decanted

cheap and easy drinkin'

The 2008 Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc isn’t going to knock anyone’s socks off. But for $13.99 or thereabouts, it doesn’t have to. We like its lemony tartness and crisp, dry finish, and particularly enjoy sipping it on a warm summer night. (Yeah, our timing is a little off on that one. Happy Halloween!)  

Other plusses: it’s easy to find, closes with a screwcap so will last longer in the fridge after it’s opened (see our 8/17/09 post for more on our abiding love of screwcaps), and appears on the wine list of one of our favorite restaurants, Mandu. If you’re looking for a fun white to drink with light chicken, fish, or vegetarian meals, give it a whirl. Taking its attractive price tag into consideration, we rate it a 6.5 out of 10.

you never know...

We've always been skeptical of Virginia wines. But we recently read some positive reviews by a local wine blogger, Allan of CellarBlog, whose posts we enjoy and respect. Also, our friends Karen and Luis invited us to spend this past weekend out in Virginia wine country. We took both occurrences as a sign that we should revisit our long-held and much-cherished, but possibly unfair, prejudice against all American wines not made on the West Coast.

So we stopped in at beautiful Linden Vineyards in Linden, Va., for a tasting. (Forgot the camera, unfortunately, so you'll just have to imagine it.) A very nice woman poured us

a 2008 Seyval (made from a French-American hybrid grape, Seyval Blanc), a 2006 Claret, a 2006 Petit Verdot, and 2008 Vidal Riesling. The Seyval and the Petit Verdot, in particular, surprised/impressed us. The former had well-balanced fruit flavors of grapefruit and lemon, and its bright acidity made it very drinkable. The meaty Petit Verdot smelled and tasted of coffee and earth, with a long, satisfying finish.

We didn't buy either of these because, at $20 and $28, we felt they were slightly too expensive for what they were. However, we would be happy to drink them again and felt encouraged about Virginia wines in general. Going to one vineyard once doesn't give us a complete view, obviously, so we plan to try more eventually. Stay tuned. 

something different

We didn't know what to expect from this 2007 Cornarea Roero Arneis, but decided to give it a shot. Arneis is a white grape from northern Italy, and apparently its name means "whimsical" in a Piedmontese dialect. Definitely an accurate description.

This wine is thick and viscous, and changes several times in one sip. It probably works best with food, which would help tame its many layers. We detected a slight effervescence and a piney, almost woodsy taste. It also has some ginger and a little bit of sweetness, and its flavors tend to go on for a long time.

We found the Cornarea to be offbeat and interesting, with a strong backbone. It's not for everyone, but we would recommend it to anyone looking to try something new. We picked it up for $19.99 at Schneider's of Capitol Hill, here in DC, and would give it a 7.5 out of 10.

mystery guest

Apologies for our absence--we've been on vacation in the Pacific Northwest. Where, by the way, we went to a great Seattle wine and food store called The Spanish Table. It's near Pike Place Market and specializes in, you guessed it, Spanish wines.

Before we left for our trip, though, we tried an interesting white blend from Morocco, the 2007 Zniber Les Troix Domaines Guerrouane Blanc. It took us a while to figure out the short burst of fruitiness at the end of each sip, but eventually we identified it as honeydew or honeysuckle. There's also a hint of both bitterness and chalkiness at the end. It starts out dry, unlike most of the whites we tend to choose, which usually start fruity and finish dry.

This was something of a mystery wine--we found very little about it online, aside from this CNBC article on Zniber Vineyards. But we do know that we got it at Whole Foods for $13.99, that it's very light, and that it would make sense with (naturally) Mediterranean food. We rate it a 6.5 out of 10.

classic french white

Experimentation and quirkiness is all well and good. But sometimes, you just want something classic. Like a white wine from Burgundy (Meghan's all-time favorite).

We had a 2004 Domaine Chevalier Ladoix 1er Cru Les Gréchons the other night that satisfied our craving for an old-school French white. We picked it up on sale for $29.99, and were pleasantly surprised at its quality. It had a nice minerality and the subtle oakiness that comes from aging in oak barrels. We noted flavors of toasted almond at the beginning and tart apple (unusual in a Chardonnay) in the middle.

