Yearly Archives: 2014

South Africa’s Eagles’ Nest: Flying High

Posted on December 29, 2014 by don

Eagles’ Nest is appropriately named with its vineyards high in the Constantia Mountains a short distance from the sea.  Constantia, of course, is the site of South Africa’s most historic vineyards, some of which were first planted when the Dutch … Continue reading →

Posted in Countries and Regions, Red Wine, South Africa, Uncategorized, White Wine, Wine Type | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Vineyard’s Successful 7th Annual Champagne Bash

Posted on December 13, 2014 by mike

This past Thursday evening I attended  The Vineyard’s  “7th Annual Champagne Bash”   It’s a terrific event held at the beginning of  the holiday season which offers  customers the opportunity to taste a wide selection of stellar Champagnes.   This year’s selections included … Continue reading →

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Gift Books on Wine for the Holidays

Posted on December 9, 2014 by don

The wine connoisseur always appreciates a good read about wine, and we’ve reviewed several wine books over the past few months that we think would make superb gifts.  Click on the title of each book to read our reviews.

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The I-WineReview’s 10th Anniversary Lunch at Assaggi with Bellavista

Posted on December 9, 2014 by mike

The International Wine Review turns ten in 2015. We kicked off our year-long celebration of our 10th Anniversary with a delicious Italian lunch at Assaggi Osteria, our favorite Italian restaurant in McLean, Virginia. On short notice, Domenico Cornaccia, chef/proprietor of … Continue reading →

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Outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay: New Releases from Presqu’ile Winery

Posted on December 9, 2014 by don

Presqu’ ile Winery in Santa Maria is producing some of Santa Barbara County’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as revealed in their new releases reviewed here. When we last visited  the winery it was still under construction.  However, Matt Murphy and … Continue reading →

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Spanish “Value” Wines: New Releases from Beacon Wine Company

Posted on December 3, 2014 by mike

Bob Heymann of Beacon Wine Company, Inc. in San Francisco has been importing and distributing Spanish wines for 30 years.  During his career he has demonstrated a remarkable ability to identify excellent Spanish wines at highly affordable prices—well under $20 … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Wines of South America: The Essential Guide by Evan Goldstein

Posted on December 1, 2014 by don

This book on South American wine (UC Press, 2014, $40) is a tour de force by Evan Goldstein.  It provides a comprehensive review of the grapes, growing regions, and important producers of the continent, from Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo to Chile’s … Continue reading →

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Loma Larga’s Cool Climate Wines from Chile’s Casablanca Valley

Posted on November 10, 2014 by don

Located in Lo Ovalle, the coolest part of Chile’s Casablanca Valley just 15 miles from the ocean, Loma Larga has been the first winery in the valley to plant red varieties like Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Syrah, all self-rooted since … Continue reading →

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Mas Martinet and Venus La Universal

Posted on November 4, 2014 by mike

Mas Martinet is one of Priorat’s most exciting wineries and clearly belongs among the very best producers we earlier reviewed for our Report # 28 The Wines of Priorat.    The property is owned by José Luis Perez, one  of the … Continue reading →

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Cabernet Franc Selections from Chile

Posted on October 30, 2014 by don

Our recent tastings of five Chilean Cabernet Francs from producers in Casablanca and Colchagua suggests this variety is likely to become a more important part of Chile’s wine industry offerings in the near future. When we last travelled through Chile  for our Report … Continue reading →

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