Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels

Attend the 2009 Rhone Rangers Grand Tasting March 22 in San Francisco 10. Spit in public! The best way to appreciate samples of some of the 500 or so wines available from about 125 American wineries is to use the provided spit cups in front of about 2,000 utter strangers. Well, it’s ok to swallow some of your very favorites. But using the spit cups most of the time sure enhances the experience and lets you enjoy a great dinner in San Francisco afterwards.

The region of Tuscany makes many outstanding and well knows wines. Intowine.com has already explored Super Tuscans , Chianti ,...

IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts their recommendation for one Spanish wine worth seeking out (but which won't break the bank): See also: Best Spanish Red Wines Where to begin? Spain is so huge with so many different styles of wine. Yet, people talk about it as if it were one region. I am going to let the traditionalist in me take over. For most of Spain’s wine history over the last two hundred years, the area that produced the most famous wines was Rioja. This landlocked area in north central Spain still makes some of the best wine: some of it in the modern style, while other wines are produced in a traditional method. Find Muga Wines I am going to suggest the traditional producer of Muga. This winery, founded in 1932 makes a variety of wines at many price levels. I first am going to recommend seeking out wines from the fabulous 2004 vintage. Then look for either the Reserva or Selection Especial. These should cost around $30 and $45 respectively. While not inexpensive, these wines can be brought home and drunk or cellared for a decade or more. Made from the Tempranillo grape, they have brilliant cherry flavors with vanilla notes. Perfect with hearty to light foods or by themselves. This is a winery I would trust in all vintages with all of their different wines. - Loren Sonkin is an IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder/Winemaker at Sonkin Cellars.

Along the French border with Germany lies the region of Alsace (all-SAHss). The region’s customs are a combination of both the French and German culture, a result of the political turmoil this region has long experienced. Alsace has changed ownership four times in the past few hundred years. Since World War I, this area has belonged to France. The wines, however, bear as much resemblance to the wines of Germany as they do to the wines of France. To be more precise, the wines of Alsace are a hybrid of the two, yet distinct from either.

I've borrowed J. R. R. Tolkien's famous subtitle because it so perfectly illustrates the history of Portugal's Dão wine region – a journey from small vineyards to large cooperatives to individual quintas.

My recent article, Bordeaux Wine Region in France: World's Most Famous Fine Wine Region , offered a general overview on the wines of Bordeaux. One group of wines in this region that doesn’t get as much coverage is the dry white wines. There are quite a bit of dry white Bordeaux wines made. Unfortunately, most of it is of less than stellar quality. There are some, however, that are the best wines in the world, capable of ageing for decades.

Alicante isn't Spain's largest or most famous wine region. In fact, Alicante is fairly small, and it tends to be overshadowed by its better-known neighbors, Jumilla and Valencia. Alicante has much to offer the wine lover, however, particularly Fondillón, made from monastrell grapes and unique to this DO. Alicante's other wines, particularly its reds, have steadily worked their way up into the ranks of Spain's top-scorers, and the region's award-winning moscatels are also worth trying.