Just a quick note on white Burgundies: they're almost always Chardonnays. And the Chevalier comes from a region in Burgundy called the Côte de Beaune, which produces some of the greatest wines (both red and white) in the world. Normally, this bottle would have cost about $40-50 in the store, but right now there are some great bargains to be had. (Like most other high-end stuff, good wine is not exactly flying off the shelves.)

Particularly if you don't like the oak you in a typical California Chardonnay, this would be a great one to try--the oak adds to the experience rather than overpowering it. For the sale price, we give it an 8.5 out of 10, which we might knock down a bit if it were full-price.

rully bully

As we mentioned in a recent post, the Côte Chalonnaise region at the southern tip of Burgundy is an excellent place to find good deals. In Rully, an area within the Côte Chalonnaise, you can come across some very nice whites. The winemakers there use methods similar to the wineries in the Côte de Beaune, which is where many of the big-time (usually expensive) whites like Chassagne-Montrachet come from. In other words, Rullys are (often) the poor man'sCôte de Beaunes.

Case in point: the 2006 Vincent Gerardine Rully Blanc 1er Cru Les Cloux. Like most white Burgundies, this one is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. It's aged mostly in stainless steel casks, along with just enough new French oak to give it the classic Rully toastiness. But it's not oaky and bears about as much resemblance to a typical California Chardonnay as Classic Coke did to New Coke.

This is definitely a rich, round wine--not ideal for casual sipping or cocktail hour. Its subtle tropical fruit notes would make it a good companion for pork, game birds, or high-oil-content fish like king salmon or mackerel. Lobster, the traditional pairing for high-end white Burgundies, would be great. So if you want to blow all your money on a few choice lobsters, go ahead, because this bottle is a serious bargain. For $18.99, we'll give it an 8.0 out of 10.

so fresh and so clean

Our last Riesling-related post was about a sweet Riesling. But as we mentioned then, these wines aren't always sweet. In fact, the 2006 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg we had over the weekend turned out to be anything but. We were shocked by its incredible cleanness and crispness. It was a very structured, well-formed wine that tasted of flowers and minerals. Tart, green apple flavors came up, too, somewhere in the middle of its impressively long finish.

Among the Weinbach's many other charms is its distinctive scent--an elegant combination of perfume and freshly baked bread. Its texture is pure and fine, almost watery. We were amazed at the complexity of this wine, considering how lightly it sits on the palate. We'd recommend drinking it as an aperitif or with mild fish or chicken dishes. Be careful not to pair it with strongly seasoned food, or its delicate sensibilities will be lost.

A little pricey at $37.99, but well worth the "pre-post-recession" splurge. We'd give this one a 9.0 out of 10.

the screwcap letters

Don't be afraid of the screwcap! Many wineries are now using metal screw-on tops instead of corks, which freaks some people out. It's true that uncorking a bottle is a nice ritual, but it's no fun to have your wine ruined by the mold that occasionally grows on corks. (This is known as being "corked", which more specifically refers to the presence of TCA--2,4,6 Trichloroanisole--we know, we know, really interesting.) Screwcaps remove this possibility.

They also affect the aging process differently than corks do, so it's best to buy screwcap wines that don't need to be aged. (Not a problem for us, as aged wines tend to be out of our price range anyway.)

The most recent screwcap we've tried was a 2007 Hirsch Grüner Veltiner #1 from Austria. If you're an avid decanted reader, you'll know that we think highly of this grape. Grüners are great for sipping by themselves or enjoying with chicken and fish. They're complex enough to be interesting, with a slight pepperiness and just a little bit of effervescence.

The Hirsch delivered. Its lemony flavors didn't overpower the pepper notes, and its glycerin-y texture and fatness on the tongue were both classic Gruner Veltliner. Plus, its screwcap would have made it easy for us to keep it in our fridge for a couple of weeks without a noticeable change in taste. It didn't last that long, though-- we polished it off the next night. Taking its $14.99 price into account (inexpensive, but not as cheap as the Hugo Grüner Veltliner we reviewed a couple months ago) we give it a 7.5 out of 10.

sweet ride

Rieslings tend to be thought of as sweet wines, but that reputation is a bit overblown. Many fall more on the dry side of the palate, and it's really mostly the late-harvest ones (used as dessert wines) that fit the sweet category. Both are tasty. However, the sweetness myth means Rieslings are sometimes not taken seriously as wines to enjoy with food. We find this unfortunate.

