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...]
White Wine You Will Fall in Love With at the First Taste
My loving wife likes to surprise me by bringing home bottles of wine that I’ve never heard of to try. And, she knows that while I like all Rhone wines from France, I’m especially fond of the white wines from that region, such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc. Well, a domestic (California) Rhone-style white wine caught her eye at the wine store - a wine called The First Date, … [Read more...]
Salwey Pinot Gris 2016
Near the top of the list of my favorite wine varietals is Pinot Gris (aka Pinot Grigio or Grauburgunder). The grape gets its name from its typically grayish-blue color. I’m especially fond of the slightly spicy versions of Pinot Gris that are plentiful in Alsace and, to a lesser extent, in Germany. These are edgy wines with lots of minerality. Recently, I came across a … [Read more...]
Holiday Gifts for Wine Lovers
With Christmas just around the bend, I’m devoting this week’s Sip column to many sips for wine lovers. If you’re looking for a great bottle of wine to give as a gift for Christmas, here are some solid suggestions. If you’ve ever enjoyed Conundrum ($19.99) white wine from the Wagner Family of Wines, you’re in for a surprise with the current Conundrum vintage. The exact blend … [Read more...]
Pascal Jolivet Attitude Sauvignon Blanc
I have always found Pascal Jolivet wines from France to be exceptionally good values. And that’s certainly the case with the wine I’m featuring this week: Pascal Jolivet Attitude Sauvignon Blanc 2018 ($17.49). The Jolivet family have been players in the wine world since 1926, when Louis Jolivet and his son, Lucien, established the Jolivet and Son wine merchant company. The … [Read more...]
A Lovely French Rosé: Pierre Riffault Les & Hommes Rosé
During a visit to Hearth and Hill restaurant in Park City my wife and I enjoyed a lovely bottle of French Rosé from their wine list. It was called Pierre Riffault Sancerre Les 7 Hommes ($26.47). While most of us are familiar with the white wines of France’s Sancerre region in the center of France, I’d never had Rosé from there and was eager to try it out. I wasn’t … [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...]
Refreshing, Crisp Italian Wine: 2018 Zenato Lugana di San Benedetto
I’ve been on a bit of an Italian wine kick lately. That’s partly because I keep coming across wonderful wine values from Italy, like this one: 2018 Zenato Lugana di San Benedetto, priced at a mere $16.99 here in Utah. Zenato Lugana is made from 100% Trebbiano grapes - one of the most widely planted wine grape varietals in the world. The grapes were harvested from Zenato’s … [Read more...]
Florensac Picpoul de Pinet: Excellent Dry White Wine from Southern France
While Bordeaux and Burgundy in France get most of the attention from wine aficionados, there are some good wines and great bargains to be found in the Languedoc-Roussillon coastal region in Southern France. Les Vignerons de Florensac (The Winemakers of Florensac) is composed of some 260 winemakers and it’s this territory - an ancient one - where one of my favorite Picpoul de … [Read more...]
Atrea Skid Rosé
At Park City’s new Hearth and Hill restaurant, you’ll encounter a beverage list with lots and lots of appeal. There are innovative seasonal cocktails along with classic ones, inspired mocktails, a terrific selection of local beers both canned and on tap, and a very well-chosen selection of red, white, sparkling and rosé wines. One wine on the Hearth and Hill … [Read more...]