Wine Recommendations

In Napa there are well known wineries, and then there are a few that have reached iconic status. Dalla Valle is one of those, and with good reason. One of their secret weapons is their Cabernet Franc, which expresses itself in the 2015 Maya. According to winemaker Andy Erickson, it is the Franc...

Blending Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese is nothing new. The made-up term “super Tuscan” has been used for years to describe it. In essence it means a wine from Tuscany that includes non-indigenous grapes, such as Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. Similar to France, Italian winemakers were stymied by...

Though Whitecliff Vineyards started in 1990 using vineyards in Australia and New Zealand, it was only 2020 when their wines came to the U.S. market. And it’s a good thing, too. What’s interesting about this Sauvignon Blanc is that, though it comes from Marlborough, it lacks some of the traditional...

Grown at 2,200 feet on limestone soils, and using the Calera clone, there is an immediate understanding of the depth of the fruit with this wine. Deep rich black cherry, blackberry, red raspberry and strawberry along with blueberry, boysenberry all vie for attention. But these are not bright fruit...

When I was on the island of Crete, I put my hands on trees that were planted well before Jesus was born. And there were lots of them. Known as the Olive Trees of Vouves, they are gnarled, twisted, malformed things that are, to me, so beautiful. It’s no surprise to most of us that trees can live...

Our tastes change, our bodies change – change is inevitable. Many people find they don’t want to overdrink and over eat, especially during the holidays, therefore portion sizes become important. And it’s true with wine. Many people I speak with tell me they only want a little bit of wine with...

Cuvaison started in 1969, back when Napa had only a handful of wineries. But it wasn’t until 1979 that their focus became Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. As winemaker Steve Rogstad told me a few years ago: “It is Pinot Noir’s super power to make amazing wines that are driven by the place they grow in...

For Chappellet, Pritchard Hill is their prime grape growing spot. The fruit pulled from this piece of land has continuously been well-tended, grapes that offer great structure and flavor, even before they are pressed into wine. Comprised mainly of Cabernet, there is 10% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec...

In Italy’s Northeastern corner, the hilly borderlands of the small grape growing region of Collio Goriziano are home to the estate of Marco Felluga, a 4th generation winemaking family dating back to the 1800’s. Marco himself founded his eponymous winery in 1956. His white blend called “Molamatta”...

“We’re all about the utmost hand labor,” says Mark Pisoni of his vineyard management during a recent Zoom tasting I did with him, his brother Jeff Pisoni, and Jeff’s wife, Bibiana Gonzalez Rave. But first I need to clarify the family connections here. Brother’s Jeff and Mark are the son’s of the...