Author Archives: don

Top Chenin Blancs from South Africa

Posted on April 9, 2019 by don

Chenin Blanc is South Africa’s most widely planted grape, and it makes some of the country’s most distinguished wines, including the ones reviewed below. Many of the best ones come from old vines, some very old. Rosa Kruger, whom we … Continue reading →

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Hors Catégorie: A Bit of Northern Rhone in Northern Oregon

Posted on April 9, 2019 by don

Christophe Baron, most famous for his vineyards in The Rocks, has a new discovery, a very steeply sloped basalt hillside vineyard called Hors Catégorie located on the north fork of the Walla Walla River near the Oregon border with Washington … Continue reading →

Posted in Countries and Regions, Great Winemakers, Red Wine, Shiraz, Washington, Wine Articles, Wine Type | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Authentic Wines from Viña Gillmore of Chile’s Maule Valley

Posted on April 1, 2019 by don

Founded in Maule’s Loncomilla Valley in 1990 by Francisco Gillmore, today Viña Gillmore is in the hands of his winemaking daughter Daniella and husband André Sánchez, who previously made wine in Italy. They dry farm, organically grown Carignan and several … Continue reading →

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Vergelegen: Modern Wines from a 300 Year Old Estate

Posted on March 4, 2019 by don

Vergelegen is one of South Africa’s finest producers of premium wines. It’s located in an idyllic setting just 6 km from the sea with sloping mountainside vineyards, and winemaker André Van Rensburg is one of South Africa’s most passionate winemakers. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Countries and Regions, Red Wine, Shiraz, South Africa, Sparkling Wine, Uncategorized, White Wine, Wine Articles, Wine Type | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Paradise Springs: Premium Wines from Coast to Coast*

Posted on February 27, 2019 by don

Paradise Springs is a family owned winery with operations in Virginia and Santa Barbara. It is owned and operated by Kirk Wilde and his mother Jane Kinchiloe along with local partners.  In Santa Barbara it shares  winemaking space in Buelton … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Chardonnay, Countries and Regions, Pinot Noir, Red Wine, Uncategorized, White Wine, Wine Type | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Chenin Blancs of Breedekloof Wine Valley

Posted on February 25, 2019 by don

While Chenin Blanc originated in the Anjou area of the Loire, today it can be said to be South Africa’s grape. South Africa produces more of the grape than any other country and has double the plantings of France. Chenin … Continue reading →

Posted in Countries and Regions, Red Wine, South Africa, Uncategorized, White Wine, Wine Type | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Pence Winery’s Outrageously Good Wines from the Sta Rita Hills*

Posted on February 22, 2019 by don

The Pence Winery is set on 200 acres in the Santa Rita Hills. A tiny artisanal winery, it is part of a working ranch and farm owned and operated by Blair Pence, a California realtor with a passion for wine stemming … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Chardonnay, Countries and Regions, Pinot Noir, Red Wine, Uncategorized, White Wine, Wine Type | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Margerum: New Releases from Santa Barbara*

Posted on February 20, 2019 by don

Margerum Wine Company is owned and operated by Doug Margerum, one of Santa Barbara’s leading winemaking entrepreneurs. It produces small quantities of premium wines made from estate-grown and purchased grapes from top neighboring vineyards.  We recently visited Doug at the … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Chardonnay, Countries and Regions, Pinot Noir, Red Wine, Rosé, Uncategorized, White Wine, Wine Type | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Graham Beck: Exclusive Focus on Premium Sparkling

Posted on February 18, 2019 by don

Industrialist Graham Beck founded his eponymous vineyard and winery in Robertson in 1983.  A few years later Pieter Ferreira joined Graham Beck, making his first sparkling wine  (called MCC or Methode Cap Classique in South Africa) in 1991. We visited … Continue reading →

Posted in Champagne, Countries and Regions, Great Winemakers, South Africa, Sparkling Wine, Uncategorized, Wine Articles, Wine Type | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Spear Vineyards and Winery: A New Promising Farm Winery in the Sta. Rita Hills

Posted on February 14, 2019 by don

Spear is a tiny and relatively new, family-owned Santa Barbara winery that shows great promise.  Its estate vineyard nestled in the Sta Rita Hills is certified organic and sustainable.  It was first planted in 2013  on 33 acres, and its first … Continue reading →

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