Contino 2016 Rioja Reserva
If you’ve read my reviews of previous vintages (here and here), then you know the deep respect I have for this storied winery. This is the last bottling of Contino by …
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Belhara 2019 Estate Malbec Mendoza
Belhara is a small estate in the Uco Valley district of Mendoza that has been producing very polished wines over the past few years. This bottling is an excellent example of …
Le Vigne Winery 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles
Le Vigne is just north of the city of Paso Robles, below the western hills. They have a half dozen varietals planted on their small property, including Tannat and Sangiovese, it’s …
Domaine Vincent Carême 2019 “Spring” Vouvray
A small winery in the Loire Valley, headed by Vincent Careme, teaches Organic Winemaking at the local university. This wine is a perfect infusion of racy citrus with steely intensity. A …
Herencia Altes 2016 Garnacha Peluda, Terra Alta
Peluda is a crazy variant of Grenache. The translation is “Hairy Grenache” and that is quite apt: the leaves are a bit hairy on the underside, which is kinda gross when …
Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas 2019 Douro
The rough translation of this brand is “Full Moon over Old Vines,” which is pretty apt for their wines. They aren’t a winery but a project of entrepreneur Manuel Dias and …
CVNE 2019 “Bela” Ribera del Duero
This bottling is a brand new project from CVNE, the legendary Rioja winery. Bela is a single vineyard in the town of Villalba de Duero. While CVNE is known for classical …
Cafaggio 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva
The world’s love of Tuscany is all-encompassing, but I think that blinds us to nuance. So while we dive head-first into our love affair, perhaps a more critical eye may be …
Te Mata 2019 Estate Vineyards Syrah, Hawke’s Bay
New Zealand’s South Island is well-established for its Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs. However, the North Island is still forging its identity as a fine wine producer. Of note, Hawke’s Bay …
Ram’s Gate 2017 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast
Great wine often turns millionaires into, well, less wealthy millionaires. This is one of those stories. The owners of Ram’s Gate spent seven million on building the winery, only to discover …
Upcoming Wine Tastings Classes
New Zealand & Australia Wines Tired of illustrations of Kangaroos and Kiwis? Yeah, me too. Why is it that wine cultures get reduced to their worst moments? The truth is that …
Fattoria Le Pupille 2019 Morellino di Scansano
A quick Italian wine lesson: When you see an Italian wine labeled as “Blah Blah” di “Blah Blah,” it always means “This Grape” from “This Place.” The phrase Morellino di Scansano …
Gunther Steinmetz 2018 “Unfiltriert” Pinot Noir, Mosel
German Pinot Noirs are having a well-deserved renaissance. Before the Little Ice Age (a time of drastic cooling in 15th Century Europe), Germany grew a lot of Pinot Noir. The Mosel …
Wine Tasting Classes for Fall
France vs South America Part of the ongoing series of wine tastings devised by the brilliant Alana Zerbe. Take two great wine countries, toss them into a battle royale, and see …
Wine Tasting 101
Tasting wine is fundamentally different from drinking wine: The goal of tasting is to form an appreciation for the wine and its components. This intrinsically precludes overindulging. If you do, you’ll …
Summer Wine School
Spending your summer in the Italian Riviera, then this isn’t for you. Vacationing in Rioja? Stay put. Touring Sonoma with a winemaker friend? Don’t change your plans. Everyone else, pay attention! …