Monthly Archives: June 2012

• Shiraz or Syrah?

  Whether we refer to this great varietal as Shiraz or Syrah, we are talking about one of the world’s most illustrious red grape varieties.  It is also one of my personal favorites.  Grown for centuries in the Rhone Valley of France, where it is responsible in all or part of many of the greatest red Read More

  Posted in Interesting Wine Info, Wine Education, Wine Regions

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  • June 26, 2012
  • by Don Lahey

• Don’s June Collector’s Series Top Picks

  The 2005 Vergenoegd Cabernet Sauvignon is a clear Top Pick for this month.  Vergenoegd is one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa and the estate’s Cabernet embodies all the attributes that have made Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon both exciting and unique.  Vergenoegd’s deep, intense flavors mingle berry fruit, chocolate, coffee, and the special terroir Read More

  Posted in Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

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  • June 21, 2012
  • by Don Lahey

• Don’s June Premier Series Top Picks

  I like good Shiraz, and I love great Shiraz that doesn’t cost $45.00 a bottle, which means that Mary-Lou Nash’s 2008 Black Pearl Shiraz gets my vote this month as a Top Pick.  This wine really blew me away, but don’t just take my word for it.  John Platter (South Africa’s rendition of wine critic Read More

  Posted in Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

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  • June 19, 2012
  • by Don Lahey

• Celebrating Father’s Day: A Grilling Occasion

  Nothing goes more hand in hand than grilled steak and a nice glass of red wine, so forget the necktie this year and give him something that is sure to bring a smile to his face this Father’s Day.  Let him kick off his shoes, relax, and treat him to this delicious Grilled Skirt Steak Read More

  Posted in Recipes and Pairings

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  • June 14, 2012
  • by International Wine of the Month Club

• So, What’s That In My Wine?

  So, what’s that in my wine?  This is the question I hear when tartrate crystals appear in a wine, affixed to the cork, or clinging to the sides of the bottle of a fine wine.  And lately, we’ve been seeing more of these welcome but unsightly crystals.  Why is tartrate a welcome sight?  The short Read More

  Posted in Wine Education

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  • June 8, 2012
  • by Don Lahey

• Are You a Terroiriste?

  The word terroir sounds like a less savory term we are all too familiar with and hear far too much about today, but happily terroir shares no affinity with the English word that so closely resembles it.  So, what is terroir precisely?  Terroir is a French word, which means literally soil or ground.  However, when Read More

  Posted in Interesting Wine Info, Wine Education

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  • June 1, 2012
  • by Don Lahey