Our Resident Wino is wine master Derek Lewis of Taggia inside Kimpton’s FireSky Resort & Spa in Scottsdale. This month, Derek recommends white nights…and days for wine-lovers.

Spring is here, and with its arrival comes a sense of renewal and a season of new beginnings. This means there’s no better time to cultivate your appetite for new and exciting wines. Following a winter of snuggling up with red varietals that take the bite out of the cold, spring lets the sun do the warming and gives you a reason to move on to refreshing whites. These wines are matches made in vineyard heaven for seafood, crisp seasonal salads and spring citrus. They’re also perfect for sipping on your patio or Taggia’s (no noshing required). »READ MORE

Our Resident Wino Derek Lewis of Taggia inside Kimpton’s FireSky Resort & Spa in Scottsdale is back. Growing up, Derek had a mother who was a great cook and a father who was a wine collector, the combination of which fueled his passion to enter the wining and dining business in 1997 – where he’s been ever since. This month, Derek gives love to the sparkling rosé, the perfect pick for Valentine’s Day.  »READ MORE

Introducing our Resident Wino, wine master, Derek Lewis of Taggia inside Kimpton’s FireSky Resort & Spa in Scottsdale. Growing up, Derek had a mother who was a great cook and a father who was a wine collector, the combination of which fueled his passion to enter the wining and dining business in 1997 – where he’s been ever since. This month, Derek’s spills it on keeping your bottles in balance.

It’s a New Year… Many of us will drink to that, and already have. We could also raise a glass to what’s actually in the glass – wine. One of the many great things about wine is that there are many occasions to enjoy it. While some of us have known this, some are now discovering it. Oenophiles are toasting everything from just a good day at work to their most important lifetime achievements; meanwhile, neophytes are learning that running to the store every time they want a glass of wine is tedious and time consuming.

To ensure all are prepared to fete any given feat, it’s best to keep a balance of bottles on hand. Just as it is essential for health and wellness, balance behooves the collections of longtime and budding connoisseurs alike. While personal taste drives most purchases, the following five suggestions help ensure a fit foundation for both countertop and cellar-kept collections. »READ MORE

This month, we’re spilling the news ourselves on the new Stronghold Wines from the creators of Arizona Stronghold Vineyards.

One of our favorite local wines, the official state winery of the Arizona Centennial celebration and listed as one of “7 Fines American Wines for Everyday” for the “Nachise” in today’s USA Today, Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, announcing their new brand, Stronghold Wines. Stronghold Wines will source fruit from outside their Cochise County home, including what founders call “American Appellation – embracing the ability to source fruit from anywhere in North America.”  »READ MORE

Introducing our Resident Wino, Damien Kanser, fine wine specialist at Action Wine. Each month, Damien spills it to us on what bottle to pop and why.

“Salute, Prost, Na zdorovje, Salud , L’Chaim, and Cheers.”  Please everyone lift a glass in a toast!

This great melting pot we all live in now ranks first in total wine consumption in the world. We as a country consumed around 330 million cases of wine in 2010, 10 million more cases than France. This, however, only moves us up to around number 50 on the per capita consumption, somewhere between Estonia and Canada.

America has always been known as a beer and whiskey-consuming nation, but our time is now. »READ MORE