Vine Cliff Winery 2014 Chardonnay Los Carneros
In most classes at the wine school, I behave myself. I don’t let my deep love of Cali Chardonnay get in the way of a great wine class. Back when I …
Wine Reviews
Bodegas Montecillo 2009 Rioja Gran Reserva
On occasion, I sit next to a normal at a wine conference. After a few minutes of awkward conversation, they invariably ask me one question:“What is your favorite wine?”I don’t have an answer to that question. …
Cafaggio 2013 Chianti Classico
When I was the national wine buyer for Bacchus Wines, one of my first additions to the portfolio was Villa Cafaggio. They’ve been producing excellent Chianti Classico since the 1960s. For a …
Chateau Los Boldos 2015 Grande Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
This is such an exceptional value that I want to jamb a $10 bill into the empty bottle and mail it back to the winery in Cachapoal Valley, Chile.We did a bit …
Poggio Stella 2011 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva
Labels like this confuse most wine consumers. Let’s break it down. Vino Nobile = another term for the grape Sangiovese. The same grape that’s in Chianti Montepulciano = a town in …
Concha y Toro 2015 “Marques de Casa Concha” Carmenere
This brand is one of the oldest and most consistently high-quality coming out of Chile. The label debuted in 1976, and its name set the bar very high. Marques de Casa …
Wine Reviews
This wine rolls in the glass with a shocking pink-panther hue. The nose is fresh sage and wild strawberry (sauvage fraise for all you Francophiles out there). On the palate, it …
Beringer 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley
Knights ValleyOne of the top pieces of advice I can give anyone is this: if you want to buy great wines at a discount, don’t buy from famous places. Case in …
Ant Moore 2016 “Signature Series” Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
The Ant ManYeah, so Ant is the guy’s name. Short for Anthony. Yeah, that’s a thing. He’s one of those up-from-nothing and built a small wine empire kind of guys. He also …
Del Rio 2015 Pinot Gris, Rogue Valley
Rogue Valley If you drew a line between Napa Valley in California and Willamette Valley in Oregon, Rogue Valley is just about the halfway point. It’s a place of rolling hills, …
Renato Ratti 2014 “Battaglione” Barbera D’Alba
I was going to include this in my recent Barolo & Beyond class, but at the last minute, I swapped it out for the Oreste Buzio 2016 Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese.Why? …
Nicolis 2007 “Ambrosan” Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Nicolis is a benchmark producer of Amarone who has been crafting top-notch wines since 1951. This particular bottling is a bit more modern than its usual releases. Instead of aging exclusively …
Terra Corsa 2016 Rose, Corsica
Corsica Corsica is a beautiful puzzle. It’s a French Territory and the birthplace of Napolean. It’s also an island off the Italian coast with a millennia-long cultural relationship with the Italian …
Domaine les Evigneaux 2015 Rasteau
The Algeria ConnectionAlgeria was once a part of the French Empire, and a lot of wine was grown there. When the country declared its independence, most of the winemakers headed to …
Sokol Blosser 2014 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley
Sokol BlosserSokol Blosser is one of those wineries everyone should know about. It’s a historic family-owned Oregon winery that keeps on producing quality wines. It’s great to see the current generation …
Wynns 2013 “Black Label” Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra
If you think of wine like art or architecture, this is one of those wines on the “Must Taste” list. It’s historically relevant to the origin of modern winemaking in Australia; it …