There are certain wine grapes that are considered “lesser.” They’re considered workhorses of the wine world because they’re reliable, adaptable, easy-to-grow, long-lasting and versatile. They’re grapes that show up year after year, usually as supporting cast, blended with other, more prestigious grapes.

There’s no real caché in making “great” wine from these grapes, even though more and more winemakers are re-discovering old workhorse vines that, when treated well, make excellent, or at least thoroughly enjoyable, wine. There are also new winemakers who can only afford to buy these “lesser” grapes, using them as an opportunity to showcase what they - and the grapes - can really do.

And what’s wrong with a good, affordable workhorse, well made? I am, after all, a sucker for “peasant foods,” all the ugly-delicious dishes made from cheap cuts of meat or plants that grow easily, even in challenging years. Who doesn’t love a bœuf Bourguignon, a feijoada, a ribollita, a ratatouille or a properly slow-smoked barbecue? If peasant food has earned its place in top restaurants, workhorse wines deserve their moment in the sun too.

The Jura is just a tiny little region, but it’s gained international notoriety in recent years as wine aficionados have discovered just how special these wines are. There aren’t many places in the world with so many different and entirely individual wines packed into such a small area.

When I visited Jura for the Percée du Vin Jaune in 2019, the streets of Lons-le-Saunier were bustling and my friends and I ducked down into cellars to taste the newest vintage of Vin Jaune, the Jura’s famous aged white wine. Banners streamed across the streets, music and laughter abounded, and informal parades, costumes and Comté cheeses of all ages were everywhere. There were sandwiches of Morbier and Morteau to fortify you between tastings, and when we left the city to visit producers, we were immediately transported to bucolic settings, complete with adorably chunky and floppy-eared pet bunnies welcoming us before tastings.

The sparkling Crémants punched well above their weight class, the whites were powerful and the reds were delicate. I savored every second and would go back in a heartbeat. Consider this tasting your chance to experience the best of the Jura from wherever you are.

Fruity red wines tend to get all the love, in the same way milk chocolate always out-sells dark chocolate, with its near-universal appeal and versatility. But there’s something to be said for those who appreciate the savory side of things, in both chocolate and wine. Sure, there might be a bit more bitterness to contend with, but there are also intriguing flavors that add depth and complexity to the fruit, unfolding in leisurely fashion across the palate. Not to mention that sometimes, that kick of bitterness is exactly what we need.

There are Wineluck Club tasting guides for light-bodied reds, full-bodied fruity reds and full-bodied savory reds…but so far, I haven’t written a guide for the wines in the middle. The Goldilocks-esque “not too this, not too that” wines. This tasting guide is for those wines, and is the first of two, since fruity and savory reds each deserve their own moment in the sun.

First up: medium-bodied fruity red wines, and just in time for peak grilling season.

I’m a big fan of the bubbles. Champagne, Crémant, Franciacorta, all the Sparkling Wines. But I also know that feeling when you’ve just had enough bubbly for the night, when that tickle in the back of your nose is getting stronger and you’re starting to feel a bit burbly from the sheer amount of bubbles that have entered your belly. If you’re someone who is extra sensitive to that feeling, it might even keep you from enjoying sparkling wines altogether.

Softly sparkling wines offer an alternative, a mid-way point with a gentler bubbly experience that can be enjoyed longer before any back-of-the-nose-tickle, or even just during those more casual gatherings when a full “pop” feels extravagant, whereas a soft “psssst” feels as chill as cracking open a beer. These are wines that go by many names in many countries: frizzante, pétillant, perlant, perlwein, pearlwine, spritzig, vin con aguja or vinho frisante. Whatever they’re called, they’re always softly, gently sparkling.

I haven’t been to Greece yet. “Yet” being the operative word here, since the country and its widely varied regions are high on my to-visit list. Even without personal experience, Greece has managed to push its way to the top of my list of Wineluck Club themes this week thanks to several synchronicities. It’s been one of those weeks where I have to wonder if I’ve been noticing Greek things more because it was a contender for this week’s theme, or if the Universe decided to send me signs. Friends have mentioned Greek travels in various regions. The MBA program I attended just posted a recap of a wine trip to Greece. Summery Greek recipes have been littering my inbox. You get the idea.

Greece is demanding its turn in the spotlight, so here I am, doing my best to give this ancient country’s wines their due.

This time of year six years ago, I had just finished all of the MBA final exams, projects and papers and was finally feeling the giddy exhaustion of accomplishment. Our class toasted and danced at our local cocktail bar in Dijon, and then my classmates began to move away to their respective corners of the world. I hung on for a few weeks, just as long as my money would stretch. And I set off with a friend and classmate to spend a weekend in Alsace.

