Yearly Archives: 2018

Department 66-New Releases from the Côtes Catalanes

Posted on December 23, 2018 by mike

These are attractive bistro style wines produced by the Department 66 winery in the Southwest corner of France . The winery, established by Napa Valley winemaker Dave Phinney, is located in Department 66, which serves as the inspiration and namesake … Continue reading →

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Succulent Sweet Wines for the Holidays: The Best of 2018

Posted on December 20, 2018 by don

What better time of the year to open a bottle of profusely perfumed, deeply flavored sweet wine than the Holidays?  We’ve tasted a lot of them this past year from Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Washington, and, most recently, the Atlantic Coast … Continue reading →

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Champagnes & Sparkling Wines for the Holidays: The Best of 2018

Posted on December 18, 2018 by don

Champagne and sparkling wines are especially popular during the Holidays. Families and friends toast their friendship and welcome the new year with the bubbles that convey a sense of celebration and joy.  To help guide your purchases of Champagne and … Continue reading →

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Testarossa Winery New Releases of 2016 Pinot Noir

Posted on December 5, 2018 by mike

This is second part of our reviews of the 2016 Testarossa releases of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. In this article we focus on Testarossa’s Pinot Noirs which like the Chardonnays are handcrafted in small lots of mostly vineyard designated wines … Continue reading →

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Napa Valley Boutique Wine Discoveries: Lewelling and Hayfork

Posted on December 1, 2018 by don

When it comes to Cabernet Sauvignon, the Napa Valley is home to several of the world’s most iconic wineries.  The sheer number of ultra premium Cabernet wineries makes it difficult for small, lesser known producers to gain visibility. Always on … Continue reading →

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Testarossa Winery New Releases of 2016 Chardonnay

Posted on November 18, 2018 by don

Testarossa Winery is among the finest producers of premium Chardonnay in California, and 2016 was an exceptionally good vintage throughout California. As a result, we are enthusiastic about the 2016 Testarossa Chardonnays. Testarossa handcrafts small lots of mostly vineyard designated … Continue reading →

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East Coast Wine on the Rise

Posted on November 18, 2018 by don

East Coast wineries are on a roll both in terms of production and the quality of wine being made.  We recently completed several trips along the East Coast in collaboration with the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association and winery associations in … Continue reading →

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Hickinbotham of McLaren Vale 2015 Releases

Posted on October 17, 2018 by mike

We had the opportunity recently to taste the 2015 releases of the Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard in McLaren Vale. The four wines reviewed here again showed very well just as they did in the 2014 vintage. They offer rich and concentrated … Continue reading →

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Washington’s Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Rieslings: Outstanding Wines, Incredible Values

Posted on October 15, 2018 by don

Washington State is by far the most important producer of Riesling in the US, and Chateau Ste. Michelle accounts for most of it, making over 1.2 million cases of Riesling annually. We recently sat down with Chateau Ste. Michelle white … Continue reading →

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Inniskillin Icewines from the Niagara Peninsula: Latest Releases

Posted on October 8, 2018 by don

  Canada’s Niagara Peninsula is the world’s most important region for producing authentic icewines made from grapes frozen on the vine. Inniskillin pioneered the making of icewine in the Niagara Peninsula, producing its first in 1984. Today it exports icewine … Continue reading →

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