Kris Chislett

Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand

  Grapes 100% Sauvignon Blanc   Facts Today I realized that this only the 2nd New Zealand white wine I’ve ever reviewed. Why is that, you ask? Wellllll…I think they all taste the same. Not that that’s a terribly bad thing. If you’re looking for a dependable summer-time glugger, I’d definitely put NZ SB in my top 5…but it’s no huge secret that New Zealand has developed a tiny reputation as being a “one trick pony” because of their…

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Merlot vs. Cabernet – What’s The Difference? (And cake pops…for some reason…)

    Merlot vs Cabernet – What’s the Difference? (And cake pops…for some reason…) In this video, my good buddy Joe Talentino and I examine the differences between Merlot and Cabernet wines. Of course they’re the two most popular red wines in America, but many people don’t know what makes each of them different and unique, or why you might prefer one to the other, so Joe and I here to help!  

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Going Beyond the bottle – blind tasting the top Alternate Packaging wine brands

Who needs wine in stinking glass bottles anyway!?!? In this video, Kris Chislett (Certified Sommelier and Certified Specialist of Wine) and his good buddy Joe Talentino (avid Boones Farm drinker) blind taste the top 4 alternate package wine brands of Chardonnay, and see what we think is the best. You might be surprised at which wine came out on top… All wines were tasted 100% blind under strictly controlled conditions. Video is not part of…

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what is “terroir” and why should I care?

Okie-dokie, before we get started, it’s probably best to  get the pronunciation of terroir word out of the way before we move on with the rest of the article: Terroir [ter-whah] Very loosely translated from French (since no-one can agree on the exact definition, and there is no English equivalent), terroir means “a sense of place”. It’s applied by wine nerds to talk about all the things that have an effect on the grapes in…

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Current Trends in Wine Cellar Design – Part 2

The second part of my “Current Trends in Wine Cellar Design” interview with Curtis Dahl, owner of Joseph and Curtis Wine Cellar Builders.   In the same way people have become used to entertaining in their kitchen, has the same thing started to happen with wine cellars? The wine cellar/tasting room have become THE destination spot in the modern day home. Of course it all depends on the size of the cellar. People are obviously…

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Raats Red Jasper, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Grapes 81% Cabernet Franc, 13% Malbec, 2% Cabernet, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot   Facts Cabernet Franc happens to be one of my favorite grapes. Unfortunately, good Cab Franc is rarely cheap, and cheap Cab Franc is rarely good. Somehow, Raats seem to have both of these bases covered. South Africa might be onto something here. Raats winery are big proponents of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Now, maybe I’m missing something, but when I…

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Current Trends in Wine Cellar Design – Part 1

It’s almost weekly that I receive an email from someone thinking about building a wine cellar in their home, and looking for my personal recommendation on a good wine cellar builder. Of course there’s wine cellars and there’s wine cellars. My “wine cellar” consists of my closet containing a 200 bottle wine rack and no temperature control. It does the job…for now…but for those looking for something a little more serious, I always send them…

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