May offers another fine line-up of collectible wines, with each wine bringing something special to the table.  Consequently, it comes down in my mind solely to a matter of additional bottle age, which leads me choose Seghesio’s 2008 Barolo as my first Top Pick.  Seghesio has carved out an enviable record for producing majestic Barolo Read More

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A perfect bright spring dish that is satisfying enough for those cool damp spring evenings. “Editor Notes: We used far more fresh parmesan than called for in the recipe. 1 tablespoon between two people is far less parmesan than I have ever used in a dish, but this is just a matter of personal taste for (i.e., Read More

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This month’s first Top Pick has to be the 2009 Torre Oria Cava.  This is a sparkling wine that both refreshes and stimulates.  Furthermore, it’s a proven crowd pleaser.  Equally important, it doesn’t pretend to be French Champagne or something it’s not.  It’s Spanish Cava through and through.  It tastes wonderful au naturel or as Read More

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If you are like most folks, you’re asking yourself a question: What’s Penticton?  Penticton is a beautiful city in the Okanagan Valley of southern British Columbia, a special place framed by two large mountain lakes that just happens to be blessed with a dry, sunny climate that’s ideal for growing grapes.  Penticton is also home Read More

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Cava is Spain’s answer to Champagne, although a case can be made for Cava offering more of a rebuke to Champagne than a retort.  After all, Cava hails from a different climate and terroir than Champagne, and Cava is produced primarily or entirely from indigenous Spanish grape varieties such as Xarelo-lo, Parellada, Viura, and Macabeo, Read More

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A great fast and unique brunch item for Mother’s Day! Ingredients per Naan Pizza: 1 naan bread 3 tablespoons tomato or other pasta sauce 1 cup mix of sharp cheddar cheese & parmesan 1 egg 5 thinly sliced rings of onion 1 teaspoon oil salt pepper cilantro   Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees Read More

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We have several inspired offerings in store for you this month, but I have to admit the French really did their homework this time around.  Consequently, my two Top Picks this month go to Château Laplagnotte Bellevue’s stunning 2010 St. Emilion Grand Cru and Verget’s outstanding 2011 Pouilly-Fuissé.  For starters, Château Laplagnotte Bellevue is a Read More

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This month’s Top Picks provide a little personal drama.  For starters, Querciola’s Barbera d’Alba and Domaine de la Collonge’s Macon-Fuissé have been perennial favorites, but then so have Casa Silva’s delicious Reserva Carmenère and Lawson’s Gewurztraminer.  Yet, I have to admit that one would be hard pressed to find a better Barbera d’Alba than Querciola’s Read More

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In some wine regions of the world, the quality of wine doesn’t vary tremendously from year to year.  The reason is that the weather in some wine areas remains fairly consistent and predictable.  In other wine lands such as Bordeaux, vintage means everything.  The weather in Bordeaux varies enormously throughout the growing season and from year to Read More

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I often wonder why some wines are more popular than others.  At first, the answer seems obvious and quite self explanatory.  After all, quality, like cream, rises to the top.  And given a choice and some experience, most seasoned wine drinkers choose the quality product, especially when price is not influencing their decision – either Read More

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It’s about time that New World wineries caught up with consumers’ tastes.  What do I mean by that?  Several things!  First, more and more wineries in Australia, California, and elsewhere now make proprietary wines, which means wineries are no longer exclusively beholden to varietal bottling (whereby 75%-100% of a given wine comes from a single Read More

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Barolo has affectionately been referred to as the “King of Wines, and the Wine of Kings.”  In a fine vintage and in the hands of a skilled winemaker, Barolo is unquestionably a noble wine fit for a king and the rest of us commoners, too.  For savvy consumers who are patient enough to afford Barolo Read More

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This month’s first Top Pick goes to Pietra Santa’s 2009 Sassolino.  Winemaker Allesio Carli has fashioned an exemplary Super Tuscan style red in California from Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that should absolutely not be missed.  And although this year’s Sassolino could be labeled as Sangiovese (as it contains 80% of that varietal), Pietra Santa Read More

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A great, super simple, and fast Friday night dinner! Serves: 4 servings Ingredients:  2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, cut into chunks 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 small onion, chopped 2 Italian green frying peppers, cut Read More

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I really like the variety as well as the quality of this month’s features, so I may as well throw a dart at the labels of this month’s offerings and whatever labels the first two darts land upon get to be Top Picks.  All right, I suppose that won’t do.  Consequently, it would be a Read More

