anniversary – do I even have the right bottle for that? I have some vintage Champagnes, but nothing grand enough for the occasion. And while my friends generally like the wine, they are not wine geeks, so well-aged reds might not solicit the response I would want.
Last but not least is the mother of all winelover struggles – OTBN. The holiday was invented to help people crack open that special bottle still waiting for the right moment, which might never come. And yet OTBN is only one night, how many bottles can you open? Selecting the bottle for OTBN is ultra-difficult, especially when one has lots of wines in the quantity of … 1. When you have only one bottle, you need to decide if this is really the time, if the bottle can still improve, if the bottle is special enough. Ah, and please understand that “special” doesn’t mean “expensive”. A special bottle is simply a bottle with an attached memory, and for OTBN, we need to ensure that the bottle is special enough.
Here, I just shared my frustration with you, and I feel better. I even got some ideas for the wine to open on Valentine’s Day. And I’m pretty much decided on the OTBN bottles (it means nothing, really, everything can – and will – change quickly). But I do feel better at the moment.
So what would you tell me? Is this struggle real, or am I a spoiled, undeserving brat? You be the judge of it, but I know how it feels selecting a bottle for a month, in the endless loop between all the wine fridges and shelves. For me, it is definitely real. And for you? Hey, do tell your stories, I’m all ears…
An Easy Way Into The Wine World: Stikky Wine
The world of wine can be anything you want it to be. It can be snobby. It can be snooty. It can be intimidating. It can be just plain difficult. Thousands upon thousands of labels multiplied by thousands of people with attitude… Grrrr…
But it doesn’t have to be difficult, intimidating, or snobby. It can also be easy, fun, and friendly. Especially if you have a friend who knows a thing or two about wine and is willing to teach you. Sometimes your friend can be a person, but sometimes it can be simply … a book!
Enters Stikky Wine book.
A comfortable format – it doesn’t look like an encyclopedia you can’t lift off a shelf unless you bench at least 135 on a regular basis. Stikky Wine can easily fit in the palm of your hand. It is easy to navigate, and its only purpose is to be your wine friend.
As you open the book, it tells you all you need to know about what follows: “Learn the six aroma families and three essential characteristics to enjoy great wine and talk like a pro – in just one hour”.
It sounds like a bold promise, but it is not far from the truth. With simple, step-by-step instructions, the book helps you learn about basic aromas in the white and red wines. You will learn about the 6 most widespread grapes, 3 whites and 3 reds, and you will learn how to differentiate between them. All throughout the book, before you turn to the next page, there will be a question you need to answer [without cheating] – and this will help you to remember what you have learned.
By the end of the first chapter (called Sequence One in the book), you will know how to speak wine fluently. The wine descriptors, such as fruit, acidity, herbs, earth, and spices will leave your tongue without any effort. You will also pick up some fun facts, such as the movie Sideways, for example.
In the second chapter (Sequence Two), you will learn about wine service, choosing the wine in the restaurant, and some of the wine faults. Basically, if you follow the book’s instructions, you will soon change your perspective about the wine world from “difficult and intimidating” to “fun and easy”.
I had a lot of fun going through the book. I’m sure this book will benefit everyone who has ever been intimidated by the world of wine, and this new knowledge will definitely make wine more enjoyable for everyone who will make an effort to read and study. Hey, the study here is the most fun part – it means you get to drink wine, and all of it for the benefit of learning!
What are you waiting for? You can get your Stikky Wine book here. And you can thank me later.
A Weekend In Wines #4
Here we go again – another attempt at a series (I kind of question my mental health at the moment, as the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again, each time expecting a different result – I’m so glad I’m not a doctor, whew).
Some time ago, I wrote a post called Weekend in Wines. Then there was A Weekend In Unique Wines. And also A Weekend in [Great] Wines. That makes it 3 attempts at the Weekend in Wines theme, hence the #4 in the title. Oh yes, and countless posts under the same name, which never left my head, never materialized in the form of letters and pictures on the screen. But those don’t count, don’t they? Okay, number 4 it is.
