Graza, Gelson’s, HexClad, and more brands are providing cookware, meals, and donations
As the Los Angeles wildfires continue to burn, the resilience of Angelenos — and the folks who love them — has also shown up in full force via GoFundMes, local restaurants’ food aid efforts, and myriad other donation opportunities. In 2009, my family lost our home in Southern California to a wildfire, and while everyone’s experience is obviously different, for me, it was often the most seemingly trivial efforts, like the donation of toiletries or kitchen supplies, that started to make my life feel slightly more normal; after weeks of staying in hotels, there was nothing I craved more than non-hotel lobby coffee, or a home-cooked breakfast.
There has been an outpouring of support from the restaurant industry on both a local and national level, and food and cookware brands have been offering aid as well. The chef-founded footwear brand Snibbs, which makes one of Eater staff’s most beloved kitchen-to-street clogs, has been donating shoes to service workers in need; Graza is sending its olive oil to local organizations and restaurants, and various brands will be donating portions of their shop sales to impacted communities.
Below, I’ve rounded up a handful of cookware- and food-related brands who are going the extra mile to support folks affected by the 2025 fires. Some are offering direct relief — in the form of in-kind item donations in the immediate term (meals) or longer-term (to help rebuild kitchens, homes, and communities). Others are pledging donations tied to proceeds of product sales, if you’re looking to show support for brands pitching in and stretch your donation dollar even further beyond making a direct contribution. (For other ways to donate to relief efforts, particularly for the restaurant industry and its workers, here are five places to consider.)
Great Jones: As Great Jones stated on Instagram, the cookware brand plans to “donate kitchenware to those in Los Angeles who have lost their homes — whether that’s now, to help make temporary residences more comfortable, or down the road as you rebuild.” Interested parties can fill out the request form on the site here.
Goop: As Goop announced last week, first responders can send a direct message to @goopkitchen to receive free food.
Graza : In addition to donating $10,000 to World Central Kitchen, the olive oil brand is sending its olive oil to local LA organizations and restaurants that are supporting first responders and folks in need. If that’s you, send them a message on Instagram.
HexClad: HexClad, “born and headquartered in LA,” announced on Instagram that it will be donating 10,000 frying pans to folks impacted by the fires. “Product will be distributed to multiple relief organizations across the region over the coming weeks,” a representative told Eater, and folks who have been affected can reach out to the brand on Instagram for more details and a list of the donation centers that will be stocking the pans. “This is an active program, [and] we are working with relief centers in real-time on logistics of delivery,” the spokesperson said. “It will be at their discretion of when the product is stocked and how they are vetting recipients.”
Snibbs: Snibbs, the chef-founded footwear brand, is also distributing free meals and shoes at multiple drop-off locations in Los Angeles, as Snibbs’ co-founder Daniel Shemtob announced on Instagram. The brand will also be providing free footwear to impacted service workers; those who have been displaced and are in need can sign up via this online form. The brand is donating 10 percent of the proceeds from its ROVR sneakers to World Central Kitchen, an organization providing aid to those impacted by the fires.
Jono Pandolfi: Ceramic brand Jono Pandolfi is holding a raffle for what it has dubbed a “Very Big Bundle” of its dinnerware, valued at over $1,000, that will be fully customized by the winner. Raffle tickets are $10, and 100 percent of the raffle money will go towards the organization Restaurants Care, a relief fund for California restaurant workers.
Maru Coffee: The family-operated, LA-based Maru Coffee announced that it will be donating 30 percent of its in-person sales from Thursday, January 16 to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund and World Central Kitchen’s SoCal Relief Team, and 100 percent of its online coffee sales from this upcoming Sunday, Jan 19 to the organizations as well.
Common Space Brewery: Common Space Brewery is based out of Hawthorne, California, and is leading the creation of a national brewery collective known as “We Love LA” that invites breweries to create their own beer (also called We Love LA) whose proceeds will benefit what it describes as a “forthcoming selection of non-profits supporting the survivors of the Los Angeles wildfires.” Common Space Brewery has also secured discounted materials from various hop, malt, and yeast sponsors for the participating breweries, which has now grown to nearly 100, and includes a national array of breweries such as Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Maui Brewing Co., Lake Arrowhead Brewing Company, and others.
