I’ve just tried two very different but very delicious Paso Robles gems. Here they are: Folkway Revelator 2016: This Bordeaux-like blend sells for about $25 (or less) and is about half Cabernet Sauvignon, one quarter Cab Franc and one quarter Merlot. Deep red, very balanced with noticeable but polished tannins and flavors of black cherry, coffee and cocoa. Villa San Juliette Chorum Reserve Red 2014: A truly extraordinary and almost unheard-of blend of 32% Syrah, 16% Grenache, 14% Petit Verdot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 12% Alicante Bouschet, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and…

Here are some great sparkling wines from France, Italy, USA, Argentina, and South Africa. I drink them all (not at the same time)...and so should you! Philippe Gonet Extra-Brut 3210: Bone-dry on purpose. The label “3210″ means 3 years of aging, 2 terroirs, 1 grape variety, and 0 dosage. About $70 if you can find it. Try! (My favorite Champagne in the world.) Pere Ventura Tresor (Treasure) Cava Brut Rosé: A subtle wine that doesn’t bowl you over with strawberries, nicely dry, made with 100% Trepat grapes. $14-17. Mionetto Prosecco…

I've recently written about wines from Bolivia, but in looking for them recently I came upon some spectacular ones from Uruguay--Tannat, yes, but also Marselan, also the name of the variety and the varietal, and both from Bodega Garzón. The massive winery has a capacity of 2.2 million liters (581,000 gallons or agout 2.9 million bottles, and is the first sustainable, LEED certified (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) winery outside North America, following the strict requirements set by the United States Green Building Council.  And in November 2019, Bodega…

  This piece is a few years old, but I'm re-running it because I think #Champagne is the PERFECT drink for the holiday season--Christmas, Kwanza, and Chanukkah all. I'm a subscriber of Last Bottle Wines, and a few days ago they sent an email offering a Brut from this Champagne house. So I bought some, which I'm eagerly awaiting, and wanted to tell you all about this producer and their great wine. Some time ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chantal Bregeon-Gonet, who with her brother Pierre…

One of the ways I've learned about wine, oddly enough, is to read wine books. And here are some great book for Christmas. These are a few years old but I really enjoyed them. NOTE: COMING SOON--Reviews of "The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine," AND "The Widow Cliquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It," AND "Wine and War: The French, the Nazis, and the Battle for France's Greatest Treasure."  All are available on Amazon.  You can of…