A few weeks ago I reviewed the Santa Rita, Medalla Real Gran Reserva Chardonnay. In that review, I commented that the wine came from the Leyda Valley – which is known more for sauvignon blanc than chardonnay. Well… wouldn’t you know it, Santa Rita also produces a sauvignon blanc from this regaion. Cool is the […]
Wine Regions
Leese Fitch Cabernet Sauvignon
Leese-Fitch is one of the brands produced by “The Other Guys” wine company in California. While I don’t think of them as a big wine producer, I see their wines everywhere I shop so they must be producing a pretty good volume of wine. Some of the other wines they produce include Plungerhead, Pennywise and […]
Château La France, Cuvée Gallus — Earthy & Rich
Last year I started highlighting some good, yet affordable wines from Bordeaux. Here’s another wine in that category. This one comes from Château La France, a pretty large estate in the Bordeaux region at 90 hectares (222 acres) with 75 of those planted. The wine is classified as Bordeaux Supérieur and is made of 60% merlot, 35% […]
Avalon CAB – Fragrant and Tasty
I recently received a bottle of this wine as a media sample and I was intrigued by the story they had to tell along with the wine. They were reaching out to share news about a change they made to the bottle closure. As consumers, we often don’t give a lot of thought to the […]
Santa Rita, Medalla Real Gran Reserva, Chardonnay – Delightful!
I find it interesting to look at the history of some Chilean wine producers. Some have a long history, but it often appears to be a rather sleepy one. Such is the case for Santa Rita, with a history dating back to 1880, but things really started happening there 100 years later. Perhaps it’s just the […]
Villa Wolf Pinot Gris – What a Pinot Gris Should Be
Pinot gris is one of those wine varieties that some people love and some people hate. Or perhaps it’s one of those varieties that’s easy to make poorly, lending itself to frequent dislike. But when it’s made right it can be beautifully delicious. While many US wine consumers may not think of Germany when they […]
Louis Guntrum Nierstein Rehbach, Riesling Spatlese – Fantastic!
Last fall I reviewed a dry riesling from Louis Guntrum that I absolutely loved. It turns out they also make at least one absolutely stellar sweet riesling. The Louis Guntrum vineyards are located in Rheinhessen, Germany. More specifically, the vineyards are in Nierstein right along the banks of the Rhine. An excellent climate for riesling. And while […]
Château Beausejour, Grand Vin De Bordeaux
Over the past year I’ve reviewed a few different Bordeaux wines, a category that generally isn’t on the list of “cheap” wines. But they do offer some good values and it’s possible to find some tasty ones for under $20. This particular one is a little over the $20 price target. I tasted it without knowing […]
Las Rocas Garnacha – Dynamic and Delicious
Garnacha was the first wine I wrote about at Cheap Wine Ratings and continues to be an easy choice for delicious and affordable wine. And Las Rocas was one of the wines that I included in my early reviews, but I haven’t revisited it since then, until now. This garnacha comes from a co-operative winery […]
Cruz de Piedra Garnacha, Selección Especial – Very Special
Happy New Year! I know that was over a week ago, but I’ve been preoccupied with my day job and a big kitchen remodeling project, so admittedly I’ve been neglecting this site. But I haven’t forgotten it. I wanted to start the new year with getting back to my wine blogging roots and write up […]