Normally I would start a late-March post with "It's been a tough winter with cold and snow and we were stuck inside tasting new wines." I can't use that excuse this year, as our winter was remarkably temperate and dry. In fact, it was the perfect weather for seeking out new wines. Here are a… Continue reading Recent Favorites
Category: Buys $25 and under
Year-End Wine Finds 2022
Instead of a Best Wines of 2022 we're sharing some recent finds that have quickly become favorites. Most are $20 and under; a few are a bit pricey. Bring any one of them to a New Year's Eve party or other gathering and your host will thank you. Cheers, Salut, Skoal, Santé and L'Chaim to… Continue reading Year-End Wine Finds 2022
A Return Engagement in Uruguay
Uruguay. Wine. What? Isn't Uruguay that tiny country wedged between Brazil and Argentina? The one with the great beaches and the primo beef? They make wine? Yup. And it‘s a robust wine industry at that. When we first wrote about Uruguay following a 2015 “Tannat Tasting Tour,” the country produced just 10 million cases annually.… Continue reading A Return Engagement in Uruguay
We Went “Searching For Italy” where Stanley Tucci Failed to Go!
We devoured CNN’s “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” series featuring the actor’s trek through the farms, fields, and restaurants of Italy. The show made us want to pack our bags and follow in his footsteps. But our trek would venture where Tucci failed to go: the vineyards and wineries in each region. Wine is as… Continue reading We Went “Searching For Italy” where Stanley Tucci Failed to Go!
From the Archives: Wines of Uruguay 2015
In advance of attending a tasting of wines from Uruguay this week, we re-visit a 2015 post on...wines of Uruguay. We'll check back in after the new tasting to see how this growing wine region has progressed. When you think of Uruguay what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Oh, you don’t know much… Continue reading From the Archives: Wines of Uruguay 2015
20 Wines For $20 and Under: Inflation Edition
Inflation has hit our pocketbooks in so many ways: gas, food, clothing, wine. Of course, higher wine prices are not as painful as increases at the pump or the check-out line, but for those who consider a glass of wine with dinner as essential as coffee at breakfast, a 20 -25% bump in wine prices… Continue reading 20 Wines For $20 and Under: Inflation Edition
Mexican Wine? Si!
When Americans hear “Mexico” and “alcohol”, we think Tequila. Then maybe Mezcal. Beer too. Wine, not so much. But Mexico has been producing wine since the 1520’s, when homesick conquistadors planted vineyards across Central and South America with cuttings from Spanish vines. Whatever devastation Spain wreaked on the countries it conquered, it left a legacy… Continue reading Mexican Wine? Si!
Our Top 10 Wines of 2021
After the wreck of 2020 all eyes looked towards 2021 for, what? Normalcy? Comfort? How'd that work out? As we look ahead to 2022, let's revisit the 10 wines that brought us the most joy while we all suffered the slings and arrows of an outrageous 2021. WHITE/ROSÉS Favorite White Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Feinherb Spatlese,… Continue reading Our Top 10 Wines of 2021
Seven Summer Surprises
As we turn the clocks back into darkness and careen towards winter, we thought a quick post on seven great wines we discovered over the summer would keep the warm feelings going a few days longer. These are not "summer" sippers; we just happened to find them while staying sane through Covid, family health issues,… Continue reading Seven Summer Surprises
Another Misunderstood Grape – Riesling Tasting
Woodinville, WA Vineyard For some reason we're always banging the drum for lesser-known wine regions and misunderstood wines. We visited Temecula, CA and Woodinville, WA 20+ years ago, before each became [or hoped to become] the "next Napa." Gary pushed Ruggero Di Bardo's Susumaniello from Puglia just as Trader Joe's put it on its shelves… Continue reading Another Misunderstood Grape – Riesling Tasting