Altadena Beverage & Market: Altadena Beverage & Market has, in its words, “served the community as a neighborhood store for generations.” It will be donating 100 percent of the profits from the sale of its denim baseball cap to folks impacted by the Altadena fire.
Hedley & Bennett: The apron and cookware brand stated on Instagram that it will be donating 100 percent of the 2024 proceeds of its LA Purple and LA Blue caps to the Los Angeles Fire Department, and that it will continue its pledge through 2025.
Kroger: Kroger announced that it is raising $1 million USD to support fire relief, and $500,000 in company matching funds for customer donations that will benefit local Feeding America-affiliated food banks and the Red Cross. In-store, customers will be able to round up purchases to the nearest dollar to benefit the Red Cross, and they can donate here when checking out digitally or simply choosing to donate online.
Gelson’s: Gelson’s announced that it will match donations of up to $50,000, and stated on its website that “You can contribute in any amount — $1, $5, $10, or more — by letting your checker know at checkout. 100% of your donation will go directly to relief efforts in Los Angeles communities.”
Five places to donate, share, or turn to right now if you’re on the ground in Los Angeles
This post originally appeared in the January 11, 2025 edition of Eater Today. It will be updated periodically with new resources and donation opportunities as the situation in Southern California unfolds. For a running list of Los Angeles restaurants feeding neighborhoods and first responders — many of whom are also accepting donations to keep their efforts going — Eater LA has you covered.
Since January 7, 2025, fires have burned across the greater Los Angeles area, eventually spreading throughout LA County due to unseasonably strong winds. In the days since, residents have been forced to evacuate and find shelter elsewhere as they waited to see if the continued flames would engulf their homes and communities. In the meantime, a wide variety of community organizations, restaurants, and food industry personalities, like José Andrés, have organized to provide support to the area’s restaurant workers, their families, and the city at large.
In the immediacy of this crisis, it’s easy to get stuck in the general state of shock, grief, and overwhelm, whether you’re on the ground in California or simply asking what you can do to help from the other side of a phone screen. With so many calls for help, for action, for mobilization, there are a staggering number of ways to get involved — or find immediate assistance. World Central Kitchen and the Southern Smoke Foundation, organizations that have made names for themselves for their extensive and immediate efforts to provide emergency aid, currently offer an application process for affected individuals to request emergency relief support online. (They cite this as a result of the recent series of natural disasters that have hampered communities across the country.)
But here now are five worker- and restaurant-focused organizations, opportunities, and resources that can more immediately provide actionable support to the widest range of people. Donate, share, or turn to them directly if you’re on the ground in Los Angeles.
The obvious choice is often the right one. If you have the extra pocket change to share but aren’t sure where to donate to directly benefit someone, turn to GoFundMe’s centralized hub of fundraising efforts prompted by the wildfires. Although many of these independent fundraisers aren’t overseen or managed by a dedicated staff, that’s exactly what makes them so worthy of your support. Whether it’s to repair a home, cover relocation fees, board pets, or just cover bills until their workplace reopens, each of these initiatives brings the chance to make an immediate, positive impact in the life of someone whose face and reality you can actually see.
It’s impossible to have a real conversation about supporting restaurant workers without acknowledging the many different challenges that low-wage workers encounter due to their citizenship statuses, their workplace’s legal red tape, and the financial strains that these workers shoulder just to get to their shifts. But the National Day Laborer Organizing Network’s recent efforts have focused on providing equitable support to anyone impacted by the wildfires, regardless of their job or citizenship. Donate here to fund them and the Pasadena Community Job Center, which has been transformed into an emergency center distributing essentials like food and water, N-95 masks, and other protective gear to impacted workers who might otherwise be excluded from receiving potentially lifesaving resources.
If you like the idea of sharing the wealth but want to stretch your dollar further, consider donating to the Mutual Aid LA Network as it maintains an active spreadsheet of centralized resources across the greater LA area. Consistently updated by organizers, the sheet highlights local organizations providing temporary housing, libraries offering device charging and free Wi-Fi, locations boarding animals, and even services providing free transportation to emergency centers. Plus, because the sheet is a living resource, affected parties can spend more time getting what they actually need, and less time trying to make sense of Instagram comments with a limited battery. So, if you’re looking for a place to donate as well as something to share that’s more tangibly helpful than “thoughts and prayers,” this is a great place to start.
