Tasting notes; wines of Piedmont, September 25, 2021

                     Piedmont                      Piedmont 2020 FerrandoLa Torrazza BiancoOn Sale for $19.99 Canavese/ Italy 100% ErbaluceKnown best in the village of Caluso, Erbaluce is a speciality of the Canavese area. Ferrando produces this generously textured white from the base of the Alps, its richness enhanced by its natural acidity. 2020 GiacosaRoero ArneisOn sale for $25.99 Roero / Italy100%[…]

Explorer Pack #9: California – Unusual Suspects

While California boasts over 140 American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s) and dozens of grape varietals, too often the wine industry’s focus falls on the Napa Valley and it’s star cultivar Cabernet Sauvignon. The California wine industry remains relatively young with arguably a 50-70 year history of producing significant quantities of fine wine. Many of the best[…]

Tasting notes, Sept. 11, 2021; Chablis

                  2019 Alice et Olivier de MoorBourgogne AligotéOn Sale for $24.99 Chitry-le-Fort, Yonne/ France100% AligotéSourced from 25 year-old vines planted in limestone and clay, de Moor produces several bottlings from the Aligoté varietal. This Bourgogne Aligoté cuvee is aged for 11 months on the lees. 2019 Domaine ChantemerleChablis VillagesOn sale for $26.99 Chapelle-Vaupelteigne, Chablis /[…]

My Favorite Wine, September 1, 2021

2015 Pagliarese Chianti Classico Riserva On Sale for $19.99 Tucked away in the southeastern corner of Chianti Classico is the village of Castelnuovo Berardenga, a sunny landscape of rolling hills dedicated primarily to the Sangiovese cultivar. The limestone and sandstone vineyards of the area offer all the tension and litheness one expects from Sangiovese, presenting[…]

Tasting Notes, Sept. 4, 2021; Wines of Spain

                     Northern Spain: Galicia to Catalunya 2020 Gran BazanEtiqueta VerdeOn Sale for $19.99 Rias Biaxas / Spain100% AlbarinoSourced from the verdant Galicia region, Gran Bazan is a textbook Albarino showcasing the ripe white fruit of the varietal alongside salty, marine influences. 2018 Luis Anxo RodriguezVina de Martin “Os Pasas”On sale for $31.99 Ribeiro / Spain 75% Treixadura,[…]

Wine Tasting, August 28, 2021; Affordable Bordeaux

                     Affordable Bordeaux 2019 Clarendelle Blanc$24.99 Bordeaux / France62% Semillon, 28% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% MuscadelleInspired by the great Pessac wines of Haut-Brion, the 2019 Clarendelle Blanc offers aromas and flavors of honey, spring flowers and ripe citrus all wrapped in a full, waxy texture. 2020 La Rame RoséOn sale for $17.99 Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Bordeaux / France80% Cabernet[…]

Wine Tasting, Aug 21, 2021; Skinny Bottles

                     Tall Slender Bottles 2020 Schloss GobelsburgGruner VeltlinerOn sale for $17.99 Kamptal / Austria100% GRUNER VELTLINERWhite pepper and spice inform this radiant Gruner. In 2021, Schloss Gobelsberg is celebrating 850 years of winemaking. This estate produces some of the finest wines in Kamptal. 2019 Clemens BuschRiesling Trocken $22.99 Mosel / Germany100% RIESLINGWhile the Mosel is known more[…]

My Favorite Wine, week of August 12, 2021

2019 Giovanni Almondo‘Bricco della Ciliegie’Roero ArneisRegular price: $27.99 per BottleSale Price:$21.99 I recently noticed that the 35th anniversary edition of Kevin Zraly’s famous book, the ‘Windows of the World Complete Wine Course’ was released. I’m old enough to remember the initial edition, in which Zraly stated, with confidence, while lacking accuracy, that there were no Italian[…]