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 […]
Wine Regions
P.J. Valckenberg, Riesling
It’s time for another riesling. Of course, anytime is a good time for riesling. This one comes from the Rheinhessen region — the largest of Germany’s 13 wine regions. The producer, P.J. Valckenberg, based in Worms am Rhein, has been producing wines since 1786. They were one of the first producers in Germany to export their […]
Feravino, Dika, Graševina
Croatia has been on my radar for quite some time. Both as a place I’d like to visit someday and a wine region I’d like to taste more and learn more about. I’ve tasted a couple Croatian wines over the years, but this is the first review I’ve done of one. I don’t see Croatian […]
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 […]
Schmitt’s Kinder, Rosé, Trocken
If you’ve been reading this site for long it’s probably no surprise to you that I love German wine. It’s also probably no surprise that I love rosé. But it was surprising to me that I have never, until now, reviewed a German rosé. And oh, what a fine rosé this is! This one is […]
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 — […]
G. Stepp, Riesling
Quite often I review wines from the Rheinhessen, Rheingau or Mosel regions in Germany, but I’ve not written about as many wines from Pfalz. This is somewhat surprising as Pfalz is the second largest wine region in Germany by acreage and often the largest by volume of wine produced. It lies in the Rhine valley […]
Geil Scheurebe Kabinett Bechtheimer
“What the hell is scheurebe?” is the question most people I know would ask about this wine — aside from my wine geek friends. The answer is, it’s a white grape variety from Germany. According to Wikipedia, scheurebe is a grape variety created by viticulturist Georg Scheu in 1916. It’s a hybrid of riesling and […]
Leitz, Dragonstone Riesling
About a month and a half ago I was in Germany, exploring vineyards and tasting wine — among other activities. One of the places we visited is Rüdesheim am Rhein, a winemaking region along the Rhine river that is amazingly beautiful, produces fantastic wines and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region sits […]