Although it may not have the same degree of name recognition as Work Central Kitchen, Restaurants Care — the California Restaurant Association’s nonprofit program — more than makes up for it through worker-focused initiatives providing financial support to workers across the state. Although the program has a focus on providing short-term fire relief, the list of resources and opportunities for aid in response to housing, food shortage, mental health, and other crises should assure anyone that their dollars are being put to their best use.
Street vendors, food carts, and food trucks make up a crucial portion of LA’s vibrant food culture and community, and the Community Power Collective ensures their interests remain central among the wider push to support the Los Angeles restaurant community. Previously, the organization has been vocal about preserving street vendors’ rights to sell staple foods and goods throughout the city, but the organization has also held educational workshops, hosted tamaladas and celebrations to feed the community, and distributed (in Spanish and English) industry-specific information about legal and political issues directly impacting food workers. Though not about fire relief specifically, they’re a prime beneficiary for donations you’re hoping will make a long-term industry impact.
The supplements are just the latest in a parade of products that insist they can heal your gut, reduce gastrointestinal discomfort, and make you an all-around healthier person. But do they work?
Even if you don’t spend hours scrolling social media like the rest of us, you have almost certainly encountered Bloom Nutrition. The company, founded in 2019 by Mari Llewellyn and her husband Greg LaVecchia, is known for its powdered greens products that promise to infuse your body with nutrients, eliminate bloat, and improve digestion. Whether or not that is actually true, though, is the subject of much debate.
Bloom is, of course, not the first — or the only — greens powder on the market. These powders, typically made with pulverized kale, spirulina, and other “superfoods,” have lingered on health food store shelves for decades as a way for folks to pack as much nutrition into their diets as possible. But they’ve seen a surge in popularity recently, evidenced by Bloom’s success and its bounty of competitors, including Athletic Greens, BetterGreens, and Huel, all of which claim similar health benefits.
Greens powders like Bloom are just the latest in a parade of products that insist they can heal your gut, reduce gastrointestinal discomfort, and make you an all-around healthier person. But there’s little science to support many of these claims, and most dietitians think that people should be getting their nutrients from food, not supplements.
Bloom has earned an outsized place in the world of social media, dominating TikTok and Instagram feeds thanks to the many influencers it works with. These influencers, like @camocamille, film themselves mixing the bright green powder with water while touting to their millions of followers how much less bloated and more energetic they feel. Once sold only online, Bloom made its way onto the shelves at major retailers like Target and Walmart in 2022. Now, the company’s packaging proudly proclaims that it is the top greens brand in America. It’s available in six different flavors, including berry and coconut, and is priced at around $40 for a 30-day supply.
Greens powders are intended to be mixed with water and drunk, offering an easy way for a person to consume a couple servings of vegetables, vitamins, and a few grams of fiber in one glass. Bloom’s blend is made with a combination of “greens and superfoods,” including barley grass and spirulina, along with the digestive enzyme amylase, green tea extract for a boost of “antioxidants,” and adaptogens, or compounds that promise to reduce stress, like rhodiola and ashwagandha. On the nutrition facts label of its most popular product, Bloom doesn’t note how much rhodiola or spirulina is in each serving, though it does specify that it provides two grams of dietary fiber, and three percent of the FDA’s recommended daily amount (RDA) of iron.
Probably not. Natalie Poulos, an assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, thinks that Bloom and other greens powders are neutral at best — not necessarily beneficial for most people’s bodies, but not dangerous either. Poulos notes that many of these supplements can contain extreme amounts of certain nutrients — Athletic Greens’s AG1 product contains 553 percent of your recommended daily amount (RDA) of Vitamin B1, and 1100% of the RDA of biotin, per its nutrition facts. All of the excess nutrients, she says, will be eliminated in your urine. “They’re not harmful for everybody, but they’re probably unnecessary for most people,” Poulos says. “If you eat a generally reasonable diet, you don’t need to drink 500 percent more Vitamin C than is recommended.”
