15 posts
Viña Montes, founded in 1987 by winemaking and viticulture experts Aurelio Montes, Douglas Murray, Alfredo Vidaurre, and Pedro Grand, aimed to produce premium-quality wines in Chile, previously known for mass-produced wines. Viña Montes revolutioniz...
Syrah 🍷 The Syrah (Sih-RAH) grape was originally linked to ancient Persia or Egypt. However, DNA testing in 1998 proved that Syrah originated in France. It naturally occurred when two grape varieties from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse Bla...
Nestled into the rolling foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains near Paso Robles, California, there is an idyllic contemporary winery owned by the Hoffman family and operated by Dr. Stanley Hoffman and his two sons, David and Michael. The vineyard...
C’EST LA VIE wines “invites you to simply take life as it comes.” C’EST LA VIE wines are imported from the Pays d’Oc IGP in Southern France. This region covers all the wines that are not made under the strict laws that govern the AOC-level appellat...
Red Wines of Maremma Toscana These red wines from the Maremma Toscana sub-region of Italy’s Tuscany are considered “Super Tuscans” using non-native Italian grapes and/or blends. Many fine examples of Super Tuscans come from the region of Maremma, o...
Winemakers sometimes co-ferment Syrah with Viognier. But, why would they combine a red-wine grape and a white-wine grape during fermentation? Well, this began in the Côte-Rôtie, a wine-growing region in France’s Northern Rhône Valley where Viognier...
When I was looking for a good wine to accompany a recent meal, I noticed this Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre (GSM) from Paso Robles and grabbed it. Upon pouring it, I immediately noticed that this GSM was a very deep purple color. I was expecting it to be...
This was a new one to me. I’d previously tried the Thomas Allen Cabernet Sauvignon, but wasn’t aware of their red blend. Thomas Allen is owned and operated by third generation wine grape growers, Thomas Michael Stokes and Allen Lombardi, who grown t...
California’s Gold Rush of the 1850s included the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. As fortune seekers flocked to the Sierras to prospect for gold, small wineries also began to appear. But the decline of gold mining in the late 18...
This red blend is 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, in a traditional Rhone style. And the California Central Coast, Paso Robles and Santa Barbera, are doing tremendous Rhone blends. This one is full-bodied with big fruit flavors of plum, fig and blueberry...
Abadia Retuerta first started producing wines in Spain in 1996. The winery and surrounding vineyards are on the former site of the 12th century Santa Maria de Retuerta Monastery in Sardón de Duero. This land is just west of “The Golden Mile,” a privi...
This blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre (GSM) from Wild Horse is medium-light in body with a soft mouthfeel, candied red fruit flavors, and light tannins. When served slightly chilled, at cellar temperatures, it’s a very easy-drinking wine that g...
Chile has been producing wine for more than 400 years. But, in the past 30 years has really made great strides in producing highly notable wines. And the Maipo Valley has become Chile’s red wine country. This Chilean wine from the Maipo Valley is pr...
This Rhône style blend is a perfect fit for Behind the Cork ™ - Wine of the Week. It’s affordable, it’s attainable and it’s a nice wine to enjoy any day of the week. Being a Rhône blend, it is made from Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre (GSM). It’s mediu...
This blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache from Santa Barbara County is another unexpected winner. In the Rhone tradition, this blend has the big fruit, medium tannin characteristics of the Syrah with the Grenache adding its big fruit flavors and moder...