How do you choose a wine? Do you tend to think of a specific variety, like a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Merlot? Or do you think about blends? In my opinion, blends are too often overlooked in the United States — although their popularity is growing. While varietal wines certainly have their place, blends have […]
Red Blend
Review: Esporão, Monte Velho Red
Regular readers of this site are probably aware of my appreciation for Portuguese wine. One driver of that appreciation is the quality to price ratio (QPR) for their wines, which tends to be very good. That catches the attention of a bargain hunter like me and makes me seek out more. This wine comes from […]
Review: PassioneSentimento Rosso
In Italy, as well as in Europe in general, wine is heavily regulated. In order to sell a wine with a specific designation, winemakers must follow specific guidelines related where the grapes are grown, types of grapes used in a wine, ageing of the wines, winemaking processes, etc. In many ways, I think this regulation […]
Chilean Wine – Value and Deliciousness Revisited
In the early days of this website, back in 2007 and 2008, Chile was one of my top wine regions to find good wines at bargain prices. At the time, it was a wine region that was going through a revival. In the late 1990s and early 2000s a number of new wineries were established […]
Review: Herdade dos Grous, Red
The Alentejo wine region in Portugal produces over 250 grape varieties. Think about that… over 250 varieties in just one region of Portugal! How many different grape varieties have you even tasted, via wine, in your lifetime? I’d guess, in most cases, it’s a lot less. A friend of mine created something call the Wine […]
Review: Casa Relvas, Sao Miguel Do Sul Red Wine
If you’re a red wine lover and you haven’t tried Portuguese red wine, you’re missing out. I mean, what’s not to love about it? Big, bold flavors, intense and exotic aromatics, incredibly reasonable prices and quite often sustainably produced. Such is the case with this wine from Casa Relvas. Casa Relvas is located in the […]
Review: Coelheiros Red
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 […]
Review: Bila-Haut Côtes Du Roussillon Villages
This isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed Les Vignes de Bila-Haut, Côtes Du Roussillon Villages from winemaker Michel Chapoutier. This is the fourth vintage of the wine I’ve reviewed and one thing I’ve found is that it is consistently good. In fact, the Bila-Haut portfolio of wines tends to be a bargain-hunters dream — which […]
Review: Quinta dos Murças, Minas
For years, Portuguese wines have been something I’ve sought out, due to the tremendous price-to-quality ratio I’ve found in them. But I’ve done a lot more seeking than finding due to limited availability in my region. In many stores I’d be lucky to find one or two Portuguese wines and they were often placed on […]
Review: Domaine Bousquet, Virgen Red Blend
I often come across wines that are produced using organically-grown grapes, but I don’t often find wines that are USDA certified organic. This is because sulfites are often added to wines as a preservative, which makes it easier for producers by lowering the risk of flaws developing. The Virgen Red Blend from Domaine Bousquet, however, […]