Weekend Wine: Alamos Red Blend Argentina 2010

Alamos Red Blend Argentina 2010, $10-$13: This is the inaugural vintage for the dry Red Blend of Malbec, Tempranillo and Bonarda from one of Argentina's hottest brands. The mountains on the label hint at the cool nights and hot sunlight in the Andes that bring out great acidity and intense flavors. Nick Nearhood, wine consultant at Woods Fine Wine in Grosse Pointe Woods, comments it's a "no-brainer" the store would add the Red Blend to their Alamos offerings.

Weekend Wine: Colby Red California 2010

This dry red blend is not just another bottle on the shelf but a fundraiser for people, especially kids, with heart trouble.

Box wines can score touchdown on Super Sunday

Wine may sound like sissy stuff for Super Bowl Sunday, but I’m betting the corks will be popping about the time the chicken wings and onion dip come out.

St. Julian keeps new wines coming

Leave it to the oldest winery in the state to keep rolling out new wines.

Mild winter creates problems for ice wine makers

Along with ski resort operators and snowmobile vendors, the unusually mild winter has been rough on makers of a cold-climate delicacy called ice wine. The pricey dessert beverage, produced by wineries stretching from Minnesota through New York and in parts of Canada, is revered for its sweetness and often-syrupy texture. It comes from grapes that are picked and pressed while they’re still frozen, yielding precious drops of concentrated juice.

Weekend Wine

Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante California, $8-$10: This is a congenial pour for New Year's or any time, meaning it's likely to please serious wine drinkers as well as novices. Peaches, apricot, lime zest, tangerine and pink grapefruit light up the palate. It's not overly sweet, with good acidity and a lovely spritz to tease the taste buds. Alcohol is a gentle 10 percent. Pour it with dessert or serve it as a foil to spicy Asian appetizers. Look for it at supermarkets.