Just to confuse matters, we're going to tell you about a 2007 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett (10 points for memorizing that) from Germany that isn't officially a dessert wine, but that actually is pretty sweet. The richness of this one is definitely not for everyone. It's got strong notes of pear and honey and a lemony finish. But the sugar flavors don't overwhelm the wine, because they stop before your sip is over and leave you with that nice, tart end. The Selbach-Oster (like other, typically drier Rieslings) would be especially good paired with barbecue or Asian food. While we usually believe it's hard to excel at two different things (see Michael Jordan's baseball career) this $23.99 wine is an exception: It could work equally well with dessert. We rate it a 7.0 out of 10.

some like it cold

It's been a little while since we've posted, what with all the Inauguration excitement here in DC. Speaking of Inauguration Day, it was COLD down there on the Mall. And speaking of cold, we're devoting today's post to the tantalizing topic of wine temperatures.

Many people think white wine should be served right out of the fridge, and that red should be room temp (around 70 degrees.) We'd like to take this opportunity to debunk these myths. We've found that many whites come out of their shells when they've warmed up a little. They develop nuances and flavors that extra cold temps tend to mute. This isn't to say that you should put white wine in the microwave, or leave it out in the sun for hours. But maybe just take it out of the fridge an hour or so before serving. You might be surprised at the complexities that turn up. Of course, if you have a white that's not very good, chill the crap out of it. This will dull the flavors and help you forget about its poor quality.

As for reds, serving them at 60 to 65 degrees is ideal (61 or 62 degrees is our personal preference.) When a red gets too warm, its tannins become more prominent, which isn't always desirable. When the tannins mellow, you can often taste the subtleties of the wine much better. If you've got a room temp red that you want to enjoy, take a cue from G Love and stick it in the fridge for a half hour or so. And if anyone gives you any flak about it, tell them to take it up with us.

groo nah velt lye nah

Part of the fun of drinking a Grüner Veltliner lies in saying the name of the grape. (It works best if you give it a little Ah-nold spin. Try it!)

But another great thing about this white wine most commonly made in Austria is its refreshing taste and often low, low cost. Even the best Grüners are rarely priced above $50, and most of them can be found for $25 and under. In fact, we snagged this 2006 Huber Hugo Gruner Veltliner for $8.99. Designophiles will be seduced by its clean, colorful label, and those suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder won't exactly mind its summery, lemony flavor. The Hugo's yeasty scent resembles champagne's. It has some of the dryness of a Sauvignon Blanc. And there's also a bit of minerality lurking within its fatty texture.

This wine doesn't quite have the depth or pleasant pepperiness of some of the Grüners we've enjoyed in the past. But for $8.99, we'll take it, and give it a 7.0 out of 10.

portugese, please

We've gotten quite a few requests from friends and family to cover more lower-priced wines. Cheap bastards! No, just kidding. We definitely understand the importance of being able to go into a wine store and come out of it without an empty wallet. (Or money clip. Tim is really into his money clip.)

So in the interest of saving ourselves and anyone who might be following this blog from imminent bankruptcy, we tried a $12.99 bottle of 2006 Quinta do Feital Auratus from Portugal. This straw-colored blend of 50% Alvarinho (the same grape as the Spanish Albariño) and 50% Trajadura grapes was a terrific aperitif wine-- really bright and interesting. Its glycerin-y texture, high level of acidity, and apple flavors worked together nicely. It had some substance to it, which you can't always say about a sub-$15 white. You could pair it with goat cheese, much like a Sancerre, or with the traditional Albariño partner, oysters.

Of course, if you're having oysters, you might be throwing the whole budget idea out the window. But hey--at least you'll be drinking good wine while doing so. We give this one an 8.0 out of 10.

keep it p.g.

Don't turn up your nose at pinot grigio! As with many other grapes, this one (also known as pinot gris, depending what country you're in) has been made badly by many wineries, and its reputation has unfairly suffered the consequences. (Not quite to the extent that poor Chablis and Merlot have, which we'll get into in some future posts.) Many drinkers seem to view it as a lightweight, to be consumed only at wedding receptions and office parties. Sort of like the Cosmopolitan of wines.

