In the 1980s, when most California wineries were still intrigued with 100% varietals, winegrowers and critics alike would...
Cleto Chiarli e Figli, Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC (Emilia-Romagna, Italy) 2022
I have been told that Lambrusco is that rare sparkling wine that also serves as an everyday table wine as well. In...
Rodney Strong Vineyards, Alexander Valley (Sonoma County, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
For a time in the 1970s, California wineries were big on emphasizing estate bottling – a nod to their Bordeaux...
Librandi, Cirò Classico DOC (Calabria, Italy) 2021
Librandi is sort of the Robert Mondavi winery of Calabria, the instep of Italy’s boot-shaped peninsula, a winery...
From Wine in a Paper Bag to Wine in a Paper Bottle
The first wine I ever tasted came in a paper bag. A neighbor in a pickup truck was driving up the rutted dirt road where...
Talbott Vineyards, Santa Lucia Highlands (Monterey County, California) Pinot Noir 2019
To me the Santa Lucia Highlands is an almost magical place, especially for its isolated, rugged terrain but also for its...
Sapaio, Bolgheri Superiore (Tuscany, Italy) 2019
Agreeing on a proper balance in wines is an extremely difficult thing to do because each region and each grape variety or...
La Chablisienne, Chablis (Burgundy, France) 2022
While I like white wines of all weights and textures, I’ll have to admit I often prefer the leaner, more minerally...
Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Napa Valley (California) 2019
This is the first of the Insignias to be released since LVMH bought the property a year ago, although, of course, it was...
Alvaredos-Hobbs, Ribera Sacra (Galicia, Spain) Godello 2019
Paul Hobbs seems to always be on the search for new grapes to ferment. Not long after launching his Finger Lakes...
Virgen, Mendoza (Argentina) Malbec 2021
Virgen is a label of Domaine Bousquet, which specializes in organic wines from Argentina, aimed at the entry-level or...
Beronia, Rioja (Spain) 2015
A smile usually comes to my face whenever I return to Rioja Gran Reserva and, typically, its lovely union of fruit an...