Concannon Syrah 2005 · Livermore Valley For whatever reason, I’ve always associated Concannon with Petite Sirah — perhaps because they were the first California winery to varietally label the grape back in 1964. And their Petite Sirah generally rocks. So it was with a little hesitation, overcome by curiosity, that I plucked this bottle from [...]
Dante Merlot 2006 · Michael Pozzan Winery I have to admit, I purchased this wine based on its label — one of my best friends became a father recently, to a son named “Dante”. So it was an added bonus that the juice behind the label turned out to be pretty good — and well [...]
Kaiken Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Kaiken is a somewhat unknown wine brand from Argentina, which is a good thing and a bad thing. It’s a good thing, because it hasn’t yet been discovered and “taken off” in popularity, so the prices are still affordable (around ten bucks or less). It’s a bad thing, because 1) it [...]
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet 2007 Every once in a while I get in the mood for a big, jammy, New World style red wine — something bursting with sweet red and black berry fruits — but at the same time, something that I don’t have to think much about. In other words, a bottle that [...]
Yowza. And I feel it’s OK to use “yowza” as a descriptor for a wine called “Jip Jip Rocks”. When I spend 12-13 bucks for an Aussie Shiraz, I expect to get a fruit-forward, jammy, flabby, cocktail wine which may or may not have a quick finish. And that type of wine is not necessarily [...]
Rocca delle Macie Morellino di Scansano “Campomaccione” 2005 Do not be intimidated by the long, somewhat threatening words on the label of this wine. It’s nothing to be afraid of — in fact, it’s something with which you’re likely very familiar. Morellino di Scansano seems difficult to pronounce on first glance. It’s not — it [...]
Too often people walk right by that section of the wine shop where all the tall and skinny green bottles are shelved — also known as “Germany” and/or “Alsace”. Those confusing-looking labels with long, unpronounceable names like “Trockenberenauslese” and “Gewurztraminer” are too intimidating for the average wine buyer. And if that description fits you, don’t [...]
In these difficult economic times, we wine geeks with short pockets must do a better job of hunting down the great values. Traditionally, I have looked to South America for dirt cheap deals on deliciously drinkable wines. At one time, Chile was a great place to find fantastic values. Then the secret got out, and [...]
M. Chapoutier Cotes-du-Rhone “Belleruche” Rose 2007 Autumn is almost upon us in the US, but it’s still warm enough to enjoy pink wines. This one comes from the Cotes-du-Rhone in France, an area that’s better known for red wines that some describe as “bistro wines” for their ability to match with a variety of dishes [...]
Fleur Pinot Noir 2006 – Carneros Ever since “Sideways” came out, everyone and their brother became a Pinot Noir snob, and the wine suppliers reacted by flooding the market with all kinds of swill labeled with that classic French varietal. Four years after the movie, wine shops can’t keep enough Pinot Noir stocked on the [...]
I have been swirling, sniffing, and spitting wines as a PR / marketing professional in the wine industry since 1996, and currently head the marketing communications department for Opici Wines. You can follow me on Twitter @joejanish or @wineweekly.
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