We beg to differ. Last night we tried a 2006 Jermann Pinot Grigio and found that it worked very nicely as an aperitif. Tim detected hints of peach, and both he and Meghan thought it was a flowery wine, almost like drinking a perfume. (But better. Definitely better.) It has a pleasant amount of acidity and is made from 100% Pinot Grigio grown in the Friuli region of Italy. At $22.99, we rate it a 6.0 out of 10.

old white guy

We have few opportunities to try aged white wines--they just don't tend to be as readily available as two or three-year-old whites. When Tim came across this 1998 López de Heredia Viña Gravonia Blanco Crianza at Addy Bassin's MacArthur Beverages, he picked it up out of curiosity. It's a $23.99 white Rioja, made from 100% Viura grapes (and organic ones, at that) at the family-owned López de Heredia winery.

We sipped it at home a few hours later and felt surprised by the oakiness sitting right in the middle of it. The taste is definitely not as subtle as French oak (it was aged in American barrels) but it's not as blatant as California-style oak. Like many oaky Chardonnays, especially California ones, it contains some hints of vanilla and creaminess. But it doesn't end like a chard; it's more acidic. After much debate, we identified the hard-to-pin-down fruit note as orange.

This isn't an unbelievably crafted wine. But the age on it gives it a few tricks up its sleeve that are hard to find in a younger bottle. We rate it as a 6.5.

mendocino grille and wine bar

In these modern times, the idea of a "guys' night out" is somewhat different than what it was back in the day. While the idea of a classic beer and pizza night is somewhat appealing, even the manliest of the James Bonds can sit down and enjoy a bottle of white wine with a man friend (see Quantum of Solace).

As mentioned in a previous post, our good friend Barry Koslow is the Executive Chef of a 40-some seat restaurant in Georgetown called Mendocino Grille and Wine Bar. The place, one of our favorites, specializes in California wine and cuisine (kind of). At Tim's request, each of his three friends was charged with selecting a wine to bring to the restaurant one night last week. (There is, in our opinion, a certain protocol to taking wine to a restaurant, which we will discuss in a future post.)

We started with Luis Padilla's selection, a 2005 Guy Amiot et Fils Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Demoiselles". We have enjoyed this wine previously and Tim was thrilled to drink it again. Subtle French oak, hints of vanilla, flinty minerality, peach, perfect balance and a mile-long finish make this $119.99 wine well worth the splurge. We try to shy away from guarantees, but whatever is a step under a guarantee of likability, that's how we feel about this Burgundian masterpiece made from 100% Chardonnay. It had enough finesse to match Barry's mussel "taste o' the sea" dish, but was also, as Luis pointed out, terrific with a slightly heartier branzino plate with glazed baby root vegetables. A 9.5 out of 10. 

Next up was Marek Rich's pick, a 1999 Domaine Daniel Rion et Fils Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Charmes. Another outstanding selection from Burgundy, this wine is a great example of why Pinot Noir and terroir are so often mentioned in the same breath. Whatever your definition of terroir, this gentle but not delicate wine tasted of everything Tim could imagine going into the process of producing a good wine. Earth, leather, tobacco, cherry and bright acidity come to mind for this well-proportioned choice from Côte de Nuits. A great match for Barry's poussin with a cassoulet.  At $89.99 a bottle, we score this an 8.5 out of 10.

Matt Biel is about to become a dad for the first time, so we're not going to call his offering cheap. In fact, there were some merits to the 2003 Chateau Puy la Rose Pauillac he brought. With equal parts merlot and cabernet sauvignon and trace amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this garnet-colored wine had some of the qualities of a wine coming from this impressive appellation (the same as the legendary Chateau Lafite-Rothschild): a big backbone, impressive fruit and a long finish. But for whatever reason, all of the flavors of currant, cherry, cedar and leather got lost in its abundantly alcoholic finish. For $49.99, we could only muster a 5.5 out of 10.

