Wine Recommendations

To be honest, there is not such thing as “rose’ season,” as a good rose’ can and should be enjoyed all year long. Since the epicenter of rose’ is France, you need look no further. Comprised of 50% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 10% syrah and 10% Vermentino, this offers up vibrant strawberry and cherry...

The Stags Leap District is one of the true gems of growing areas in the Napa Valley, and Shafer, one of its stars. Comprised of all cabernet with a mere 2% malbec, this 2018 was then aged for 20 months in new French oak barrels. This is both elegant and silky contrasting with shy and subtle. The...

Chardonnay is ubiquitous and there are more iterations of it than probably any other grape, considering it’s the most widely planted grape on the planet. Therefore, a chardonnay needs to stand out, and that’s exactly what winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez Rave has done with her 2019 chardonnay. From the...

If you’re a fan of Siduri you know their focus has always been pinot noir. That has changed. They have just released their first chardonnay coming from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. This is a mild chardonnay, subtle, subdued, not a big overwrought chardonnay. There is very much a lively quality...

Napa’s Rutherford district was recognized by Gustav Niebaum, who planted roots in the region in the 1870s hoping to produce wines to rival Bordeaux. Most cabernet sauvignon has become predictable. What we look for then is the unpredictable, the interesting and unusual. The 2017 Coeur de Vigne (...

Former basketball star Yao Ming turned to wine with the release of his first vintage in 2009. He is well known in China and America and his winery significantly crosses the bridge between the two countries. “Chinese people knew French wines first,” Yao says. “They learned that French wines had a...

If we’re honest, a truly fine wine is something of a striptease. You may open the cork and pour a glass, but the wine slowly reveals itself over time. There is no rush. When first opening this 2016, the nose exhibits what you want from Napa Cabernet, the dark black fruits, blackberry blueberry,...

Italy has the largest number of indigenous grapes planted within their border and one of those is garganega. The garganega grape is Italy’s 6th most widely planted. When you are tired of chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, come to Soave. For Pieropan, the clay basalt and volcanic soils support mild...

I have always had an unapologetic love of the Swan clone for pinot noir. The delicateness of this particular clone is mesmerizing. “I’ve always loved this old heirloom clone, “winemaker Steve Rogstad says. “It is a very delicate, elegant wine, with a lighter color. Stylistically it is more defined...

Red Mountain is one of Washington state’s most exciting growing regions. AVA status was achieved in 2001, and now Red Mountain has fifty- four vineyards covering more than 2300 acres, making it one of the most densely planted AVA's with 57% of the AVA currently planted. It is undeniable that the...