51 posts
Carneros Creek Winery (now a brand under Carneros Wine Company) was originally founded by Francis Mahoney in 1972. While the physical winery was sold to Michael Mondavi in 2006, the Mahoney family has retained the brand names. This Carneros Creek Ch...
Chardonnay 🥂 Chardonnay is one of the most widely planted varieties. Although it is probably best known as the white grape of Burgundy it’s also a major grape in the production of Champagne. Chardonnay is a versatile grape, and its style can vary w...
Last time we looked at Chardonnay which is one of the most widely planted varieties. Although it is probably best known as the white grape of Burgundy and a major grape of Champagne. Chardonnay is a versatile grape, and its style can vary widely depe...
Chardonnay is one of the most widely planted varieties. Although it is probably best known as the white grape of Burgundy and a major grape of Champagne. Chardonnay is a versatile grape, and its style can vary widely depending on where it’s grown and...
Nestled in the woods just south of Charlottesville, Michael Shaps Winery blends Old World tradition with Virginia terroir. Founded in 2007 by acclaimed winemaker Michael Shaps, the winery is known for producing small-batch, age-worthy wines. Produc...
Family-owned Domaine Bousquet has stood for a 100% commitment to eco-friendly, certified organic, competitively priced wines from the get-go. “Certified” is definitely the operative word at Domaine Bousquet, which is currently at 14 different certif...
As we’ve learned, Chile’s coastal wine country is heavily influenced by the Humboldt Current. Here are three excellent examples of the Chardonnay being produced along Chile’s coast. 2023 Miguel Torres Cordillera de los Andes Chardonnay ($20) Miguel...
Daniel Daou always had dreams of becoming a winemaker, but as a young man in France, this was completely out of reach. He placed this dream on the back-burner, but the pulse of that dream never truly faded. It was always there in the background, call...
LO-CA organic Chardonnay and Malbec, from Domaine Bousquet in Uco Valley Argentina, are feel-good, taste-good wines with more altitude, attitude, and fewer calories. The name, LO-CA, is a play on “low-calorie,” but Loca also means “crazy” in Spanis...
Like its namesake, Cameleon is the embodiment of adaptation to the environment. The label symbolizes the story of the Bousquet family, a fourth-generation family that left their native France after a long worldwide search for an idyllic wine growing ...
Embraced for their freshness, vibrant aromatics and fruit-forward qualities, wines from the Gualtallary zone of Tupungato in Mendoza’s Uco Valley have become “must-haves” for Argentine connoisseurs. With altitudes ranging up to 5,249 feet, Gualtallar...
Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are two very popular white wine grape varieties that are considered go-to wines for many people just looking to enjoy a glass of wine. The differences of their aromas and flavors really depend on where they were grown,...
In January 2014, Joseph Wagner formed Copper Cane Wine & Provisions. Elouan is the result of Wagner heading North to Oregon to create wines with depth of flavor, vibrancy and suppleness. The grapes for this Chardonnay come from three regions - North...
One of the largest and most important viticultural groups in the world, the Mack & Schühle organization includes 29 cooperatives and around 5,000 winegrowers, managing more than 60,000 acres of vineyard plantings located throughout the top growing re...
Virgen wines are the first Argentine no-sulfites-added USDA-organic-certified wines to launch in the U.S., from Uco Valley-based Domaine Bousquet, Argentina’s largest exporter of organically grown wines. Named for the virgin land where the Bousquet’...
LO-CA organic Chardonnay, from Domaine Bousquet in Uco Valley Argentina, is a feel-good, taste-good wine with more altitude, attitude, and fewer calories. The name is a play on “low-calorie,” but Loca also means “crazy” in Spanish. So, this LO-CA C...
The Domaine Bousquet winery is a family-owned estate in the Gualtallary Valley, a scenic, remote, arid terrain high in the Uco Valley in Argentina’s Mendoza region, close to the border with Chile. Their wines are made from hand-picked, certified orga...
