Apparently, a French man in the early 1800s became interested in Chilean flora, fauna and geology. Claude Gay became the effective patron saint of local, Chilean plants. Thanks to Claude, anytime you travel to Chile, it is made abundantly clear in all government proclamations that you cannot bring in any plants, fruits or vegetables. A friend inadvertently crossed customs with an apple in his pocket (I believe he was traveling from Taiwan, though he lives in London) about 15 years ago and was firmly reprimanded, despite eating the same apple in the presence of immigration officers.
Read MoreCatena is an imposing family name in Argentinian wine. The first three generations built the initial and incredible, international reputation of the Catena wines. However, it is the fourth-generation vintner, Laura Catena, who is building an even bolder, bigger platform for the Catena reputation. How so? Laura is thinking about more than wine. Still, she works through the same lenses as those who carried the family name before her: observation, hard work and the willingness to take calculated risks.
Read MoreTilia Wines has all of the right messaging and eco-savvy practices mixed with beautiful packaging and value-driven pricing to make a splash during its US debut. Alas, the wines fall short, even at the low price of $11 per bottle.
Read MoreI often say that the trend of "chillable reds" is the effect of long-offered, bad advice. The old days of "room temperature" are now equivalent to "cellar temperature". To achieve cellar temperature in our modern homes, we need to chill the wines if we don't have wine fridges. These three Argentinian reds from Mendoza certainly benefited from cooler temperatures. All were at about 60° F when I tasted them.
Read MoreThe 2019 vintage marks Jordan Chardonnay's 40th anniversary. As ever, the Jordan Chardonnay wildly over-delivers in quality and price with this decade-marking, birthday vintage. I can't believe the winery still only charges for $35 for this class act, but I'm very happy that such an attractive and age-worthy Sonoma Chardonnay is available at such an (all things relative) incredibly accessible price.
Read MoreKind of Wild Wines hit all the right buzz words for today's concerned and informed consumer: "Made with Organic Grapes", "Supporting Organic Growers", "Free of Unwanted Additives", "Sustainable for Soil Health" and "1% to Environmental Partners" are some of their taglines. Mind you, only one of those snippets means anything legally.
Read MoreTwo years since its introduction to the US market, the Domaine Bousquet Virgen ("virgin" in English) line has expanded from one to three reds. Tasting these two, it's no surprise because the wines deliver vivacious, fresh fruit with good structural balance for a smart SRP of only $13. Moreover, the attractive, brightly-colored and elegant labels make an impact that aligns with the wines' motto of making earth-friendly - even vegan-friendly, wines with only naturally occurring sulfites. Hence, the wines proudly bear a USDA Organic label as well as a "No Added Sulfites" assertion.
Read MoreThe labels and the brand material for Luke, created by husband-and-wife team Thomas and Kristin Vogele look like something fit for a Western flick: a lone, perhaps forlorn, man on dusty, desert terrain. Cleverly, "The Companion" label, is not only a red blend but also includes a dog striding beside him. There is good value here, and there is a lot to like in these muscular, Wahluke Slope wines.
Read MoreYet again, Rodney Strong has released some solid wines, especially at the value end of the spectrum. The Chalk Hill Chardonnay is a perennial star, and the 2017 Russian River Pinot Noir is especially tasty!
Read MoreWinemaker Justin Seidenfeld clearly has a knack for blending based on these two wines in Rodney Strong Vineyard's relatively new Upshot line. The combination of varieties is delightfully unorthodox.
Read MoreChange is afoot in Bordeaux as one steps away from the classified growths and luxury cuvées for which the region is well-known, but which in reality only reflect a small portion of wine production. Higher proportions of "spice rack" varieties and less new oak - not to mention a much more experimental approach to fermenting and aging vessels - shape the resulting wines. Here are three innovative reds - all made by women - that I recently tasted. The Hors-Série is a new fave!
Read MoreGaia is the Greek goddess of earth, who gives life to all things. While Domaine Bousquet has farmed organically from its first days in the early 1990s and proudly displays its many certifications, this range honors this practice - and visually cues today's earth-concerned but busy shoppers - with the image of Gaia on the front label.
Read MoreToday’s Bordeaux is affordable Bordeaux. No, I’m not talking about the 2019 En Primeur campaign, where prices are being slashed despite the most recent declarations of “the vintage of the century” in the face of the challenges presented in bringing the wines to market in the face of COVID-19. Rather, I’m talking about the 90%+ of Bordeaux wines that are sold outside of the En Primeur system. In fact, many sold within the En Primeur system are highly affordable, too. The fanfare at the precipitous (price-wise) top of the quality pyramid has distracted far too many consumers for far too long. During the same time, quality was skyrocketing while prices throughout most the region remained modest.
Read MoreI purchased these bottles recently as they seemed like solid solutions to my recent cravings for chillable reds to fight the heavy heat that has settled on New York City. Alas, I was reminded that lighter styles of red at gentle prices don't necessarily work with a chill. After all, both of these wines had some stuffing. These chilled reds wines were pleasant, but they weren't showing their best. So, I kept the wines for five days, trying them every day at chilled and cellar temperatures. As ever, I enjoyed the learning experience!
Read MoreLast year, the impressive Maggie Kruse became the second head winemaker at Jordan Winery. She had honed her senses for the Jordan style for 13 years alongside the winery's iconic Rob Davis, Jordan's winemaker since the inaugural 1976 vintage. Moreover, she had onboarded just after John Jordan received the reins from his father after the 2005 harvest.
Read MoreChic and sleek, the single vineyard wines of Casarena will impress. The beautiful packaging, delicious wines and fair prices will thrill both the giver and the receiver this holiday season and beyond.
Read MoreDominio del Plata 2018 Malbec Crios Valle de Uco: Boldly brambly, this bracingly fresh Malbec screams varietal character, especially those typically coming from cooler climate Malbec. Behind the pristine pure fruit lies a gentle, seamless stream of tannin that gives the palate shape. However, it's the exuberantly fresh acidity that defines the tension here. I believe that it's one of the best Crios Malbecs of the many, many, many vintages that I have tasted.
Read MoreI was with my husband's college friends and their spouses last weekend. While letting our husbands relive their days at Hamilton College - yes, named after the US Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton - all of the other women agreed (unprovoked by me) that they buy wine based on their favorite grape variety then on the wine label appearance. I encouraged a few to look into blends to expand their palate "horizons", and these Rodney Strong Vineyards Upshot wines are ones that I would absolutely recommend to them all!
Read MoreThis array of Rodney Strong wines over-delivers for its price points. Per my previous post, this isn’t surprising. They have a smartly balanced oak influence, meaning that any new oak flavors present are well-integrated and don’t over take the fresh fruit nuances. They also do a terrific job of showing regional and varietal typicity. I’ll gladly endorse these, especially the Chardonnay Chalk Hill and the Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley.
Read MoreThe French have a saying that it takes three generations to see the cycle of a family business: one to build it, one to grow it then one to destroy it. I don’t know what the rest of the Gamble family farming business looks like today, but I can say that the “Gamble” of generations has paid off on the wine front. It seems Tom has started a new cycle, without finishing the first one!
Read More