It is not every weekend that I experience the wines I feel an urge to talk about. But from time to time, the “weekend wines” turn out truly special, especially if we are meeting with friends or traveling somewhere just for a weekend. The name “Weekend in Wines” feels appropriate, so let’s see how far I will be able to get with this.
There is another interesting question: when does the wine weekend start? Well, it is not all that important, but sometimes I open an interesting bottle on Thursday, knowing that I will finish it on Friday, just to see how the wine will “age”. But then again, let’s not bother ourselves with small details.
The weekend in wines #4 actually started on Thursday, with 2022 Pazac Le Pigeonnier Costières de Nîmes AOP (14.5% ABV). Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of the Southern Rhone wines, I find them flat for my palate. So I had no expectations opening this bottle – and then was pleasantly surprised with a generous fruit, medium+ body and nicely contrasting acidity. Well drinkable and offering a good amount of pleasure (Drinkability: 8-). I pumped the air out and left the bottle on the counter until the next day – and on the next day, the wine started losing its “umph”, simply confirming that Southern Rhone wines are not built for ageing.
I needed something else to drink on Friday, then, and I pulled 2021 Field Recordings Nolan Alisos Canyon AVA (13.9% ABV, 100% Alicante Bouschet, Nolsn Ranch vineyard) from the wine fridge. I was first introduced to the Alicante Bouschet grape more than 20 years ago, in the guided tasting of Spanish wines at the Barcelona restaurant in Connecticut. Ever since, I had many pleasant encounters with wines made from this unique Teinturier grape. A quick explanation, if I may – Teinturier grapes have red skin and red flesh/juice, which is very unique – only about 20 grapes are Teinturier out of many thousands used in the winemaking (Georgian Saperavi is another good example of Teinturier grape). The absolute majority of the red-skinned grapes have clear juice. While coming originally from Spain, Alicante Bouschet is a popular grape in California, more as a blending grape, but also used in the single varietal wines by the likes of Carlisle and Turley. This wine was powerful and brooding, almost black in color, with cherries, roasted meat, and a bit of funk, well within the “pleasure boundaries for my palate. (Drinkability: 8)
On Saturday, we were visiting our friends Francesca and Stefano, and of course, I had the pleasure nightmare of selecting a couple of special bottles to bring over. After a prolonged, painful back and forth, I finally settled on two bottles of Turley. First, 2022 Turley Sauvignon Blanc Estate Napa Valley (13.2% ABV). Turley Sauvignon Blanc is one of my perennial favorites. I had multiple vintages of this wine, and I have to say that Turley Sauvignon Blanc is always in a league of its own. You can’t provide a simple frame of reference, such as “oh, it is so much like Sancerre”, or “Similar to New Zealand”, and so on. The wine has great energy, it is round, it is silky, it is polished, it offers white stone fruit with good mid-palate weight, and a perfect balance. Always a treat. (Drinkability: 8+).
The next wine was an amazing treat. I recently got this 1995 Turley Petite Syrah Aida Vineyard Napa Valley (13.5% ABV) directly from Turley via the last mailing list offering. I’m on the Turley’s list probably for the past 15 years, I love Petite Sirah (Turley uses the spelling of Petite Syrah for some reason), but I never saw Petite Sirah from Aida Vineyard on any of the offers. We had to decant the wine as we were not careful pulling out a 31-year-old cork. I know that Larry Turley, the founder of Turley Winery, often said that Zinfandel is the wine Cab lovers actually want to drink. I know that this is Petite Sirah and not Zinfandel, but this 1995 Petite Sirah was truly mesmerizing – and Cabernet-like. In a blind tasting, I would not doubt that I’m drinking California Cabernet Sauvignon even for a second. The wine had a beautiful, succulent berry profile, with cedar box, eucalyptus, and mint, a fresh, zippy, and joyous palate. The tannins were perfectly integrated but still present, acidity was in check, ensuring the absolute freshness, and overall impeccable balance. A gem. (Drinkability: 9-/9).
