I often review wines sent to me as media samples and always include a disclosure of that fact in those reviews. In this case I need to provide several disclosures, so let’s get that out of the way up front: This wine is produced by the family of a friend of mine, Ryan O’Connell The […]
Varietals
Mac Forbes, Yarra Valley Pinot Noir
Lately, I’ve been reviewing a number of wines sent to me to review from Lidl grocery stores and I have yet another one for you today. This one is a pinot noir from the Yarra Valley region of Australia. Pinot noir is one of the most lauded grape varieties for wine. It also has a […]
Thomas George Estates, Sons & Daughters Ranch, Chardonnay
Last week I was in Sonoma County, California for the Wine Bloggers Conference. While there I was constantly seeking wines to share with readers here. Although I love these conferences, it can be challenging to find good bargain wines at these events. Most of the wine producers want to showcase their top shelf wines at […]
Weingut Spreitzer, Hallgartener Hendelberg Trocken Riesling
Let’s start November with a riesling. But not just any riesling, let’s start it with a really good riesling. This is one of those posts that would fall into the almost-cheap-wine ratings category as it does come in a bit above my typical target price range. But how can I fairly compare cheap wines to […]
Trivento, Argentinian Blend, Cabernet-Malbec
I’ve previously had cabernet sauvignon from Argentina and I’ve certainly had plenty of malbec from Argentina. But this is the first time I’ve had a 50/50 blend of cabernet sauvignon and malbec from Argentina, or from any other region for that matter. The idea of it had me curious what it would be like. You’ve […]
Les Parcelles de Pierre, Chinon at Lidl
One of the tricks to being a wine bargain hunter is to know where to shop in order to find good bargain wines. Many people tout Trader Joe’s as the place to go for good cheap wine. I’ve actually been rather critical of some of my finds there in the past. I’ve also previously written […]
Extremely Rare Black Blend
The PR materials I received with this wine describe it as “elegant and refined, with sophisticated nuance and delicate balance.” I would use none of those descriptors for this wine. From my perspective this is an in-your-face, aggressive wine that’s bold, wild and jammy. With one taste of this wine I can tell it is […]
Ferraton Père & Fils, La Matinière, Crozes-Hermitage
When beginning to write this review I was surprised to realize this is the first time I’ve reviewed a wine from Crozes-Hermitage. I’m a big fan of Rhone wines and have found many great value wines from the region over the years, but most of those have been from the southern Rhone while Crozes-Hermitage is […]
Leitz Eins Zwei Dry Riesling – Das ist gut
I’m sure regular readers of this website have come to know I’m a big fan of riesling — when it’s good, of course. And I tend to gravitate to German riesling in order to more consistently get good ones. But what about value? I know a big reason folks read this site is to find […]
Marques de Casa Concha, Cabernet Sauvignon
A couple days ago I was thinking about the price limit I use on this site. As a general rule of thumb I have focused on wines priced at $20 or less since I launched the site. There have been some exceptions over the years, but that’s been the target price. However it’s been over […]