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This month’s two Top Picks have earned a place at my table, and from the recent reviews of these wines quite a few folks will wish they had discovered these beauties when we did, before their reviews came out in the international press.  For starters, the 2006 Valenciso Reseva Rioja earns this month’s first Top Read More

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This month’s first Top Pick is a no brainer.  The 2009 Château Barreyre clearly stands out as an extraordinary example of what Bordeaux can deliver for a price most of us can afford.  The prodigy of an overachieving Petit Château in a fabulous vintage the 2009 Château Barreyre delivers everything one could ask from a Read More

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Nearly ten years ago I wrote a feature entitled, “To Screw or Unscrew the Cap” in which I made a case for metal screw caps.  A decade ago cork finished nearly every fine bottle of wine and the Stelvin metal cap was a relative novelty, except among Australian and New Zealand wineries. The prevailing sentiment Read More

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We’re cooking with wine this Valentine’s Day! 1 bottle dry red wine 3 cups water 1 tsp salt 13.25 oz box whole wheat spaghetti 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 small garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1/2 cup walnuts (2 oz), toasted and coarsely chopped 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Read More

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As Valentine ’s Day quickly approaches, we thought that we would share something we stumbled upon that is fun and unique, SprinkleBakes Red Wine Lollipops! With just a few ingredients, this could be a great way to share your love of wine with your special someone! Visit SprinkleBake’s website for the recipe!

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I am always looking for wines that are not yet on the tip of everyone’s tongue.  Some are relative newcomers, others are ancient varietals whose many attributes are just being discovered or re-discovered in the case of Mencia. Mencia is a red Spanish grape varietal found primarily in the Bierzo, Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras appellations Read More

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With Rhône wines on my mind and a plethora of splendid wines from the Rhône Valley from which to choose, my first Top Pick this month is a no brainer.  Domaine du Vieux Lazaret’s 2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape covets the first spot.  It’s a wonderful Châteauneuf-du-Pape from an outstanding vintage.  Enjoy it now or lay it away Read More

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It’s a new year with a whole new set of wines from which to choose!  Decisions, decisions.  This month’s Premier Series features represent outstanding quality and value across the board, but preferences being what they are my first Top Pick goes to Errazuriz’s excellent 2011 Estate Reserva Carmenère.  The wine is top notch, and I Read More

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The Rhône Valley of France has for many years been one of my favorite wine destinations.  The swift flowing Rhône cuts a fine swath as it descends from the Alps to the Mediterranean.  The region’s physical beauty and luminous light are legendary, and within sight of the Rhône lay some of the finest vineyards and Read More

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Some of you have seen this blog post before, but a number of members asked me to repeat it. I think it is as true this year as it was last year, and for generations before that, so here it goes. Conventional thinking tends to relegate Champagne and other fine sparkling wines to special occasions, Read More

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Collector Series Top Picks are always the most challenging.  How do I exclude a wine our tasting panels have deemed highly desirable and chosen as a monthly feature and then say “sorry, guy, you’re good but your two buddies are better . . . you’re out of here.”  Harsh, don’t you think, and not exactly Read More

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My first top pick this month has to be the 2004 Château Laronde Desormes. This exceptional effort came straight from the château’s cellar.  It highlights just how good a Petit Château Bordeaux can be from a serious producer such as Laronde Desormes.  In addition, mature Bordeauxis hard to find and typically fabulously expensive.  To offer Read More

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As the Holidays approach my thoughts turn to the meaning and purpose of the season.  My taste buds, however, veer straight to the most venerable part of my wine cellar where the most mature and memorable wines await coveted invitations to grace holiday tables. The season between Thanksgiving and New Years is rich with occasions Read More

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Risotto usually requires endless stirring, but slow cookers can do a lot of the work, with surprisingly good results. 4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed 3 tablespoons water 5 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 cups arborio rice Read More

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What’s the best temperature to serve a wine?  The age old response to the question is to serve white wines cold and red wines at room temperature.  But in this case not only is traditional wisdom out of synch with recent university studies, it’s also vague and misleading.  First and foremost, what is room temperature?  Read More

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I’m hooked on the big, beautiful red wines of Spain’s Priorat.  And a recent trip to Spainis just prolonging the affair.  Consequently, my first Top Pick for the month is Scala Dei’s 2004 Cartoixa Priorat – this venerable estate’s top rated wine. The 2004 Cartoixa Priorat is a powerful, polished wine that positively sings from Read More