To continue with our French-themed night at the California-themed restaurant (ask Barry if he's a French or California chef...), Tim chose a 1982 Chateau Branaire-Ducru Saint Julien. With mostly Cabernet, some Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot, this Left Bank Bordeaux was the biggest disappointment of the evening. A good example of terroir from this region as opposed the aforementioned red Burgundy, this tannic reddish-orangeish wine had some beautiful subtleties, but sadly seemed past its prime. Instead of being a wonderfully open and structured aged wine, it seemed to fall apart at the edges despite its delicious, smooth fruit and spice. Barry sent out an incredible piece of beef with this--a Wagyu terres major (think of it as the hangar steak of the shoulder)--and while the pairing was theoretically good, the wine did not live up to the dish (or Tim's expectations).  $159.99 a bottle and a 6.5 out of 10.

Somewhere in the middle of this nine-course, four-bottle-plus-cocktails, gastronomic melee, Tim decided another course and another bottle was necessary. (Actually, he had thought of this possibility beforehand, but had the silly notion that if he brought an extra bottle, it might not be consumed.) And with that, the best pairing of the night was born. The 2002 Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella Superiore is made from Corvina, Rondinella and Croatina grapes and is one of the more robust wines Tim has ever tasted from this region. This is due in large part to the style in which it's made, using some dried Oseleta grapes, similar to those that go into its much richer cousin Amarone. We drank it with wild boar, tasting hints of smoke, spice, raisins and port. This smoothly tannic wine could be described as a powerhouse, but that doesn't do justice to its Brunello-like softness. A $129.99 bottle worth an 8.5 out of 10.

orvieto classico

Do you know what tufa is? We didn't either, until we tasted and researched this 2004 Palazzone Campo del Guardiano Orvieto Classico Superiore. Apparently tufa is a kind of limestone common in the Orvieto region of central Italy. Along with the area's volcanic soil, the tufa helps give the white wines produced there a distinctive look and taste.

We noted much toastiness and traces of almonds in this superdry Orvieto Classico, which was made from a blend of 50% Procanico grapes, 25% Grechetto, and 25% Verdello, Drupeggio, and Malvasia. It was quite full-bodied (definitely not a shy wallflower type) and had a beautiful golden color that we weren't expecting.  While it was not a particularly good match for our takeout Chinese dinner the other night, it would go well with higher-oil-content fish such as salmon. It also made Meghan crave biscotti--maybe that was the almond flavors talking. At a very reasonable $19.99, a 6.5 out of 10.

cooking wine

Don't laugh (at the title of this post). Back when Tim was in culinary school, his instructor told him to never use wine for cooking that he wouldn't be ok with drinking. Enter the 2007 Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc Riserva. This $8.99 wine (available at Whole Foods among other places) is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in the Casablanca Valley of Chile. Plenty of citrus fruit, along with melon and even some minerality. There is enough going on in this straw-colored wine to justify another $10-$15 more in price, so we give it a well-earned 7.0 out of 10.

sonoma

After gorging ourselves and drinking a ton, it was time to head across the bridge and north to Sonoma County to, well, gorge ourselves and drink a ton. We were there mainly to taste Pinot Noirs and we did find a few that were good if not great. Two private tours/tastings were set up by a friend of ours, Josh Miles (a sales rep at Martin Scott Wines). Josh, being a Burgundy specialist, knows a great deal about this particular grape, so we were very much looking forward to his recommendations.

First we drove to Windsor to meet with Kathleen Inman of Inman Family Wines.  Kathleen told us she thought the Russian River Valley was a great place to grow Pinot Noir and that she feels any Pinot-based wine needs a good amount of acidity to give it balance. Tim couldn't agree with her more about the acidity--some of the better Burgundies he has tasted have needed a good deal of acidity in order to balance out the wine and even contribute to its complexity. We tasted a Rosé, a Pinot Gris and two Pinot Noirs, eventually deciding to buy a bottle of 2006 Inman Family Thorn Road Ranch Pinot Noir. What we tasted was a lot of sour cherry and some other berry fruits along with some leather, but mostly just a very nice, fairly fruity, soft, balanced wine. At $52 a relatively good buy in our minds. In our book, worthy of a 6.0 out of 10.

