Wine Review: Bodegas Frutos Villar 2015 “Muruve” Toro Reserva
If you don’t know Spanish wines, you are missing out. This is a bottle that could not exist at this price point in any part of the world. A fourth-generation winemaker …
Wine Review: Cellier des Terres Blanches 2019 Intuition Cotes du Rhone Rouge
This is one of those hard-to-find wines that have an insanely great quality to price ratio. For our Pennvyania readers, the search will be pretty easy: the entire 2019 vintage was …
Wine Review: Grain de Lune 2020 Sauvignon Gris, Bordeaux Blanc
Sauvignon Gris is a beautifully exotic grape: it is a pink mutation of the ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc. You see a bit of it in South America but very little in its …
Wine Tasting Classes for Fall
France vs South AmericaPart 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 who …
Wine Tasting 101
Tasting wine fundamentally differs from drinking wine: Wine tasting aims to form an appreciation for the wine and its components. This intrinsically precludes overindulging. If you do, you’ll never remember what …
Fritz Allendorf 2016 Spätburgunder, Assmannshäuser
Some names don’t translate well into English, and this quaint town on the Rhine river in Germany is one of them: Assmannshäuser. Of course, your inner fourteen-year-old will giggle, and that’s …
Luis Gurpegui 2014 “Primi” Rioja Reserva
Luis Gurpegui Muga is an old winery with extensive vineyards throughout Rioja. While common to see in Spain and Europe, this isn’t widely distributed in the United States. That is likely …
Santa Ema 2018 “Reserva” Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley
Balanced and varietally correct, this is a great value. Cassis and blackberries integrated with a whisper of spice and wildflower. Medium-bodied with a beautiful freshness. I really love the classic Cabernet …
Clos du Val 2016 Estate Merlot, Napa
A storied winery that helped cement the Napa legend. Since its founding in 1972, it has been required drinking for any sommelier. This bottling of Merlot was sourced from estate vineyards …
Carlos Serres 2012 Rioja Gran Reserva
This is not the first time we have reviewed the wines of Carlos Serres, and for a good reason. Their wines offer classic Rioja flavors balanced with modern winemaking finesse. Tucked …
Cave des Onze Communes 2017 Cornalin, Aosta Valley
$14.39 (FWGS) 88 Points (WSoP)Sometimes life calls for a crazy wine from Italy’s smallest wine region, right smack on the Swiss border. Aosta is a mountain region, and this is clearly …
Tercero 2014 “Verbiage” Santa Barbara County
$19.99 (FWGS) 92 Points (WSoP)A classic Rhone-style blend from the Central Coast. This bottling is mostly Roussanne with a small amount of Viognier and Grenache Blanc. Aged in older French oak …
Bodega Garzon 2019 “Reserva” Tannat, Uruguay
$11.99 (FWGS) 89 Points (WSoP)Uruguay has a vibrant wine-producing culture focused on family farms. Garzon is one of the larger producers but still small by American standards. The French and Basque …
Crocus 2015 “Le Calcifere” Malbec de Cahors
$19.99 (FWGS) 95 Points (WSoP)This is what you get when you take two great winemakers and toss them into the most underrated wine region in France. Paul Hobbs is a freaking …
Il Poggione 2019 “Brancato” Rosato di Toscana
90 Points (WSoP) $9.99 (FWGS)A Sangiovese Rosé from the famed Brunello producer Tenuta Il Poggione. Bright and crunchy watermelon and river rocks. There is a richness here that is atypical for …
Getting Started in Wine
Wine is a great hobby; it’s an even better career. Getting started in wine is the best idea you will ever have. At least, it was for me! The wine trade …