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Château Eulalie is the pride and joy of Laurent and Isabelle Coustal who resurrected and completely restored the ancient Minervois vineyards surrounding Château Eulalie.  In 2010 Isabelle fashioned an incredibly balanced, complex Plaisir d’Eulalie Minervois from old vine Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan that is a joy to drink now but will also continue to improve Read More

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Decisions, decisions . . . which wines will get this month’s top spots?  Well, for starters, the number one Top Pick goes to Poggio ai Mandorli’s elegant, sophisticated, downright tasty 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva.  The handiwork of a fine estate and a great vintage (growing conditions were nearly ideal in Tuscanyin 2007), we haven’t come Read More

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On our website and in past blogs I’ve discussed how we choose wines for our clubs, but the recent question “Why did you choose that wine?” by a friend and long time club member made me realize that perhaps more needs to be said on this issue.  My friend’s question was immediately followed by another Read More

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Carmenere may not be on the tip of everyone’s tongue, literally and figuratively, but for the life of me I don’t know why.  Granted not everyone likes the same kind of wine.  I get that.  People should drink what they like because no one can drink anyone else’s palate. Yet, the fact remains: I really Read More

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Joel Gott is a California legend and Gott’s Dillian Ranch Zinfandel is his most iconic offering.  This month’s feature and first Top Pick is Joel Gott’s 2009 Dillian Ranch Zinfandel.  Why?  It has everything great Zinfandel needs to possess: plenty of deep down berry fruit, bramble, spice, and a beautiful patina of oak.  It’s rich Read More

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Malbec is typically tough to drink young, at least to my taste, but I was delighted to find a young Malbec with a soul as well as a backbone.  Tremonte’s 2010 Single Vineyard Reserva Malbec is an exciting Chilean rendition of Argentina’s prime red grape, so this month’s first Top Pick belongs to the folks Read More

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1 lb. small pasta (such as Ditalini) salt & pepper 3 lb. fresh Roma tomatoes – chopped 4 cloves garlic – whole 1 bunch fresh basil leaves – chopped 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella 1/2 cup olive oil In a large bowl, gently blend the tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, oil, salt, pepper and Read More

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On a recent visit to Spain I had the opportunity to spend time with Angel Rodriquez, one of Spain’s most revered winemakers.  Anyone who has met Angel Rodriguez stands in awe of his tremendous accomplishment.  Visiting this spry, witty 83 year old winemaker and his beloved Martinsancho Vineyard is a rare treat and valuable lesson Read More

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It’s hard to imagine a more inhospitable climate and a more remote, godforsaken locale than Spain’s Priorat.  Nothing but grapes could possibly thrive in such a rugged terrain scoured by gales and mistral like winds, a land set apart from life as most of us know it.  Tiny towns, which cleave to  Priorat’s precipitous mountains Read More

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This is truly “The Golden Age of Wine.”  Never before in the thousands of years of recorded human history has wine been better than it is today.  Have great wines been made in times past?  Absolutely!  But never has there been so many good wines produced than in the last two decades, and nowhere is Read More

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A corked wine is a wine that has been bottled with a cork that is contaminated with TCA – Trichloroanisole. Sometimes the contamination comes from the barrel  the wine was stored in. In a corked bottle – wine will get worse as its exposed to the air. Cork taint is a set of very undesirable Read More

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Artesa continues to fashions outstanding estate bottled Chardonnays, and the property’s 2010 Estate Reserve may be this formidable property’s best Chardonnay to date.  Consequently, our First Top Pick goes to the 2010 Artesa Estate Reserve Chardonnay.  Drink it now and enjoy it, or lay it down to garner additional complexity.  This Chardonnay will offer great Read More

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This month’s Premier Series Top Picks causes me a bit of consternation.  Yeah, it’s the choice thing again.  I’ve always been fond of Italy’s estate bottled white wines.  They stand in stark contrast to the oceans of commercial Soaves and Pinot Grigios that the “industrial producers,” whose names everyone can recite, turn out.  This month’s Read More

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1 loaf round (boule) crusty bread – sliced 1 zucchini -sliced 1 bunch fresh basil leaves 1 small eggplant – sliced 1 red bell pepper – sliced 1 large tomato – sliced olive oil salt & pepper Brush zucchini, eggplant and red pepper with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until well Read More

