Photo courtesy of Beth Studenberg / The Licensing Project.com
In partnership with our friends at Dry Farm Wines
The right wine can make a meal more delicious. The fruitiness, acidity, minerality or earthiness of a wine can play off or emphasize your food, be it rich and creamy camembert or spicy Thai larb. There are certain wines that are particularly suitable for certain occasions – to make a night look cozier or a holiday look more festive. But choosing your bottle certainly doesn’t have to be a demanding matter, say our friends at Dry Farm Wines.
Dry Farm Wines has a radically transparent model that cannot be found anywhere else in the wine industry. It sources natural wines from small and independent winemakers around the world. Everything is then tested in independent laboratories to ensure that everything meets its standards. Every bottle you get from Dry Farm Wines contains a full online reprocessing of the region and grape variety information available online, as well as ABV (alcohol by volume) and residual sugar (what’s left over after fermentation). The wines have an alcohol content below that of traditional wines and such a low sugar content (e.g. less than a gram per liter) that they are essentially considered to be sugar-free. (According to the FDA, anything with less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving is sugar-free. A standard-gallon bottle of wine contains at least four servings.) While the folks at Dry Farm are exquisite curators of wine, perhaps what they do best is that everything feels fun and accessible. We gave them a few different scenarios for wine and food recommendations – and they hit every mood.
A CELEBRATION
What to look for:
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• •Bubbles – pet-nats if you can find them.
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• •Unfiltered and skin-contacting wines for a dynamic expression of the grape.
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• •Balanced wines are versatile and suitable for meals.
Dry Farm Wines Pick:
NV Denny Bini Spuma Emilia Sparkling
It’s a rustic Italian wine that ticks many solemn boxes. Opening a champagne sets the tone for the evening. This is a pét-nat, so it has a light, delicate bubble from natural fermentation. You get a lot of flavor because it is a skin-contact wine and unfiltered (which also makes it look a bit cloudy). It essentially contains the fullest expression of the grape – stem, skin, seeds, yeast, and everything. The grape is Lambrusco di Sorbara, although Spuma is certainly less sweet than a typical Lambrusco wine. It’s incredibly balanced so it goes with almost anything in terms of food. It’s also fun on your own, without food.
To complete the mood
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Zalto champagne glass goop, $ 62
Cheers, health, salud!
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La DoubleJ Dress goop, $ 930
Any excuse to dress up.
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Estelle Cake Stand goop, $ 225
For a festive end.
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A PICNIC
What to look for:
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• •Lower sugar and lower ABV wines are better choices for daytime drinking.
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• •White wines that grow in warmer climates and do not suffer at room temperature.
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• •Something light with acid to balance your menu – our picnic basket always contains some rich elements such as nuts, cheese, sausages or hummus.
Dry Farm Wines Pick:
2020 Craig and Carla Hawkins love is more than a feeling of white
This South African wine made from Chenin Blanc grapes is true to its warm coastal climate. It has a certain minerality and surprisingly it still tastes good at room temperature when the cold has subsided. When it’s super chilled, those mineral notes are up front, but when it drops to room temperature, you get more subtle fruity notes. So you don’t have to worry about the cooler and ice. All Dry Farm Wines are lower in alcohol, but this is one of the lowest at 11.56% ABV, which makes it ideal for daytime drinking. It’s not overly acidic, but it can cut through some rich foods that you may have packed for your picnic.
To complete the mood
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Medina Mercantile Basket goop, $ 60
A very chic route.
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Onyx Tiffin goop, $ 32
Stack of snacks.
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Fashionit Speakers goop, $ 95
Bring the ambience.
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One night in
What to look for:
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• •Wines in wooden barrels have a luscious mouthfeel that lingers on the palate.
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• •Bold wines to combine with bold dishes.
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• •Check the region and winemaking style – these can result in very different flavor profiles, even with the same grape.
Dry Farm Wines Pick:
2018 Domaine Amirault La Ferme des Fontaines Chenin Blanc
Just because you stay in sweatpants and have dinner doesn’t mean you can’t have great wine. This Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley is brave, rich and complex – there is a lot going on here. This Chenin Blanc is made from the same grape variety as the picnic wine mentioned above. However, it is very different from a cooler climate and therefore best drinks chilled. It has a slightly higher alcohol content than the picnic wine. And it ages in neutral oak barrels that don’t add flavor, but the porous wood allows for oxidation, resulting in an incredibly luscious palate coating effect. This wine can withstand bold flavors, so don’t be shy about your menu.
To complete the mood
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La DoubleJ placemats goop, $ 80
An easy way to beautify your table.
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Ulla Johnson cardigan goop, $ 445
In a word: cozy.
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WS Game Company’s Scrabble Goop, $ 200
Always after this triple number of words.
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A backyard grill
What to look for:
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• •Accessible wines with an interesting history will please both beginners and experienced wine drinkers.
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• •Wines with old vines: Small but powerful plants produce wines with an intense taste.
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• •Earthy, aged red wines – the depth of taste goes well with anything that is grilled.
Dry Farm Wines Pick:
2017 Domaine Jourdan A passion for nature
If you’re hosting a BBQ, your guests’ level of wine is likely to vary. Are you looking for something that is accessible to a novice wine maker and interesting enough for your experts? This Cab Franc is just the ticket. It’s very earthy, with some acidity, made from old grapes, meaning the vines have been harvested for over twenty years. Old vines tend to produce fewer grapes, but those grapes are full of flavor. This wine is also aged in barrels, then bottled and aged a little more, so that both the color and the taste could develop and intensify over time. It is ideal for anything that comes charred from the grill – rib eye steaks, merguez sausages, shishito peppers or za’atar flatbread.
To complete the mood
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Stinson Studios Bowl goop, $ 190
The most beautiful everyday salad bowl.
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Fique + Clay placemat Goop, $ 24
For a look that is both earthy
and together.SHOPPING NOW
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Estelle Glasses goop, $ 160
We like mugs for more
relaxed atmosphere.SHOPPING NOW
SHOP ALL HOME
