This is a wine that doesn’t have a lot of back story. It doesn’t come from a small, artisanal family vineyard that’s been passed down from generation to generation. There isn’t a Grove Ridge vineyard that you can visit. It’s produced by the fourth-largest wine producer in the US, Bronco Wine Company. Bronco Wine Company […]
I was scrolling through the posts on this site the other day and I realized that I’ve been neglecting some of our audience. I noticed that the focus of most of my posts was gravitating toward the rare gems, wines that may be a little difficult to track down — but of course very interesting […]
Some wine producers believe that music is good for the vines and helps to create better wine. DeMorgenzon in Stellenbosch, South Africa is one of those believers. They play baroque music 24 hours a day in their vineyards. They do so to, as they say, “positively influence the ripening process.” I don’t know if it’s […]
Several years ago I tried my first pinotage, which was some cheap bottle I picked up on a whim. It was horrible and for years after that I avoided pinotage. I supposed I rushed to judgement — it wasn’t pinotage that was bad, it was just that wine. I got it wrong back then. Way […]
A couple weeks ago, I had highlighted a couple wines from Franciscan Estate in Napa Valley thar had impressed me. And I have yet one more to share today. This one is a white blend made of 72% Sauvignon Blanc, 17% Chardonnay and 11% Muscat. You may know of Muscat from Moscato, which is a […]
I occasionally like to revisit a wine that I’ve reviewed in the past. Finding consistency from a producer is a good sign and something I seek out. I previously reviewed the prior vintage of this wine and it was good. And I was pleased to find the sam true of this vintage. This wine comes […]
The heat outside continues, and so the Vinho Verde must continue to flow! Last night I reviewed a still (non-sparkling) Vinho Verde and mentioned that Vinho Verde comes in a number of different styles. Tonight, I check out another of those styles — a rosé Vinho Verde. I don’t really have any background on this […]
Vinho Verde is meant to be consumed young. In fact, “young wine” is the translation of what the name Vinho Verde means. This particular bottle I had in the rack is a 2010, which is pretty old for a Vinho Verde. It’s technically past it’s prime and if it had sucked I would have given […]
In my last review, I shared the Franciscan Estate Napa Valley Chardonnay. Tonight, I move on to their Cabernet Sauvignon. The suggested retail price of this wine is slightly above our typical target, at $28. But it’s a darn good wine and shopping around you may find it as low as $21 at some places, […]
I don’t like chardonnay. OK, that’s not entirely true. I don’t like bad chardonnay, and unfortunately there’s way too much of that out there. When I find one that’s made well I love it. By “made well” I mean that the palate isn’t buried in oak, it still has crisp acidity and it has lively […]
