I admit it. I’ve often typecast New Zealand as offering only sauvignon blanc when it comes to wine. But there’s no basis for that, other than the fact that they produce some excellent sauvignon blanc and that just happens to be what I think of when I think about New Zealand. Plenty of other good […]
Styles
Sumner Vineyards Pinot Noir – Beautiful
Last week I wrote a review of California Cowboy Red, a pinot noir from Sumner Vineyards. It was so good I needed to try another pinot noir from Sumner Vineyards this week. This one doesn’t have a fun cowboy name, it’s simply called Sumner Vineyards Pinot Noir. Like the Cowboy Red, this one comes from […]
California Cowboy Red Pinot Noir – Wow!
“Wow. Holy cow, that’s good.” That was my first impression of this wine. Most times when I’m getting ready to taste and take notes on wines it’s all business. I get things set up, get my computer ready for my notes take a sniff of the first wine for that day and go to work. […]
Barefoot Malbec
In my last post I checked out a Barefoot Prosecco that was pretty good and challenged the prejudice some folks have against the Barefoot brand. And so I thought I’d check out another Barefoot wine — their malbec. I often struggle to find the right balance between writing about obscure and interesting, although possibly difficult […]
Barefoot Bubbly Prosecco
Barefoot is the largest wine brands in the world. I don’t know the exact numbers, but it’s one of those wines that can be found pretty much everywhere. Although it’s now owned by E&J Gallo, it was started by wine industry outsiders and built its following by appealing to people who normally wouldn’t drink wine. […]
Geyser Peak River Ranches Sauvignon Blanc – Elegant
There was a time when I avoided sauvignon blanc from California, not because it was bad but I just found that I had better options from other regions. But in the last couple years I’ve come across more and more California sauvignon blanc that I love. California sauvignon blanc tends to be a little more […]
Michel Chapoutier, Vignes de Bila-Haut, Côtes du Roussillon White
Over the years I’ve been reviewing wines I’ve found myself taking notice of producers and importers who are consistently good. One of those I’ve been drawn to over the past year or two is Michel Chapoutier. I’ve tried a number of Chapoutier wines and I have yet to find one that isn’t good, much less […]
Schloss Schönborn Riesling Trocken – Dry & Delicious
Today is Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. But it’s still plenty hot outside here and that’s fabulous weather to enjoy riesling. Who am I kidding? I enjoy riesling in all seasons and all weather. One of the most common misconceptions about riesling I hear is that it’s too sweet. These are comments from someone […]
Santa Carolina, Reserva de Familia, Carmenère – Spicy and Good
I love the story of carmenère, the lost grape of Bordeaux rediscovered in Chile after it was thought to have disappeared from our planet. When I first heard about it, I was entranced by the magical story and wanted to celebrate this grape and make it one of my staple wines. But not long after […]
Pennywise Chardonnay – Fantastic
Anyone who’s been a reader here for long knows that I’m not a huge chardonnay fan. As a result, I’m probably unfairly harsh when evaluating a chardonnay. And so, when I find one that I like I have to give it respect. This is one of those cases. This one is produced by The Other Guys […]