The locals in Veneto, Italy, where Prosecco is produced, refer to Prosecco as, “Welcome wine.” I like that. I’m a huge advocate for sparkling wines and believe all celebrations and get togethers should include sparkling wine. I know would welcome a glass of Prosecco when someone welcomes me to an event. One of the things […]
Reviews
Review: Coelheiros Red
For years I’ve been excited about Portuguese wines, primarily because the quality-to-price ratio is often quite exceptional but that’s not all they have going for them. I would call myself a wine geek, and as such I seek out unique varieties of wine and Portuguese wine producers often use grape varieties that differ from the […]
Review: Domaine Bousquet, Virgen, Malbec
As demand for organically-produced foods continues to grow in this country, it only makes sense that interest in organic wines also grows. But it’s not as easy to find organic wines as you would think. A lot of producers will make wine made from organically-grown grapes but the wine itself cannot be classified as organic […]
Review: Esporão Colheita Branco
Last year I reviewed several wines from the Alentejo region of Portugal, an outstanding region for wines that provide great value. If you haven’t heard of Alentejo, pronounced ah-len-TAY-zhoo, I’m not that surprised. For reasons unknown to me, Portuguese wines don’t seem to get a lot of attention in the United States. But as a […]
Review: 11 Minutes Rosé, Pasqua
11 minutes, that’s how long the juice for this wine remained in contact with the skins after pressing. The winemaker at Pasqua believes that’s the perfect amount of time for the wine to gain its rosé hue from the grape skins. After those 11 minutes, the must is cooled and transferred to a stainless steel […]
Review: Ron Rubin, Russian River Valley Chardonnay
One of the things the Russian River Valley is known for is great Chardonnay. It is one of those areas where climatic conditions are optimal for growing Chardonnay grapes. Conditions like cool breezes and fog from the Pacific Ocean, significant diurnal temperature swings, lots of sunshine and sandy soil with good drainage. Within the Russian […]
Review: Domaine Bousquet, Natural Origins Cabernet Sauvignon
Boxed wines get a bad rap. People often assume boxed wines are all bad, but the box is just a vessel and anything can go into it. It’s not a good vessel for storing wine for long periods of time, but it’s perfectly fine for young wines meant to be consumed fresh. And I’ve had […]
Review: Pam’s UN-Oaked Chardonnay
Summer is upon us and the heat is coming coming down, making this the season for crisp, light, fruity white wines. This one fits the bill perfectly! Chardonnay is one of those wines that is really popular with many people, but also has a number of haters. I call those folks ABC wine lovers (i.e., […]
Review: PassioneSentimento Bianco
Let’s get right to the point, this is a really cool wine. It’s made from Garganega grapes that are partially dried (i.e., like raisins) in a technique called appassimento. And it’s believed to be the only dry white wine produced in the Veneto region using this technique. Veneto, and Italy in general, has a lot […]
Review: Ron Rubin, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
The Russian River Valley is known for outstanding Pinot Noir, bursting with bright red fruit flavors, elegant, vibrant and just plain scrumptious. That’s exactly what Ron Rubin delivers in this Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir is a finicky grape variety, for which the vineyard site is critically important. The Russian River Valley, by […]