So many of us buy our wine at grocery stores; they are an important spot for wine buying. But it's been almost 18 months since I reviewed the wine offering at Whole Foods Market. My interest was piqued at a recent wine and cheese tasting at Whole Foods, where I was pretty bowled over by the quality of the wines tasted, especially the quality they del\ivered for the price. Want to see my picks for the summer?

Wine of the Week: 2011 Santiago Ruiz O Rosal
Region: Rías Baixas, Spain
Price: $20

The 2011 Santiago Ruiz O Rosal is a deliciously, crisp, Albariño blend from Rías Baixas in Spain’s ruggedly beautiful northwestern corner known as Galicia or as 'Green Spain.'

Wine of the Week: 2010 Tibouren Clos Cibonne “Cuvée des Vignettes” Cru Classé
Region: Côtes de Provence, France
Price: $30  

I just love rosé wine. Can’t get enough really and am always on the look out for the tasty everyday rosé as well the one for special occasions.  This 2010 Clos Cibonne Tibouren “Cuvée des Vignettes” from Provence at $30 is pricey but definitely worth the splurge for a special dinner or treat.  This is a wonderfully serious rosé — complex, beautifully structured, contemplative and elegant — worthy of its price tag.

If you're gifting a bottle of wine, you might think the bottle itself is gift enough. But if you want an extra special presentation, I have just the thing: wine wrap papers from the newly launched Bottle Stock, a small shop based out of LA catering to design-minded wine lovers. Each sheet is cut to fit most 750ml wine bottles, and the paper designs are lovely and eye-catching!

This is a very exciting spring for books here at The Kitchn! A couple weeks ago we told you about my new book, Bakeless Sweets, and this week we're turning the spotlight to another book from our team: True Brews, by Emma Christensen, our very own recipe editor. Emma has written about beer for The Kitchn for many years, and she has become a knowledgeable expert in brewing it as well — and her new book shows you how you can make it for yourself. But she doesn't stop at beer —  wine, kefir, kombucha, and fizzy sodas show up in True Brews too! 

Today we have an interview with Emma, talking about her new book. Come read all about brewing in small apartments with minimum equipment, the most surprising things she learned while writing the book, and the most refreshing drink for summer!

Cru Bourgeois is a wine term that you see on the label of some wines from Bordeaux. Do you know what the term actually means? 

When we think of a wine and cheese party we automatically think of red wine, but in fact white wine is actually a much better partner for many types of cheese. Read on to find out more about perfect cheese and wine pairings. 

Do you ever wonder why so many people automatically reach for a beer to go with African, Asian, or Caribbean foods? Answer: Beer is refreshing, and it does not clash with the many feisty, fiery flavors of chilies, herbs, spices and sauces that are the signature of these many and varied cuisines. But don't put away your wine glasses just yet!

I hadn't been living in California for very long before I felt compelled visit wine country — a common side effect when one has only ever lived in northern climes and sunshine is a novelty. I was not disappointed. It's impossible to visit any California vineyard and not fall in love with the orderly rows of grape vines stretching to touch the distant hills, or the way food tastes when eaten outside in March, or yes, of course, the wine. If you want a little glimpse of what an afternoon in wine country feels like, specifically an afternoon in the Central Coast's "new" wine country, pick up this book and prepare to be transported.

While I am a big advocate of how most foods and wines are pretty flexible when it comes to wine pairing, there are a number of foods that are known to be challenging in this domain. However, do not give up! Read on to find out what wines work well with salad vinaigrette, hot and spicy foods, dessert, asparagus, artichokes and even Brussels sprouts.