Italy | San Diego Wine Guru

Lighter Wine Bottles: Good for the Environment, Economy

by Tom Gable | Sep 30, 2023 | Argentina, Australia, Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, Classics, Discoveries, Italy, New Zealand, Research, Spain, Values | 0

Do heavy wine bottles and fancy, thick foils help persuade you that a wine is of good, higher, or even cult quality? If so, you might reconsider and move toward lighter bottles for a variety of reasons, starting with good taste...

Pinot Gris for Summer Sipping from Global Masters 2023 Awards

by Tom Gable | Jul 19, 2023 | Australia, Burgundy, California, Discoveries, France, Italy, New Zealand, Oregon, Values | 0

Pinot Gris originated in France and has become popular worldwide, mainly as Pinot Grigio. It is boosted by wines of good value and wide distribution from Northern Italy (200 million bottles annually from its largest region...

Cabernet Sauvignon Winners from the Global Wine Masters

by Tom Gable | May 31, 2023 | Argentina, Australia, Bordeaux, California, Chile, Classics, Discoveries, France, Italy, Pauillac, Values, Washington | 0

For Cabernet Sauvignon fans, the latest results from the annual Global Wine Masters Competition give us a stunning array of quality choices from around the world, including great values under $30. The categories and approximate...

Value Red Wines for the Kitchen, Grill or Easy Sipping

by Tom Gable | Mar 31, 2023 | Argentina, Australia, Bordeaux, California, Discoveries, France, Italy, Values | 0

The following scored highest in their price ranges in wines tasted the past three months. Some were tasted with food, others in comparative tastings. The wines were purchased from Costco, local grocery stores and wine merchants...

So Many Wines, So Little Time

by Tom Gable | Nov 30, 2022 | Argentina, Australia, Bordeaux, Burgundy, California, Chile, Classics, Discoveries, France, Germany, Italy, Rhone, South Africa, Spain, Values | 0

Readers often ask where I get my wines, particularly after posting tasting notes on some great values from around the world. Start with the big box stores (e.g., Costco) and local wine merchants. For expanding my horizons and to...

Warming Up to Good Values in Winter Reds

by Tom Gable | Nov 30, 2021 | Argentina, Australia, California, Italy, Values | 0

Beef stew, pasta with meatballs, ribs, BBQ, Tuscan bean stew, meatloaf, boeuf bourguignons and more – winter dishes in need of matching to a bolder red wine with a decent price. Fortunately, local merchants, warehouse stores,...

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...

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...