Wine Weekly

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 [...]

Septima Malbec 2007 · Uco Valley, Argentina Argentine Malbec is one of those grapes that can produce extremely rich, dense, complex red wines, but can also be made into simple, fruity, easy quaffers — not unlike California Zinfandel. This particular Malbec is on the soft side, and comes from the Uco Valley of Argentina. It [...]

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 [...]

Lechthaler Pinot Nero 2006 No, that’s not a mistake — Pinot Noir and Pinot Nero are the same thing, except that in Italy they like to use words with vowels at the end. I like it too, it makes language more colorful and melodic. Similarly, I like this Pinot Noir … er, Nero … which [...]

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 [...]

Kosher wines don’t have to taste “funny” any more. Recent developments in kosher winemaking has resulted in high quality, great-tasting wines fit for any occasion. Here are two examples, one white, one red, that are perfect for the Passover table.

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 [...]

Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrive! For those who don’t speak French, what that means is the first wine of the 2008 vintage — made from grapes picked only weeks ago — has been bottled and is available for sale right now. Many snobs scoff at Nouveau, belittling its existence and poo-pooing it as “simple plonk”. I’m [...]

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 [...]