One thing to look for in a pinot noir is one that comes from a “cool climate” region. The Los Carneros AVA in California is one such region. Carneros is north of the San Pablo Bay and includes part of both Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley. The producers of this wine, Waterstone Winery, don’t own […]
I thought it would be interesting to compare two wines from the same producer, same vintage, same grape but from different parts of California and sold at different price points. This could be filed under the “are more expensive wines better?” category. Spoiler alert: In this case the more expensive wine was quite a bit […]
Boxed wines aren’t what they used to be… in a good way. The quality of the juice found in some “bag-in-a-box” wines is much better than it once was. And some boxed wines can be a great option for the wine lover on a budget. When it comes to boxed wines there are a couple […]
This wine comes in a little bit over our typical $20 limit, but I was impressed with it so I thought I’d share for those who occasionally spring a little more for their wine. This Robert Mondavi pinot noir comes from the Carneros region in California. This is a region that is just north of […]
Spring is just around the corner and that has me thinking of sauvignon blanc. I’ve said many times before that California generally isn’t at the top of my list of regions for sauvignon blanc. But that perspective is changing. I’ve had a few tasty Californian sauvignon blancs in the past year. And this is another […]
I would guess that the Bronco Wine Company produces more of the bargain-priced wine brands you see on the shelves than any other producer. I could be wrong, but they have a LOT of different brands. And Grove Ridge is one of them. The story behind a wine like this isn’t going to involve a […]
The Hacienda wine brand has a history dating back to 1973, when Hacienda Wine Cellars was founded by Frank Bartholomew in Sonoma Valley, California. However, in 1992 the Franzia family purchased the rights to the Hacienda brand and it is now part of the Bronco Wine Company portfolio. The original Hacienda building was turned into the Bartholomew […]
We’ve been reviewing merlot lately and most have been reasonably priced, but we haven’t highlighted any dirt-cheap merlot… until now. This Californian merlot from Delicato Family Vineyards clocks in at a mere $5.oo. The nose is loaded with sweet red fruit aromas, like strawberry, raspberry and cherry. It also shows plenty of vanilla. The palate […]
If you live in the US, it’s likely that Napa Valley is one of the wine regions you hear people talk about often. Some of that has to do with their reputation for creating great wines, but some of it is just marketing. And a side effect of all that buzz (pun totally intended) is […]
I tend to find that the sweet spot in terms of price to quality ratio is typically in the $12-18 price range, at least for what I want from a wine. But I know that some people come to this site looking for even better bargains than that. And so, I do look for those […]
