Wine 101
Tawny vs Ruby Port: Which Should You Buy?
Tawny vs ruby port, decided by how you will actually drink it. What oak and air do to each, what they cost, and how long each one lasts once opened.
The cellar notes
Drink better, guess less.
Field notes from the team building AboutWine — practical, jargon-free, and built around the moments you actually buy and drink wine.
Buying Wine
What Wine Goes With Ham? The Glaze Decides
What wine goes with ham depends on the glaze, not the meat. Why sugar breaks a dry bottle, what to pour for each kind of ham, and the one wine for a full table.
Read the story → 
Buying Wine
What Wine Should You Use for Mulled Wine?
Skip the listicle. Here is what heat, sugar and spice actually do to a bottle, which grapes survive it, and how much to spend on wine for mulled wine.
Wine Trends
Why English Sparkling Wine Is Suddenly Everywhere
England has over 1,100 vineyards and mostly makes fizz. Here is what changed, why Champagne houses bought in, and which bottles are worth trying first.
Buying Wine
What Wine Goes With Cacio e Pepe?
Cacio e pepe is salt, fat and black pepper, which rules out most big tannic reds. Here is what to buy instead, from a Roman Frascati to a crisp Verdicchio.
Wine 101
How to Cork a Wine Bottle After You Open It
How to cork a wine bottle again after opening: why the cork no longer fits, which end to push back in, and the stoppers that seal an open bottle better.
Wine Apps
Can You Scan a Wine Label Online Without an App?
There is no real browser-based wine label scanner. Here is what works instead from a laptop, how far Google Lens gets you, and when an app earns its install.
Wine Trends
Why Beaujolais Is Back, and Which Bottle to Buy
Beaujolais spent decades as the Nouveau punchline. Here is why Gamay is back on wine lists, what the three label tiers mean, and which bottle to buy.
Wine 101
When Is Wine Harvest Season? Why the Pick Date Matters
Wine harvest season runs August to October north of the equator and February to April south of it. Here is what the pick date decides about your bottle.
Buying Wine
What Wine Goes With Prime Rib? Follow the Fat.
A tannic red is the right answer for a rib roast, but the horseradish, the au jus and the size of the table decide which one you should actually buy.
Wine Apps
Your Wine Bottle Had Its Own App. Where Did It Go?
The talking label on a 19 Crimes bottle lived in a brand app, not on the glass. What that app did, why most of it was retired, and which kind of wine app is worth keeping.
Wine Trends
Sherry Is Back. Which One Should You Buy?
Sherry is back on wine lists and most of it is bone dry. What fino, manzanilla, amontillado, oloroso and Pedro Ximénez taste like, and which to buy first.
Wine 101
Does Wine Get Better With Age?
Aging does not add flavour to wine, it trades fruit for something else. Only bottles with tannin, acid or sugar underneath survive it, and most have none.
Buying Wine
Who Actually Makes Store-Brand Wine?
The label is legally required to tell you whether the name on the front fermented the wine or just bought it. Here is the wording to look for, and what it does not prove.
Wine Apps
Why the Wine App's Price Never Matches the Store
The app quotes a trimmed, tax-free average across a whole market, not the shelf in front of you. Here is what that number includes, what it leaves out, and when a gap matters.
Wine Trends
Why Is Wine More Expensive in 2026?
Wine is in a global glut and vines are being uprooted, yet imported bottles cost more in 2026. Here is what tariffs and markups actually do to a shelf price.
Wine 101
What Does 'Oaky' Mean in Wine?
Oaky means vanilla, spice and toast that came from wood, not grapes. What it does not tell you is whether that wood was ever a barrel — in cheap bottles it usually wasn't.
Buying Wine
What Does 'Reserve' on a Wine Label Mean?
In Spain and Italy it's a legally enforced aging rule. In the US it means nothing at all. How to tell which kind you're holding before you pay for the word.
Wine Apps
Why Can't the App Find My Wine?
Usually the bottle was never catalogued, not that your photo was bad. How to tell the two apart in ten seconds, and which wines are routinely missing.
Wine Trends
There's a QR Code on Your Wine Bottle. What Does It Tell You?
EU wine bottled after December 2023 carries a QR code for ingredients and nutrition. What you'll find behind it, what stays on the paper label, and its limits.
Wine 101
Does Wine Glass Shape Actually Matter?
Glass shape changes aroma and temperature, not quality. What the research supports, what glassware marketing oversells, and how many glasses you need.
Buying Wine
Two Vintages of the Same Wine. Does the Year Matter?
The shelf has two years of the same bottle. Here is when the vintage actually changes the wine, when it changes nothing, and how to decide in ten seconds.
Wine Apps
What Do Wine Apps Know About You?
Scanning a label sends a photo somewhere. Here's what a wine app can hold, how to check any app in two minutes, and what leaves your phone when you scan.
