Wine Review Newsletter
Wine reviews and all things vino from Keith Wallace
Wine Reviews & The Wine Report
Over two thousand wine reviews! While most of our reviews focus on great wines under $20, we also offer reviews of luxury and collectible wines. As we are located in Philadelphia, most wines reviewed here are available via wine shops in Pennsylvania. Our main reviewer is Keith Wallace, the executive director and founder of the Wine School of Philadelphia.
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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 was making wine in the late 90's, it wasn't outlandish a passion. Chardonnay doesn't show itself in the vineyard. If you...
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Bodegas Montecillo 2009 Rioja Gran Reserva
On occasion, I sit next to a normavin at a 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. I just mumble something about footwear and wander off. I...
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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 1960's. For a while there, you couldn't take a wine 101 class without me pouring you...
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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 of a psychology experiment with this bottle. When sommeliers knew the price of this wine ($10) before...
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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 southern Tuscany near another famous wine town, Montalcino. Riserva = In Italy, this...
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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 Concha was the title conferred upon the Concha y Toro family by King Felipe V of Spain. Those first...
read moreThe Wine School Blog
This is where we feature all our favorite things. Great wines, top sommeliers, awesome winemakers, great articles, and charity events at the Wine School. If we really love it, or we think you should know about it, it’s going to be right here.
Our Wine Tasting Kit
Each element of our tasting kit is custom designed by the executive director of the school. The package includes a BYO wine bag, a lead-free crystal wine glass, sommelier corkscrew, silver pen, and tasting book. Wine is not included in the kit.
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December Newsletter
The December Newsletter Friends, the holidays are upon us. It's time for all of us to transform into hybrid Santa-Sommeliers. To start off the Holiday newsletter, I've crafted a super-corny jingle for you: Pop the corks and spread the cheer: Let us be part of your...
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November Newsletter
Our Little Secret In our 18 years of operation, we've learned a thing or two about teaching wine classes. I love my job, but it's the caliber of our students that really makes it worthwhile. I am deeply grateful that so many of you are willing to register for...
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Spanish Recipes from the Wine School
Patatas Bravas 2 pounds red skin potatoes, quartered 3 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp fine salt 2 shallots, diced 1 tsp smoked paprika pinch cayenne pepper 1 cup crushed tomatoes ¼ cup white wine 1 cup mayonnaise For the Sauce: Heat a tablespoon of oil in a small saute pan...
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October Newsletter
The National Wine School is opening up it's new Wine Scholar and Advanced Sommelier programs to our students. First up is the Food & Wine Scholar program, which is being held on Mondays, from October 16th to December 4th, from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. This wine course...
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Psyched for Wine
Psyched for Wine I am always scouting for great wine writers, and I think I just discovered a fresh new talent. The blog Psyched for Wine is written by master-level sommelier candidate who is also a clinical psychologist. Ever wonder about the effect that psychology...
read moreSelections from our Wine Cellar
A few wine reviews from our archives.
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