I have plenty of wine resolutions for 2012. It’s always fun to explore the new and alternative. But it’s also fun to discover greatness in a place or varietal you’d previously snubbed. Which leads me to one of the most popular, most guzzled and sometimes most infuriating varietals for the wine lover: chardonnay.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never turned my nose up at a good white Burgundy. But Cali chard? Puh-lease! To say that it’s not my style is an understatement.

In the past few years, through wine samples and online tastings, I’ve noticed a swing away from the typical California trend – winemakers experimenting with cool climate regions and steel fermentation, preventing malolactic fermentation, and a more subtle use of oak. Perhaps my previous snub to the stereotype was keeping me from appreciating some quality juice. I realized it was time to re-evaluate.

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Over a few glasses of wine in 2007, South Florida wine insiders Shari Gherman and Monty and Sara Preiser dreamed about putting the area on the map while highlighting American wine’s greatness. The dream included a small judging by the area’s best palates, a large event for the greater wine-loving public, and the opportunity to give back.

“I love American wines,” says Gherman, a certified sommelier involved with the wine industry for more than 25 years, “I’ve had a lot of opportunities to travel, but I think that American wines are so wonderful and when you visit the winery, there’s the mom and dad and kids – they are farming! They are farmers producing this beautifully elegant product that makes every meal better.”

Now in its fifth year, the American Fine Wine Competition includes more than 600 wines entered, a panel of two dozen super-palates to judge, and $430,000 raised for charity from the event’s annual galas.

Here’s a look behind the scenes of this year’s VIP kick-off party and the 2012 judging. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the 2012 American Fine Wine Competition Gala on April 19. Read the full story

Already a month into the New Year and I’m visiting the New World! Here are some New World wines I’ve tried recently. These wines were sent to Swirl Girls for potential review.

2010 Foppiano Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc – Russian River Valley ($15 online)
A fresh, lively nose with a lot of lemon, lime, white grapefruit and cut grass aromas. On the palate, the wine is very tart and crisp but has a nice weight to it. A zingy little wine that would go well with ceviche or other light seafood fare.

2009 Columbia Crest H3 Les Chevaux – Horse Heaven Hills ($11 online)
I am a big fan of Columbia Crest’s H3 line. This blend of cavbernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, malbec and cabernet franc has aromas of dark fruits like blackberry and blueberry with notes of dark chocolate, coffee and baking spices. The wine has a lush and round mouthfeel with integrated tannins, a nice balance of acidity and a dry finish. A very approachable and enjoyable wine, great value for the price. Read the full story

All the end-of-the-year festivities have given us ample reason to Swirl. Here are a few Italian wines we’ve received as samples.

Whites:

2009 Arnaldo Caprai Grecante Grechetto dei Colli Martani – Umbria ($16 online)
A fresh, clean and minerally nose without much fruit presence. Subtle apple notes on the palate but mostly an earthy, minerally wine with a medium body, nice acidity and very dry, clean finish.
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WHO: Robinson Hogan, certified sommelier,The Wine Dive, West Palm Beach

CURRENT SIP: Non-Vintage Gruet Brut, New Mexico

“Gruet is a wonderful producer of great value sparkling wines. The brut is very crisp and dry, bursting with flavors of apple and citrus. The family who produces this wine is from Champagne. They came to New Mexico to chase the American dream and to be able to work outside the strict French wine regulations. This vineyard is very high altitude, 4300 feet, so no matter how hot it is during the day, it cools at night and preserves the acidity in the wine. And the sandy soils mean they don’t have to use any pesticides. Plus, the wine is from New Mexico, which is a weird region where really nothing else is from. When’s the next time you’ll get to try a wine from New Mexico?

PAIR IT WITH: “A blood orange salad with mixed greens and a light dressing or a cold lobster salad would be great. It pairs well with a wide variety of foods, from fresh shucked oysters to ceviche and any food with a citrus or tart influence, or just for celebration!”

PRICE: $14.99 at Total Wine

Michael Aitken
Gulf division vice president of sales at William J. Deutsch & Sons, fine wine importers

CURRENT SIP:
2009 Llai Llai Pinot Noir from Bio Bio, Chile

“I’m two hours from a 20K- calorie long weekend. So I’m looking for a wine that is not too heavy and is void of heavy tannins, cloying sweetness and sharp acidity. These components usually react or conflict with food. The go-to for this purpose is usually French wine, something from Bordeaux or Northern Rhone. This year I’m going south with Llai Llai Pinot Noir.

“Although not French, this pinot noir is made in the very cool climate region of Bio Bio, Chile, bordering the Patagonia. It’s Chile/French fusion. Bright cherry berry character from the Chile sunshine, with silky Burgundy texture and well integrated acidity.”

PAIR IT WITH: “I like this wine with hearty beef and veal stock-based sauces with chicken and fish.”