In Part 1 of “Winter White Wines” we looked at a dry Riesling from Austria and a Verdejo from Spain. Here are two more nice “Winter Whites” involving Chardonnay: 2021 Chateau Domecq White Blend ($13.99) Chateau Domecq is one of the leading brands ...
Cline Family Cellars, a certified sustainable family-owned and operated winery and vineyard holder based in the Carneros wine appellation of Sonoma County, California, has recently announced the introduction of Cline Family Cellars Sonoma AVA Series,...
Ron Rubin, who produces wines under the ‘Ron Rubin Wines’ brand and the ‘River Roads Wines’ brand, has been married to his wife Pam for 48 years! And, this wine is a tribute to Pam who is no fan of oaky wines, red or white! Pam’s Un-Oaked Chardonn...
Josh White Wines Josh Cellars is produced by Joseph Carr who named his wines “Josh” for his father. Josh Cellars is produced as a negociant brand. That means they don’t actually own a winery or any vineyards. At first that might seem odd. But, it’...
Veramonte Organic Wines Earth Day is Friday April 22nd and here’s a great way to celebrate. Veramonte takes seriously how they produce their 100% organic wine. Veramonte employs organic farming practices, which are essential for helping the planet ...
It’s that spooky time of year again and a great time to re-visit the Phantom. This Chardonnay is from Bogle Vineyards where the story goes that a ghostly figure wanders their cellars at night. There are fleeting glimpses of muddy work boots and blue ...
Wines of TILIA from Argentina Tilia’s rural origins in Mendoza Argentina connect them deeply to the land and to their community. As the first Argentine wine to carry the Bodegas de Argentina Certified Sustainable Seal, the TILIA label illustrates th...
Embraced for their freshness, vibrant aromatics and fruit-forward qualities, wines from Tupungato Valley in Mendoza’s Uco Valley have become “must-haves” for Argentine connoisseurs. Domaine Bousquet, an early pioneer in this high-altitude sub-region ...
Ron Rubin Wines Late in 2011, in fulfillment of a 40-year dream that began in his student days at UC Davis studying viticulture and enology in the early 1970’s, he purchased River Road Family Vineyards and Winery. Rubin was sold on the area, in the ...
The Scaia project was launched by Tenauta Sant’Antonio in 2006 with the aim of creating wines with a modern style outside the restrictions by Italy’s denomination system. In Veneto dialect, the word “scaia” means a chip of stone, chalk, limestone. So...
The Federalist Chardonnay pays homage to the work of our Federalist Founding Fathers fighting for our country’s liberty. And, the Status of Liberty was the best symbol of their accomplishment. This wine is 100% Chardonnay from Mendocino County Calif...
The Carneros AVA in California includes an eastern half in Napa and a western half in Sonoma. It’s known for producing high-quality wines, especially Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. And that’s why this wine caught my eye. This Tempest Bay Chardonnay is ...
This 100% Chardonnay comes from Pfendler Vineyards which is located in the hillsides of Sonoma Mountain in the Sonoma Coast region. The Petaluma Gap is sub-region of the Sonoma Coast that has its own unique terroir. This Pfendler Chardonnay is whol...
Here’s a returning star to Behind the Cork™. This 100% Panthera Chardonnay, from the Russian River Valley, is part of the Hess ‘Lion Head Collection’ of wines. According to the notes, “The word Panthera is believed to be of East Asian origin, mean...
This Chardonnay is from Oregon’s Left Coast “Truffle Hill” vineyard that contains four acres of European Black Truffle-inoculated hazelnut trees, shrub roses and holly oaks. This 100% Chardonnay is fermented in 80% Neutral French Oak and 20% New Fr...
With pineapple, green apple, and tropical fruits on the nose, you might be expecting a bright, crisp high acid Chardonnay. And, this Hess Collection Chardonnay delivers the bright fruit flavors as well as a super creamy smooth finish. Dave Guffy, ...
Here’s a “scary” one from Bogle that is very appropriate as we approach Halloween. This Phantom Chardonnay is inspired by a ghostly figure that wanders the Bogle cellars at night. And, there are also some paranormal stories of the Phantom available b...
