When I first launched this site, one of my goals was to track down and highlight the hidden gems of the wine world. By definition, these wines can be difficult to find so I’ve tried to strike a balance between reviewing more widely-available wines and hidden gems. This one may be more difficult to find […]
Styles
Review: Esporão Reserva White
Antão Vaz, Arinto and Rouperio may be unfamiliar names to many wine consumers in the US, but those are three of the main white wine grapes in the Alentejo region of Portugal. These three grapes together make a classic white blend from Alentejo, known for resulting in crisp, bright white wines. They are also the […]
Review: Cline North Coast Viognier
There are some wine brands I come across often at stores, suggesting they have good distribution and produce a large volume of wine. Because of that apparent scale, it can be easy to think of these brands as coming from giant wine factories that don’t have much of a story behind them and just churn […]
Review: Bila-Haut Côtes Du Roussillon Villages
This isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed Les Vignes de Bila-Haut, Côtes Du Roussillon Villages from winemaker Michel Chapoutier. This is the fourth vintage of the wine I’ve reviewed and one thing I’ve found is that it is consistently good. In fact, the Bila-Haut portfolio of wines tends to be a bargain-hunters dream — which […]
Review: Quinta dos Murças, Minas
For years, Portuguese wines have been something I’ve sought out, due to the tremendous price-to-quality ratio I’ve found in them. But I’ve done a lot more seeking than finding due to limited availability in my region. In many stores I’d be lucky to find one or two Portuguese wines and they were often placed on […]
Review: Cline Cellars Estate Pinot Gris
One of the principles I try to adhere to is the idea of putting aside preconceptions and prejudices I may have about a wine and letting the wine speak for itself. It’s not as easy to do as you would think. The more you get into wine, the more expectations you develop that influence your […]
Review: Domaine Bousquet, Virgen Red Blend
I often come across wines that are produced using organically-grown grapes, but I don’t often find wines that are USDA certified organic. This is because sulfites are often added to wines as a preservative, which makes it easier for producers by lowering the risk of flaws developing. The Virgen Red Blend from Domaine Bousquet, however, […]
Review: Pasqua, Romeo & Juliet Prosecco
I’ve reviewed a couple other wines from Pasqua recently, and one thing I haven’t mentioned is that these wines are brought to us in the US by Bronco Wine Company, the fourth largest wine company in the US. When it comes to bargain wines, the portfolios at Bronco are massive and filled with great deals. […]
Review: Selbach Saar Riesling Kabinett
In a couple of my recent reviews I’ve featured wines that seem appropriate for springtime, and since springtime is part of anytime that means it’s also a fine time for riesling. This particular riesling, Selbach Riesling Kabinett, comes from the Saar region of Germany — which is part of the Mosel region. The Saar is […]
Review: Marqués de Cáceres, Cava, Brut
There’s an old idiom about having “Champagne taste on a a beer budget,” that is to say you like expensive things but you don’t have the money to afford those things. Suffering from this affliction is one of the things that drove me to start Cheap Wine Ratings. I literally have Champagne taste on a […]