Do you like malbec with a new world style or an old world style? If you’re a new world kind of malbec drinker and want to find a wine with big flavors at a bargain price, this is one to check out. Like much new world malbec, this one comes from the Mendoza region of […]
Red Wines
Ferraton Père & Fils, Côtes-Du-Rhône Villages, Plan de Dieu
For years I’ve been a big fan of wines from the Côtes Du Rhône region and the sub-appellations within, but Plan de Dieu is an appellation I don’t encounter very often. And it could be one you’ve never even heard of. For a region with centuries of wine making history, Plan de Dieu is a […]
Cline Old Vine Zinfandel – A Whole Lot Behind the Label
When you see a bottle of wine on a shelf, you often don’t know the full story behind the wine. Many consumers find themselves deciding whether or not to buy a wine simply based on the label. But sometimes there’s a lot more behind the label you wouldn’t know unless you looked into it. Such […]
Discovering value in Red Mountain wine
Every year I try to travel to one or two wine regions I haven’t previously visited and this year I had the opportunity to go to wine country in Washington state to seek out some new wines. This brought me to the Red Mountain AVA, where the Red Mountain Alliance showed me and some fellow […]
Casillero del Diablo, Red Blend – Boldness in a bottle
Red blends seem to be all the rage over the past few years for wine lovers on a budget who want red wine with big flavors. By doing a blend, winemakers have more opportunities to shape the wine into something they think will resonate with consumers. Add a little bit of this and a little […]
Peter Zemmer, Rolhüt, Pinot Noir = Amazing
Autumn is upon us and it is therefore pinot noir season. Why? Because that’s what I’m in the mood for. Until I’m in the mood for something else, of course. And what I’m usually in the mood for is a good bargain. Many a wine snob will tell you there is no such thing as […]
Gran Reserva Serie Riberas, Carmenere
A couple weeks ago I wrote about a carmenere from Concha y Toro under their Marques de Casa Concha brand that really hit the mark. In that post I commented about my general avoidance of carmenere due to it often being disappointing. But now here I am a couple weeks later singing praises for another […]
Marques de Casa Concha, Carmenere
When I first learned about carmenere several years ago I was enchanted. The idea that this Bordeaux grape, which was thought to be extinct, was rediscovered in South America is a great story. Although I was enchanted, I soon found myself avoiding carmenere due to quality issues. In addition to being a rediscovered grape, it’s […]
Wachtstetter Pinot Noir
I’m surprised by how many people are surprised when I tell them Germany produces a good amount of quality pinot noir. I know a lot of riesling comes out of Germany, but that’s not all. German reds are worth exploring. This one comes from a producer called Wachstetter in the Württemberg region of Germany — […]
Bila-Haut, L’esquerda by Michel Chapoutier
I still remember the first wine I got truly excited about after launching this website over 10 years ago. It was a 2003 Yasa Garnacha and it was one of those finds that had me wanting more. But the following vintages didn’t impress me as much. Finding wine brands that are consistently good is one […]