Ahh, and one more interesting tidbit – the delicious pairing of this Turley Petite Sirah with Pasta Bolognese we had as a first dish. I would never think of pairing Petite Sirah with a pasta dish, as generally it would overpower it. However, this 30-year-old Petite Sirah mellowed and evolved enough to create a delicious pairing, complementing and enhancing the flavor. Love good surprises!
I asked Stefano if he had any Valtellina Sfursat in his cellar, as I was all of a sudden craving this expression of Nebbiolo after an earlier conversation on Twitter. He didn’t have the Sfursat, but he came back with 2001 ArPePe Sassella Rocce Rosse Reserva Valtellina DOCG (13% ABV). I love ArPePe wines, but they are generally not easy to find in the US. Interestingly enough, this wine literally showed no signs of age. It looked like it was just made, with cherries, sandalwood, violets and a touch of sapidity. To be entirely honest, I literally wanted this wine to show some age, maybe with some dried fruit notes, and it didn’t. I guess it would take another 20 years for it to reach its peak. Oh well, it was still tasty. (Drinkability: 8/8+).
And the last one for today – 2009 Carole Bouquet Sangue d’Oro Passito di Pantelleria, Sicily (14.5%). Once again, I was obnoxious enough to ask for Vin Santo to have with dessert. Stefano didn’t have any Vin Santo on hand, so he came back with this wine. I never heard of the producer, but the appellation is well-known for producing dessert wines from the Muscat of Alexandria grape, locally known as Zibibbo, with Donnafugata Ben Ryé being the most exemplatory specimen. It appears that this wine is produced by the famous French actress, Carole Bouquet, and it is not easy to find in the US. As the name of the appellation says, the wine is produced using the “passito” method, where the grapes are dried for a number of months before they are pressed into the wine, greatly increasing the concentration of flavors. The wine was delicious, loaded with succulent, ripe apricots with perfect acidity. Seductive, round, voluptuous – a perfect finish to a great evening with friends (Dinkability: 8/8+).
There you are, my friends. A weekend in wines. A weekend in great wines. A weekend in unique wines.
To more great wine weekends – cheers!
Celebrate Port!
This might be a first for me – I don’t think I ever posted twice in one day for more than 15 years this blog has been in existence. Well, there is always the first, right? And no, I’m not trying to compensate for the dismal amount of posts over the last year (well, maybe just a tiny bit, but please keep it a secret).
Earlier today, I wrote about the grape holidays for the year 2026, and the first thing that caught my attention was the grape holiday occurring today, January 27 – an International Port Day (interestingly enough, we also have a National Port Day, which is celebrated in September – and we don’t even live in Portugal, go figure).
Port is generally known as a fortified dessert wine. In a perfect world, Port should also be known as the wine produced in Portugal, similarly to Champagne, which can only be made in Champagne, France. However, Port is better known as a dessert wine category, and the name Port is widely used (abused?) by many producers, at least in the US (go to the wine-searcher and search for Zinfandel Port, for example). But let’s focus on the Port coming from its place of origin, Portugal.
Port is a sweet wine, usually having 17% – 22% ABV and 90 to 150 grams of sugar per liter of wine. Well-made Port is absolutely delicious, the same way as Sauternes, TBA Riesling, or an Ice Wine. The key to the sweet wine being delicious lies in the balance – as long as sugar is balanced with acidity, that’s all the wine lover needs to enjoy it.
Port used to be the wine of the kings, almost a liquid currency, produced in the Douro region in Portugal, the first demarcated wine region in the world (this tells you how important Port was). Here is one of my favorite pictures used over and over in this blog – just look at this beautiful Douro Valley:
And yet today, Port is reduced to a little corner in the wine stores, and sometimes the “by the glass” selection in the restaurants’ wine lists.
I don’t know why Port is not as popular as it should be. I’m sure that one factor is a “sugar shame” – we are trained to be ashamed to admit that we like something sweet, so many people would purposely avoid it. Another factor probably has to do with the complexity of the Port styles – there are just too many of them. Just as an illustration, here is a mind map I created for the post where I’m talking about all the different types of Port:
And even the picture above doesn’t cover all the corners – for example, age-designated tawny can be of 10, 20, 30, 40, over 40, and as of recent, even 50 years old. Oh, if you want explanations for this picture, you will find them in this post here.
