The red wines of the relatively small Bierzo region in northwest Spain are among the lesser known and more interesting that the country has to offer. Here, the main red grape is the indigenous Mencia, grown on steep hillside vineyards that give the wines density, depth, and mineral-driven character.
The Finger Lakes region of New York is the most important wine area on the East Coast. While known internationally for its Rieslings, its red wines, still under the radar, are worth exploring as well, particularly Cabernet Franc.
Although Chardonnay is the signature white wine of California’s Napa and Sonoma Valleys, Sauvignon Blanc deserves more attention than it gets, especially among those looking for crisper wines that can be both opulent and refreshing.
I make no apologies for the fact that I’m a lover of Burgundy. To generalize, the region’s Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays tend to have a focus and finesse defined by village-specific terroirs, subtle fruit, and moderate levels of alcohol. They are endlessly fascinating. California has a warmer climate, and so it produces more powerful, fruit-driven […]
Of all the appellations in France’s vast Rhône Valley, Costières de Nîmes is among the more obscure and least celebrated. But the area, which is the Rhône’s southernmost appellation and borders Languedoc, offers some excellent wines and great values. One of them is from Château de Campuget, the “1753” Syrah 2016. At around $18, it […]
Even before I started looking into the background of Gilbert Picq, a renowned Chablis producer in Burgundy, I knew from tasting the wine that it was among the purest expressions of Chardonnay to be found anywhere. Picq’s 2017 Chablis represents the appellation at its best — a mineral-driven wine whose soul lies is in the […]
Nebbiolo is one the world’s greatest grapes. It’s the pride of Piedmont, the northern Italian region that gives us the storied wines of Barolo and Barbaresco. These wines often require two things that present challenges to many wine lovers: significant money and time aging in the bottle. Fortunately, there is very good Nebbiolo that can […]
When friends from out of town invited a small group of us to dinner recently, as they do almost every fall, it was at the same Manhattan restaurant where we usually convene — an Italian institution known to us for its familiarity, consistency, and quality.
The Finger Lakes region in upstate New York is, without doubt, the leading wine area in the eastern United States. While it has gained international notoriety for its Rieslings, the region also produces some outstanding red wines, perhaps most notably from the Cabernet Franc grape. One of the best of the Cab Francs is from […]