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Wines are a lot like kids: on any given day they can make a liar out of you. One day they’re perfectly well behaved, and the next day . . . well you get the picture. Johnny is an angel in school but a devil at home. Mary is just the opposite, sweet as pie Read More

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“You can’t drink a label or a price tag or anyone else’s palate.” How often have my friends and tasting companions heard me utter those exact words? More times than they care to remember, I’m sure. And all this time I thought they were reaching for another bottle of wine simply because they liked it, Read More

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Choosing this month’s Collector Series Top Picks isn’t any easier than in previous months, but I don’t feel the same sense of guilt. Why? This month’s Collector Series white has a good self image. Colli di Lapio’s delicious Fiano di Avellino has been a perennial favorite of mine and of the club membership, too, so Read More

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This month’s first Premier Series Top Pick is a no brainer for my palate.  Pietra Santa’s 2009 Cienega Valley Pinot Noir gets the first nod.  Why?  Pietra Santa had built an enviable reputation over the years for fashioning classic Italian varietals, most notably Sangiovese and Pinot Grigio, but I wasn’t sure what to expect from Read More

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True confessions, yes!  Remorse, no, I don’t plan to lose any sleep over past transgressions, mine or anyone else’s.  So, here it goes.  Years ago, I loved  Chardonnay, and then I just lost interest.  At first, it was benign neglect.  But then I found myself loathing quite a few Chardonnays, especially a certain breed of Read More

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(Serves 4 people, with room for refills) 2 Bottles of White Zinfandel (I prefer using White Zinfandel to red because it is lighter and crisper, and mixes well with any fruit I decide to use) ½ cup Remy Martin VSOP ½ cup Absolut Peach Vodka 1 can papaya juice 1 can guava juice 1 cup Read More

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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A great area to go wine tasting on a bike is in the Willamette Valley area in Oregon.  There are over 150 wineries to choose from and you can visit at least four in 5 miles.  The tasting fees are lower priced than Napa or Sonoma,  most are around the $10.00 range.  Many of the Read More

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This month’s Collector Series Top Picks give me palpitations.  Why?  I like all three of the wines for different reasons, and so did the panel.  However, two wines it must be, so it comes down to which two wines I find most compelling at the moment.  Consequently, the 2005 Domaine La Millière Châteauneuf-du Pape warrants Read More

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Anyone who has been member for awhile can attest to the fact that we have not offered many Beaujolais wines to our members.  The reason for that is twofold.  First, we can rarely reach a consensus on Beaujolais and secondly, simple Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages wines don’t often offer a high quality/value ratio – the more Read More

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Mother’s Day is this Sunday everyone, and as a mother, I know that the one thing a mother can really appreciate on her day is a nice cooked meal that she doesn’t have to prepare herself.  Well I thought I would share with you this really nice lamb chops recipe I found from Emeril Lagasse Read More

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Blind tastings should be simple – those tasting should not know the identity of the wines being tasted.  When it comes down to it, there’s 8 basic rules to always remember: 6-12 people is the best for wine tasting. This way you only need one bottle per wine. Arrange the wine tasting so they are Read More

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I confess to having a penchant recently for polished, complex Tuscan reds such as Morazzano’s 2005 Re.  And what a wine Re is.  Born on the hills of Montescudaio close to Sassicaia and some of Tuscany’s other illustrious names, Re outperforms most Brunello di Montalcino in my book and a host of lesser “Super Tuscans,” Read More

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When beef, lamb, and game appear on the menu, red Bordeaux, California Cabernet Sauvignon (preferably with some bottle age), Châteauneuf-du-Pape, full throttle Spanish Tempranillos from Rioja, Ribera del Duero, or elsewhere, Super Tuscans, and thick rich Syrah based wines from Australia, California, or South Africa are likely to be my wines of choice.  I like Read More

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Shiraz is one of the world’s great red grape varietals. Yet, there are many over cropped, underperforming examples of Australian Shiraz in the market.  With that said, I am proud to say that this month’s Primary Red, Berton’s The Black Shiraz, is not one of the underperforming slackers.  Although still quite young, Berton’s The Black Read More

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Brunch is my favorite meal, because there are so many choices in foods and wines. We always think of Champagne to pair with our Easter Brunch meal. So the question is; Rose Champagne, Brut Champagne or Sparkling Wine? Rose Champagne and sparkling wine is one of the number one wines to pair with breakfast foods, Read More

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I have a pretty eclectic palate, which leads me to search out all kinds of wines to match the food I’m eating, the weather outside, or the mood I’m in on any given day.  I truly love to eat and I enjoy almost all kinds of foods and types of cuisines, so there isn’t going Read More

