It’s back to Italy this week for some sips of a beautiful Tuscan red wine: Le Volte dell'Ornellaia 2019 ($34.00). It’s a luscious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese from carefully selected Ornellaia sites, and each varietal is fermented separately in small steel tanks to maintain their varietal characteristics before blending. The wine is full-bodied with … [Read more...]
Li Veli Passamante Salice Salentino
Last week I enjoyed a very tasty and affordable red wine from Italy alongside a wood-fired Napolitan-style Margherita pizza. It was Masseria Li Veli Passamante Salice Salentino DOC and it sells here for a mere $15.99. The name of the wine - Passamante - has an interesting background story. According to the winemakers at Masseria Li Veli, “The big vineyard of Negroamaro … [Read more...]
A Father’s Day Cabernet
Through the years, one of my favorite California Cabernet Sauvignon producers has been Mount Veeder Winery. I still remember the first vintage I enjoyed, which was the 1990 vintage and it was outstanding. With Father’s Day in mind, why not give a Cabernet-loving dad the gift of Mount Veeder Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, a wine that wine expert James Suckling awarded 95 points … [Read more...]
An Outstanding Under-$20 Pinot Noir
Earlier this week I got to attend my first group wine tasting in nearly a year and a half. Thanks to the pandemic, wine tastings - like most other social events - were as rare as a decent under-$20 Pinot Noir. Thankfully, at this tasting, I discovered a Pinot Noir that sells for well under 20 bucks and is truly outstanding. The tasting was hosted by Utah’s Libation, Inc. … [Read more...]
Bonterra 2020 Young Red
There are times when I want to drink red wine, but don’t want something rich, heavy, oaky and full-bodied. For instance, when I’m eating something like pizza or barbecue. Now, normally I would turn to a Rosé wine in that circumstance. But I recently came across a lighter-style red wine from Bonterra Organic Vineyards called Young Red ($16) that fits the bill perfectly. 2020 … [Read more...]
Mer Soleil Reserve Pinot Noir 2017
For many years, I’ve been a big fan of buttery, rich Mer Soleil Chardonnay where you can pick up lemon blossoms in the aroma of the wine from the Meyer lemons planted on the Mer Soleil property in the Santa Lucia Highlands of California. I was less familiar with Mer Soleil Reserve Pinot Noir ($39.99), until recently. Now I’m a fan of that Mer Soleil selection as well. It’s one … [Read more...]
RICKSHAW Pinot Noir
Last week I asked my wife, Faith, to pick me up an inexpensive bottle of California Pinot Noir when she stopped by the wine store - “Surprise me,” I said. Now, Faith tends to choose wines based on bottle labels and art that she likes. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) So, I shouldn’t have been surprised that she brought home a bottle of 2019 RICKSHAW Pinot Noir … [Read more...]
Bonanza California Cabernet Sauvignon
A venerable California institution, the Wagner Family of Wine - currently operated by Chuck, Charlie, and Jenny Wagner - has a long and respected history of making wines in Napa Valley dating back to the 1850s. Some 45 years ago Chuck Wagner founded Caymus Vineyards with his mother and father, Lorna and Charlie Wagner. Today, Chuck, his older son Charlie, and older daughter … [Read more...]
Saldo 2018 California Zinfandel
You may be familiar with one of the best-selling California red wines on the market, The Prisoner, created by The Prisoner Wine Company. But The Prisoner Wine Company—named for the iconic wine originally made by founding winemaker Dave Phinney—makes much more than just The Prisoner red wine. Indeed, The Prisoner Wine Company produces a wide range of red and white wines, and … [Read more...]
Vivanco Crianza 2016
In the Spanish wine region of Rioja, the wine control board - Consejo Regulador DOCa Rioja - designates four different styles of Rioja wine: Rioja, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva. Crianza - which is the focus of this column - is probably the most accessible of the Rioja wines, with most selling for under (and sometimes well-under) $15 per bottle. A Crianza wine is aged a … [Read more...]