We’ve been waiting for this wine all summer. After the great 2004 vintage started to fade at the edges, TJ’s kept us panting for a spell, but now the heat wave has hit Sonoma County, and the 2005 is finally on the shelves to offer some chilled or maybe even ...

This wine has just a light fizz, not quite enough to tickle the nose as you take in the aromas of granny smith apples, kiwi, and lemon gelato, with just a wisp of Madera. (old barrels or maybe a touch of old wine blended in?) Tart green apples in the ...

This wine isn’t bad as long as you don’t take a whiff. The nose offers cherries, black pepper, and tar, with more green bell pepper than I would like, as well as a whole bunch of volatile alcohol. It’s like sniffing brandy. In the mouth the wine is supple for ...

I have a soft spot for this wine because it’s named in honor of the the mediaval walls in Saint-Emilion, and I expect to be seeing them next year. Also, Iiked the 2003 version of this wine, for which I gave a score of 120%. I tasted the 2004 shortly ...

This Mendocino winery is better known, to me at least, for its brandy. They also make a little sparkling wine, though they really should be ashamed of themselves for calling it “champagne”. I think the place just sold, so maybe they will change that. The wine is deep purple, with ...

Since this blog is dedicated to finding bargain wines at Trader Joes, it’s a darn shame that the vast majority of the wines I drink are red, except during the summer, when I lean toward the pink, or when a special occasion, like a wedding or a plate of chilled seafood, inspires me to drink bubbly or something white. Why such a shame? Because good white wines are cheaper than red. It starts...

I really want to like wines from small family producers, and I do. Those guys pay my mortgage. This wine is the furthest thing possible from that. It’s produced by Diago Wines, owners of Beaulieu Vineyards, Chalone, Jade Mountain, Acacia, Sterling, Provenance, and Canoe Ridge, just to name a few. ...

Not many wine writers take food into account when writing their reviews. Here’s a simple truth - wine is meant to be enjoyed with food. Yeah, wine by itself is nice, no question, but wine with food and family or friends is what it’s about, and a wine tasted alone, ...

Coincidentally enough, I got an email yesterday from a reader who asked to see more reviews in the under $6 category. In my reply, I pointed out the pitfall in reviewing too many of those wines, which is that as you go lower and lower on the price scale, there’s ...

This cab offers light aromas of cedar, cherries, and tar. Thin in the mouth, the flavors are like cherry cola with a light finish. This is a totally unremarkable wine, yet it is without any obvious flaws or off flavors. A simple quaffable without much tannin or acid - so ...