Wine Producers, Growers, & Labels

IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts their recommendation for one Châteauneuf du Pape wine worth seeking out (but which won't break the bank): Chateauneuf du Pape is one of my absolute favorite appellations. Rich, warm crushed red fruits, along with subtle hints of roasted herbs, black olive, and savory notes are just several descriptors that I look forward to experiencing when I open a bottle of well aged CNP. Although there is no shortage of excellent producers in this famous appellation, one of my top picks year in and year out is Domaine de Marcoux . Find Domaine de Marcoux Wines Sisters Catherine Armenier and Sophie Estevenin produce both a regular cuvee of Chateauneuf du Pape as well as a cuvee Vieilles Vignes from biodynamically farmed vineyards. The focus here how these Grenache based reds can best reflect the specific place from where they came. Rich, deep, and intense but never at the expense of elegance. Good structure and acidity also ensure that these wines age well too. Just about any vintage of Chateauneuf du Pape from Domaine de Marcoux is worth seeking out. - Mulan Chan , Rhône and French Regional Buyer, K&L Wine Merchants

The middle of November is rivalry time in the world of college football. It is also the time of year when the retailers and restaurant start blaring “Le Beaujolais est Arrivè”. For many, there is no connection between the two, but not for my friend and wine lover Andrew Hall. You see Andrew lives in Columbus, Ohio. There may not be a city in the country more crazed over its college football team, in his case, the Ohio State Buckeyes. And, there may not be a more storied or bitter college rivalry than Ohio State vs. Michigan. So bitter is the rivalry, that the word Michigan is rarely uttered by the denizens of Columbus, euphemistically referring to them, as did former OSU coach Woodrow Hayes, as “that school up north”. The last game of the Big Ten football season always features these two teams.

One of the most famous wine regions in the world is Chateauneuf du Pape. Chateauneuf du Pape covers almost 8,000 acres in the southern Rhone Valley of France. The officially demarcated wine region enjoys a very warm climate, baked by the Mediterranean sun. While both red and white wines are made here, it is the red wine that has made this area famous.

With winter upon us thoughts naturally drift towards warm comfort food. Wit this in mind, IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to suggest a great wine to pair with pasta bolognese: Because Bolognese is a thick tomato and meat based red sauce, it tends to need a tannin friendly, but acidic wine. Therefore the Palmina 2007 Dolcetto ($20) from Santa Barbara blends seamlessly with Bolognese. The dolcetto’s acid works with the tomato base and the rich ripe fruit blends well with whatever meat used in the sauce. Dolcettos by there nature are built as food friendly wine and certainly it’s a variety you don’t see too often. Of course there are wines available from Italy, but some areas of California are producing outstanding Italian varietals. Palmina focuses of Italian varieties and has quietly been making excellent wines. - Michael Cervin , Wine Judge, Restaurant Critic, and IntoWine Featured Writer

The first thing you should know about Portugal's Vinho Verde wine region is that the name, which translates to "green wine," doesn't describe the color of the wine produced here. Instead, the name refers to the tradition of drinking Vinho Verde wines while they are young. In fact, the worst thing you can do to a Vinho Verde wine is save it for next year.

About 110 miles southeast of Paris, at the northern tip of the Burgundy wine region France lays Chablis. Chablis is the name of a village that has given its name to a region producing some of the best white wines in the world. The region of Chablis encompasses 19 towns and is about twenty by fifteen kilometers in size. In France, by law, wines are named after the place where they are fashioned and not the grape varietal. The wine producers of Chablis have spent hundreds of years determining which grapes produce the best wines for their soils and the answer: crisp, mineral-driven wines made from the Chardonnay grape.