Macari Chardonnay Reserve 2007 ♦ North Fork, Long Island, NY, USA When it comes to wines from the United States, North Fork, Long Island, New York, is not exactly mentioned in the same breath as, say, Napa Valley, but nonetheless this small region does produce drinkable and enjoyable wines. Its Northeast geography lends itself to [...]
Acacia “A” Pinot Noir 2006 There are oodles and oodles of Pinot Noir choices at all price levels from all regions around the world — so how does one know which one to buy? Beats me … unless you’re spending $45 or more for a legit red Burgundy from a reliable producer, buying Pinot Noir [...]
Artesa Chardonnay Reserve 2005 Once in a while when I’m in the wine shop my alligator arms reach way way down to the bottom of my pocket, where I hide my twenty dollar bills, so that I can buy an “expensive” bottle of wine. I know, I know, there are plenty of people who plunk [...]
Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2004 I’m on a Cabernet binge lately, so there will be a run of reviews on the grape coming your way. Initially, there was almost nothing on the nose – it was closed up. After letting it sit in the glass for about an hour and a half, some aromas [...]
Franciscan Oakville Chardonnay Cuvee Sauvage 2005 Generally speaking, I’m against the majority of California Chardonnay on the market — but not against ALL California Chards. What bugs me is the proliferation of formulaic, oak-driven “soda-pop” Chards that taste more like Sugar Smacks than fermented grapes. The bulk of these disasters in a bottle are in [...]
Saint Clair Vicar’s Choice Pinot Noir 2006 Since the Sideways-induced boom of Pinot Noir, a number of affordable bottlings have been emerging from down under — meaning New Zealand rather than Australia. And it makes sense, as the most prominent wine region in Kiwi land is Marlborough, which just so happens to have the ideal [...]
Simi Sonoma County Chardonnay 2005 Simi is a California winery founded over 125 years ago by two brothers named Giuseppe and Pietro Simi, from Tuscany, Italy. The Simi brothers built a successful business before both died just after the turn of the 20th century, leaving the estate to Giuseppe’s daughter Isabelle, who continued the business [...]
Silver Spur Pinot Noir 2002 I have to admit, I was expecting very little from this wine. Silver Spur was completely unknown to me, as I’d never seen the winery name in a retail shop, on a restaurant list, nor read in a wine magazine. It was sent to me by MyWinesDirect, an internet-only retailer [...]
Merryvale Starmont Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Napa Valley Although I usually condone (and insist on) trying new wines to expand your horizons and learn to enjoy all the fan and adventure that fermented grape juice has to offer, it’s also OK to drink the same wine more than once (just don’t make a habit of it!). [...]
Hill of Content Shiraz 2004 Australian Shiraz has become overly popular — to a fault. Once a secret among wine geeks “in the know” as an affordable alternative to high-priced Syrah-based wines from the Rhone, Aussie Shiraz has become wildly popular among all imbibers, to the point where pedestrian wine drinkers are surprised to find [...]
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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