back to store

800.625.8238

Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

A wine blog written by the experts from The International Wine of the Month Club

A Dream Come True

by

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 South Africa.  However, if truth be known, I had often wondered if some of the talk about the Cape’s beauty might be a bit of hyperbole.  After all, I have been fortunate to have visited most of the world’s wine regions, and I have found each to exude a distinctive charm and give me pause to wonder.  Burgundy, Germany’s Rheingau, Napa Valley, Provence, Tuscany, and Chile’s Colchagua Valley whose vineyards soar skyward on the majestic slopes of the towering Cordillera of the Andes, to name just a few special wine regions are all quite special and offer excellent photo ops.  However, after visiting South Africa’s Western Cape to sample the wines of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, and Swartland, I must confess there is no more dramatic and stunningly beautiful wine region on earth than South Africa’s Western Cape.

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Don’s January Collector’s Series Top Picks

by

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 month’s feature, the 2008 Château Boutisse St. Emilion Grand Cru, is no under achiever.  In our panel tasting, it shone when others fell flat.  Granted, good Bordeaux can close up after a year or two in bottle and need some additional time to emerge from its dormancy.  In short, it can make a liar out of you on any given day.  However, I think you’ll find that the 2008 Château Boutisse has all it needs to please.  Moreover, it will only improve in bottle for at least five more years.  Consequently, it earns one of my two top picks.

To complicate matters, Barolo is my second love and a wine I enjoy more and more.  And to be fair, Revello’s 2006 Barolo is a beautiful Barolo from a splendid vintage, so it should rightly stand with the Château Boutisse.  That means I have a problem: the 2010 Adega O Casal Godello is delightful too, so what do I do?  If forced to choose, I have to go with the two reds, but frankly, I’m going to enjoy all three.  And you should too.  We can even pretend we never had this conversation and declare all three top picks.

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Don’s January Premier Series Top Picks

by

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 white wines, but Carmen does.

Nevertheless, the thought of slighting the 2010 11 Pinos Bobal, a tasty and unique offering from a little known varietal, was simply unthinkable.  Hence, I have chosen two reds this month as my top picks.  No offense to the 2010 Can Feixes Blanc Seleccio, either.  It’s just that the 2009 Carmen Reserve Carmenere could serve as the poster child for the most beautiful Carmenere of the vintage.  Moreover, in one of our largest tasting panels (27 happy souls) the 2009 Carmen Reserva Carmenere was the unanimous choice for best wine of the evening.  Hence, it is the 2009 Carmen’s Reserva Carmenere and 2010 11 Pinos that get the nod.  

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

What to Look for in 2012

by

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 exciting wines that appeal to Americans.  The South African wine industry has transformed itself since the end of Apartheid and continues to evolve in new and exciting ways.  Not only is there now no shortage of world class red wines being made in South Africa, there is also a bevy of delectable white wines to choose from.

On my recent trip to the Western Cape, I was particularly impressed by the delicious Sauvignon Blancs, Chenin Blancs, Viognier blends, and even by a number of outstanding Chardonnays.  Yet, red wine still reigns supreme in South Africa.  Stellenbosch and the surrounding regions have long been known for distinctive, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz based wines as well as South Africa’s unique grape variety, Pinotage, and these wines are all better than ever.  I also found a number of South African Merlot wines to be especially tasty.  Consequently, in 2012 you should look for a number of South African beauties, both red and white, to show up at your doorstep.

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Another Seasonal Thought

by

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 as well as a warm, sunny day?  Why limit the pleasure of good bubbly to a few occasions or just one time of the year?  Furthermore, good sparkling wine, and Champagne in particular, cheers the heart as well as the palate.

Personally, I like Champagne at all times of the year, and I especially enjoy it as an aperitif and a prelude to a fun evening.  It cleanses the palate and enlivens the soul.  I believe it was Winston Churchill who once remarked, “In the time left to us between the disaster and the catastrophe, there is time for a glass of Champagne.” To that, I add Amen!

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Don’s December Collector’s Series Top Picks

by

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.  Nonetheless, Bouchard Père et Fils’ 2008 Beaune du Château Premier Cru has to get my nod for top pick in December.  It is an authentic red Burgundy.  It is hauntingly aromatic, delicate, and refined; yet, it has years of life ahead of it.  Because it is more difficult to produce a special red wine in Burgundy than a white wine, Bouchard wins.  Kudos to the folks at Bouchard!

My other top pick is Kilkanoon’s 2003 Block Road Cabernet Sauvignon.  Not only does it have it all going on, it is ready to drink.  There’s nothing like first rate Cabernet with some bottle age on it.  Enjoy this rich, flavorful Cabernet now and over the next few years.

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

Don’s December Premier Series Top Picks

by

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 better.  Juicy, polished and delightful with all kinds of foods, it delivers on all fronts to earn a top pick for December’s Premier Series.

Equally impressive is Massone’s 2010 Vignetto Masera Gavi – another old favorite.  Bright and fresh like the living waters of a high mountain stream, Massone’s Gavi earns special feature status this month too.  It always makes me wonder if the water from the mythical “Fountain of youth” could taste any fresher or be any more vibrant than Massone’s Masera Gavi. 

 

A Votre Santé!

Don

The International Wine of the Month Club

The International Wine of the Month Club | 1-800-625-8238 (Outside USA call: 949-206-1904) | P.O. Box 1627, Lake Forest, CA 92609