As we are talking about celebrating Port, I have two particular memories I want to share. The first Port I was absolutely mesmerized by was Rozès Over 40 Years Old Porto – I had this wine about 15 years ago, and still, I can close my eyes and relive the magnificent encounter with this elixir – the beauty and complexity of the elegant, fragrant liquid. This wine was #2 on the inaugural Talk-a-Vino 2010 Top Wines List, and you can read more about that encounter here.
1970 White Port
The second most memorable Port experience was with the 1970 Quevedo White Port. We tasted this wine in the cellar of the Port producer Quevedo, directly from the barrel, as Oscar (the winemaker) didn’t know what he could do with the 43-year-old White Port. This 1970 Port became my wine #1 on the 2013 Top Wines list – you can also read about my tasting experience here.
I’m absolutely convinced that Port is the wine well worth celebrating, so happy International Port Day to you!
What are your best Port encounters you remember? Don’t be shy, you know what to do…
Grape Holidays 2026
I love grape holidays, I really do.
In theory.
And then I forget about them.
Next, I might occasionally see the grape holiday I already missed. Yes, grape holiday is not a New Year – you can celebrate it later, but still.
Last year, I shared the list of 2025 grape holidays in the hope that it would help me not to miss them. And yet I missed the absolute majority of them. I’m sure the story will repeat itself this year, but hey, let me at least share the list while most of the grape holidays are still ahead of us.
Here we go – grape holidays of 2026:
January 27, Tuesday – International Port Wine Day <– it’s today, by the way. Have a bottle of Port handy?
February 1, Sunday - International Furmint Day
February 16, Monday - International Syrah Day
February 28 – OTBN, Open That Bottle Night <– my favorite grape holiday
March 3, Tuesday - International Mulled Wine Day
March 13, Friday - International Riesling Day
March 21, Saturday - World Vermouth Day
April 14, Tuesday - Tannat Day
April 17, Friday - World Malbec Day
April 27, Monday - World Marselan Day
May 1, Friday - International Sauvignon Blanc Day. Celebrated on the first Friday of May
May 2, Saturday - International Baga Day. Celebrated every 1st Saturday of May.
May 9, Saturday - World Moscato Day
May 17, Sunday - Pinot Grigio Day
May 21, Thursday - International Chardonnay Day - Celebrated on the Thursday before Memorial Day (US) at the end of May
June 12, Friday - World Verdejo Day. Celebrated on the second Friday of June
June 13, Saturday – National Rosé Day
June 13, Saturday - Drink Chenin Blanc Day
June 21, Sunday - World Lambrusco Day
July 1, Wednesday – International Madeira Wine Day <– it is possible I just made that up, but hey, Madeira wine is well worth celebrating!
July 12, Sunday - International Cava Day
August 1, Saturday – World Albariño Day
August 13, Thursday - International Prosecco Day
August 18, Tuesday - International Pinot Noir Day
September 3, Thursday- International Cabernet Sauvignon Day – Celebrated on the first Thursday of September
September 4, Friday - National Chianti Day – Celebrated on the first Friday of September
September 10, Thursday - National Port Wine Day
September 18, Friday - International Grenache Day - Celebrated on the third Friday of September
October 5, Monday – World Vranec Day
October 6, Tuesday – Orange Wine Day
October 10, Saturday - International Pinotage Day – Celebrated on the second Saturday in October
October 14, Wednesday – Prokupac Day
October 23, Friday - World Champagne Day - Celebrated on the fourth Friday of October
October 26, Monday - International Mavrud Day
October 29, Thursday - International Carignan Day - Celebrated on the last Thursday in October
November 1, Sunday - International Xinomavro Day
November 7, Saturday - International Merlot Day
November 12, Thursday - International Tempranillo Day - Celebrated on the second Thursday of November
November 15, Sunday – Amphora Wine Day
November 19, Thursday - Beaujolais Nouveau Day - Celebrated on the third Thursday of November
November 24, Tuesday - International Carménère Day
December 1, Tuesday – International Maratheftiko Day
December 4, Friday - International Cabernet Franc Day
December 10, Thursday - World Aszú Day
December 16, Wednesday - Pinot Meunier Day
If you are one of the typical wine lovers, above you have a list of 45 days of the year (okay, 44) when you don’t need to bother yourself with the question “what do I want to drink tonight”. Here, the choice is made for you. No, don’t thank me, this is what wine friends are for.