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The love for wine can be possessed by the likes of all sorts of people, but when we got this picture from one of our members, we might have to start catering to Felines as well! “I am LOVING my Wine of the Month membership that I received as a Christmas gift.  Unfortunately, I have Read More

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One of my favorite outings to do is to go wine tasting. When we can’t take a trip to a region that have several wineries to choose from – we go to a wine bar that offers tastings. Last week our local wine bar Uncorked Wine Bar www.getuncorked.com had a blind Zinfandel tasting that 4 Read More

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Who doesn’t like a crowd pleaser?  And who makes more crowd pleasing wines than California’s Jeff Runquist?  Jeff keeps racking up well deserved Gold Medals and Double Gold Medals for his crowd pleasing Syrah, Petit Sirah, Barbera, and almost any other varietal he chooses to fashion.  So, Jeff’s 2009 R Syrah, a deep down, full Read More

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Hey folks, we just wanted to share a delicious recipe with you that pairs perfectly with Don’s top Premier Series this month from Italy, Feudi Di San Marzano Primitivo Puglia 2010.  It’s simple to make and wont take up much of your time:   Pepper & Onion Pasta 6 links Italian sausage (sweet or hot)                       Read More

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Feudi di San Marzano’s 2010 Primitivo is unquestionably one of this month’s top Premier Series picks.  Why?  It tastes great, and it could easily serve as the poster child for Primitivo – the missing link to California’s Zinfandel.  Yes, Primitivo, the ancient early ripening varietal that hails from Greece and/or the northern Balkans is the Read More

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In a perfect world, everyone’s partner would share our deep and abiding affection for the vino.  Mine does and it makes things so much easier.  I’m so grateful that we both enjoy tastings and good wine! However, his preference is red wine only, whereas I like both.  We have wine with our dinner almost every Read More

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Anyone who has known me for awhile knows my mantra: “You can’t drink a label or a price tag, or anyone else’s palate.”  And I do hold these truths to be self-evident to paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, our nation’s first devotee of wine.  Although it should be evident that not everyone shares the same taste in Read More

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It’s time for my monthly confession. Yes, confession is good for the soul.  My top picks this month are both red wines.  I know there may be a special warm place for me in the life hereafter for passing over a truly fine white Burgundy that I must confess I really liked, but in the Read More

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There is quality and there is preference.  Sometimes, it’s difficult to ascertain where one begins and the other ends, especially when forced to choose among four high quality wines, all of which I enjoy.  Nonetheless, a choice must be made.  With that in mind, my top wine picks this month belong to Donati Family Vineyard’s Read More

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Now for the best part of the meal: dessert.  Nothing is more romantic than a savory, sweet desert shared together on Valentine’s Day.  This recipe is quite simple and you can even prepare it ahead of time that way you’re not struggling to get it together on the day of. Chocolate Mousse Ingredients 8 (1 Read More

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Yup, it’s coming up people and you know what that means; flower stores all over are counting their rose pedals, heart-shaped boxes full of chocolates are selling like hot cakes, and restaurants are getting booked up by the hour.  But you know, with all the hustle and bustle associated with going out on Valentine’s day, Read More

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Once someone realizes what I do for a living, I anticipate the question.  I can’t help it.  I’m not telepathic, but I know what’s coming.  And invariably, “the question” does come:  What’s your favorite wine?  I used to answer the question with a litany of favorites, but after decades of wine tasting I have more Read More

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For years I’ve heard colleagues and friends speak of the beauty of South Africa’s Winelands.  Comments such as “the Western Cape is the world’s most beautiful wine country” and “you can’t imagine how beautiful Stellenbosch and the surrounding Winelands are”, have made me want to see for myself. I have always dreamed of coming to Read More

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I decided to try out a new Chardonnay tonight and I noticed some nice smokey, vanilla notes which caught my curiosity as to what type of barrel they could’ve used to age this wine.  You can find a ton of wines aged in an American Oak, French Oak, or even Stainless Steel Barrel and they Read More

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I must confess that red Bordeaux was my first wine love, but rather than have that youthful romance create a tender spot on my palate for the oceans of mediocre red Bordeaux that flow to our shores, it has made me hypercritical of Bordeaux reds that don’t measure up or simply under deliver.  Happily, this Read More

