Dark gold in color, neither the appearance nor the aromas of this fizz are very fresh. It's one thing to have reserve wines in a non-vintage cuvée and another to have aggressive bottle evolution. Alas, this is neither a very exciting nor a very refreshing cuvée.
Read MoreI first noticed the Respekt logo on wine labels in late 2011 at an Austrian wine tasting. Established in 2006 and requiring a three year conversion process, the first vintage for which this designation could appear on labels was 2009. The philosophy of Respekt BIODYN is to mentor fellow and aspiring members by establishing a practical and detailed conversion program for each, then to help the converted vinegrower outline a plan for the continuing the practice of biodynamic principles. Overall, the group eschews dogmatism.
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 MoreBallet slipper pink, this newly minted Prosecco Rosé DOC comes with a label featuring photographer Giò Martorana's 20-foot shot of the wall leading to Juliet's house in Verona that features love notes. The bottle is as striking as the love graffiti on the label - rather squat with low shoulders. The Famiglia Pasqua certainly knows how to differentiate its wines on shelves. They have a knack for cutting-edge packaging.
Read MoreIt’s always a treat to taste small production wines, and Andy Smith’s coveted DuMOL wines certainly fit that bill.
Read MoreThere’s nothing better than the glimpse of sunshine through a nice glass of wine, especially when it comes from the beautiful landscape of Abruzzo. An area replete with historical vineyards yet thriving with new ideas, these wines offer a window into the region’s diversity, despite the predominance of just a few varieties.
Read MoreAustria makes some of the most precise wines in the world, and there is nothing like tasting single vineyard wines to understand the soil's impact on the grape variety. That's true even when the wines are field blends, like the Gemischter Satz.
Read MoreSpanish wines offer such excellent value and style diversity. They’re great to hit up for the holidays, even if your celebration may need fewer bottles than usual in this crazy year. As I always do, I marvel at the complexity of Sherry, one of the most under-appreciated wines around these days. Both this Sherry and this Chardonnay merit a “*” as personal faves!
Read MoreTroon Vineyard 2019 Vermentino Amphora Amber: First opened, the wine smells of tangerine peel or orange zest and Marcona almonds. As it opens up, it expands into aromas of passion fruit green tea and star anise. The complexity is very compelling. However, don't open it with expectations of immediate pleasure.
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 MoreDomaine Bousquet NV Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Sparkling Brut: Perched in the Andes Mountains at 1,200 meters / 3,937 feet, the vineyards for these grapes are certified organic and harvested by hand. Produced using the Charmat method, where the second alcoholic fermentation occurs in tank rather than in bottle, this is a value-driven over-performer ready for everyday enjoyment or special occasions. Bonus: the wine is vegan friendly.
Read MoreUS consumers have arrived later than many others to the threshold of lower alcohol wines - not surprising for a country whose wine industry largely is known for cranking out high-alcohol, blockbuster bottlings. It's no surprise that US wine production has been slow to pursue the idea. That stands in grand contrast to the Moscato craze seven to eight years ago. (Ironically, many of those Moscatos were lower in alcohol.) The Moscato craze was easier to develop as sweet, low alcohol Moscato has been made - and made well - for a very long time. However, developing a dry, flavorful, low-alcohol wine is much trickier. I admit that I wondered if these wines would be more like "sunny with a chance of flavor".
Read MoreWines from the Pinot umbrella family sometimes are called "Burgunder" wines in German, with Burgunder referencing Burgundy, the widely-accepted birthplace of Pinot. The three grapes grouped together are Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, called Spätburgunder, Weissburgunder and Grauburgunder in German.
Read MoreI especially enjoy tasting Georgian qvevri wines as they have so many layers to unfold. They always deserve a few hours of observation, unlike - as they would say in Georgia - European-style wines.
Read MoreHistory remains in the making at Pellegrini-Olivet Lane, as Alexia Pellegrini now commands the helm for the fourth generation. There is a steady, consistent winemaking hand here, and the wines are solidly good, even though only the rosé is a "wow".
Read MoreJordan 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley: This Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon leans toward the youthful side of the fence more than the aged one...just. It is drinking nicely now with pretty red-toned fruits, especially plums, as well as blackcurrants. Licorice, eucalyptus and tobacco tinges give the wine a good array of flavors. Overall, it's a savory style of wine…, even if its cuddly structure suggests it may not be the longest-lived red from Jordan.
Read MoreSorry, Pasqua. I don’t get the name or the concept of this wine. The French can’t make it (they aren’t in Italy, much less the Veneto) and the French don’t grow Garganega. Additionally, except in Champagne, the French - like almost all other still wine producers - don't regularly make multi-vintage cuvées that are labeled as such.
Read MoreThe Torres name is one of the most powerful in Spanish wine, not to mention quality Spanish wine. Given the enormous range of wines in numbers of labels and in price points made by the Torres family, this is all the more remarkable. With the Torres name, you buy consistently good quality, whichever the wine.
Read MoreB Vintners 2015 Chardonnay Fire Heath Walker Bay: Unusually aromatic with an almost a Muscat-like nose, I almost wish it hadn't known its grape variety when I first tasted it. This is a somewhat perplexing, but not at all displeasing, Chardonnay. Rather, it’s incredibly compelling.
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