Wine Trends
Wine Drinking Is at a Sixty-Year Low. What Changes for You?
Global wine consumption fell again in 2025, to a level the world has not seen in more than sixty years. What a shrinking market does to the bottles on your shelf.
Wine 101
Does Decanting Wine Actually Do Anything?
Decanting does two unrelated jobs, and most wines only need one of them — or neither. Which bottles genuinely change, and how to get the same effect without a decanter.
Buying Wine
Is the Second-Cheapest Wine a Rip-Off?
The oldest advice about restaurant wine lists turns out to be wrong. Researchers priced 6,335 wines and found the real markup sitting somewhere else entirely.
Wine Apps
Why Two Wine Apps Rate the Same Bottle Differently
Scan one bottle in two apps and you can get 3.6 and 91. Neither is wrong, because they are measuring different things — here's how to read them.
Wine Trends
Why Wine Bottles Are Getting Lighter
Wine bottles are shedding weight fast, and the industry set a 420g target for 2026. Here's what's driving it and why a heavy bottle never told you much about the wine.
Buying Wine
How to Buy Wine Online Without Getting Burned
What to check before you click buy: whether the wine can legally ship to your state, how summer heat ruins bottles in transit, and how to read a listing you can't touch.
Wine Apps
Can a Wine App Tell You What to Eat With It?
Pairing features match a dish name to a stored suggestion. That works until the sauce shows up. The five interactions behind every pairing, explained.
Wine Trends
How Climate Change Is Changing What's in Your Glass
Wine is one of the first products where climate change shows up in the bottle. Riper fruit, higher alcohol, new grapes in Bordeaux, and vineyards in Kent.
Wine 101
Does a Screw Cap Mean the Wine Is Cheap?
No. The closure is a winemaking decision about how long the wine is meant to last, not a quality grade. Here's what cork and screw cap each actually do.
Buying Wine
Is Buying Wine by the Case Actually Worth It?
Case discounts are real, usually 10 to 20 percent, and mixed cases normally count. The catch isn't the maths, it's owning twelve bottles you only half liked.
Wine Apps
Can a Wine App Read a Restaurant Wine List?
Menu-scanning apps promise to decode any restaurant wine list. Here's what the technology actually does at the table, where it breaks, and what helps.
Wine Trends
Low-Alcohol Wine: The Good Ones Were Always There
The best low-ABV wines aren't new products with the alcohol removed. They're classic styles from cool regions that have sat at 9 to 11 percent for generations. Here's where to find them.
Wine 101
Wine Serving Temperature: Why Yours Is Probably Wrong
Most people serve reds too warm and whites too cold, which changes the taste more than the bottle does. The right ranges, and how to hit them.
Buying Wine
Are Wine Subscription Clubs Worth It?
Wine clubs are worth it for discovery and convenience, and often poor value on price alone. How to judge one honestly — including the curation test.
Wine Apps
Can ChatGPT Recommend Wine? An Honest Assessment
AI is good at explaining wine and bad at knowing what exists. Where a chatbot genuinely helps, where it invents bottles, and how to use it safely.
Wine Trends
What Is Pét-Nat Wine? A Plain-English Guide
Pét-nat is sparkling wine bottled mid-fermentation, so the bubbles are natural. Here is how it is made, what it tastes like, how to open it, and what to buy first.
Wine 101
What Are Sulfites in Wine? (And Do They Cause Headaches?)
What sulfites in wine actually are, why winemakers add them, how much is really in your glass, and why they almost certainly aren't the cause of your wine headache.
Buying Wine
How to Order Wine at a Restaurant
Ordering wine at a restaurant feels intimidating, but you don't need to know the list. Reason from three things: style, budget, and what you're eating.
Wine Apps
Can a Wine App Teach You About Wine?
Most wine apps identify a bottle and hand you a score, which teaches you nothing. The difference between an app that scores wine and one that explains it.
Wine Trends
Is Boxed Wine Any Good? A Straight Answer
Is boxed wine any good? For everyday drinking, increasingly yes. Bag-in-box keeps wine fresh for weeks — what it does well, its limits, and when to buy.
Wine 101
What Is Acidity in Wine? (And Why It Matters)
What acidity in wine actually is: how it tastes, where it comes from, which wines have more of it, and why it makes a wine taste fresh instead of flat.
Buying Wine
How to Pick a Good Bottle of Rosé
How to pick a good rosé: what color, region, and vintage actually tell you, how to spot dry versus sweet, and how to match a bottle to the moment.
Wine Apps
Wine Cellar Tracker Apps: How to Track Your Collection
Wine cellar tracker apps log what you own, where it's stored and when to drink it. What they do, the features that matter, and whether you need one.
Wine Trends
Is Canned Wine Any Good? A Straight Answer
Is canned wine any good? Often, yes — the can is a format, not a downgrade. Which styles work in a can, how much is inside, and when to choose one.