Poulos also points to the widespread fortification of vitamins and essential minerals in the American food supply as a key source of essential vitamins and minerals. Even if you think you don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables — and most Americans don’t — it’s likely that your body is getting the nutrients it needs from other sources. Food fortification began in the United States in the early 1920s, when iodine was added to table salt in an effort to combat goiter and other thyroid diseases. In the 1930s, Vitamin D was added to milk to help eradicate rickets, a disease that causes weak bones. Grains have been fortified with B vitamins since the 1940s, and folic acid since the 1990s. As a result, nutrient deficiency is not a problem that most healthy Americans have to worry about.
“People think if they’re not eating salads for every meal that they’re not eating healthy, and that’s not true. There’s a misinterpretation of what eating a healthy and varied diet actually means,” Poulos says. “People in this country are not generally missing essential vitamins and minerals. We get a lot of vitamins and minerals that we aren’t necessarily aware of.”
Dietician Christy Harrison, author of The Wellness Trap, says that she generally advises all of her patients to stay away from supplements entirely, unless there is a specific deficiency or concern, due in large part to the way that the supplement industry works. “The supplement field is largely unregulated. These companies are not required to meet any standards of safety or efficacy before they go to market with a new product,” Harrison says. “As a result, there’s a lot of supplements that are simply ineffective or don’t actually contain what they claim to contain.”
Harrison is also skeptical that Bloom, and greens powders like it, will actually improve anyone’s digestion. In fact, she says, for people who have chronic digestive issues or conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, consuming products like Bloom could actually make symptoms worse because they can be difficult to digest. “I would proceed with extreme caution. These things can be really hard on the GI system, and that can cause a lot of bloating and gas, and sometimes diarrhea,” she says. “At the very least, you should tell your doctor that you’re considering a product like this to make sure there’s no potential for adverse effects.” On its website, Bloom does advise that people who are pregnant should speak with their doctor before consuming their product and notes that its supplements are only intended for those over 18.
Both Poulos and Harrison agree that greens powders probably won’t provide you with any significant health benefits, and they share concerns about how much these products cost. In their minds, you’re much better off just spending that cash on actual fruits and vegetables. “They’re certainly more affordable than a $15 green juice from a shop, but it’s still a lot more expensive than just buying cheaply, and cooking your own fruits and vegetables,” Harrison says.
If you’ve been feeling pressured to buy Bloom or Athletic Greens because some influencer has been crowing about how great they are, let this be your reassurance that you don’t actually need a $40 canister of pulverized kale to keep your body healthy. You could, simply, just eat kale — and other vegetables you like — every once in a while, prepared in a way that you actually enjoy.
The supplements are just the latest in a parade of products that insist they can heal your gut, reduce gastrointestinal discomfort, and make you an all-around healthier person. But do they work?
Even if you don’t spend hours scrolling social media like the rest of us, you have almost certainly encountered Bloom Nutrition. The company, founded in 2019 by Mari Llewellyn and her husband Greg LaVecchia, is known for its powdered greens products that promise to infuse your body with nutrients, eliminate bloat, and improve digestion. Whether or not that is actually true, though, is the subject of much debate.
Bloom is, of course, not the first — or the only — greens powder on the market. These powders, typically made with pulverized kale, spirulina, and other “superfoods,” have lingered on health food store shelves for decades as a way for folks to pack as much nutrition into their diets as possible. But they’ve seen a surge in popularity recently, evidenced by Bloom’s success and its bounty of competitors, including Athletic Greens, BetterGreens, and Huel, all of which claim similar health benefits.
Greens powders like Bloom are just the latest in a parade of products that insist they can heal your gut, reduce gastrointestinal discomfort, and make you an all-around healthier person. But there’s little science to support many of these claims, and most dietitians think that people should be getting their nutrients from food, not supplements.
Bloom has earned an outsized place in the world of social media, dominating TikTok and Instagram feeds thanks to the many influencers it works with. These influencers, like @camocamille, film themselves mixing the bright green powder with water while touting to their millions of followers how much less bloated and more energetic they feel. Once sold only online, Bloom made its way onto the shelves at major retailers like Target and Walmart in 2022. Now, the company’s packaging proudly proclaims that it is the top greens brand in America. It’s available in six different flavors, including berry and coconut, and is priced at around $40 for a 30-day supply.