In this whole list, there is one holiday I really don’t want to miss – the OTBN. Be forewarned – the holiday is only 4 weeks away. I don’t know about you, but my head is already spinning, going through “oh, not that… and not that one”.
Oh well. Whatever you choose to celebrate – happy grape holiday to you!
2023 UGCB Vintage Preview – Classic
“Classic”.
“Normal”.
This is practically a tradition for me to start the year with the Bordeaux tasting – a UGCB new vintage preview. The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) is a market organization representing Grand Cru wineries (Chateaux) in Bordeaux. UGCB currently has 131 members and focuses on the promotion of Bordeaux Grand Cru wines around the world, organizing more than 100 events in 15+ countries.
I had been coming to these events for quite a few years by now, and I always make an effort to ask one question of the winemakers – “How was the vintage”? Among responses, I had an interesting range of opinions, with some of the answers even contradicting each other. For example, one of the winemakers said that they lost 35% of the crop due to the mildew. However, nobody else seems to have the same problem, even within the same appellation.
But no matter what, there seems to be a consensus to call this vintage “classic”, or “normal”, as some people referred to it. There was a good amount of rain in the spring, with even growing conditions throughout the summer and harvest in the fall. So the 2023 Bordeaux shall be known as Classic. My general impressions of the tasting also confirm this designation – I would call the majority of the wines I tasted “a classic Bordeaux”.
The wines below represent the list of favorites, the wines that were drinkable right now, or may be after a short decanting. Where 2022 was mostly ready to drink right away, 2023 being “classic” will definitely benefit from the time in the cellar as it has acidity and structure to build upon. But hey, you will be the judge of it.
Now, to the wines I enjoyed in the tasting:
Pessac-Léognan (the only Grand Cru region in Bordeaux producing both white and red wines). Most of the whites I tried were delicious. The reds were mostly on the leaner side, but overall nice and “classic”.
2023 Château Carbonnieux Blanc Pessac-Léognan
2023 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion Rouge Pessac-Léognan (’22)
2023 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc Pessac-Léognan (’21, ’22) – probably the most favorite among the whites
2023 Domaine de Chevalier Rouge Pessac-Léognan (’21, ’22) – one of the top red favorites, ready to drink now
2023 Château de Fiuzal Blanc Pessac-Léognan (’21, ’22)
2023 Château de Fiuzal Rouge Pessac-Léognan (’22)
2023 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Blanc Pessac-Léognan
2023 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion Rouge Pessac-Léognan
2023 Château Latour-Martillac Blanc Pessac-Léognan (’22)
2023 Château Malartic-Lagravière Blanc Pessac-Léognan (’21)
2023 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc Pessac-Léognan – my second favorite white wine. Bright and beautiful.
2023 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge Pessac-Léognan
Margaux
For the first time in many years, this was my favorite region in the tasting. The wines were mostly well-balanced without killing the palate with a tannin attack, as many others did.
2023 Château Brane-Cantenac Margaux (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Cantenac Brown Margaux
2023 Château Dauzac Margaux
2023 Château Giscours Margaux
2023 Château Kirwan Margaux
2023 Château Lascombes Margaux (’22)
2023 Château Rauzan-Ségla Margaux (’21)
2023 Château du Tertre Margaux
Pauillac
I guess I gravitate to Pauillac – almost every one had been on my favorite list for several years in a row. Second favorite group after Margaux.