Alsace is one of those regions where the borders have shifted time and again while the residents and their traditions resolutely endured. Not quite French, not quite German, Alsace is a place all its own. The villages here served as inspiration for Beauty and the Beast, a fairytale apropos to the region’s over-the-top charm. And that’s all before you’ve even begun to taste the wines. Wines whose breadth is tremendous, with character to spare.

Summer reading list season means that it’s also light-bodied white wine season, because honestly, what’s better than the simplicity of a great summer sipper?

These light-bodied white wines are, as you’d expect, refreshingly zesty with flavors that tend toward citrus in all of its varied forms. Almost like squeezing said citrus onto your tacos or watermelon for that zingy kick. What they’re not, though, are the usual Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling that you might expect in this tasting.

Why not? Because I think it’s more interesting to host a tasting focused on the lesser-known light-bodied whites. And because it’s usually true that lesser-known styles are more affordable than their more famous counterparts, even at similar quality levels. And if one thing is true this summer, it’s that pretty much all of us could use a good deal.

The seasonal fake-out that is Spring in Denmark these days has me hankering for places where Spring is lush, romantic and picturesque. Ideally bursting with colorful blooms. Preferably with scenic vistas and calming waters. Even better if there are romantic castles galore. So yes, I’m envisioning flowy floral dresses and frolicking in the Loire Valley.

As always, one of our best options for travel-in-a-bottle is wine. This tasting takes us to the garden of France, the valley of the kings. Let’s sip our way into an idyllic Spring with the whites of the Loire Valley, shall we?

Yes, I know it’s strange that I covered Spanish whites before covering the country’s way-more-famous reds. So here I am, back and writing about what you expected to see in the first place: Spanish Reds.

Some of these wine styles are best known by their region, like Rioja and Priorat. Others are best known by the grape variety, like Bobal or Monastrell. It can all get a bit confusing, so I’ve selected 6 of the “must know” styles, and labeled them by the word(s) that will help you find them fastest.

It’s weird that “serious” wine drinkers often dismiss sparkling rosé. It’s extra weird when considering that sparkling rosés are technically difficult to produce, incredibly versatile pairing-wise and frequently age-worthy.

But there’s that happy factor. That Instagram-worthiness. That Museum of Ice Cream-level giddy joy that comes with the power of pink. And bubbles. And even better, pink bubbles! How dare we mix “serious” wine with pink froth?

I firmly believe that pink froth deserves your unapologetic love. Sparkling rosés are as elegant, timeless and mood-altering as a great pair of pumps (or loafers, if you prefer).

I will giddily enjoy rose-colored bubbly any time of the year, but Spring seems to be the annual bellwether for each season’s rosé consumption, with and without bubbles. So if you, too, are feeling the call of the pink, gather your besties and get this tasting on calendars ASAP.

When you hear “Spanish wine,” the first thing that comes to mind is Rioja, right? Or maybe Ribera del Duero? Priorat? I could go on. Few would think of an Albariño, Rueda or Txakolí first.

Spain is largely thought of as red wine country, but there are white wines coming out of Spain that are just as deserving of your attention. Even better, they’re usually outrageously affordable. This Spanish Whites wine tasting guide covers some of the best known and most widely available white wines from España, so that you can decide which you like best.

Much like Syrah & Shiraz, Pinot Grigio is one of those grapes that has more than one name. Pinot Gris, its French moniker, is the OG, but Pinot Grigio, the Italian version, is far and away its better-known sobriquet these days. This pink-tinged white wine grape has even more names in other countries, but the “Pinot” of it all is easiest to understand, since Pinot Gris is from northeastern France, where its near relation, Pinot Noir, does its thing to great fanfare. Wine grapes have this delightful tendency to spontaneously mutate, which is how Pinot Gris became part of the Pinot family, of which there are grapes like Pinot Noir (black), Blanc (white) and Gris (grey).

If you’ve only ever tried Italian Pinot Grigio, this tasting is your chance to expand your ideas of what this rose-tinted grape can do.

While working for an importer in the US, I had a delightfully creative Italian boss who came up with the idea to promote our Italian white wine portfolio as the “Great Whites,” shark-style. Picture a giant white shark’s head, jaw open wide around a cluster of wine bottles, jagged rows of pointy triangular teeth everywhere. It’s a memorable visual, which was exactly the point. Hopefully, you’ll remember it now too, since Italian white wines could certainly use some help in the memorability department.

