Child's drawing of grapes saying "Pick Me"

Get to Know Wine

Free to all readers. This section is largely focused on wine education content and long-form stories centered on Italy and other European wines. Led by our popular First-Taste Guide series as well as in-depth profiles on winemakers and noteworthy vineyards, this content is a great introduction to Opening a Bottle's approach to wine.


Illustration by my daughter, Lamorra Day.

First-Taste Guides

This popular series of articles breaks down some of Europe's most puzzling wine categories: mostly appellations where the wine is named after a place.

What the Winemaker Knows

The best educators in the wine world are the people who make it. Our regular interviews and profiles from a winemaker's perspective offer a deeper glimpse of what goes into the glass.

Vineyard Stories

Profiles on some of the most unique winegrowing terrain on earth.

Cyclists in Bernkastel-Keus ©Kevin Day/Opening a Bottle

Wine Travel

Our dedicated section to the wine destinations that launch a thousand day dreams.

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Essays on Wine

This series of essays by our writers take an aspect of wine and explore it. The nature of flaws ... the way we describe wine ... how it evolves with time. Anything is fair game.

Container ship heading off screen at sea
Three champagne wines made by artisans: Jacques Lassaigne, Paul Bara, Domaine les Monts Fournois
pink and purple treatment of Montalcino landscape in Tuscany, Italy with adjectives

Should I Drink This?

Our recurring column on obscure and unfamiliar grapes and wines, where the answer to the question is always "yes ... yes, you should."

A Life in Wine

Interviews and life stories on some of the most interesting people in the world of European wine: producers, importers, writers and critics.

How We Rate Wine - Wine bottles for Opening a Bottle ©Kevin Day/Opening a Bottle

How We Rate Wine

Our reviews are written for beginners to wine as well as "wine obsessives." And we use icons to indicate vineyard practices, history, and other compelling details that matter m0st to understanding a wine's story.

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Wine Icons

Key to Our Wine Icons

– Practicing Organic
 – Certified Organic
 – Practicing Biodynamic
 – Certified Biodynamic
– Biodiversity
– Polyculture
– Old Vines
– Heroic Viticulture
– Volcanic Soil
– Traditional Winemaking
– Clay Vessel Winemaking
– Family-Operated Winery
– Historic Winery
– Co-operative Winery
– Négociant
– Stay at Winery
– Age-Worthy Wine
– Expensive Wine (+$100)
– Requires Some Searching

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