Wine Reviews Archives - Page 2 of 9

Ever hear of the Delectable Wine app? Well now you have. Go check it out and follow me to see what I’ve been drinking.

It’s been a long time since I posted an Uncorked Thought. Not that I haven’t had some great wine experiences lately, it’s just that they’ve all taken second place to my book promotion. But I do post most of the wines I drink on Delectable and would love to see what you’re drinking as well.

If you’re looking for an AMAZING wine, I highly recommend all the wines from Realm Cellars. Juan Mercado …

Entwine Wine

Watching the rain fall outside reminds me that four years ago this month, just as the drought was starting, D’Aun and I purchased a new home. The property includes a chardonnay vineyard, and learning how to property manage the vines was a steep learning curve. We’re still learning about farming grapes, which has gone smoothly despite the drought. The biggest angst came from the business side of grape growing.

In the first year we felt cheated when our grape buyer (a mega-winery that will go nameless) reneged on a big portion of the contract. We saw the other side of …

Ovid Vineyards

My friend Ken Wytsma once said a vineyard is like studying history without having to engage your mind. I’m not completely sure what Ken meant by the comment, but it struck me as true. Years ago somebody chose to plant a vineyard in a unique place with a specific varietal to nourish the land, climate, and fruit with the hope of a delicious outcome. A lot of history — human, cultural, and geological — is represented in a glass of wine.

The quote came to mind when D’Aun and I recently visited Ovid Vineyards, a truly unique vineyard high …

Tierra Roja Vineyard & Winery

It’s always fun to find a great wine, but it’s even more fun when you find out there are all kinds of connections. Such is the case with Tierra Roja Vineyard & Winery in Napa Valley.

Remember when I wrote about visiting The French Laundry? One of the sommeliers took pity on me and began recommending various wines. When he found out D’Aun and I were big fans of DeSante wines he suggested Tierra Roja because David DeSante is the winemaker. Makes sense — if I like the wines David puts his name on I’m likely to like the wines …

Wine Buying Tips by Vintage

A lot of people have asked me for wine buying tips. It’s a tough question because each label is different, each palate is different, and obviously I’m not an expert.

BUT…I can always try, right? So here are some basics I’ve been using lately when buying California wines. These are tips gathered from people smarter than me so presumably they are accurate. They focus on the vintage — not the brand or the varietal — because it’s simpler to remember.

– The best year for sale right now is 2012. The growing season was perfect and I’ve been told the …

De-mystifying Extreme Wine

D’Aun and I have had our share of “extreme wine” experiences. From staying with a friend at his chateau in Bordeaux, to our recent day with the owner of Vine Hill Ranch, it’s been a journey of discovery. We also had an incredible experience at Realm Cellars — probably the best wine tasting we ever had. If you want to splurge, buy a bottle of Realm.

So what is extreme wine? Mike Veseth wrote Extreme Wine: Searching the World for the Best, the Worst, the Outrageously Cheap, the Insanely Overpriced, and the Undiscovered to explore the outer limits …

Vine Hill Ranch

Sometimes the simplest experiences — like wine tasting — become memorable moments. Such was the case during our visit to Vine Hill Ranch, which produces grapes for some of the finest wineries in the region. This includes their own label, VHR.

It all began when sommelier Erik Johnson suggested we try the 2011 VHR Cabernet Sauvignon. It was so good somebody deserved to be thanked formally! So I found the email address for Bruce Philips, the third generation operator of VHR. I sent a simple thank you for creating such a wonderful wine.

In under 24-hours Bruce responded with …

Wine Party Taste Test

D’Aun and I are planning a party and we need a good affordable red wine to serve. Something under $15 a bottle. I always struggle with this because I love great wines and I dislike serving my guests something routine, but we can’t go crazy on the budget.

So a quick visit and consultation with The Wine Steward reaped five wines from three countries and three vintages made from four varietals. Next step was to take them all home and test. I mean taste. A wine party taste test.

First up is the 2010 Lan Rioja Crianza (Spain). Made from …