by Sandra Crittenden

December is gift giving season!  This month we take a look at some great gifts for the wine lover in your life. You'll find some that are easy to order  on-line and some that are available right here on the island. As seen in the December 2019 issue of  Galveston Monthly   magazine

  Between holiday meals and parties, November seems to start the sparkling wine season. While Champagne will always be the king of the bubbly, there is a whole world of sparkling wine to enjoy at every price point. As originally seen in the November 2019 issue of  Galveston Monthly  magazine.

 It wasn't so long ago that Willamette was known for other agricultural products other than wine grapes. In the 1960s and 1970s, a few families shared the same dream of making world class wines and the valley was changed forever by their pioneering spirit. This month, we take a lot at the first families of Willamette Valley wine and learn some of their stories along with a recommended wine they are producing today.

  When people hear Bordeaux, they often picture grand chateaux and exorbitantly expensive red wines, while all that is true, there is much more to Bordeaux than that.  This month I take a look at some of the more affordably priced high quality wines sourced from the hillsides with this guide giving you recommended producers and information about each of the growing areas within the Côtes de Bordeaux region. As seen in the September issue of  Galveston Monthly  magazine.

Mourvèdre is becoming more well-known in Texas as more and more grape growers and wineries focus on this grape. This month, we take a look at where else it is grown in the world and give some recommendations from both Texas and France. As seen in the August issue of Galveston Monthly magazine.

Portugal has a long wine making history. In modern times, the country boasts numerous high quality wine regions, each offering something different to wine lovers. Here, I recommend some wines from The Duoro Valley, the Dâo, and Alentejo. As seen in the July 2019 issue of  Galveston Monthly   magazine

  Move over Chardonnay and Cabernet, here are some easy drinking wines made from some lesser known Italian grapes. As seen in the June 2019 issue of  Galveston Monthly  magazine