Wine 101
What Does Full-Bodied Wine Mean? Body Explained
What full-bodied wine means: how body is the weight a wine feels in your mouth, what makes a wine light or full, examples of each, and why full-bodied isn't better.
Buying Wine
How Much Wine to Buy for a Party
How much wine to buy for a party: the simple bottles-per-guest formula, a quick reference table, how to split red, white, and sparkling, and why you should round up.
Wine Apps
How to Remember the Wines You Liked
How to remember the wines you liked so you can find them again: what to note beyond the label, why a star rating isn't enough, and the habit that sticks.
Wine Trends
What Is Natural Wine? A Clear, No-Hype Guide
Natural wine explained: what it actually is, how it's made, the truth about sulfites, why it can taste different, and how to buy a bottle you'll genuinely enjoy.
Wine 101
Sweet vs Dry Wine: How to Actually Tell the Difference
Sweet vs dry wine explained: what residual sugar is, why the label rarely tells you, how to reason it out from the grape and alcohol, and why fruity isn't sweet.
Buying Wine
What Wine Should You Bring to a Dinner Party?
What wine to bring to a dinner party: the safest crowd-pleasers, how much to spend, red vs white, and what to avoid, when you don't know what everyone likes.
Wine Apps
Can a Wine App Actually Recommend Wine You'll Like?
Can a wine app recommend wine you'll like? How taste-profile match scores work, where they fall short, and what separates a useful recommendation from a number.
Wine Trends
Is Non-Alcoholic Wine Any Good? (And How It's Made)
Is non-alcoholic wine any good? How dealcoholized wine is made, which styles actually work, what the labels mean, and how to buy a bottle worth drinking.
Wine 101
What Are Tannins in Wine? (And Why They Matter)
What are tannins in wine? The compounds from grape skins that give red wine its dry, grippy feel — what they taste like and which wines have the most.
Buying Wine
How Much Should You Spend on a Bottle of Wine?
How much should you spend on a bottle of wine? The honest answer, the price-to-quality sweet spot, where your money really goes, and how to drink well for less.
Wine Apps
How Wine Scanner Apps Work (and What They Miss)
How wine scanner apps work: image recognition matches a label to a database and returns a rating and price. What they do well, and what a score can't tell you.
Wine Trends
Chilled Red Wine: Which Reds to Serve Cold (and Why)
Chilled red wine isn't a mistake. Which reds to serve cold, which to keep near room temperature, the ideal serving temperatures, and the reason behind it.
Wine 101
How to Read a Wine Label: What Actually Matters
How to read a wine label without the guesswork: what the region, vintage, and ABV really tell you, which words are legally meaningful, and which are just marketing.
Buying Wine
What Wine Goes With BBQ and Grilled Food?
The best wine for BBQ and grilled food: bold reds for smoky meat, crisp whites and rosé for chicken, fish and veg. Pair to the char and the sauce.
Wine 101
Old World vs New World Wine: What's the Difference?
Old World vs New World wine, explained simply: Europe's traditional regions and earthier styles versus riper, fruitier wine from everywhere else.
Wine Trends
What Is Orange Wine, and Why Is It Everywhere?
Orange wine is white wine made like red, fermented on the skins. Here is how it is made, what it tastes like, what to pair with it, and how to serve it.
Wine Apps
Are Wine Ratings and Scores Actually Reliable?
Are wine scores reliable? A 92-point rating is a signal, not a verdict. What the 100-point scale and Vivino ratings measure — and what they leave out.
Wine 101
How Long Does Wine Last After Opening?
How long does wine last after opening? Most reds and whites keep 3–5 days in the fridge, sparkling 1–3. The full breakdown by type, and why it varies.
Buying Wine
How to Pick a Good Bottle of Wine at the Grocery Store
How to pick a good bottle of wine at the grocery store without a sommelier: a simple shelf routine, the real price sweet spot, and the regions that overdeliver.
Wine Trends
Gen Z Wine Trends in 2026
Gen Z wine trends in 2026 favor orange wine, pét-nat, natural and low-alcohol bottles, plus discovery on social and story over scores. Here's what's shifting.
Wine 101
Wine Tasting Words Explained (Plain English)
Confused by wine tasting terms? This plain-English glossary explains tannin, acidity, body, dry vs sweet, oak, finish, and minerality so labels finally make sense.
Buying Wine
How to Tell If a Wine Is Good Value
Wondering if a wine is good value? Learn the price tiers, the regions that overdeliver, and the restaurant markup math that helps you spot a great bottle.
Wine Apps
The Best Wine Apps in 2026 (Honest Roundup)
Looking for the best wine apps? We compare Vivino, CellarTracker, Wine-Searcher, and AboutWine on what they actually do well, so you pick the right one.