2023 Château Batailley Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Clerc Milon Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château d’Armailhac Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Duhart-Milon Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Grand-Puy Ducasse Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Haut-Batailley Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Lynch-Moussas Pauillac (’22)
2023 Château Pichon BaronPauillac (’22)
Listrac-Médoc
2023 Château Fourcas Dupré Listrac-Médoc
2023 Château Fourcas Hosten Listrac-Médoc
Haut-Médoc
2023 Château Cantemerle Haut-Médoc
2023 Château Coufran Haut-Médoc – love the winemaker’s philosophy – Bordeaux needs to be released aged. 2009 and 2011 vintages are the current vintages sold in the US, 2007 is in the UK.
Pomerol
2023 Château Le Gay Pomerol (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Gazin Pomerol
2023 Château Rouget Pomerol – the only wine in Bordeaux made by a Burgundy guy – according to the winemaker, the Burgundy guy himself.
Saint-Émilion
2023 Chateau Valandraud Saint-Émilion (’21, ’22)
Saint-Estèphe
2023 Château Phélan Ségur Saint-Estèphe (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Ormes De Pez Saint-Estèphe
Saint-Julien
2023 Château Beychevelle Saint-Julien (’21)
2023 Château Léoville Barton Saint-Julien (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Léoville Poyferré Saint-Julien (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Saint-Pierre Saint-Julien (’21)
Sauternes and Barsac
This category was scarcely populated, with only 5 producers presented. When I asked about the vintage, everyone said with an ear-to-ear smile, “Perfect!”. And yet only 2 of 5 wines (below) were perfectly balanced, with cleansing acidity on the finish; the other 3 had a wonderful burst of bright sugar, without acidity on the finish to ever bring the wine to balance.
2023 Château Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes (’21, ’22)
2023 Château Coutet Barsac
There you are, my friends. The 2023 Bordeaux Grand Cru vintage – The Classic. Cellar it. Or drink it. It is a classic, so unless you can wait for another 40-50 years, just drink it now. Well, maybe decant some of the bottles first.
Ohh, and don’t forget to save some room in your cellars for ’24 and ’25, both mentioned with lots of emotion and pride as something “special”… Let’s just wait one year…
Top 25 of 25
I’m so predictable, right? You could tell without looking that the post about Talk-a-Vino’s top wines of the year 2025 will have this exact title, right?
25 of 25 just rhymes too perfectly, I had no choice but to use it as a title.
It is never easy to decide on the list of the top wines of the year – even if I want to list only 10 top wines, I could never do it. I have always included a lot more, despite 10 being the original thought. But – this year was a lot worse than any previous year I remember. I don’t know if this is just the wines getting better and better, or me just being lucky, I can’t tell. But considering the number of amazing 30 (give or take) year-old wines I had this year, it might be the latter.
I had to make a lot of difficult choices to avoid bringing this list to a 40+ top wines – it is not because I drink so much wine, but because it is so difficult to make decisions. But I did my best to agree with myself on the 25 top wines.
2025 was the year of iconic wines and the year of doubles. I tasted a few of the iconic wines I always wanted to try for the first time – Domaine Huet from the Loire, Bernhard Ott from Austria – both are great producers I wanted to taste for a while. Both are included in the list. There are also a number of “doubles” – two wines from Turley, two wines from Domaine Bousquet. And a few more doubles didn’t happen because of – yes, you got it – hard decisions I had to make. For example, San Felice In Avane Chardonnay was spectacular, and it was absolutely supposed to be included in the list…
Just to remind you, this list is all about memories. The wine has to be memorable; it has to solicit an emotion to be included in this list. One way or the other, but all of these wines managed to do so, so here we are.
Before we get to the list, a few stats. The list below includes sparkling (1, or possibly 2, depending on how you look at Moscato), Rosé (2), white (7), red (13), and dessert (2). 10 countries are represented in the list below – California (7), Italy (6), France (4), Argentina (2), Austria (1), Czech Republic (1), Germany (1), Israel (1), Japan (1), Portugal (1). I think this is a well-rounded list, but you will be the judge of it.
Without further ado, here are the Talk-a-Vino Top 25 wines of 2025.
25. 2023 Poggio Stenti Sangiovese Rosato Maremma Toscana DOC (€13,00) – I loved the wine when I tasted it the first time a year ago in Tuscany, and I equally loved my last bottle. Clean, crisp, delightful, mood-lifting.
