Tag: Syrah
So Many Wines, So Little Time
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...
Read MoreEnjoying an Old Favorite, New Discoveries in Paso Robles
Good friends had rented a house in Carmel for three weeks and invited us to spend a few days there and enjoy the town and golf at local courses. We thought we would turn it into our first road trip and tasting adventure since...
Read MoreFun summer sipping with Rosés and white Rhone varietals
After tasting through an ever-broadening array of Rosé wines over the past two months, we were pleased to find several excellent values, including some with depth and style. Our favorites were mostly from Cotes de Provence and...
Read MoreExploring the Wines of Santa Barbara, California
The Santa Barbara County Vintners Association visited San Diego recently for a trade and media tasting featuring wines from 10 members, including wineries and wine families with more than one label. The vintners are on a...
Read MoreBeyond the California Cult Fruit Bombs – Classic Wines from Napa
Having followed the evolution of the California wine industry since 1972, I’ve seen many changes in winemaking styles to appeal to new markets and critics whose rankings drive sales. In the past two decades, one trend is for the...
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 MoreEasy Sipping Spring and Summer White Wines
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...
Read MoreWhite, Red Wine Values for Continued Hunkering in 2021
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...
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...
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