Greens powders are intended to be mixed with water and drunk, offering an easy way for a person to consume a couple servings of vegetables, vitamins, and a few grams of fiber in one glass. Bloom’s blend is made with a combination of “greens and superfoods,” including barley grass and spirulina, along with the digestive enzyme amylase, green tea extract for a boost of “antioxidants,” and adaptogens, or compounds that promise to reduce stress, like rhodiola and ashwagandha. On the nutrition facts label of its most popular product, Bloom doesn’t note how much rhodiola or spirulina is in each serving, though it does specify that it provides two grams of dietary fiber, and three percent of the FDA’s recommended daily amount (RDA) of iron.
Probably not. Natalie Poulos, an assistant professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, thinks that Bloom and other greens powders are neutral at best — not necessarily beneficial for most people’s bodies, but not dangerous either. Poulos notes that many of these supplements can contain extreme amounts of certain nutrients — Athletic Greens’s AG1 product contains 553 percent of your recommended daily amount (RDA) of Vitamin B1, and 1100% of the RDA of biotin, per its nutrition facts. All of the excess nutrients, she says, will be eliminated in your urine. “They’re not harmful for everybody, but they’re probably unnecessary for most people,” Poulos says. “If you eat a generally reasonable diet, you don’t need to drink 500 percent more Vitamin C than is recommended.”
Poulos also points to the widespread fortification of vitamins and essential minerals in the American food supply as a key source of essential vitamins and minerals. Even if you think you don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables — and most Americans don’t — it’s likely that your body is getting the nutrients it needs from other sources. Food fortification began in the United States in the early 1920s, when iodine was added to table salt in an effort to combat goiter and other thyroid diseases. In the 1930s, Vitamin D was added to milk to help eradicate rickets, a disease that causes weak bones. Grains have been fortified with B vitamins since the 1940s, and folic acid since the 1990s. As a result, nutrient deficiency is not a problem that most healthy Americans have to worry about.
“People think if they’re not eating salads for every meal that they’re not eating healthy, and that’s not true. There’s a misinterpretation of what eating a healthy and varied diet actually means,” Poulos says. “People in this country are not generally missing essential vitamins and minerals. We get a lot of vitamins and minerals that we aren’t necessarily aware of.”
Dietician Christy Harrison, author of The Wellness Trap, says that she generally advises all of her patients to stay away from supplements entirely, unless there is a specific deficiency or concern, due in large part to the way that the supplement industry works. “The supplement field is largely unregulated. These companies are not required to meet any standards of safety or efficacy before they go to market with a new product,” Harrison says. “As a result, there’s a lot of supplements that are simply ineffective or don’t actually contain what they claim to contain.”
Harrison is also skeptical that Bloom, and greens powders like it, will actually improve anyone’s digestion. In fact, she says, for people who have chronic digestive issues or conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, consuming products like Bloom could actually make symptoms worse because they can be difficult to digest. “I would proceed with extreme caution. These things can be really hard on the GI system, and that can cause a lot of bloating and gas, and sometimes diarrhea,” she says. “At the very least, you should tell your doctor that you’re considering a product like this to make sure there’s no potential for adverse effects.” On its website, Bloom does advise that people who are pregnant should speak with their doctor before consuming their product and notes that its supplements are only intended for those over 18.
Both Poulos and Harrison agree that greens powders probably won’t provide you with any significant health benefits, and they share concerns about how much these products cost. In their minds, you’re much better off just spending that cash on actual fruits and vegetables. “They’re certainly more affordable than a $15 green juice from a shop, but it’s still a lot more expensive than just buying cheaply, and cooking your own fruits and vegetables,” Harrison says.
If you’ve been feeling pressured to buy Bloom or Athletic Greens because some influencer has been crowing about how great they are, let this be your reassurance that you don’t actually need a $40 canister of pulverized kale to keep your body healthy. You could, simply, just eat kale — and other vegetables you like — every once in a while, prepared in a way that you actually enjoy.
