Category Archives: Countries and Regions

Flora Spring of Napa Valley: Current Releases

Posted on July 14, 2020 by don

Flora Springs is one of the Napa Valley’s storied wineries.  Located at the base of the Mayacamas mountain range in Napa Valley, it became famous in the 1990s, especially for its Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, its best known for its flagship wine, … Continue reading →

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The Azores Wine Company: Volcanic Wines from the Azores

Posted on July 10, 2020 by don

Wine enthusiasts who are searching for unique and authentic wines, should try these magnificent wines of the Azores. The Azores are an archipelago located 1000 miles off the coast of Portugal.  Pico, the principal island, has windswept vineyards of extremely poor … Continue reading →

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Ron Rubin’s Very Good Value Wines from the Russian River Valley

Posted on July 10, 2020 by don

Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley is home to some of California’s best vineyards and winemakers, and many of the wines are priced accordingly.  It’s not easy to find inexpensive, good quality wines from this part of the wine world.  Ron Rubin is … Continue reading →

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The Authentic Spanish Wines of Alberto Orte

Posted on July 5, 2020 by don

Alberto Orte Espejo is a talented Spanish winemaker who handcrafts unique wines from Spain’s indigenous grape varieties.  The grapes are primarily sourced from low yielding old vines grown in exceptional sites often at high altitudes in different regions of Spain.  Orte’s wines … Continue reading →

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Bibbiano Chianti Classico: New Releases

Posted on June 30, 2020 by don

Located in the commune of Castellina in Chianti, the 220 hectare Tenuta di Bibbiano is one of Chianti Classico’s historical wine properties. We’ve visited the estate and tasted several vintages of Bibbiano’s wines over the years. And we recorded an … Continue reading →

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2019 Vintage Rosés from Around the World

Posted on June 19, 2020 by don

Today, good quality rosé wines are made all over the world. In this article we focus on some of the most popular 2019 rosés on the market in the US.  The wines reviewed here are from Provence and other areas … Continue reading →

Posted in Argentina, Chile, Countries and Regions, France, Friuli, Italy, Rosé, South Africa, Spain, Uncategorized, Virginia, Wine Type | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Craig Stoller Collection: Sextant and Paris Valley Road

Posted on June 19, 2020 by don

These wines form part of the Craig Stoller Collection created by owner and director of winemaking, Craig Stoller, and his wife Nancy. Craig is from a family of California vine growers and is a graduate in horticulture from Cal Poly.  He … Continue reading →

Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Countries and Regions, Red Wine, Uncategorized, White Wine, Wine Type | Tagged , | Leave a comment

South Africa’s Top Ten Sparkling Cuvées in 2020

Posted on May 28, 2020 by don

Our just published report on South Africa’s Outstanding Sparkling Wines noted the high quality of the champenoise méthode (Méthode Cap Classique–MCC) bubblies made in the country. We also provided reviews of the many MCCs we tasted earlier this year. In … Continue reading →

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Tenuta Santa Maria: New Valpolicella and Amarone Releases

Posted on May 23, 2020 by don

The sixth generation of the Bertani family maintains the family tradition of producing quality Veronese wines at their Tenuta Santa Maria estate.  They make a range of wines from Soave to Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Ripasso and Amarone della Valpolicella.  The Gaetano brothers … Continue reading →

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Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County’s Hawk and Horse Vineyard: 2008-2016

Posted on May 21, 2020 by don

Hawk and Horse is a family-owned and operated, Demeter-Biodynamic certified vineyard located in the Mayacamas Mountain range of the Red Hills AVA of Lake County [see map below].  The 18 acre, mostly Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard has red volcanic soils and … Continue reading →

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