Michael Austin

Barbecues are all about nonchalant abundance. Make it easy for your guests to get everything they want, but be sure to surprise them, too, with wine pairings and food.

Perfect wines for your summer barbecue? Surprise your guests

May 31, 2019 at 9:02 p.m.

For reasons I cannot begin to explain — and I have given it considerable thought — the word “barbecue” is impossible to pin down. It simply refuses to commit to...

As the old saying goes, you can't stop time. You can sort of pause it, though. Look at your calendar, and find a reason to pop a cork and pour some wine.

Pop the cork, and take a moment to be present in life

May 31, 2019 at 9:02 p.m.

My weekly writing deadline happens to be the 15th anniversary of the day I became a freelance writer — the day after I quit my perfectly good magazine job and...

On a gloomy day, rosé wines can offer a taste of sunshine and brightness.

A bouquet of 16 rosés to pack for your summer picnic or enjoy during a summer storm

May 31, 2019 at 9:04 p.m.

Rosé is an ideal way to beat the gray monotony of the world at certain times of the year (say, wintertime), but it is also great year-round, ushering in shining...

Old Mission Peninsula, one of Michigan's five designated American Viticulture Areas, benefits from Lake Michigan's (in the background) moderating effects.

Explore Michigan’s diverse wine scene, one of the country’s most exciting developing regions

May 31, 2019 at 9:01 p.m.

Michiganders have a way of showing their hand. They have a technique — a tradition, really — of lifting their right hand and pressing their left index finger into a...

American syrah with a good ol' American hamburger, a combination that goes together like the Fourth of July and fireworks.

For the Fourth, drink American: Syrah, pinot, grenache and a vineyard full of other U.S. wines

May 31, 2019 at 9:02 p.m.

I’m thinking of a small city in the South of France right now, as we work our way toward the Fourth of July to mark the 242nd birthday of our...

Pecorino vs. pecorino: The word is used in Italy for a range of sheep's milk cheeses, but also for a grape and the wine made from it. Bonus: They go great together.

Don’t know Meritage from pinotage? Duero from Douro? We’re here to help

May 31, 2019 at 9:05 p.m.

Second of two parts. Part one can be found here. I think we can all agree that there are people we just can’t keep straight, either because of their similar...

Wine words can be confusing. Example: What's the difference between pinot grigio and pinot gris? Just the language. The former is the Italian way to say the name of the grape, the latter is French.

A lesson on wine terms that will go down easy

May 31, 2019 at 9:02 p.m.

If you have ever had trouble keeping certain public figures straight — actors, writers, movie directors — perhaps you have had the same confounding experiences with some wine words. Have...

Wines from Cotes du Rhone are easy to find and represent great value.

12 Cotes du Rhone wines that offer a range of styles and values

May 31, 2019 at 9:03 p.m.

Cotes du Rhone wines do not have the prestige of the Rhone Valley’s storied wines, but these bottles have a lot to offer. These are not the wines of Cote-Rotie,...

Wines for Fathers Day photographed in Chicago Tribune studio on Monday, June 4, 2018. Food styling by Shannon Kinsella. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune).

These dad jokes will make him cringe, but he’ll like the wines

May 31, 2019 at 9:03 p.m.

You want to make a dad happy on Father’s Day? Give him a few gift options, but not too many, and make them easy for him to enjoy. Keep bringing...

Zinfandels to consider for summer grilling: Michael David Earthquake, from left, Ridge Vineyards Lytton Springs and Dashe Cellars.

15 zinfandels to drink with whatever meat you’re grilling

May 31, 2019 at 9:02 p.m.

If you like to refer to zinfandel as the American wine, as you rightly could, now might be a good time to start tasting through some bottles to find a...

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