Theresa Downs

Climate change is terrible—erratic weather, extreme temperatures, ecosystems in chaos. But there's one tiny, unlikely silver lining: England can now make sparkling wine that rivals Champagne. A two-degree temperature rise since the 1970s transformed southern England's chalky soils from marginal vineyard territory into legitimate wine country. We planned to visit English wineries to taste this climate-change success story firsthand, but most were closed during our visit. So we pivoted: we...

Image by Wine By Appointment LLC and ChatGPT Wine has always been associated with celebration, and since the Middle Ages, it’s been well paired  with the feast of Saint Valentine. As the patron saint of love, Saint Valentine comes with the belief that enjoying wine on his feast day—February 14—can bring a little extra luck and happiness in love. So here are eight marvelous wine cocktails  to put that theory to the test. Because what better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with your...

Ballyvaughan, Ireland via Wine By Appointment LLC I'd taken to rolling my eyes when friends would extol the virtues of Ireland. I had nothing against Ireland… they just don't make wine, so I had little interest in visiting. Until a very special event prompted us to visit (more about that later), I couldn't have been more wrong about a place. True, Ireland isn't known for its Pinot Noirs, sparkling wines, or zesty whites, but it does have ready access to all of them. So, in late November, we...