From the bright and hands-free to the wicker-covered, these kitchen bins are no longer eyesores.
On my roster of things to improve, the kitchen trash can has, historically, remained untouched. But that’s because I assumed my kitchen trash can existed outside aesthetic goals for the home; at its worst, I considered it an obligatory eyesore and, at its best, a boring piece of necessary kitchen equipment. The other week, however, I spotted a tomato-colored Brabantia trash can in the wild (a friend’s apartment), and was taken with how chic it looked. Along with her retro yellow Moccamaster and graphic Vitra Uten Silo, the cheery trash can completed a perfectly bauhaus trifecta. And, for once, I didn’t want the kitchen trash can to feel invisible.
For far too long, kitchen trash cans have taken an aesthetic back seat to the casual home wastebasket, which has traditionally pulled focus through darling flower motifs, filigree materials, and other design splendors. Now, at a time when no home good is above aestheticizing, I’ve noticed that kitchen trash cans are finally starting to get a little more attention. I’m still waiting for some truly ornate offerings (where is the Dolce & Gabbana trash can?), but there are some delightful, color-popping moves in the right direction.
Below, I have rounded up a selection of my favorite non-ugly kitchen trash cans — from a high-tech composter to a bin with Googie legs — that can brighten up your kitchen.
The forks, burners, and delightfully retro pots that bring the fondue party vibes full circle
To best enjoy fondue, you need a fondue set. Yes, buying single-purpose cooking tools and appliances rarely seems prudent. And yes, you could, of course, melt cheese in a regular pot and call it a day. But — and this is especially true if you’re denoting a special occasion like Valentine’s Day — fondue is one of those culinary projects that’s deserving of both your money and storage space.
A fondue set includes a heating element that ensures the contents of the fondue pot stay melty, thus allowing the dish to become your table’s centerpiece rather than something you have to babysit. The accompanying fondue forks make it possible to cleanly dip all manner of morsels into melted cheese or chocolate, and make the meal an interactive event. While a set is somewhat of a unitasker, you won’t be mad at affording yourself the ability to host fondue-centered gatherings for years to come, whether for an intimate date night or a more raucous dinner party. Here are several options for doing just that.
If you and your date are looking to create a winter-cozy alcove (what better excuse to cuddle together than over a small fire?) this traditional fondue set from the Swiss brand Swissmar is just begging to be placed on an outdoor picnic table. The enameled cast-iron pot, a Valentine’s Day-appropriate red, rests atop a wrought-iron rechaud (the stand that holds the pot and fondue burner). You’ll have to buy Swissmar-brand fire gel for the fondue burner separately.
Fellow Swiss brand Kuhn Rikon makes a variety of cookware, and given fondue’s role in Swiss tradition, many of its fondue sets have particularly Swiss motifs, such as this red pot emblazoned with the Swiss flag. The full set comes with six basic fondue forks, fuel paste, and a rechaud, along with six matching plates.
For an even kitschier Swiss-made option, I like the brand’s Capricorn set, which includes a ceramic fondue pot and plates, all hand painted with a goat motif, plus four fondue forks. It’s a nice option for those who are looking to mix up their existing fondue set-up, as this doesn’t come with a rechaud.
While traditional fondue sets usually rely on flame heat to keep fondue warm after it’s been melted on the stove, an electric set plugs into an outlet to melt the fondue directly. Cuisinart’s electric fondue set is consistently well reviewed, and comes equipped with an adjustable thermostat that allows you to melt cheese to your precise temperature preference, eight fondue forks, and a handy ring that fits inside the pot to hold the forks while the fondue heats. The pot, when separated from the base, is also dishwasher safe.
If you’re less interested in investing in a party showpiece and more interested in the occasional intimate fondue night, a space-saving miniature fondue set is appealing. This tapas fondue set from Boska, a Netherlands-born brand that sells cheese accessories, comes with only two fondue forks and uses a tea light to warm the small, rectangular pot — meaning that you will have to do the serious melting on the stove beforehand, but that you and your date can get close to dip into the diminutive pot.
Like its iconic Dutch ovens, Le Creuset’s enameled cast-iron fondue sets are heirloom quality, and priced as such. The attractive pot (which is available in a few different colors) rests on a sturdy rechaud and the wood-handled fondue forks are nicely color coded so no one gets mixed up at your fondue party.
