Tag: Malbec
In Search of the Napa Nose; Style and Sense of Place
Last month, I bemoaned the trend in California wineries toward making high-alcohol, thick fruit bombs out of Cabernet Sauvignon, with an accompanying loss of varietal character and sense of place. The wines secure high scores...
Read MoreFavorites from 2021 — Classics and Values
It’s always memorable to go through our tasting notes for the year. We recorded the notes during a wide range of tasting experiences, from trying new wines at home, to dinner parties with friends, to trade tastings, industry...
Read MoreWarming Up to Good Values in Winter Reds
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,...
Read More15 Bigger Red Wines Under $20
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...
Read MoreRobust Red Wines to Complement Your Mastery of the Grill
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...
Read MoreExploring South African Red Wines
Blind tastings help calibrate your taste preferences (if you like it, it’s good, no matter what the experts say or how much it costs). This was reinforced recently in a blind tasting of eight wines from South Africa by a...
Read MoreIn Search of Good Red Wine Blends — Traditional to Creative
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...
Read MoreValues from Four Nations in BBQ Wines
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,...
Read MoreMerlot and Malbec – BBQ, Beef and Pasta Wines
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...
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Bordeaux: Introduction to Second Labels, Second Wines and Petit Chateau
Confused about second labels, second wines, third labels and petit chateau in Bordeaux? Mary...
Read More32 Wines Under $23 for Spring Sipping, Picnic and Party Fun
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...
Read MoreSingle Blind Tasting – Fun Exercise in Improving Wine Appreciation
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,...
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