Contributed by: Joe Roberts
Love Grenache? (If not... you might want to reconsider that!)... If so, you should do yourself a favor and check out the small resurgence of that grape building in California's Central Coast. Good Grenache combines the seemingly paradoxical elements of lighter color and nuanced violet and spice notes, with big, juicy, ripe dark fruit flavors and ample body. That combination is on display in Beckmen Vineyards' Estate Grenache, which itself makes an excellent case for Santa Ynez Valley being a notable California Grenache hot-spot.
Contributed by: Joe Roberts
Woe to the party host who doesn't have affable, affordable, tasty bubbles chilled and ready to enjoy at their next Summer gathering. That might be over-stating it a bit, but wine geeks and wine newbies alike rarely turn down a chance at something sparkling. A good and affordable option to have on hand is Pasqua's 'Famiglia Pasqua' Prosecco from Treviso; on the drier side for the ubiquitous bubbly, this is full of white flower aromas, stone fruit flavors, and perky acidity. An added bonus: the labeling is just as enjoyable and pretty as what's inside the bottle.
Contributed by: Joe Roberts
When it comes to Spanish-inspired blends, Chile probably isn't the first country to come to mind, being more famous for its lean, focused take on the sunnier Spain's big reds. A interesting and fun change of pace on this approach comes in the form of Vina Ventisquero's 'Grey' Glacier single-vineyard series of premium wines. Their Garnacha/Carinena/Mataro blend in that series offers a serious, toasty, spicy, and flavorful example of another side of Chilean viticulture, with ample red fruit flavors and enough power to stand up to a hearty steak.
Contributed by: Joe Roberts
What do you call a congruence of crowd-pleasing, mouth-filling, juicy plum flavors, intriguing aromas of graphite and dried herbs, organic farming, and bargain pricing? In the fine wine business, you'd call it a winning combination. Argentina's Domaine Bousquet is adept at offering over-achieving wines, but their latest organic Cabernet from Tupungato takes things to a new level, offering dependable, tasty quality in a low-cost, and environmentally-friendly option that will fit perfectly with a Summer backyard BBQ.
Contributed by: Joe Roberts
Familia Zuccardi, inextricably linked to the farming and winemaking history of Mendoza, has the size and pull to create some truly over-achieving wines, particularly with Argentina's flagship red grape, Malbec. Their "Q" release, crafted from old vines in Mendoza's Uco Valley, ticks all of the boxes when it comes to Southern Hemisphere Malbec: dark plum fruit flavors, ample body and power, and aromas of chocolate, black fruits, and violets.
Contributed by: Joe Roberts
Friuli-Venezia is a global sweet-spot for serious Pinot Grigio, but it's capable of world-class representations of many of the finest white wine grapes, and Sauvignon Blanc is no exception. In Collio, near the Slovenian border, Italy's Marco Felluga has a winning formula for their Sauvignon: by mixing both stainless steel and barrel fermentation (the latter with some lees aging), they manage to capture the peachy, zesty, and citric sides of the grape, while also flirting with its melon-rich, creamier side.
Contributed by: Joe Roberts
Bargain red Burgundy can often feel like an oxymoron; with the region's complex production structure, it's easy to get burned without some prior knowledge and a bit of guidance. Going with a storied name, such as Prosper Maufoux, is also a safer bet when it comes to successfully navigating Burgundy; their namesake set up shop in the Côte d’Or in 1860, after leaving the notary trade to follow a passion in wine. Prosper Maufoux has more-or-less been producing in the region ever since. Their entry-level Bourgogne Pinot Noir is a great introduction to red Burgundy - earthy, full of red berry flavors, and tinged with herbal spices.
Contributed by: Joe Roberts
Pennsylvania native (and all-star high-school football player) Gary Eberle helped to put Paso Robles on the fien wine map when he released his 1979 Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, Eberle is still going strong, and still producing some of the most consistent releases in the region. Their Rhone-inspired Cotes-du-Robles Rose might just be their most fun label. A blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier, its pink grapefruit and wild strawberry flavors - and rose petal and herb aromas - combine lithe French styling with juicy California ripeness.
Contributed by: Joe Roberts
David Ramey's side project, appropriately titled Sidebar, offers some of the better mid-range values to be found in California wines. Their Old Vine Zinandel is a joy, coming from a vineyard originally planted in the late 1800s (with some replanting performed in 1950 by Americo Rafanelli). It's a true Zinfandel field blend, with fourteen other grape varieties making up a small percentage of the final wine. The wine dances between red and black fruits on the tongue, all the while offering an array of peppers and spices that will appeal to both the novice and the discerning wine geek.
Contributed by: Joe Roberts
Looking for something a bit out of the ordinary? Try Italy's Verdicchio, a white that feels familiar in its citrus fruitiness, but also seems exotic with its stern acidity and mineral notes. Gioacchino Garofoli's 'Podium' is a classic: the vineyard sits on a flat-topped hill, reminiscent of a speaker’s stand (hence the moniker). This is a white that is difficult to approach when young, but opens up into dried grapefruit, marzipan, and honey notes with a bit of age.
