A Virginia Wine Virgin No More
Virginia is home to some of our country’s early history, 8 US presidents (including 4 of our first 5), Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, a strong military ship yard, beautiful beaches, and some of the most amazing Fall scenery in the U.S. With some of our countries earliest history of wine, Virginia is not just for lovers, it is for wine lovers. 38 years ago I was born among the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in Roanoke, Virginia. The childlike fondness I have from living there for 10 years remains with me. While we occasionally go back to VA to visit […]
The Best Merlot in the World? Bolen Family Estates
From time to time we come across a wine that sticks in our mind and becomes the benchmark by which we judge the others. For me, these include the Belle Glos Pinot Noir, Seghesio Zinfandel, Barrister Rough Justice (affordable blend) and the Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc. Recently I received a bottle of Bolen Family Estates 2007 Merlot. This wine has made a strong case for being the benchmark merlot in my memory banks. Eric Bolen makes one wine, 1000 cases, of single vineyard Oak Knoll Merlot. Bolen partners with esteemed winemaker Tom Rinaldi of Duck Horn fame to craft a […]
Lois Gruner Veltliner Celebrates 10 Years
If you’re not familiar with Gruner Veltiner, you need to change that. The crisp, citrus flavored, acidic white wine, usually from Austria, is a fantastic companion for hot summer days, shrimp, fish, honey glazed ham, pea salad and more. For those looking to expand their taste experiences, Gruner Veltliner (GruVe) is a great alternative to Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. For 10 years Fred Loimer winery in Langenlois Austria has been crafting their flagship GruV, LOIS. To commemorate the first decade, LOIS sports a peel away back label revealing 10 fun and whimsical celebratory sayings. In addition to celebrating 10 […]
Yellow Tail Bubbles New Look New Wine Cool Enclosure
New wine. New name. New packaging. New revolutionary closure. These are the headlining words on the promotional material for the new Yellow Tail Bubbles. We all need a little more sparkle in our lives and I’m all for finding affordable “go to” wines. Available for $8-$12 does the Yellow Tail Bubbles deliver the goods for all the upcoming holiday celebrations? I received this wine, along with three Yellow Tail Reserve wines, as an industry sample. A few months back, with the help of my friend Atlanta Wine Guy, I discovered my “daily” affordable sparkling wine in the Segura Viudas […]
Does Big Green Box Equal Big Green Value?
There was a time last week when I had 25 bottles of wine open in the house. “What is the problem,” you ask? Well, for one I feel obligated to drink every bottle and two, not all of them are good wines. The open wines were from the Chile Blends tasting, One Hope Chardonnay, and four box wines from Don Sebastiani & Sons. Over the last six months, I’ve had my share of boxed wines, many of them from the group that distributes the Octavin family of wines. This week, I’m cautiously optimistic to take a look at four wines […]