Tom Maxwell

3 weeks ago | themanual.com | Tom Maxwell

By now, you’re probably aware that Champagne is a sparkling wine produced in a specific region of France, and that the name is proprietary: No other sparkling wines produced elsewhere (even in France) can be called Champagne. You might also know that all sparkling wines are the result of certain processes which preserve some of the carbon dioxide by product of fermentation in order to be carbonized.

1 month ago | themanual.com | Tom Maxwell

Chances are your favorite red wine is dry. I know that not because I have a crystal ball, but because pretty much every popular red wine is dry. (I urge you to discover the many delights of sweet red wine, but not right now.) Before we get into types, let’s address the big question: What makes a wine dry? Wines are called dry when they have comparatively low amounts of residual sugars, meaning they taste less sweet (technically below 1%, or nine grams of sugar per liter).

1 month ago | themanual.com | Tom Maxwell

Table of Contents Those of a certain age might remember Paul Giamatti’s character in the 2004 movie Sideways (“If anyone orders merlot, I’m leaving.”), and the subsequent tanking of that particular varietal expression. Was that fair or accurate? No. Are there garbage merlots? You better believe it. But merlot is a fantastic grape, wonderful on its own and fabulous in a blend — and this leads to the question: Is there such a thing as the best merlot wine?

1 month ago | themanual.com | Tom Maxwell

Table of Contents We live in convulsive times, and the wine industry is no exception: Caught in the terrible trifecta of climate change, historically low worldwide consumption numbers, and steep tariffs, the market has taken some serious hits of late. And, although global wine sales continues its downward trend, It’s not all bad news.

1 month ago | themanual.com | Tom Maxwell

Table of Contents When I think of fortified wines from Portugal, ruby and tawny ports tend to hog the spotlight in my head (and no shade there — a glass of good port is a thing of joy forever for me). But the Portuguese have another ace up their sleeve in this regard, and it’s a wondrous thing called Madeira. What’s amazing about Madeira (apart from its nutty caramelized sugar and smoke profile) is that by rights, it shouldn’t exist.