Dead Letter Office 2008 Shiraz, South Australia
A vinous cocktail of Chambord, Creme Yvette, and Morello cherries. A viscous wine with a glass-and-teeth staining hue of carmine. Sweet cherry and mocha notes rise over the huge weight of …
Australia
Bremerton 2007 Verdelho, Langhorne Creek, Australia
A winning wine from Bremerton in Langhorne Creek. A great style that is not typically seen the the states. Verdelho is best known as one of the grapes of Madeira. It is also one of Australia’s niche varietals. This bottle starts off with honey and peach, moves toward grapefruit and then veers to verbena and citrus on the finish.
Shoofly 2008 Freckle White, South Australia
A delicious white wine from Australia that manages to keep its lush weight in check. A Rhone-style blend from South Australia: Marsanne , Roussanne and a dash of Viognier. Aromas of fresh pear, ginger and almond, followed by mineral and melon on the palate. Medium bodied with a zesty acidity makes this a fun and easy bottle. It also offers enough complexity to keep any wine lover interested for a bottle or two.
Wine Reviews
The top six wines for $15 were highlighted as tonight’s First Friday at the Wine School. A great list for the weekend binge purchases.
Pillar Box 2007 Red, Australia
Compared to Yellow Tail, this is the height of sophistication. Of course, that’s like saying Jessica Simpson is classier than Pam Anderson. This wine is pure silly fun, but it’s the …
Rutherglen 2004 Shiraz/ Petite Sirah
This winery is quickly becoming near and dear to my heart (I fell in love with their Marsanne /Viognier blend a few weeks ago). This oddball blend may end up in …
Chateau Reynella 2004 Cellar No. One Shiraz Reserve
Chateau Reynella produces one of our favorite Australian Tawnies, and now, with this deep, dramatic Shiraz, they’ve won us over with their dry juice, too. Some producers, it seems, have the …
The Top Five Wines for Raw Oysters
The brine and sweet fragrant flesh of a shucked oyster is an essential tribute to the summer. The wines served alongside should reflect a bit of sunshine and refreshment, too. Here …
Top 10 Wines Under $15
There are plenty of well-made wines priced under $15, and these are a sampling of the best of the best. Even better, you should be able to find most of these …
Wine Reviews
For our newest wine reviews for summertime drinking, check out our main page for wine ratings and reviews. The WhitesTangent Pinot Gris, Edna Valley (California)A rather unique bottling from the Central …
Recommended Wine Buys
Our few recommended wine selections. Also make sure you have the perfect wine glass to make the experience truly memorable. Vionta Albarino (Spain)An aromatically complex white with plenty of white fruit …
Cascabel 2006 Tempranillo Graciano, McLaren Vale
It’s tempting to think of Australia in fairly monolithic terms. But this bbq-ready red proves how wrong that is and how food-friendly and gulp-able unexpected varieties can be when grown and …
Italian Wine for Sommeliers
What is Italian Wine? Recently, our Advanced Sommelier students finished a seven-week Viaggio through the often bewildering but fascinating demimonde of Italian wine. Along the way, they tasted, analyzed, and discussed …
Future of Australia Wines
What with their over-reliance on mass-marketing lower-end products (damned critter wines!); and, of course, they are relying heavily on those high ratings that Robert Parker so lovingly gave to those big …
Riesling Reviews
One of our Advanced students just spent a month drinking nothing but Riesling. I thought that was really cool, so I asked him to write about it.———-One man’s journey to the …
The Dark Effect of the Wine Glut
Wine prices are meager right now, which is a great deal for us wine drinkers and sommeliers. Problems come in when the prices are too low. This is happening in the …
