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 […]
Red Wines
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: 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: 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 […]
Review: River Road, Alexander Valley Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon
“I’m a fan of low alcohol, wines” says Ron Rubin, the vintner behind River Road wines. “I keep the alcohol in check to produce elegant wines that you can enjoy, glass after glass.” I too am a fan of low alcohol wines. I generally find them to be more food-friendly, more elegant, more accessible and […]
Review: Hopes End Cabernet Sauvignon
I saw a trends report a few years ago highlighting that how wines are defined is changing. Winemakers are getting more experimental, doing things like infusing wines or adding ingredients other than grapes in order to create unique-tasting wines. Certainly, traditional wines still dominate the market but you do see some things you never would […]
Review: Domaine Bousquet, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Something those new to wine or only casually into wine may not realize is when a wine is labeled as a varietal wine (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon), it’s not necessarily made 100% of that variety. It only needs to be a certain percentage of that grape, the exact percentage varies by regional regulations but is typically […]
Review: Ferraton Père & Fils, Samorëns
Friends often ask me how they can become more knowledgeable about wine. Most often, they’re interested in becoming more confident with picking a wine from a wine list or at a wine shop. My advice typically includes a suggestion to pick a wine region they like and focus on learning more about that region. Otherwise […]
Review: Domaine Bousquet, Reserve Malbec
If there’s a signature wine grape of Argentina, it has to be malbec. When wine lovers think of Argentina, they think of malbec… and when wine lovers think of malbec, they think of Argentina. But malbec isn’t just an Argentine grape. It’s one of the six grapes allowed to be used in Bordeaux reds. Cahors, […]
Review: Renzo Masi Chianti
Have you had those moments when you go to a restaurant, look at the wine list and realize that you don’t know any of the specific wine brands listed? With thousands and thousands of wines on the market, it’s not that uncommon of an occurrence — even for experienced wine lovers with a fairly broad […]