Wine

Best Champagnes for Mimosas

The 8 Best Champagnes for Mimosas

Spec’sology Blog, Wine
What is the best champagne for mimosas? Mimosas are a classic brunch cocktail that have been enjoyed for decades. Made with orange juice and Champagne or sparkling wine, they are refreshing, sweet, and perfect for any occasion. However, with so many bubbly options on the market, it can be challenging to know which one to use. In this post, we’ll cover the types of sparkling wines, the eight best Champagnes for mimosas, how much Champagne to use, how many mimosas you can make from one bo... Read More
10 Must-Try Malbecs - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

10 Must-Try Malbecs

Spec’sology Blog, Wine

Malbec wines are known for their exotic flavor, deep purple color, and for being the quintessential big red. They’re made from a dark variety of grapes that are tricky to mature properly without the topography of a valley and an equatorial climate. Malbec wines require a lot of sunlight and high elevation spots, making them not as common as other red wines in the west. That’s why most Malbecs are sourced from South America and Southern parts of Europe.

The Malbec grape originates from Fra... Read More

Best Holiday Champagnes & Sparkling Wines - Spec's

Best Holiday Champagnes and Sparkling Wines

Spec’sology Blog, Holidays, Wine

The best time of year is upon us – Holiday Season! What’s better than family, friends, and a bounty of bubbly?! Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve or even just a couple of days off work, ‘tis the season for some celebratory sparkles in your glass!

Of course, with this comes the issue of finding a good bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine that’ll impress both you and your guests. Well fret no more for Spec’s has narrowed it down to 4... Read More

Spec's Is Thankful For - Thanksgiving 2022

Spec’s Is Thankful For…

Spec’sology Blog, Entertain, Finer Foods, Holidays, Spirits, Wine

It’s the time of year that we’d like to take a moment and send our love and appreciation to some of our favorite brands and products of 2022!

So, without further ado…

 
Branson Cognac
Owned by award-winning musician, entrepreneur, actor and producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Branson Cognac represents a bespoke, exclusive and unique Cognac that showcases the highest quality of Cognac being made from the best vineyards in every bottle.
Maker’s Mark Private Select
Beg... Read More

Best Pinot Noirs Under $30 - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Best Pinot Noirs Under $30

Spec’sology Blog, Wine

Pinot Noir is one of the world’s most popular red wines. It’s made from black-skinned grapes that thrive in a narrow spectrum of cooler climates. It’s also notoriously difficult to grow. When done right, it produces lighter-bodied wines of elegance, complexity and longevity. They also pair wonderfully with almost everything you’ll have on your Thanksgiving table!

Now let’s get to raising the bar on raising a glass with a collection of excellent Pinot Noirs that won’t b... Read More

The Best Texas Wineries - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Best Texas Wineries

Spec’sology Blog, Wine

In case you needed another excuse to visit the Texas Hill Country, there are now even more award-winning Texas wineries to visit!

There are more than 400 wineries in Texas which makes us the 5th largest wine producing state in the nation. The Lone Star State is home to eight American Viticultural Areas ranging from the North-Central Region, to the South-Eastern Region, and the Trans-Pecos Region.

Below you’ll find some of our favorite wineries in Texas that’ll have you raising a glass ... Read More

Highly Rated Texas Wine - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Highly Rated Texas Wines

Spec’sology Blog, Wine
New wineries, incubators, and promising grape varieties are fueling a golden age of Texas wines. Currently, Texas has over 500 wineries and vineyards making it the third-largest American Viticultural Area in the country as well as the fifth-largest wine-producing state. But if you’re expecting Napa-style wines, we’ve got some news for you. Our short and extremely warm growing season constitutes an earlier harvest traditionally vs. regions like Napa. This means Texas wine won’t typically... Read More
Orange Wine 101 - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Everything You Wanted To Know About Orange Wine

Spec’sology Blog, Wine

What Is Orange Wine?
Contrary to the name, orange wine is not wine made from oranges or some sort of citrus wine cocktail. It’s a type of white wine made by leaving the grape skins and seeds in contact with the juice, creating a deep orange-hued finished product.

To make orange wine, whole white grapes are crushed and then macerated (left to sit) with their skins and stems for as little as one week and up to one year – essentially making white wine in the same manner as red wine. Eve... Read More

Best Chiantis For Every Budget - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

The Best Chiantis For Every Budget

Spec’sology Blog, Wine

Chianti, pronounced “kee-on-tee”, is a red wine blend from the Chianti region of Tuscany, Italy, made primarily with Sangiovese grapes. You used to see it in a squat bottle wrapped in straw, but now days most producers use standard bottles and have left the straw off completely.

The history of Chianti dates back to at least the 13th century with the earliest incarnations of Chianti as a white wine. Over the years, Chianti has evolved into the red blend you see today.

The first known &#... Read More

Italian Wine Cocktails

4 Simple Italian Wine Cocktails

Spec’sology Blog, Drink Recipes, Wine

How do you make happy hour even better? Simple, you just turn your glass of wine into a cocktail! It’s easier than it sounds and requires zero mystical powers (a plus for us muggles).

We’ll be focusing on Italian wine cocktails, but feel free to do some experimenting based on the recipes below!

 
Lambrusco Sangria
Ingredients

1 ounce brandy
1 ounce Tuscan Sangiovese wine
¾ ounce blood orange juice
½ ounce Cherry Heering
¼ ounce Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
... Read More

Top 5 Prosecco Wines - Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods

Top 5 Prosecco Wines

Spec’sology Blog, Wine

Prosecco is one of the most famous and appreciated Italian wines in the world due to its great pleasantness and versatility. If you don’t know much about Prosecco, you will after this article!
Prosecco’s Bubbly History
Prosecco is made from a blend of grapes that must be at least 85% glera, with the rest being local and international varieties including verdiso, bianchetta trevigiana, perera, chardonnay, pinot bianco, pinot grigio and pinot noir.

The Glera grape is thought to be of ... Read More

The Best Summer Chardonnays Under $30 - Spec's

The Best Summer Chardonnays Under $30

Spec’sology Blog, Wine

If you love white wine, specifically chardonnay, but don’t want to break your budget, you’re in luck as these are some of the best chardonnay wines under $30 that are both delicious and wallet-friendly.

Chardonnay is native to Burgundy where winemakers embrace a spectrum of styles, from steely, edgy, and chalky to creamy, rich, and golden. Because the grape is so easy to grow, it’s now ubiquitous around the globe, planted in wine regions from Chile to California to New Zealand.

Chard... Read More