Reserve Mont Redon 2016 Cotes du Rhone Rosé
Mont-Redon is one of those Chateauneuf du Pape wineries that totally messes with my life. They bottle wines like Zeus throws lightning bolts. Bolts. A place that throws out muscle-bound luxury …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Food and Wine Books
Looking for the newly updated article on wine book recommendations? You can check that out here: Top Picks for Wine Books. Larousse WineMany years ago, a student of mine –an aspiring chef and …
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 …
Auburn Road Vineyards – Pilesgrove, NJ
A busy tasting room can certainly be a challenge. So when my significant other and I walked into Auburn Road Vineyards on a Saturday afternoon and saw a packed tasting bar, …
Beringer 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley
Knights Valley One 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 …
Time Out Recommends the Wine School of Philadelphia
Josh Middleton’s Feb. 12, 2018 review, “Wine School of Philadelphia,” published by Time Out Philadelphia.Time Out Philadelphia gave the Wine School of Philadelphia four out of five stars and designated it …
Ant Moore 2016 “Signature Series” Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough
The Ant Man Yeah, 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 …
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. …
Wine Reviews
Tormaresca “Trentangeli” Castel del Monte I am a big fan of Aglianico, but it isn’t a crowd-pleaser. It’s more like the Metallica of the wine world. Even some of our sommelier …