California’s Central Coast wine-growing region isn’t as well known to the general public as Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, but true oenophiles know this six-county zone is producing very exciting wines at affordable prices. Vineyards stretch from Santa Barbara County in the south to San Francisco Bay in the north. The area covers many subregions […]
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Frankly, Finger Lakes is wine heaven
When you see the name Dr. Konstantin Frank on a wine label, it represents an American success story derived from the Ukrainian immigrant who used his brains and brawn to turn the Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York into one of the most amazing grape-growing areas in America. For years, viticulturists struggled to grow […]
5 wines to cure your spring fever
I’ve got spring fever for rosé and lighter white and red wines. Lately, I’ve been sampling a bunch with the Wine Goddess, my wife Mary Lee, and here are five you should consider for your patio drinking pleasure. Most of these wines can be found in fine wine stores throughout the area and Greater Boston. […]
3 experts (and 1 novice) select top Easter wines
We’ve reached a new milestone. This is Wine Novice’s fifth annual Easter wine column, and it wouldn’t be possible without the oeniphiles who look forward to the selections and, of course, the expert contributors who make them. (See my “novice” list.) Thanks to our three specialists, there are 26 fabulous wines to peruse and choose. […]
Hot Washington summer boosts Bledsoe's offerings
April showers bring … wonderful surprises from Walla Walla, Washington. On Tuesday, a new shipment from Drew and Maura Bledsoe’s Doubleback winery arrived on my doorstep. It included bottles of the highly anticipated 2014 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon ($94), 2015 Bledsoe Family Wine ($44) and 2016 Healy Rosé ($28). The 2014 growing season in Walla Walla […]
Post House Penny Black is stamped for your approval
If you’re looking for an exquisite new red wine for an adventurous palate, try the 2014 Post House Penny Black from South Africa. This is wine every postal worker should want to call his/her own. More on that later. Penny Black is one of the inkiest, black-colored wines I’ve ever seen. Once in the glass, […]
Goldschmidt Cabernets big, bold and beautiful
The only thing missing from a tasting of Nick Goldschmidt’s California wines was the winemaker himself. I wrote Goldschmidt an email with several questions about the wines sampled recently at the Wine ConneXtion, and he quickly responded: “Sorry I am out of the country completing harvest down below the equator. … Sorry for the inconvenience […]
His haul is finding quality inexpensive wines
What impressed me at the 2017 Boston Wine Expo held in February were the quality of wines on display and their affordable prices. The only problem is finding these wines — especially foreign products — in local shops. Many small producers don’t have national or regional distributors. That’s where Joe Meunier comes in. Meunier is […]
It's no act — Italy's La Spinetta makes fine wines
A quick glance across the room and it looks as if Al Pacino is standing in front of a map of Italy’s Piedmont region, pointing to the unique hillside vineyards where some of the world’s most majestic and monolithic wines are made. The Italian’s hair is longish, tousled, salt-and-pepper, the same as his scraggly beard. […]
Two Pinot Noirs that won't break the bank
Napa Valley winemaker Joe Wagner put Meiomi Pinot Noir on the map, proving that you can make a quality wine for consumer tastes and achieve commercial success. Some winemakers choose to make wines for themselves, without taking into account what the public prefers in wine. That best part of Wagner’s philosophy is that a good […]
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