In the same way that the best Italian dishes aren’t about complexity, but instead, about simplicity delivered with care and attention, Italy’s white wines aren’t known for bursting forth from the glass or clamoring for your attention. They’re more like that quiet friend who doesn’t speak often…but when she does, everyone listens.

Great Chardonnay wines are as classic as pearls. And just like pearls, they go in and out of style, ubiquitous in some decades, less so in others, sometimes styled one way, sometimes another…but always persisting, frequently imitated and with huge variations in quality.

If you thought of pearls as grandma’s go-to before finally picking up a version of your own, it’s probably time to revisit her Chardonnays, too. They’re so much more than the 90’s-style butter bombs you might have tried in the past. This tasting highlights the regions and countries that have defined modern Chardonnay while offering 3 style categories to help you figure out where your own preferences lie. After all, no two pearls are exactly alike, even before being styled…and neither are Chardonnays.

Orange wine. A wine style that’s been considered faulty, painfully trendy, overblown and undeniably hip. Whether you call it orange, amber, macerated, skin-fermented or skin contact, orange wines are essentially white wines are made like reds. Rather simple for wines that inspire such polarized opinions.

Orange wine has become trendy in recent years, but the style is ancient. Orange wines are made all over the world, from different varieties of white grapes using different methods by different winemakers in different terroirs. This tasting zooms in on some of the styles and countries that have come to be the best known in the wide range of shades of orange.

I’ve intentionally avoided Dry January or Sober October for this tasting theme because I view non-alcoholic drinks, as complementary options to wine at any time of the year.

Sometimes, life gives us circumstances for which we or others in our lives need to or want to avoid alcohol. Sometimes, we just want to pace ourselves, zebra-striping our way through a lengthy gathering. Other times, we want to imbibe, but someone has to be the DD, and it’s our turn to take one for the team. And yet, no matter what else is going on in our lives, alcohol is still an indelible part of socializing as an adult.

Luckily, the non-alcoholic drinks space is getting more and more interesting every day. The moment I hit “publish” on this post, it will already be outdated. And I love that that’s the case.

This tasting is all about the alcohol-free drinks that are made from wine or made to be enjoyed like wine, and is intended to give you a chance to taste the products you’ve cast into that “I should try that sometime” space, as well as to understand better how they’re made.

Sherry, Sherry baby! If you haven’t heard the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons song before, you’ve been warned that it will be on repeat in your mind for at least the time it takes to read through (or skim) this tasting guide.

I have to be honest; my first tastes of sherry were baffling. I couldn’t decide what to think about the strange, strong flavors that were sometimes reminiscent of a yeasty beer, sometimes coffee, sometimes briny seawater. I’d never tasted wines like sherry before, and I couldn’t entirely wrap my head around how they were even considered wine, much less how the extremely different styles were all considered sherry.

If you’re British or read as much as I do, you might think of sherry as the stuff grannies keep in their cupboards, that sweetened stuff drunk out of a teeny little glass at the end of a long day, or to prevent the so-called swoons I find it hard to believe anyone ever actually had. Or, you might only know sherry in the context of cooking, often showing up in recipes with chicken, mushrooms or gravy, Thanksgiving-style.

If, on the other hand, you’ve never given sherry much of a thought, and haven’t yet developed your own opinions about the various styles, I hope you’ll take this tasting as your chance. If nothing else, this theme is the perfect opportunity to go all-in on tapas, the OG girl dinner.

We all know and love Champagne, but who can realistically splash out on Champagne on any kind of regular basis? And the next best thing is Prosecco or Cava, right? Perhaps, but French Crémants are actually a closer budget alternative stylistically, with many that are under-valued and delightfully complex, with teeny, persistent bubbles and subtle hints of brioche-y goodness. So yes, you can swap in a Crémant for your mimosas, but these wines are also delicious enough to be served solo.

France has eight different official appellations for Crémant, and this tasting will narrow in on some of the most widely available styles so that you can decide on your favorites.

In contrast to last week’s full-bodied fruity reds, this week’s tasting is focused on the savory side of big, bold red wines. Now, I get that “savory” is yet another one of those words that when used to describe wine just isn’t entirely clear. In this case, I’m referring to wines that usually do have ripe fruit flavors…but also flavors that lean more floral, herbal, meaty, earthy, spicy or leather-y. These are wines in which the fruit plays in the chorus line, instead of taking center stage. Wines that might not seem immediately attractive, but like your secret crush, reveal themselves more fully on a second (or third) glance.

Body-wise, these wines are all biggies. They have the grape ripeness, alcohol and tannins that stylistically feel more akin stout than IPA on your palate, or whole milk rather than skim. Body is always going to be a weird word for a liquid, but in lieu of a better alternative, we’ll let it slide.