Next up was Scherrer Winery in Sebastapol. Fred Scherrer gave us a grand tour of his wine making facility, fed us some delicious lamb burgers left over from an open house the day before and let us sample 10 or so different bottles. We were most impressed with his Rosé which unfortunately for us was sold out. Most of the wines we tasted were good not great, but we both felt Fred was very close to making terrific wines and we will keep him on our radar.

san francisco

So we decided to take a trip to California to see our good friend Greg Berman (see picture on left) and also so we could challenge Tim's deep-seated feeling that all Cali wines are crap. While we weren't convinced that the region is competitive with the best in the world (we'll get to those), we did debunk the aforementioned idea of poo. We still think Oregon is the best place for American Pinot Noir, but we discovered that the Russian River Valley is an acceptable alternative. In general, the fruit was bright and prevalant but not overextracted (overripened) like many of the Pinots from Carneros and Santa Barbara County.

But before we went to wine country, we needed to spend some time in San Francisco doing the things that help to make us who we are:  eating and drinking. We stopped at a little wine shop called Ruby Wine and picked up a bottle of 2007 Chateau Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc for $16.99 and a bottle of 2005 Regis Bouvier Gevrey-Chambertin for $69.99.

We drank some wine with Greg and his girlfriend Laura, watched the fog roll over the mountains to the area where he used to live and just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. The Chateau Ducasse was a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle grapes and was not particularly offensive or interesting. A very blah 5.0 out of 10 which was fine considering our mindsets (vacation).

Gevrey-Chambertin is one of our favorite places to find "bargains" in Burgundy. It's true that most great and even truly good Burgundies are ridiculously expensive and probably overpriced, but we have found some relatively decent values in this region. As with all red wines of Burgundy, it is 100% Pinot Noir and as with any good Burgundy, good fruit and good acidity to match. This was not a velvety soft wine, but had good balance and changed several times during each taste. A solid 6.5 out of 10.

Greg then took us over to A16 where his friend, Liza Shaw, made us a terrific meal and we got to know a very interesting 2003 Binomio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo for $70.00 (yours for about $45.00 in a wine store). A fairly robust and tannic wine, it definitely needed time to mellow and when it did, it was delightfully full and funky and chewy. A 7.0 out of 10 that we might have scored higher if we bought it in a store for $45.00.

wine

We really, really like wine. And, let's face it, we both like to hear our own voices. We started decanted as a place to think and talk about wine, and maybe even help a friend or two who is looking for suggestions or to join our conversation. We plan to mostly discuss wine, but will occasionally throw in some curveballs, such as thoughts on our other favorite things (various liquid refreshments, candy, random foods). We'll use a scale from 0-10 for wine and will take value into account. That is to say, a wine may be given a bump up if it is a bargain, but good wine is good wine, and price will not greatly affect the overall score.

So, you know when you go to the liquor/wine store and look around and you're thinking you want to get something nice but you don't know what to get. So you talk to somebody and they ask, "How much do you want to spend?" And you say, "I don't know, $25." Some random bottle of red or white or pink is picked out for you and you ask a series of follow up questions that are more often than not affirmed (i.e., "Will this go well with my lamb dish?", "I don't like my whites oaky. It's not too oaky, is it?", or for some of the newbies out there, "Sooo, this is good?"). Then you get home and you open the bottle and you taste it and think that the guy at the store must have been high or lying or both because the rotgut you're drinking tastes like the bastardly combo of Manischewitz and the box wine you drink at church.

Or perhaps you know a little bit more about wine. You've drank some in your time and might even be able to describe a wine if asked to--as long as you don't have to use words such as unctuous or precocious. If handed a wine list with no prior knowledge of what might be on the menu, you could safely land on a nice Sancerre or California Cab. You may have heard of Robert Parker and might even pay attention if you hear a wine nerd talking to a sommelier or knowledgeable salesperson.

Then there are those of you who really love wine and devote a little too much time (probably) and resources (definitely) to the pursuit of your addiction. You might have heard of Eric Asimov and may subscribe to one or more publications devoted to wine. You can usually tell the difference between a Grüner Veltliner and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and maybe even correctly choose which Pinot Noir is from California and which one is from Oregon. Receiving the wine list at a restaurant is a joy and you often feel that it is your duty to take on this daunting task in order to heighten the pleasure of your fellow diners (and yourself).

Whichever category you fall under, this blog is a good place for you to visit. Whether you want to learn more about certain varietals, discuss differences in vintages, compare tasting notes or simply get a good recommendation for your next visit to the store, check back often because we do drink our fair share of wine.