Wine Recommendations

Regional Wine Recommendations Articles: Argentina - Best Argentinian Malbec Wines For the Money Australia -...

Camembert cheese is a cow's milk cheese with a creamy texture and a bloomy white rind. It begins as a relatively mild semi-soft wheel, but grows runnier and more robustly flavored with age. We asked our panel of experts what they’d recommend to sip alongside this exceptionally rich French cheese:

IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts for their recommendation for the best Napa Chardonnay (for the money): California Chardonnay has entered a new golden era, and there are terrific, cooler climate examples available from all over the State. These great new Chards tend to be balanced, with minerality and strong acidity, as well as less obtrusive new oak than was the trademark of California Chardonnay even five years ago. Napa does not have a particularly cool climate, so the wines from this region tend to have more ripe, tropical fruit characteristics, and more richness, as well as more of a creamy mouth feel, thanks in large part to the new oak typically used for fermentation and aging. Nonetheless, for those who like the rich, tropical fruit style of Chardonnay, there are some great examples from Napa that are relative values. My top pick for the money is the Arnot-Roberts Watson Ranch Napa Valley Chardonnay, with the current release going for a relatively reasonable average of $35. Here I get more lemon and lemon cream than super-ripe tropical fruit, but with solid weight and creamy texture. Also quite good but considerably pricier, at about $50, is the Hestan Vineyards Chardonnay, made by sought after Napa winemaking consultant Mark Herold. - Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com

Beef Bourguignon is a French staple. From rustic peasant origins, this rich stew of beef braised in red wine has evolved to win a place among the most widely known traditional dishes of French haute cuisine. We asked our panel of experts what they’d recommend to sip alongside this hearty, robust dish:

If you take a look at the Australian white wines available at a typical liquor store, you probably won't see much diversity. You'll find chardonnay and riesling, and perhaps pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. And, most likely, you'll be missing out on the amazing range of white wines available from Australian producers.

IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts for their recommendation for the best New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: New Zealand took the wine world by storm with its intensely flavored Sauvignon Blancs starting in the 1980s. Sauv Blanc is still the most widely planted grape in Kiwi Country, by a long shot, and there are numerous great examples. My favorite NZ Sauv Blanc from recent vintages is the 2012 Loveblock, the first vintage from Kim and Erica Crawford’s new label. They were the team behind the hugely successful Kim Crawford label, which they sold to Vincor International in 2003 for $8.6 million. The Loveblock is a complex, structured Sauvignon Blanc, with notes of ripe lime, smoke and sweet green chili. You can find it for an average of $18 at U.S. retailers. Another favorite producer is the justly famous Cloudy Bay, which makes both a delicious, balanced, unoaked version, as well as a Sauv Blanc that is reminiscent of a white Bordeaux from a ripe year—the Te Koko, which spends 18 months in French oak. One more great one is the intensely flavored Saint Clair Family Estate Selection. Richard Jennings, IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder RJonWine.com.