Pinot Deals for Summer

by | Jun 26, 2026

In my book, one of the best reds for summer is Pinot Noir—a variety that’s rich in flavor but not heavy on the palate. Pinots lean into cherry, strawberry and raspberry flavors, but those fruits never come across as baked, candied, or jammy. Instead, top Pinot has a...

Five Top Steals

by | Apr 10, 2026

In Honor of (or maybe because of) upcoming Tax Day, here are five of our favorite wines under $25 so far this year. Click on each wine to read my review of it. CAVAS HILL “Panot Gaudi” Reserva Brut non-vintage Cava (Catalonia, Spain) $12 AIA VECCHIA Vermentino 2024...

Here’s When $50 Tastes Like $100

by | Jan 9, 2026

What do you get when you buy a $50 red wine from Australia? A wine that tastes like it costs $100. The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

The Greatness of Grange

by | Sep 17, 2025

It’s no exaggeration to say that Penfolds, founded in 1844, changed the courseThe following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

Devastatingly Delicious

by | Sep 8, 2025

Sometimes a big piece of cake, a bowl of ice cream, even a cookie just The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

STUNNING SPARKLING

by | Aug 1, 2025

It’s an old habit: Compare every New World sparkling wine to Champagne.The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

Portugal is Happening

by | May 19, 2025

The Douro Valley of Portugal is so well-known for stunning, long-lived PortsThe following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

STUNNING WHITES

by | Apr 4, 2025

Marsanne is, for me, the hardest white grape variety to describe. Here’s my bestThe following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

France’s Best Kept Secret

by | May 30, 2024

No region of France delivers more delicious, complex, dry white wines The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

What is a SmartFlower?The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

A. A soil-reading sensor placed at the start of vineyard rows to analyze soil health

B. An array of solar panels that resemble a flower installed in wineries to generate power

C. A new app that allows users to photograph and identify grape varieties early in the season

D. A handheld device used in winemaking to identify specific floral aroma compounds

Why So Much Italian Wine?

In the United States, most of the wine that’s imported is Italian. In 2025 some 93.2 million gallons of Italian wine were imported into this country. In fact, Italian wine has led US imports for decades, hitting a peak in 2021 with 43% of all US table wine imports. Is it because Italian wine is just so good? I love lots of Italian wine, but I’m sure “goodness” has nothing to do with it. What does? The following content is accessible for members only, please sign in.

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