When you think of Pinot Noir, you probably think of Burgundy in France, or maybe Oregon, Washington, or California in this country. Maybe New Zealand? But Germany probably doesn’t spring to mind. It didn’t to me, at least. But last week my wife and I were enjoying yet another excellent dinner at Weller’s Bistro in Layton when Jan Weller, the owner, turned us onto a really … [Read more...]
End of Summer Rosè
There are wine drinkers who think that Rosè wines should only be consumed in warm weather. I am not among them. I believe that Rosè is an “anytime wine,” to be appreciated on cold snowy nights as well as under the warm sun on the patio in spring and summer. Anytime is a good time for Rosè. Either way, here is a wine you will enjoy during the last throes of summer or whenever … [Read more...]
Château Pagnac Saint-Émilion 2018
Good news for fans of French Bordeaux wines. The 2018 vintage of Saint Emilion wines are turning out to be fantastic! They are quite concentrated and deeply colored, with a beautiful texture and robust flavor, well-balanced and fresh. Wine expert James Suckling called Bordeaux 2018 “a vintage of superlatives.” A good (and inexpensive) example is Château Pagnac … [Read more...]
Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio
— With the heatwave we’ve all been enduring, wouldn’t a nicely chilled glass of wine perk up your afternoon or evening? If so, I have an excellent one to recommend: Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio ($28.04). I know what you’re thinking. Italian Pinot Grigio is a flimsy little summer cottage of a wine. And yes, that is all too often true. A lot of Pinot Grigio can be pretty … [Read more...]
Bargain Basement Priced Chianti
A couple of weeks ago I made chicken amatriciana for dinner and was looking for an inexpensive red wine, preferably Italian, to drink with this classic Roman dish. Well, I found it. Castello di Querceto Chianti D.O.C.G 2020. from Italy is selling this month in Utah for a paltry $8.99 - 2 bucks off of the normal price of $10.99. The word querceto means oak in Italian and the … [Read more...]
Panthera Chardonnay
For many years I have been a fan of Hess founder and winemaker Donald Hess’s wines. First, in the form of Hess Family Wine Estates products, and more recently, via the wines of Hess Persson Estates and their Lions Head Collection. Hess Persson is headed up by Tim and Sabrina Persson - visionary winemakers - and self-described as “fundamentally an international family with roots … [Read more...]
Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon
If you know of a wine with the complexity, nuance and concentration of Bonterra Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, priced at $16.95 or under, I’d sure like to hear about it. This is one of my top bang-for-the-buck picks of the many wines I’ve had the pleasure of sampling so far this year. According to Bonterra winemaker Jeff Cichocki, when discussing the density of flavors in Bonterra … [Read more...]
Wine o’ the Week: Stags’ Leap 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon
Established more than a century ago, in 1893, Stags’ Leap Winery is a steward of classic California winemaking - one blessed with unique terroir and an ideal microclimate. The latest example of Stags’ Leap superb winemaking is the 2014 vintage of Stags’ Leap Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($58.99). Composed of Cabernet Sauvignon (86%), Malbec (6%), Merlot (4%), Petite Sirah … [Read more...]