Winemakers

Pairing Wine and Steak is one of the essential match-ups in your wine journey. With so many different cuts and ways to prepare a steak, you can discover a few go-to dry red wines or you can dive deep into pairing nuance. Everyone has their choice cut, and we’ve got the wines to pair with

When it comes to wines that are tough-as-nails survivors, you might not immediately think of the fresh, flowery aromas of Viognier. But the truth is that Viognier was nearly extinct 50 years ago! And after a few glasses of this perfumy white wine, you’ll wonder how we were meant to live without it. During this

When it comes to the great fortified wines of the world, Spain’s Sherry is going through a bit of a lull at the moment. But the truth is that Sherry is one of the most distinctive wines in the world. Whether you’re drinking dry or sweet Sherry, it’s going to be unlike any of the

There’s a wine that truly represents the complex, collector-worthy reds coming out of Greece – Xinomavro. Tasting Xinomavro packs a real punch – one of the reasons it’s often compared to the far more expensive Barolo and Nebbiolo in general. But what makes it unique? During this week’s tasting challenge, we’re going to find out

This month’s wine club shipment theme is “Bold Red Wines.” Well be tasting four exceptional bold red wines to learn more about things like tannin and under-the-radar varieties, like Aglianico. Wine Club 001: Bold Red Wines [embedded content][embedded content]Vanessa Conlin introduces this month’s wine club. If you start something, you might as well go big.

In any given time or place, if a person’s reaching for a sparkling wine, the odds are that they’re grabbing a Prosecco. Some would say this has everything to do with price, but Prosecco is about way more than just cheap bubbles. During this week’s challenge, we’ll be tasting Prosecco, talking about how it’s made,

All too frequently, Cabernet Franc is left in the shadow of its ultra famous and more popular children: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. But that doesn’t mean Cabernet Franc hasn’t got anything unique to offer. During this week’s tasting, we’ll drink a Cabernet Franc from a corner of the world well known for boisterous reds, and

This week, we’re going to taste one of the boldest rosé wines out there. For many, rosé is a wine that is light, simple, and not too interesting. Clearly, those people haven’t been tasting Tavel rosé. We’ll see who makes it, who loves it, and what makes it so rich and complex. What is the

When it comes to tasting orange wine, maybe the toughest thing is identifying what the heck it is. It’s not red wine. It doesn’t appear at first to be white wine. In this week’s challenge, we’re going to step back and look at a style that appears to be brand new and unique, but is

Having a bad reputation doesn’t mean you can’t turn over a new leaf. This is the theme that everyone needs to remember while tasting Pinotage. After all, if Scrooge, The Grinch, and Severus Snape can change their colors over time, why not wine? What is the Tasting Challenge? The challenge is a way to improve

When it comes to the New World vs Old World argument, terroir really makes a difference in the wine you’re experiencing. And that goes double for lesser-known varieties that still might have something to prove in the popular wine consciousness. That’s where the Roussanne blend comes in. In this weekly wine tasting, we’ll be trying

The best 2018 Saint Emilion wines are stunning! They are everything fans of the appellation could hope for. The wines are all deeply colored. They are aromatic with a cornucopia of scents ranging from flowers, to red, black and blue fruits, wet earth, crushed rocks, cocoa, truffle and licorice. Even better is the level of

2018 Pessac Leognan is the product of a challenging growing season. Like the rest of Bordeaux, the vintage had an auspicious start as the vineyards were underwater. It was not just the non-stop rain that went on for months. There were hail storms to contend with as well. And if that wasn’t enough, the devastating

2018 Margaux is not as homogenous as the other top appellations in the Medoc. In part, of course it is due to the massive size and diversity of terroirs. But it is also important to note that while Margaux is not always consistent, 2 of the wines of the vintage came from Margaux! It is

2018 Pomerol is a contender for the appellation of the vintage. There are numerous, concentrated, exciting, sultry, sensuous wines in this vintage that will appeal to hedonistic wine lovers. Edouard Moueix is bullish on 2018 Pomerol. He explains why. “What we enjoy most in our 2018s is the controlled power. The harmonious and polished tannins

