Category: France

Exploring New World Pinot Noir, $12 to $88

by Tom Gable | Jul 31, 2021 | Burgundy, California, Classics, Discoveries, France, New Zealand, Oregon, Values | 0

The follow notes are from Pinot Noir wines tasted from the New World over the past six months and rated as good, very good and excellent. For background on Pinot Noir in the New World, versus its home in Burgundy, France, which...

Good Values Along the White Wine Roads Less Traveled

by Tom Gable | Jun 30, 2021 | Australia, Baja California, California, Discoveries, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Values | 0

With abundant supplies of fine value Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc wines currently available from all over the world, it is easy to go with those whites as the default choice for summer sipping. For a little exploration, here...

Easy Sipping Spring and Summer White Wines

by Tom Gable | Mar 31, 2021 | Burgundy, California, Champagne, Discoveries, France, New Zealand, Spain, Values | 0

With warmer weather in the offing and restrictions easing on getting together in crowds of more than four and spaced at two-meter intervals, it’s time to explore lower-cost, tasty wines to have handy for any group gathering or...

White, Red Wine Values for Continued Hunkering in 2021

by Tom Gable | Dec 30, 2020 | Burgundy, California, Discoveries, France, Italy, New Zealand, Values | 0

Some celebrants usher in the New Year with a little bubbly and an expensive vintage wine or two. Based on requests from some friends for lower cost wines to get through the first quarter of 2021 under a pandemic budget, we took...

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...

Sauvignon Blanc, 20 Wines from $9 to $42

by Tom Gable | Oct 27, 2020 | California, Discoveries, France, New Zealand, Values | 0

The following 20 wines were tasted during the past six months and offer a range, from easy-sipping party and wedding reception wines, to stylish, crisp and complex wines to match with shellfish and seafood. We found a decent...

Summer Whites: Easy Sipping Party Wines, Plus a Few Complex Classics

by Tom Gable | Aug 31, 2020 | Australia, Baja California, Burgundy, California, Classics, Discoveries, France, Germany, New Zealand, Oregon, Spain, Washington | 0

The following white wines rose to the top of our tasting leaderboard the past three months, scoring for overall quality of the wines and values delivered. Most are widely available, except for classics from the cellar and...

A Sampling of Fine Burgundy Reds from 1998 to 2011

by Tom Gable | Jun 30, 2020 | Burgundy, Classics, France | 0

In tasting some 100 Burgundy wines over the past six months and from eight vintages from 1998 to 2011, we’ve compiled our top 20. Each exhibited the wonderful characteristics of its climat, even in awkward vintages. In going...

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...