Viognier (Vee-own-Yay) is a wine that has taken an extreme backseat in the past to Chardonnay, yet shares a lot of similarities. This grape is originally from the Northern Rhône region of France. And, while France still grows approximately one-third...
Here’s another ‘big name’ Chardonnay that’s worth checking out. Dan and Margaret Duckhorn founded Duckhorn Vineyards in Napa Valley in 1976, which was one of the first 40 Napa Valley wineries. Keenly focused on producing excellent red wines, it wasn...
This Sonoma-Cutrer is one that is easy to pass-by on the wine aisle. It’s from a big producer and it’s widely availability. But, this is a solid wine. Which makes it perfect for a Behind the Cork™ feature. The Sonoma Coast is producing a lot of very...
From the northern Spanish region of Navarra, this Chardonnay is full of flavor. Being on the Southern border of France, the Navarra region is well suited for wine production with its limestone and clay soils and a micro-climate that allows for a lon...
This 100% Chardonnay comes from The Hess Collection of wines from the Russian River Valley. Hess Family wines was founded by Donald Hess in 1978. Today, Tim Persson (Donald’s son in law) and his wife Sabrina are owners of Hess Family Wine Estates an...
This Chardonnay is from Oregon’s Left Coast “Truffle Hill” vineyard that contains four acres of European Black Truffle-inoculated hazelnut trees, shrub roses and holly oaks. This 100% Chardonnay is fermented in 100% French oak before being aged for...
Champagne is probably the best known wine in the world. And, there’s a lot to know it about this wine. Here are some fun-facts about Champagne: Champagne is not made from Champagne grapes Champagne is typically produced from three grapes — Pinot ...
On a trip to wine country earlier this year, I picked up several bottles of wine. Included in my wines was a Reserve Chardonnay that I had gotten in Alexander Valley. In the tasting room it was excellent. After purchasing the wines, I was very care...
I was well aware of the excellent red wines being produced by Daou in Paso Robles, but was extremely surprised by their Chardonnay. This wine seems to fall somewhere in between a bright, crisp, fruity Chardonnay that would come from stainless steel t...
Several wines from the Hess Collection of wines have been featured in my reviews, and this Chardonnay from Monterey County shows the consistency of their wines. With just a bit of a chill on this one, it exhibits wonderful flavors of baked apple wit...
I recently visited J. Lohr in Paso Robles and gained a whole new appreciation for their wines and the man behind them all, Jerry Lohr. This 100% Chardonnay from J. Lohr exhibits aromas of peaches, baking spices, a hint of vanilla. While it was oak ...
This week’s feature is The Hess Collection’s 2015 Napa Valley Chardonnay. This wonderful 100% Chardonnay features flavors of apple, white pear and a slight touch of tropical fruits and a very slight hint of oak. The hint of oak is due to 70% of the ...
This is an “Estate” wine meaning that Rodney Strong grew the grapes, crushed them, fermented, aged and bottle the wine. This Chardonnay has the nice fruit flavors of golden delicious apple and Meyer lemon along with spicy notes of vanilla from its oa...
This Chardonnay, from Washington’s Columbia Valley, not only has great flavors of pineapple and mango, but add rich flavors of butterscotch and caramel from its fermentation and oak aging. Bob Bertheau, the Head Winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle, de...
This Chardonnay out of Santa Barbara County was an unexpected delight. While being a great value, it is lightly oaked so as to not be over-powering and lets though the wonderfully bright fruit flavors including fig, honey and brown spice. But what ma...
This Chardonnay out of Livermore Valley California (East of San Francisco) is a well balanced Chardonnay, meaning that everything works together beautifully. Because it is fermented in 50% neutral American oak barrels and 50% in stainless steel tanks...
There was a time when ordering a glass of Chablis meant that you wanted a glass of white wine. No specific wine, just a white wine. But there is so much more to Chablis than just a white wine. Chablis is a region located in the northwest corner of t...