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Well, a new year hasn’t made it any easier to come up with just two top picks, but the bottle stops here, so here it goes.  The Carmen Reserva Chardonnay and Reserva Carmenere are both splendid wines, and it is far more difficult than consumers realize for a winery to excel equally with red and Read More

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I’ve come to realize that I have a thing for Spanish wines.  Whether I’m perusing at a local wine boutique, trying the different varietals at a wine festival, or grabbing a bottle featured right here in our club, I’ll always give a wine from Spain a little more attention.  But when I see an old Read More

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South Africa is the world’s ninth largest producer of wine and in recent years, South African wine has become the fastest growing imported wine into the United States.  Although hardly a match yet in sheer volume for Argentina, Australia, France, Italy, or Spain, there is no denying that South Africa is making an array of Read More

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Conventional thinking tends to relegate Champagne and other fine sparkling wines to special occasions, late night parties, and New Year’s Eve.  To that I say “humbug.”  Champagne is a wine for all seasons, and since every day ought to be a celebration, why not pour yourself a glass of Champagne on a cold, rainy day Read More

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So today is the big day ladies and gentlemen – we’ve had a sweepstakes giveaway going on for the past month and today we unveil the grand prize winner!  So without further ado, the grand prize winner of our Aromaster Wine Tasting Kit is … (intense drum-roll) … Barbara Newell! Barbara’s new kit includes 80 Read More

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December poses more than a few challenges. Yep, it’s hard to choose between two good friends.  I have always been fond of top notch Chablis(authentic French Chablis that is) and Domaine du Chardonnay’s Chablis, which happens to be one of this month’s features, always has a special place in my cellar and on my table.  Read More

Posted in Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

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Château St. Eulalie’s 2009 Plaisir Minervois is aptly named.  In French, plaisir means to please or pleasure, and this tasty wine from the south of France pleases in a big way. I’ve always enjoyed this property’s wines.  The 2007 St. Eulalie Plaisir was excellent, memorable even, but the 2009 Plaisir (this month’s feature) is even Read More

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Annually, more than 40% of retail wine sales occur in the months of November and December.  When one factors in holiday gift giving, parties, and general merry making, this robust figure begins to make sense … or does it?  I sometimes wonder what people, and especially ardent wine drinkers, consume the rest of the year.  Read More

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Can you believe that the sale of alcohol was actually banned at one point? Glad it’s just a remembrance of what once was, but no longer is. We think this merits a toast ladies and gentlemen. Cheers to the good stuff!

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I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself, Kristina Manning, C&H Clubs Customer Service Manager. I am proud to say we have a top notch Customer Service Team! I’d like to share with everyone C&H Clubs Customer service mission statement as it’s what drives our focus everyday we clock in: “We are committed to Read More

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Hey fellow wine enthusiasts! We just wanted to share with you our Wine Events Calendar on our site which will always keep you in the loop about all kinds of wine events and expos going on. We update our events on the 1st of every month, so be sure to watch for it. We also Read More

Posted in In the News, Wine Events

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November presented me with some especially tough choices. I really enjoyed the 2005 Croze Cabernet Sauvignon (November’s other feature), but since Joseph Perrier’s outstanding Cuvée Royale Brut Champagne and Pasanau’s 2008 Ceps Nous Priorat offer such an ideal combination of wines to plan a dinner party around, I couldn’t help but give them top billing Read More

Posted in Featured Selections, Notes from the Panel

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My November Premier Series special features of the month are a delicious red blend called “1448” from Jeff Runquist, one of California’s premier producers of Petite Sirah, and Torre Oria, an exuberant, flavorful Spanish Cava.  The 2009 Runquist “1448” is blend of Petite Sirah, with sizeable percentages of Barbera, Petit Verdot, and Syrah added for Read More

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Each month we post our featured wines in each level of our service both on our web site and on our Facebook page so that members that eagerly await their next shipment have the opportunity to check them out before they arrive.  I’ve been asked to highlight which of our featured wines are my personal Read More

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At a recent panel tasting, we were truly blown away by the quality and incredible value of the Spanish wines we tasted.  It is no secret that for a decade or more Spain has been the source of some of the very best red wines made anywhere in the world.  And the outstanding offerings from Read More

Posted in Notes from the Panel, Wine Regions

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It’s been a long time coming and we’ve given this one quite a bit of thought.  Many of our loyal customers participated in a survey a few months back, the primary focus of which was to help us determine exactly what kind of content you’d like us to cover on our blog and on our Read More

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