• About Me

    Wine for Newbies is a one-man-show run by Andre Costa. I was born in Brazil and in 2001 I moved to New York City, where I still live.

    I do not have a wine background, but I am working on creating one and Wine for Newbies was one of my first steps in reaching that goal. I decided to start Wine for Newbies as a tool to enrich my own knowledge about wine and, so far, it's working. It is a slow process, but a very rewarding one. I do intend to work with wine in the future as a main career, but I have not yet figured out which path I will take, as it seems the options are many. My next step is to take a serious wine class and add another layer to my knowledge.

    Feel free to drop me a note. I am always looking for new like-minded friends, business partners, guest writers, etc.

    Email Me

  • Wine Trivia

    Which of the following wines would be a classic pairing with a Chinese or Thai dinner?
    A - Chardonnay
    B - Pinot Noir
    C - Gewürztraminer
    D - Gamay

    Answer: Gewürztraminer
    In general, most white wines work with spicy Asian food, but the classic pairing is Gewürztraminer with its own spicy characteristics that complement the spices in many Asian dishes. Other classic pairings with Asian foods include Riesling or a rich Pinot Gris.     — Wine Smarts Game

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    Morrell - Fabulous Selection of Champagnes


    Alltop, confirmation that I kick ass

  • Must-Read Books

    The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine
    The Battle for Wine and Love: or How I Saved the World from Parkerization
    Passion on the Vine: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart of Italy
    A Vineyard in Tuscany: A Wine Lover's Dream

Wineries

United States

California
Chateau Potelle Winery - 3875 Mt. Veeder Road - Napa, CA 94558
Notes: I’ve only had two wines from this winery. The first one was a Sauvignon Blanc that I was lucky enough to drink while visiting the winery a couple of years ago. We had the wine while having a picnic in the winery grounds! Fantastic.
The second wine I just tried tonight - their dessert wine called Once In A Blue Moon. This is a sweet wine, but not overwhelmingly sugary! It is absolutely delicious and I will surely keep more bottles at home (just in case).

Michael Pozzan Winery - Napa Valley, CA
My only contact with Michael Pozzan’s winery has been through our first online wine tasting event ran on January 26th 2008. We tasted their Annabella Merlot 2005, which was delicious. I look forward to shaking the winemaker’s hand some day.

Tablas Creek - Paso Robles
I’ve never been to Paso Robles, so I have never had the pleasure of trying the Tablas Creek wines in loco! Too bad for me. But I’ve tried their wines and they are absolutely delicious. Crispy white wines that lingers in your palate for quite a nice chunk of time.

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