We’ve previously reviewed a number of good wines from Cono Sur, and I’d even go so far as to say I’m a fan. The breadth of the wines they produce is phenomenal and the quality of what we’ve tasted has been consistently good. I think of them as an innovative and experimental producer from Chile, […]
Viña La Rosa is one of the oldest wineries in Chile, established in 1824 by don Francisco Ignacio Ossa y Mercado. That’s a name and a half, if you ask me. I’m not going to get into a lot of background on this wine, but instead jump ahead to, “90 alert, 90 alert!!!” As a […]
The story of Odjfell Vineyards began about 25 years ago when Norwegian ship owner Dan Odfjell acquired property in the Maipo Valley of Chile. However, the planting of vineyards didn’t begin until about 15 years ago. They now have vineyards in a few different Chilean appellations. In addition to wine production, they also breed Norwegian […]
Let’s check out another ten dollar Carménère today, this one from Santa Carolina. Although the popularity of Chilean wines has only recently exploded in the US, Santa Carolina has been around since 1875. Founded by Luis Pereyra Cotapos, it was named after his wife, Carolina Iñiguez Vicuña. The roots of wine production at Santa Carolina […]
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Carménère is a variety once used in Bordeaux wines that has recently made a resurgence. It was always a difficult grape in Bordeaux, due mostly to late ripening. And then it was wiped in France, in part by a phylloxera infestation in the 1880’s. For years it was considered […]
As I think back on the wines we’ve tasted over the past year, one stands out in my mind as being really interesting… and I’m just now getting it posted to the site. Perhaps it stands out, in part, because we tasted it near the end of the year, but it is also just a […]
This past weekend I did a blind tasting with about 20 wines. They were grouped according to variety (i.e. all the Cabernet Sauvignon at once, all the Pinot Noir, etc.) There were a few surprises coming out of the tasting and this was one of them. There are some brands that are seen practically everywhere […]
Washington State interests me more and more as a wine region, and I wish I saw more wine from that region on the shelves of my local wine shops. I expect that over time I’ll see more of it showing up in my mid-western locale. I’ve previously reviewed the Bridgman Chardonnay, and I need to […]
In winery years, Doña Paula is still relatively young, with it’s roots going back to just 1997. It was actually founded by Grupo Claro from Chile, owners of Viña Santa Rita, as they diversified operations into Argentina. You could say it was a good investment, as demand for Doña Paula wines has driven the winery […]
Being as into wine as I am, I get into a lot of conversations about wine and I’ve noticed that there are a few names that come up time and time again. One of those names is Layer Cake, and that’s particularly related to their Shiraz. I meet people everywhere who are nuts about Layer […]