24. NV Gran Marselan Cuvée du Centenaire Vin de France ($169) – A unique and different wine made from a unique grape. The wine had enough power to be memorable and also to make me curious about its further evolution. Would love to taste it again in 10 years.
23. 1966 Cantine Dr. Giorgio Lungarotti Torgiano Rubesco ($N/A) – I got this bottle a few years ago as a present. This year, I finally had an opportunity to share it with the same friends who gifted it to me. The wine was not insanely good, but it was respectfully good enough. It was drinkable and pleasant, and for an almost 60-year-old wine, it became perfectly memorable.
22. 2019 Segal Native Marawi Single Vineyard Judean Hills ($24.49) – clean, bright, delightful, unique. And as a collector of rare grape experiences, it makes me happy (never had Marawi before).
21. 1998 Mondavi Moscato d’Oro Napa Valley ($N/A) – had this bottle for a while, probably for 20 years or so. Finally I decided that it was time to pull the cork, and the wine was very good.
20. 2021 Paul Anheuser Blanc de Noir Nahe ($8.99) – I had no expectations, just curiosity. German Pinot Noirs are the proverbial “talk of the town” as of late, so how would German Pinot Noir Blanc fare? The wine was spectacular – generous, playful, refreshing, and, most importantly, delivering a lot of pleasure. An absolute steal for the price.
19. 2023 Anonimo Red Wine Paso Robles ($?, 60% Sangiovese, 20% Petite Sirah, 20% Petit Verdot) – I got it from Last Bottle Wines for all I remember, but can’t find any records (very unusual for me). The beautiful part is that this wine tastes as perfectly scrumptious Chianti – not the leather-driven, but fruit-driven, like Campochiarenti wines. I was curious how much California Sangiovese could taste like an Italian one – and this wine overdelivered. Superb. An interesting part is that I think I paid something around $20 per bottle, but the wine on the website is listed at $75, and basically requires a mailing list subscription. Anyway, a memorable treat.
18. 2024 Sansilvestro Dulcis Moscato d’Asti DOCG (~$20) – I don’t care what anyone says about sweet wines – as long as the wine has balancing acidity, it is all that I need to enjoy it. I love Asti, and this wine, also beautifully packaged, was simply saying “celebration!” with every sip.
17. 2006 Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli Siepi Toscana IGT ($N/A) – good Italian wine is always a treat. This was a special treat, possibly at a peak (this is never known), but the wine was an absolute delight.
16. 2015 Domaine Schlumberger Pinot Noir Stein Alsace ($N/A) – until I tried this wine, I didn’t even know that Alsace makes red wines. Of course, the Alsatian whites are well known, but this was a special treat – lean, smoky, minerally-driven, delicious.
15. 2021 San Felice La Pieve Chianti Classico Gran Selezione ($75) – another treat from Italy. Aromatic, round, layered, delicious.
14. 2016 Salabka La Coquine Chardonnay Czech Republic ($N/A) – not every white wine can last for 9 years. I opened this last bottle brought from the trip to Prague not without trepidation – the first sip dissipated all the worries and brought my palate into the state of nirvana. Superb, world-class Chardonnay.
13. NV Incandesa Brut Traditional Method California Sparkling Wine ($15, Last Bubbles) – round, delicious bubbles that are hard to find on the budget. Nothing more, nothing less.
12. 2015 Turley Petite Syrah Pesenti Vineyard Paso Robles ($38) – I spontaneously decided to taste the 2015 Turley Petite Syrah (I can never get why Turley is using Syrah with a “y” instead of the proper Sirah with an “i”) against the 2015 Carlisle Sonoma County Petite Sirah. Both wines were very good, but my best comparison invokes the music analogy, where the Turley Petite Syrah was a beautiful musical passage that fully resolves, versus Carlisle, which abruptly ends on a high note, leaving the listener in the middle of an incomplete musical sentence. Hope this makes sense – anyway, the Turley was delicious start to finish.
