Argentina | San Diego Wine Guru

15 Bigger Red Wines Under $20

by Tom Gable | Sep 30, 2021 | Argentina, Burgundy, California, France, Values, Washington | 0

The following notes are from tastings the past four months with a focus on wines scoring above 14.5 on the UC Davis scale (87 other scales) and costing less than $20. The range starts at $9. We added one at $24 for the big...

Robust Red Wines to Complement Your Mastery of the Grill

by Tom Gable | Apr 30, 2021 | Argentina, Baja California, California, Discoveries, Rhone, Spain, Values | 0

In getting an early start on firing up the barbie as the days get longer and the nights warmer, we’ve been sampling more robust red wines that can be a match for grilled foods. The dishes ranged from burgers and bratwurst to...

In Search of Good Red Wine Blends — Traditional to Creative

by Tom Gable | Nov 30, 2020 | Argentina, Baja California, Bordeaux, California, Chile, Discoveries, France, Italy, Rhone, Spain, Values, Washington | 0

One strategy for calibrating your palate is to taste wines made from the same varietal grape and decide on styles you like. This is best done blind, where a co-conspirator buys the wines and another puts them in numbered brown...

Values from Four Nations in BBQ Wines

by Tom Gable | Jul 31, 2020 | Argentina, Baja California, California, Chile, Discoveries, Spain | 0

With Americans firing up the home barbecue and indoor grills more than ever before, we searched for good values in hearty BBQ wines to enhance the fun. We would typically suggest adding to beach parties and picnic fare as well,...

18 Chardonnays for Spring and Summer Sipping

by Tom Gable | Apr 30, 2020 | Argentina, Burgundy, California, Discoveries, France, Values | 0

The following wines were selected from tastings over the past three months for a combination of quality, style and price. Sources were local grocery stores, wine merchants, online discount houses and a warehouse store. Prices...

Merlot and Malbec – BBQ, Beef and Pasta Wines

by Tom Gable | Jan 31, 2020 | Argentina, California, Chile, Uncategorized, Values | 0

Over the past few months, we’ve tasted some 50 Merlot and Malbec wines, purchased from warehouse stores, local merchants and on-line discount sites. Here are nine that scored best and are good matches for food, mostly dishes...

32 Wines Under $23 for Spring Sipping, Picnic and Party Fun

by Tom Gable | Apr 30, 2019 | Argentina, Australia, Bordeaux, California, France, New Zealand, Oregon, Rhone, Values, Washington | 0

The following wines rise to the top in price and value from among several hundred wines tasted over the past few months, from individual bottles with food at home to sampling through scores at trade tastings and industry...

Single Blind Tasting – Fun Exercise in Improving Wine Appreciation

by Tom Gable | Jan 31, 2019 | Argentina, Australia, California, France, New Zealand, Spain | 0

Can a single blind tasting be of value to wine drinkers seeking to learn more techniques for identifying the similarities and differences in wines, while honing their individual palates and sensitivities? The answer is yes,...

From Barbera to Zinfandel, Finding Values in Old and New World Red Wines

by Tom Gable | Nov 4, 2018 | Argentina, Australia, California, Discoveries, France, New Zealand, Oregon, Spain | 0

Recent tastings – foreign and domestic, remotely or in person — led us to wine discoveries from the Sonoma Coast, to the mountains of Argentina, sunny slopes of Rioja and emerging vineyards in Central Otago, New Zealand....