PRICE: The wine retails from $10.99 to $12.99 at Total Wine “and is a favorite by-the-glass selection at many Palm Beach County restaurants.”

Time again for another round-up of wines. This time, the wines come from regions in the New World, mostly California with a few wines from Argentina and the Pacific Northwest. Most of these wines were sent as samples for the Swirl Girls to review.

Non-vintage Sokol Blossor Evolution – Oregon ($14.99 at Total Wine, $15.99 at ABC, $16.95 at Crown)
It’s sort of like throwing all the grapes you can at a wall and seeing what sticks. This blend of well, basically everything is a bright lemon color and has a sweet, candied pineapple aroma with lychee, peach, pear, and white flowers. On the palate, it’s fresh and slightly sweet with a medium body. It paired nicely with a spicy Thai red curry with duck.

2010 Michel Torino Estate Cuma Malbec – Cafayate Valley, Argentina ($11 online)
Made with organic grapes, this deep purple/magenta-colored wine has a juicy, berry-filled nose of blueberry, blackberries and spice. There was a strong whiff of alcohol in the nose as well. On the palate, the wine had a grapey, bubble-gum fruit flavor that was reminiscent of a Beaujolais. It has a medium-bodied, slightly thin feel in the mouth. There was a nice level of acidity and soft tannins. This is a simple, one-dimensional wine that would be nice for a casual party.

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Last week, the Swirl Girls posted a story about Spanish wine and tapas, taking our culinary inspiration from my recent trip to Barcelona. Included was a list of some Spanish wines we highly recommend. We received other wines for that story, but due to space in our newspaper, we weren’t able to talk about all of them. Here are some more we tried while putting together our list:

2004 Manuel de la Osa – La Mancha, Spain ($24.93 at Crown)
This is a very interesting red blend of tempranillo, syrah, cabernet franc, graciano and merlot. It’s got a nose of black cherry, charred, burnt leaves and spice. On the palate, flavors of black cherry and cranberry mix with bittersweet chocolate, espresso and dried leaves. There’s also a vegetal character and a sour cherry finish. It’s medium-bodied and dry.

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Thanksgiving is about tradition and innovation. It’s about sharing passed-down family recipes and experimenting with new techniques.

On Thanksgiving, the food definitely takes center stage.

At best, the wine plays a supporting role and at worst, it’s a complete afterthought.

But the great thing about this holiday is that so many different wines will pair nicely.

So whether you like to stick to tradition or throw it out the window, there is a wine in this list perfect for your holiday feast.

CLASSIC PAIRING: CHARDONNAY

It’s the go-to white for many; a lush, round wine with enough body to stand up to the hearty meal. But more than any other varietal, choosing the right chardonnay can make the difference between pairing nirvana and a very odd couple.

Dry’s pick: 2008 Ceja Chardonnay, Carneros, California (The 2009 sells for $26.99 at Total Wine)

The flavor profile of this chardonnay is perfect; plenty of fresh, fruity aromas of apple, pear and citrus to match the fall flavors. And the oak is right where it should be – in a supporting role . The acidity makes it more versatile for food pairing and a great match for the classic Thanksgiving bird.

ALTERNATIVE PAIRING: VIOGNIER

The roundness and body are similar to chardonnay, but it has a silky, almost oily mouthfeel and a more aromatic profile. The fruit expression is generally tropical with floral notes, rich and intense flavors and enough body to stand up to a hearty meal. Bring on the turkey stuffed with toasty chestnuts and dried apricots, sliced pineapple and ham and a hearty serving of grandma’s marshmallow-topped sweet potato mash.

Dry’s pick: 2009 Cline Viognier, North Coast, California ($10.99 at ABC)

Aromas of honeysuckle, banana and tropical fruit. On the palate it’s round, full and fruity with flavors of honeyed peaches and pineapples. It has a silky mouthfeel with medium acidity and a long finish. A very nice New World viognier, especially at this price point.

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What is it about tapas, Spain’s small bites of deliciousness, that so intrigues us? The Spanish have elevated the practice of eating in small portions to an art form, and the rest of us have been taken by the trend.

On a recent trip to Barcelona, we vowed to follow their lead, snacking our way around the beautiful seaside city. From fresh markets to traditional taperías, even to our own picnic in Parque Güell, for three days we ate one small bite at a time.

Upon returning home, I wanted a way to remember those leisurely days — to continue the vacation, relive the colors, the smells and the flavors. So I decided to throw a tapas party for some of my favorite ladies, the Swirl Girls. I set out to find such classic Spanish ingredients as spicy peppers, salty marinated olives, fresh cheese and dry-cured ham, and got to work creating a bite-size menu inspired by my trip.

We gathered on a recent Friday around a colorful table. There were no courses and no specific wine pairings, just a bunch of small plates passed around the table, family style. Bite by bite, I shared the magic of Barcelona, its historic Gothic quarter and modern architecture, its lazy beaches, bustling nightlife and the fiery Catalan spirit. Read the full story