Wine: Solo standouts
These wines taste great with a meal or by themselves.
People who get nutty about pairing wine with food sometimes forget there’s a place for choices that are “big, fruity, and high in alcohol,” said Daniel Duane in Bon Appétit. Americans, after all, don’t just drink with dinner; they like wines that taste great by themselves. Below are three that meet that standard, in three loosely defined categories.
2010 Avinyó ‘Vi D’Agulla Blanco’ ($12). This effervescent muscat is my “lemonade white”—a “cold, clean white so light and refreshing” that you may be tempted to drop ice cubes in.
2009 Talbott Logan Chardonnay ($23). When I want “plush indulgence” in a white, I reach for this luxurious chardonnay.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
2008 Fog Dog Pinot Noir ($35). A pinot that I call my “Just Red Enough” choice—“because sometimes you want something special to stand up to a cheese platter.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary
Speed Read Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat out Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary
-
Iran nukes program set back months, early intel suggests
Speed Read A Pentagon assessment says US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites only set the program back by months, not years. This contradicts President Donald Trump's claim.