Who Wants to Guess What I'm Thankful for this Year?

If you guessed wine, you're right! But more specifically, I am thankful for all the wonderful wine that is also cheap...yes, it does exist. Who would know this better than a poor college student like me? Thanksgiving is one of my absolute favorite holidays and therefore deserves the best wine I can afford...this means I am going to share with you some of my favorites that are under $10.

Now that I have a year of being able to buy wine under my belt, I love bringing a bottle to family get-togethers and holiday parties for several reasons, the first of which is that it makes me feel like an adult. If you're already of age, you know what I am talking about...if you're not, well what are you doing reading my blog?! Either way, bringing a bottle of your own choice means you know you'll have at least one thing you can enjoy drinking, not to mention it's a very nice gesture (which holds true for any situation in which you don't show up empty-handed!)

If you're thinking, hey this is all great in theory but what if my family thinks I'm a cheap jerk who only spent $9.99 on a bottle for a great holiday such as Thanksgiving? Remember to peel off the price sticker before you hand it off! Just as I am not an expert, neither are most people. Unless you are from a family of connoisseurs (or people who think they are,) you're probably safe in bringing a less expensive bottle. What matters is not the price but whether people like it!

All that being said, my first favorite cheap wine is called Voga Italia. (Pretend the bottle in the picture is full of gorgeous red wine....which it is before you drink it all.) It is just $9.99! Not only is the bottle really cool, but the top screws off and, as the cashier told me, can be used as a cup! Since it isn't your typical wine bottle shape, I was a little scared as to its quality, but I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did! Voga Italia, a 2006 Merlot from Sicily, is delicious and a great quality for a wine under $10.

My next choice is a favorite of my entire apartment, ringing in at only $8.49. This wine, called "Flaio Primitivo" (Flaio after a city in Puglia, Italia) has a simple but attractive label and is very strong in both smell and taste, which makes it very flavorful. It is dry and red, my favorite combination in an Italian wine, and goes really well with heartier foods like pizza, meat, or even...Thanksgiving dinner. 

The third and final of my favorites is a 2008 Chianti called Gabbiano. This is a simple red wine but one that I find goes with everything. The lazy side of me definitely advocates for Chianti because I like to be able to open a bottle of wine and not have to worry about whether or not it will go with what I'm eating! In my eyes, you cannot go wrong showing up to someone's house with a bottle of Chianti for two reasons: it's delicious, first of all, and there are so many different varieties there is a good chance not everyone has tried it. But wait, it gets better! Every time I've seen this particular bottle, it has been on sale for $6.49, and even when it's not on sale, it is still under $10! If that doesn't say Happy Thanksgiving, I don't know what does.

Sulfites, Histamines and Headaches...Oh My!

I read a great post from Tablas Creek Vineyard's blog about the unfortunately popular myth that sulfites in wine are what give people headaches. Up until the other day, I was one of those sadly misinformed people, but now I have been set free!

Histamines are actually what causes most people's headaches, not sulfites. The number of Americans actually allergic to sulfites is ridiculously low, but people with histamine allergies (such as pollen and a variety of foods like cheese, fish, and some vegetables) are extremely common. Unfortunately, red wine contains a small amount of histamines because the grape skins are kept in with the wine as it ferments. I was fascinated to learn this, especially because I have been badmouthing sulfites for quite some time now.

Another interesting point that Jason Haas, Partner and General Manager of Tablas Creek Vineyard and main author of its blog, makes is that the government seems to want people to think sulfites are what causes reactions, mandating that wine containing sulfites be labeled as such. For some reason, however, histamines do not have to be mentioned even though they are, in most cases, the real culprit. What is that about?

The enthusiasm so many of us have for wine makes it nearly impossible for me to believe not everyone is carrying around a glass of it everywhere they go (this isn't Italy, after all.) If I can make just one person love wine as much as I do, I will have done my job. I know, I know, no one asked me to do this, but it's too late...I have taken it upon myself to try. Luckily, the realm of opportunity has been opened to those that once thought they could never have a glass of wine. Blogs like Jason Haas' will hopefully squash the sulfite rumor for good so that more people will be able to enjoy one of the greatest drinks on earth: a glass of vino rosso.