The Hacienda wine brand has a history dating back to 1973, when Hacienda Wine Cellars was founded by Frank Bartholomew in Sonoma Valley, California. However, in 1992 the Franzia family purchased the rights to the Hacienda brand and it is now part of the Bronco Wine Company portfolio. The original Hacienda building was turned into the Bartholomew […]
One of the things I like about merlot is how it can take on different personalities. This one, from the Maipo Valley region in Chile, is interesting with chocolate and spice notes that are rather unique. While it’s an interesting wine, it’s not the most elegant. In fact, I’d call it bold and brash. It […]
We’ve been reviewing merlot lately and most have been reasonably priced, but we haven’t highlighted any dirt-cheap merlot… until now. This Californian merlot from Delicato Family Vineyards clocks in at a mere $5.oo. The nose is loaded with sweet red fruit aromas, like strawberry, raspberry and cherry. It also shows plenty of vanilla. The palate […]
If you live in the US, it’s likely that Napa Valley is one of the wine regions you hear people talk about often. Some of that has to do with their reputation for creating great wines, but some of it is just marketing. And a side effect of all that buzz (pun totally intended) is […]
A couple weeks ago, we highlighted a Concha y Toro merlot from their Casillero del Diablo brand. But as I mentioned then, Concha y Toro has a number of different brands. Gran Reserva Serie Riberas is another of their brands. This wine comes from the San Clemente area in the Maule Valley, which is the southernmost […]
I tend to find that the sweet spot in terms of price to quality ratio is typically in the $12-18 price range, at least for what I want from a wine. But I know that some people come to this site looking for even better bargains than that. And so, I do look for those […]
I’ve mentioned before that one of the things I like about merlot is the different personalities it can have. This one from Jacob’s Creek reveals one of those unique personalities. Perhaps that’s the Australian terroir coming through. Although, this isn’t a single vineyard wine. And that brings up a philosophical question about terroir. Can there […]
Concha y Toro is Chile’s largest wine producer, with vineyards throughout Chile and a dozen or so different brands. One of those brands is Casillero del Diablo. I admit, I’m a fan of the Casillero del Diablo brand. The story is that the name came from a winemaker who told others that the devil lived […]
Chilean wines are one of my “go to” choices when looking for exceptional value. And it’s not just for one type of wine. You can find really good reds and whites from Chile and given the broad range of wine regions within Chile, there are a number of different styles to be found too. And […]
You may have noticed that the last few reviews on this site have all been for merlot. That’s also the theme of my column in the latest issue (issue #26) of Mutineer Magazine. This merlot from Estancia didn’t make that column, but it’s still a very tasty merlot worth checking out. It comes from the […]
