Gloria, Gloria! I Think I Got Your Number

Chateau Gloria Saint Julien VIneyards The creator of Chateau Gloria, Henri Martin, was born in 1903. Henri Martin had a background in Bordeaux wine before his first birthday. His birth took place at a neighboring St. Julien estate, Chateau Gruaud Larose. As Henri Martin was born on the property, obviously, Henri Martin was destined for […]

Wine Lovers, Foodies, How You Can Help!

Maybe the bottom of people’s minds in America right now is Wineries, Tasting Rooms, Restaurants, Food Servers, Bartenders. If you are a wine lover and foodie like me I am sure you have your personal favorites like mine is Washington State and Oregon Pinots, and I personally worked in Restaurants and Bars as a Food […]

Value Red From Spain’s Northwest Region

Bierzo in Castilla y Leon This is the Map of the Province of Castilla y Leon in the Northwest Region of Spain. Just to the right of Portugal and the other side of the Douro River and up in the tip of the left corner across from Galicia, the home of the famous Albarino grape, […]

Buy Wines To Drink Today Not In 5 Years !

This recent Pandemic should teach all wine lovers a life lesson. YOLO, The days of past are limited to very few Wine Enthusiasts of buying wines and laying them down in their cellar for 5 or more years to age. I don’t advocate not having a handful of wines you are saving for that special […]

Extra Dry, Extra Brut, Demi-Sec? New Release From Jean Noel Haton..PURE

Haton! I Was There For those of you who read my blog or know me personally, you know I am a big fan of Champagne, Jean Noel Haton. It was amazing for me to actually have the opportunity to go there and meet Jean Noel and toast with his son Sebastian. This review of a […]

Drink Wines The Country Is Known For!

We speak about branching out and drinking wines outside of your comfort zone. Many consumers tell me “I do I do! I drink wines from all over the world” When I ask them what wines they drink from all of these different countries, they still roll off the laundry list of the same 4-5 grape […]

Don’t Be Afraid Of French Wines! You Already Know The Grapes!

So many consumers are afraid of French Wine because the labels don’t tell you the names of the grape varietals on the label in most regions but instead they are labeled by the region and the village in that region. Yet with all that fear, the average consumer when asking for Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, […]

2005 Margaux Still A DAY 2 Wine!

Chateau Marquis D’Alesme Becker Chateau Marquis D’Alesme can trace its roots all the way back to 1585. 31 years after the estate was created, they began planting vines and cultivating their vineyard. The name of the property, Marquis D’Alesme, comes from one of the early aristocratic families that previously owned the estate. Chateau Marquis […]

If Cabs And Merlots Are Blended , Then What Is A Red Blend?

I think we have learned over and over that most wines in America that are labeled Cabernet or Merlot Or Zinfandel Or Syrah are NOT 100% of that varietal and are only required by law to have 75% and are blended. Then if that is a fact, what is in the wine sections labeled RED […]

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 […]