This Winter Add Hedonistic Smoky Warmth with Hedonistas de la Fe Mezcal + Mezcal Cocktails Paired with Barbacoa Tacos

Espadin

According to Hedonistas de las Fe, curanderos are healers “with an evolved consciousness who use herbs, plants, magic, and spiritualism to treat illness, induce visions, and impart traditional wisdom” — people who embody the paradox of life to bridge “the divide between individual joy and the elevation of the collective.” They are  “of the Faith” or in Spanish, de la Fe.

three Hedonistas de la Fe take in the huge surf in Ventura recently

To Hedonistas de las Fe, “Of the Faith” also means making random acts of kindness an everyday experience. Like fostering a dog like I am with Moose wearing my Hedonistas de la Fe hat during beach walk to the Ventura River during the recent high surf. A hedonist or hedonista sees the pursuit of pleasure as possibly the highest purpose in life, so a hedonistas de la Fe also means Hedonists “Of the Faith” — someone who is pursuing pleasure as important while making random acts of kindness. At least tat’s my take on it! 

Hedonistas de la Fe also means a new brand of domesticated and wild Mezcal now available in the US  that will bring you new faith in fermented agave. 

That’s right! After all these definitions we’re getting down to the nitty gritty–three of Hedonistas de la Fe mezcal are made from WILD AGAVE harvested from three kinds of agave growing wild in the the Matatlan countryside:

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Wine Predator Sue’s 2023 Favorite Wines

2023 in review: more than four empty bottles! These are from Tuscany’s La Maliosa which I visited in June 2023

 
As 2023 comes to a close, we reflect on the year that’s passed and look forward to the year to come.  So far in 2023 we’ve published 80 articles and over 111k words, and I asked my fellow Wine Predator Sue Hill to share with us some of her favorite wines or posts from 2023. As usual, it’s not just the wine for Sue, but the pairing AND the experience of creating the menu to go with the wines. So Sue went through each post we did in the previous 12 months to chose her favorites from each month.  Some months she could narrow it to one post, and a couple months she had two or three to total 21 standout posts in for 2023. 
 

Sue Hill and Domaine Bousquet

 
 
Check out Sue’s Year in Review!

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Celebrate the Season and Domaine Bousquet with Argentine Christmas Cuisine and Three Organic Red Wines

Domaine Bousquet Organic Red Wines with Argentine Christmas cuisine

If it seems like we’ve been on a Domaine Bousquet organic wine kick lately, well, we have! Why? Well, the wines are certifiably affordable, accessible, and awesome for the planet and people because they are actually certified organic, certified regenerative agriculture, and a certified B Corp. All of that adds up to wines we want to share with friends and family this holiday season! Most of the wines are under $20 and as they are the number one organic Argentine winery exported, you should be able to find them, too. 

Since we were already planning on featuring Argentine Christmas cuisine to pair with Domaine Bousquet sparkling wine for yesterday’s post with the World Wine Travel writers who have virtually been traveling in South America in 2023 (see the list below), we wondered what we might have around from Argentina that would also be fun to try. Continue reading

A Toast to Holidays and 25 Years of Domaine Bousquet Organic Wine with 3 Sparkling and Argentine Christmas Specialties like Pionono Ham Roll #WorldWineTravel

Domaine Bousquet sparkling wine and Argentine Christmas cuisine featuring Pionono sandwiches

As the days finally get longer in North America, there’s lots to celebrate and we have ideas– for wines, pairings, and subjects with a focus today on three of Domaine Bousquet’s organic sparkling wines with Argentinean Christmas cuisine and tomorrow with three red wines! Plus scroll down for links to more articles about South American sparklers from the World Wine Travel writers. First, a toast to the sun! 

From the beginning, Argentina’s Domaine Bousquet committed to growing grapes organically in the 4000′ high altitude, arid area of Gualtallary near Tupungato in Mendoza’s Eco Valley. This month, they celebrate 25 years as the number one organic and regenerative winery from Argentina.  Continue reading

Considering Crémant: 3 Bottles of Bubbly from France for #Winophile Wintry Wonders with latkes + caviar, duck sausage puffs

3 Bottles of Bubbly from France for #Winophile Wintry Wonders

Yes you can get fine French sparkling wine grown organically and even biodynamically without breaking the bank if you shop carefully, do some research, buy in advance, and consider Crémant! After all, Crémant is made in the same process as Champagne — the grapes just come from other regions of France. So what are those regional differences? We compare three classic French bottles of bubbles–Crémant from Loire and Jura plus a Champagne from Verzy with yummy pairings that are perfect for holiday gatherings large or small. Continue reading

Kosher Organic “Alavida” Malbec for Hanukkah and Holidays from Argentina’s Domaine Bousquet

Sulfite Free, Organic, Kosher Alavida

Vegan? Check. USDA-certified organic? Check. Kosher? Check. Ecocert-approved? Check. Tasty Malbec that over delivers for the price for holiday meals that makes everyone happy? Check, check, check, check! Domaine Bousquet’s Alavida from Argentina is one of only a few wines worldwide that CHECKS ALL THE BOXES. Oh, and it’s gluten-free, too. (Okay that one isn’t too unusual– wine is commonly considered to be gluten-free.)

So if you’re looking for a holiday red wine that checks all the boxes (except being bubbly; stay tuned for next week’s Domain Bousquet’s dazzling organic sparklers), you’ve come to the right place, look no more! And we have menu ideas too! 

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4 US Sparkling Surprises: Sonoma’s SEPPI, Paso’s Halter Ranch, WA Gorge + Fav Festive Finger Foods #WinePW

4 US Sparkling Surprises: Sonoma’s SEPPI, Paso’s Halter Ranch, WA Gorge + Fav Festive Finger Foods #WinePW

Here at Wine Predator, we love love love sparking wine! We likely drink more sparkling wine than anything else, and Sue is even a Wine Club member at Scharffenberger. While there’s always something to celebrate, the reason is more simple: sparkling wines pair really well with foods we enjoy like salads and seafood, and so we both always try to have in the fridge a bottle of bubbles ready to pop.  

We’re also fans of finger food and what better time than the holidays to focus on festive finger foods paired with bottles of bubbles? But not just any appetizers: Finger foods can be fancy, elegant, and special to go with elegant and special sparklers.

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