Benchmark Vintage + Benchmark Vineyard = Benchmark Wine!

Lucky If Dick Shea Sells You Grapes! Shea Vineyard was first planted to wine grapes in the late 1980s. Today Shea Vineyard is a 200-acre property with 140 planted acres. 135 of these acres are planted to Pinot Noir vines and the balance is planted to Chardonnay. Roughly 25% of the Pinot Noir fruit […]

This Grenache is A “LATTA” Wine!!

Who Is Andrew Latta? Latta Wines was founded in 2011 by winemaker and owner Andrew Latta. It is the product of years of sweat equity. He was once one of us. He started at the bottom to arrive where he is now. He was born and raised in Kentucky, the restaurant world his path to […]

2 Spires Playing Nice Together In 1 Wine!

Who Is Tinte Cellars? I was a little confused at first who Tinte Cellars was since as you see on their logo it also includes 2 other winery names of William Church and Cuillin Hills? William Church first! One of the “original eight” Warehouse wineries, William Church wines reflect a deep commitment to old world […]

Wine Decanters? Aerators? ..Try Patience Instead!

So many blog readers and wine consumers ask me if they should decant their red wines? 10 years ago I would have said, “YES”! Now with all the gizmos and gadgets on the market and crazy shaped decanters and as I travel the world tasting wines young and aged, my answer would be “Throw ALL […]

Carmenere Has To Be Done Right!

Houses Of The Forest! Houses of the Forest in Spanish is Casas Del Bosque. I have reviewed their other wines but never their Carmenere. Family owned winery Casas del Bosque was founded in 1993 by Juan Cuneo Solari. The son of an Italian immigrant, he had always dreamed of having his own vineyard and chanced […]

Red Wine With Fish Or Veggies? Yes!!

So many non meat and fish only and vegetarians are depriving themselves of drinking Red Wines because they are falsely buying into the myth that Red Wine with Meats and White Wines with Fish or Salads etc. There are so many regions in the world for example, Sicily, Puglia in Southern Italy where Fish […]

If You LIKE Red Wine You Can’t HATE Syrah!!

It truly is the most ridiculous comment and train of thought I hear from Restaurant and Retail Shop Owners as well as from Red Wine Lovers… “I Hate Syrah” Others include: “Syrah doesn’t sell in this state” (Insert State of Choice). “I drink Cabs, Merlots, Bordeaux but don’t give me Syrah”. It was bad enough […]

Cali Wine Fans….F.Y.I ..This is Spain!

There is More To Spain Than Rioja Just south of Madrid, in the Central part of Spain we find great value wines from La Mancha and also Valdepenas. Most consumers when asking for Spanish Wine it’s Rioja, Ribera del Duero or Toro and those wines are not for every consumer’s palate. There’s lots of well […]

What Is A “Good Wine” ???

Somms like me, whether in retail or restaurants have a tough order to fill in order to recommend the perfect wine for consumers, when their only criteria many give use is to recommend a “Good Wine”. What constitutes a “Good Wine”> I look at wine from 2 perspectives. One is from a technical aspect […]

“How Sweeet It is “!!

I know the wine snobs will ask: “Why is a sommelier talking about Sweet Wines” ? The answer is that this wine blog is not for snobs and for everyday people and many of those everyday consumers like sweet wines but are faced with the dilemma of low alcohol and a dislike for bubbles. I […]