To bring a little focus to our grape of the week, Barbera, we've put together our list of recommended wines. Take this list to your local shop and hunt one down.

Connecting U.S. wine drinkers to South African wine through cultural stories behind the brands. It's a perfect wine story for Earth Day. Check out our interview with Heritage Link Brands founder Selena Cuffe.

Barbera is thought to have originated in the Piedmont hills of Monferrato and is rumored to have been named for Vinum berberis, a bitter, red fermented drink from the middle ages.The name refers to its color and the tendency of the vines to overproduce produce grapes that can be acidic and sharp. When managed, those characteristics can be controlled to create a softer more balanced wine which can be blended or drunk as a single varietal.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that we still have lots of economic challenges in our restaurants—in both the United States and in Europe. One of them is the amount of the average beverage check. More specifically, bottles sales for wine have decreased noticeably in the past few years. While we can't single-handedly change today's outlook on the world’s economy, we can change our approach on how we see and sell wine. 

Sauvignon Blanc is the hipster of wine. It’s one of the first fine wines to be bottled with a screw cap and doesn’t age well, so grab it while it’s young. Depending on the climate, Sauvignon can be bold and grassy or sweet and tropical.

Burgundy, named for the ancient Burgundians who settled in this area during the early Middle Ages, is one of 27 regions in France and one of its major wine producing regions.  Wines are produced labeled and marketed from this region under the constraints of the appellation system, which can be confusing in a wine shop. As one of the most terroir-driven regions in France, the information highlighted on a bottle of wine from Burgundy is based primarily on geography, which can be a great indicator, not only of varietal and style, but also can tell you what to expect for flavor profile, expected price and quality.

Virtually everyone has been invited to a “BBQ kegger” or at least heard of a beer keg. But have you heard of a wine keg? The trend is taking off in both the consumer market and the restaurant industry.

Grilling makes anything good, and asparagus is no exception. Bright green, crisp-tender, with a hint of smokiness. Yum. Here’s a salad that offers a nice mix of flavors to excite all your taste buds. Time to break out the grill and take your stand against a never-ending winter!

In South Africa, wine production reflects the dichotomy of a time rich in opportunity yet troubled with social and economic struggle. The struggling tides of Apartheid prevented much of the wine industry’s growth and fostered a demoralized work force. As it broke apart in the 1990’s, Fair Trade wine became one such avenue to invigorate the wine market and communities among them.

A gorgeous estate, impeccable architecture and tasty wines are what you’ll find if you meander your way down the drive at Jordan Vineyard & Winery in Healdsburg, Calif. Read Keith Hoffman’s review of the trip and make sure to plan time to try the recipes developed by Jordan’s chef.

If you’re planning a menu for a formal affair, these chef-developed recipes and wine pairings from the chef at Jordan Vineyard & Winery will make your guests ooh and aah. Savory, full of flavor, incredible presentation. This is a pair of recipes that just ask for black tie.

Today, our Women & Wine feature takes a look at a woman building a brand--not in wine--but in spirits. Cape Spirits Owner/President JoAnn Elardo recently took home the Best of Category – Silver Medal from the American Distillers Institute for her Wicked Dolphin white rum at the 2013 ADI conference. We talk brand-building, local products and tasting a winning rum.

Red snapper is a favorite among fish-eaters for its sweet, nutty flavor, and was, a number of years ago, overfished. The scarcity led some suppliers to mislabel other reddish fish as red snapper, but there’s a sure way you’ll always know you’re fishing in the right pond: buy it with the skin on and always check the eyes. Red snappers have bright red irises.

Chardonnay is arguably the world’s most popular white wine. Originally thought to be a domesticated wild vinifera plant from France, it has also been suggested that the grape was broght back to France from the Middle East by the Crusaders.

Some people hike for days in the hot sun and climb rugged mountain terrain just to sit face-to-face with their white linen loin-clothed, cross-legged guru to glean wisdom. We were lucky enough to find our wise guy fully clothed, standing as tall as possible, with a huge smile on his face, a glass of wine in his hand and a beautiful wife by his side. Anthony Giglio, the Wine Wise Guy.

On Keuka Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes Wine Country, sits Rooster Hill Vineyards, a winery that exudes the entrepreneurial spirit of its president, Amy Hoffman. Visit the vineyards and you’ll likely find Hoffman amongst her grapes covered in dirt trying to outsmart Mother Nature’s surprises. She’s proud of the 230 medals her wines have won and will tell you her estate winery is not smoke and mirrors, it’s the real deal. Meet Amy Hoffman as she shares her experience and thoughts as a woman in wine.

When you walk into a wine store and start browsing through the various California, Washington, Spain and France sections, you likely wonder to yourself, "How much does a particular region matter when choosing a wine?" The easy answer is different grape varietals grow better in different places, so if you're fond of one varietal, you’re likely to eventually find a favorite region to buy it from. 

Pinot Noir is a variety of red wine grape, though it can be used in rosé wines, Champagne and even blended into some white wines as well. It is considered to produce some of the finest wines available.

Salad can be a challenging meal to pair to wine, but if you pay attention to a few key elements—namely, the standout ingredients and the acidity of the dressing—you can find a great match. It’s easy to overpower a salad with wine, but if you pay attention to the weight and body of each, you can strike the right balance. Check out this basic salad recipe and wine pairing, then share your own variations and wine pairings!