It’s time to know everything you need when popping cork on the bubbly. The greatest drink for marking a celebration is Champagne – a classic – but even being a popular and well-known sparkling wine, there are a lot of questions about Champagne. Should you pair a sweet Champagne with the fantastic meal you’ve prepared

As I wrote in my 2018 Saint Julien barrel tasting report, the appellation should win an award for the most consistent Left Bank appellation of the 2018 Bordeaux vintage. Frankly, every wine I tasted was good. And not just the Grand Vin, the second wines were strong as well. In fact, just peruse my tasting

2018 St. Estephe produced great wines, from top to bottom. Just about every wine I tasted showed fabulous character from the Second Growths, to the Cru Bourgeoise to the smaller, lesser known wines. All the wines show good, dark color, rich, opulent fruits and supple tannins. 2018 Saint Estephe is relatively forward as well so

When you’re tasting Italian Primitivo, it might be surprising to find out that it comes from the same grape as Zinfandel: a favorite in California. It might be even crazier to find out that both of these grapes were originally called Tribidrag in their homeland of Croatia. So what’s in a name? With today’s tasting

2018 Pauillac is a contender for the appellation of the vintage. The wines are flat-out extraordinary! Universally, they are deeply colored, concentrated, supple, firm, full-bodied and occasionally, ostentatious. But even with all their flair, they retain their firm, regal, Pauillac nature. With many wines, 2018 Pauillac is a better version of 2009. It is also

2018 Bordeaux is going to be thought of as an outstanding vintage for years to come. Not just because the wines at the top were sublime. The quality of a vintage is also measured by how the lesser wines from more challenging terroir performed. I tasted 800 wines from 2018 Bordeaux covering every appellation and

When you think of New Zealand wine, does lip smacking Sauvignon Blanc come to mind? Brace yourself, Chardonnay is the island nation’s best kept secret. New Zealand Chardonnay is generally characterized by an elegant balance of minerality, fruit purity and crisp acidity. Due to to the varietal’s shapeshifter ability, however, there are plenty of stylistic

Some wines start in one location and then gain even more acclaim in another (see Carménère or Malbec), but Grüner Veltliner is one of those grapes that begins and ends in the same place: Austria. In this week’s Tasting Challenge, you’ll learn about what makes Austria’s signature grape so unique to its homeland. What is

When tasting Sauternes, many people focus on this legendary white wine’s sweetness and concentration. They’re generally not thinking about the main thing responsible for the golden wine: a fungus called Botrytis cinerea. In this week’s Tasting Challenge, you’ll discover how the Sauternes region of France can go from moldy grapes to one of the most

Everyone said we were crazy when we first started this project. That didn’t stop us. [embedded content][embedded content]Say hello to dynamic wine guides with the Walla Walla Valley. Say Hello To Dynamic Wine Guides Region Guides offer comprehensive explorations of a wine region that explain how the environment and culture influence the style. But that’s

It’s easy to look down on Oak aging in wine – the technique has been criticised for years by Sommeliers who find over-oaked wine to be saccharine and often too heavy on fruit. But we’re here to tell you it’s okay to like oaked wine, especially in the hands of great winemakers. Spain’s famous region

If Hawkes Bay is New Zealand’s greatest wine region, that would make it one of the world’s. Jump into the Hawke’s Bay Wine Guide and discover a new favorite wine region. Hawkes Bay from Te Mata peak. Image: Te Mata Estate Guide to Hawke’s Bay Although New Zealand’s known for zingy Sauvignon Blanc and pristine

Bright and juicy, warm and creamy – there’s a grape that makes wine that will transport you to the warm South African coast: Chenin Blanc. One of the most versatile grapes out there, it makes everything from delicate sparklers, to bold and sweet dessert wines all over the world. What is the Tasting Challenge? The

Carménère is often overlooked by some wine enthusiasts due to its heavily vegetal nature. It’s brazen, it’s brassy, and it can be tough to pair with the right food. But a well crafted bottle of this Chilean classic can offer up complex aromas at a fraction of the price of its Bordeaux cousins. Let’s have

When you think of Italian wine, your mind immediately conjures up some of the biggest and boldest reds in the wine world: Chianti, Barolo, Super Tuscans. Italy has staked its well-earned reputation on some of these wines, but anyone who only sees the Reds and doesn’t consider a wine like Pinot Grigio, is only getting