11. 2018 Smith-Madrone Riesling Spring Mountain ($38) – one of my most favorite Rieslings ever. Deciding on including 2018 and not 2019 was similar to splitting hairs. Delicious wine from the first drop to the last.
10. 2007 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena Napa Valley ($N/A) – a pure delight only a mature Napa Cab can deliver. This was a present from a friend, which I kept in the cellar for a while. I’m sure this wine would evolve for another 20 years, but it was beautiful in the glass already. Layers of cassis, eucalyptus, a touch of mint, polished, elegant, impeccably balanced.
9. 2019 Domaine Huet Clos du Bourg Sec Vouvray AOC ($46.97) – finally, I tasted the wine which I knew by name for many, many years. Stunning aromatics, layered fruit in every sip, a pure pleasure.
8. 2014 Weingut Bernhard Ott Grüner Veltliner Der Ott Feuersbrunn Wagram ($19, Last Bottles) – another dream came true. Not only was it a legendary Ott, but this wine also had a good age on it, and the wine showed spectacularly. It was interesting to find a touch of gunflint and a beautiful honey note on this wine, similar to the one you expect from mature Chardonnay, and even a whiff of petrol you would expect from a Riesling. Perfectly alive and a pure pleasure in the glass.
7. 2021 Domaine Takahiko Soga Nana-Tsu-Mori Pinot Noir Hokkaido Japan ($300?) – wow, Pinot Noir from Japan, how about it? The wine was beautifully classic, with good depth, cherries, dark fruit, and finesse, lots of finesse.
6. 2024 Domaine Bousquet Ameri Eva Estate Organic Sauvignon Blanc ($35) – Domain Bousquet has a very large wine production, and yet manages to create a new and ultra-enjoyable wine. The wine’s unique buttery notes put it into its own category, delivering lots of pleasure now, and is built for aging. I would love to see the evolution of this wine in 10-15 years.
5. 2021 Monchiero Rocche di Castaglione Barolo DOCG ($70) – I don’t drink enough Barolo, that’s all I can tell you. I didn’t expect that such a young Barolo would show so beautifully in the glass, no decanting needed. A pure medley of red and black fruit, violets, impeccable balance. Note to self – drink more Barolo!
4. 2019 Chateau d’Esclans Les Clans Provence Rosé ($110) – the wine is all about pleasure, and this wine delivers. Wait, correction – this wine overdelivers. Elegant, complex, and in its own category. Once you try it, the question “how can Rosé cost $100+” is instantly answered…
3. Rocim Vinha da Micaela Red Alentejo ($270) – a sans categorie wine. A beautiful concoction, made from local grapes, existing in its own world where it can’t be compared with any other wine. The wine doesn’t have a frame of reference, nor does it need one…
2. 2022 Domaine Bousquet Ameri Wild Roots Block 3 Organic Malbec ($85) – the second wine from Domaine Bousquet on our list. Polished, beautiful, layered, sexy, and voluptuous. When you take a sip of this wine, you want the pleasure to last forever.
1. 1999 Turley Zinfandel Pringle Family Vineyard Howell Mountain ($38.25) – Mesmerizing. Upon opening, the first sip of the wine appeared to be sweet. A few minutes later, the wine transformed, adding incredible depth and complexity. When I was taking the sip, time was stopping. I didn’t want to talk; I just wanted to reflect. Mesmerizing is the best one-word descriptor I can come up with for this wine.
This is it, my friends. Talk-a-Vino Top 25 of 25.
What were your memorable wines of 2025?
Happy New Year 2026!
Here we are again – a New Year. New hopes, new dreams, a new notebook with 365 empty pages. It is up to us to fill those pages with things that matter to us.
Two days ago, I opened a bottle of one of my favorite Champagnes, NV André Chemin Brut Tradition Champagne, and to my surprise, noticed something I had not paid attention to before. Take a look at this cork:
This is a perfect message to remember for the remaining 364 days of 2026.
Keep Calm and Drink Champagne.
I want to wish all of you and your families a healthy, peaceful, happy New Year 2026, filled with great moments, great memories, and great wines.
Source: Pixabay
Cheers!
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