The French cookware brand Mauviel makes a fondue set in its signature copper. The “thick copper construction” promises to hold up to melted cheese, chocolate, and hot oil, and also makes for an elegant dinner party centerpiece.
If the cheese section at your local grocery store is lacking, fear not: A number of notable cheese shops ship. Here are a few of our favorites.
Murray’s Cheese: In addition to its wide selection of fondue-appropriate, Alpine-style cheeses, Murray’s makes its own fondue mix.
Saxelby Cheesemongers: Founded by the late Anne Saxelby, the shop specializes in American-made cheeses, so you’ll find Alpine-style options from domestic makers like Jasper Hill Farm.
Zingerman’s: The Michigan deli has an impressive selection of both American-made and European cheese, including an extra-aged antique Gruyere.
iGourmet: This source for gourmet foods sells many, many regional cheeses; its Swiss selection includes Gruyere, Appenzeller, and Emmental, along with a ready-to-serve fondue mix.
Here’s another reminder that pink wine is ideal for dreary winter months
For decades, rosé has been the drink of American summers. It’s been seen as a light drink for the light season. It has returned, year after year, perennially the ”summer drink to be seen with” since the early 2000s, ushering in a crush of seasonal marketing that’s enough to drive you mad. Then, each year, fall and winter come, and Americans hang up their blush-tinted bottles, turning to hefty reds to pair with rich, wintertime feasts.
But, rosé wine isn’t just for sipping by the pool in the summer. At least, not according to the French, who produce more and drink more rosé than anyone else. On average, each French citizen consumed 20 bottles of rosé in 2022, and that same year, about half of rosé sales occurred between October and April. A 2018 survey found that 74 percent of wine consumers in France drink some amount of rosé during winter, leading to the saying: “rosé tout l’année,” meaning “rosé all year.” (It’s got a better ring to it than #roséallday.)
“Growing up in southern France, it was a staple at our family table year-round, says Marriane Fabre-Lanvin, co-founder of Souleil Wines. “It was never just a ‘summer wine’ — it was simply part of our everyday life, all year long.”
Though Americans are drinking more rosé in recent years (alongside the rest of the world) — and despite repeated pronouncements that rosé has outgrown its seasonal bonds to become a year-round juggernaut — it’s hard to shake the image of rosé that marketers have spent years pounding into the U.S. market.
Consider this your annual reminder that you can, in fact, continue enjoying rosé through the winter.
First off, while some rosé wines are indeed light and ideal for warm weather, that’s a limited view of the varieties available.
“From a winemaking perspective, the nuances in rosé — ranging from delicate and crisp to rich and structured — mean there’s a style of rosé for every time of year,” says vigneron Gérard Bertrand, the largest exporter of French rosé to the U.S.
That flexibility allows many rosés to pair well with wintertime meals. “Its versatility makes it easy to pair with various dishes,” Fabre-Lanvin says. That includes heavier foods, like roasted winter vegetables, grilled meats, and weighty stews, including Fabre-Lanvin’s favorite: cassoulet.
“Grenache-based blends’ lively acidity cuts through the richness of grilled pork chops; Syrah adds a whisper of smokiness that pairs beautifully with lamb or beef skewers; Mourvèdre’s peppery notes are perfect with fatty meats like lamb or beef ribs; Cinsault has low tannins and works well with chicken and even spiced sausages,” Fabre-Lanvin says. It can even be great with fish in the winter. Sommelier Victoria James prefers rosé in the winter with anchovy toast.
The wine is also a perfect celebratory drink for winter holidays. “It has a festive nature,” says Olivier Souvelain, president of the organic Château Gassier. “Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Valentine’s Day are all occasions for rosé.” Souvelain has also found that rosé is particularly popular at French ski resorts in the Alps. “In renowned spots like Mégève and Courchevel, finding rosé on restaurant and bar menus is the norm.”
This isn’t the first time rosé has received a rebrand and it likely won’t be the last. But it bears repeating: rosé tout l’année.
To help usher in a new season of wintery rosé, here are a few bottles that are especially great for the colder months:
