Cabernet Franc is a grape variety I don’t write about often. I have nothing against it, in fact I love a good Cab Franc. I just don’t come across it as often as other varieties. If you’re not familiar with Cabernet Franc, think of it as similar to Cabernet Sauvignon except a little bit lighter […]
Wine Travel: Rogue Valley, Oregon
Every now and then, I’ll talk with someone who spent time in Napa Valley or Sonoma back in the 1980s or 1990s. The good old days, as they say. It was a time of pioneering and excitement, when winemakers adventurously experimented in order to realize the potential of their terroir. Visiting wineries was pretty casual, […]
Review: Murças, Assobio
Last week I posted a review of a Portuguese wine called Quinta dos Murças, Minas. Today I have another wine from Quinta dos Murças, this one is called Assobio. This wine was produced under the same lead winemaker, José Luis Moreira da Silva. The name, Assobio, means “whistle” in Portuguese and is a reference to […]
Review: Quinta dos Murças, Minas 2018
The Douro is best known as the region of Portugal where the grapes for Port are grown, however this region also produces a significant amount of table wine (i.e., non-fortified, dry wine). And the quality-to-price ratio (QPR) for wines from this region is outstanding. When I’m looking for rich, full-bodied reds at a bargain price […]
Pecorino, a Beautiful Bargain
Cheese is the first thing most people think of when they hear Pecorino, but if you’re a wine lover get ready to know Pecorino as wine. And if you like vibrant white wines at amazingly reasonable prices, this is a wine you will most definitely want to get to know. Pecorino, the Grape You may […]
Review: Bico Amarelo 2020
In my last post, about Ameal Loureiro, I highlighted how Vinho Verde can be a serious, quality wine. Bico Amarelo is produced by José Luis Moreira da Silva, the same winemaker as Ameal Loureiro, and is another example of Vinho Verde produced as a “fine wine” and yet it retails for a mere $12. Although […]
Review: 2020 Ameal Loureiro
Vinho Verde is a wine region that is widely misunderstood and underappreciated in the U.S. You’ve probably had a Vinho Verde at some point and it was probably a really cheap, simple wine, possibly with a slight effervescence from gas added to the wine. And it was probably not that special. Sure, that style of […]
Review: Herdade do Rocim Amphora Tinto
Some wines are made for the masses, some wines are made for aficionados and some wines are made for wine geeks. To me, this is a wine for wine geeks. That doesn’t mean that everyone else wouldn’t enjoy the wine, it just means there’s something special about the wine that wine geeks will totally geek […]
Review: Herdade de São Miguel, Rosé
I’ve been writing about a lot of wines from the Alentejo region of Portugal over the past couple years. One reason for that is QPR – quality-to-price ratio. QPR ultimately is core to my mission with this website — to highlight wines that offer great quality at affordable prices. Over the past few decades, the […]
Review: Ron Rubin, Pinot Noir
Ron Rubin, the person and namesake of the Ron Rubin Winery, is more than just a wine producer — you might call him a beverage mogul. He grew up working in his family’s wholesale liquor company in Illinois, which he expanded into wine distribution. He is the owner of the tea company, The Republic of […]