Reviews

Wine Review of Landmark Vineyards Grand Detour Pinot Noir 2008

Grape 100% Pinot Noir. It’s thought that the word Pinot comes from the French word for pine or pinecone, this referring to the shape the grape bunch takes on the vine, and Noir coming from the French word for black. Pinot is a notoriously tough grape to grow due to its thin skin, which is why you often pay more for Pinot Noir than most other red wines.   Facts Before we get started, I…

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Review of Cliff Raven Torrontes

Grape 100% Torrontes [Tohr-ron-tez] You’re forgiven if you’ve never heard of the Torrontes grape, however expect to see it more and more over the coming years as its popularity increases. Torrontes really is to Argentina what Pinot Grigio is to Italy. Facts Cliff Raven was a pioneer in tattooing, he was one of the first to incorporate the Japanese style and infuse it with American iconic images creating a signature style that has influenced and…

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The Wine Formerly Known as Cristalino – Jaume Serra Cristalino Brut

Grapes Parellada, Chardonnay, Macabeo and Xarel-lo (traditional Cava grapes).   Facts If you’ve ever seen the Cristalino before, you might notice that they’ve had a change of label. Why you ask? Well, they pissed off Cristal, that’s why! Let me take you back to 2006, Louis Roederer, producer of Cristal Champagne decided that Cristalino beared too much of a resemblance to their over-priced fizz. Long story short, Roederer won and Cristalino were forced to relabel…

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Yet Another Thanksgiving Wine Article!?!?

Sure! Why not! Thanksgiving comes but once a year, and wine writers around the world rejoice at the chance to write ANOTHER article on the subject on pairing wine with this festive meal!!! Ok, so maybe my English sarcasm is getting the better of me. However even I can’t ignore the fact that on Thanksgiving their is by far the largest volume of wine consumed in the U.S. than any other day of the year!…

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Seven Heavenly Chardonnay

  Facts Whilst not certified organic, the winemaking brothers Michael and David Philips do everything they can to use all natural methods in the production of this wine. Seven Heavenly Chardonnay is positioned as a sister-wine to the Seven Deadly Zins which the Michael David Winery also produces.

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Petite Petit – As It Turns Out, Not So Petite!

Grapes A blend of 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Petit Verdot (hence the name, obviously).   Facts The Petite Petit is a blend of the 2 grapes Petite Sirah and Petite Verdot. It isn’t considered “the norm” to blend these two grapes in this way, but the result it quite impressive! Petite Sirah originally comes from France’s Rhône region where it is referred to by the synonyms of Durif or Petite Syrah, however in California…

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Croquet, Sterling Vineyards 1976 Cab, & Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1980 Bordeaux. Just Another Sunday.

Now, I’m not going to try and lead you to believe this is how I spend EVERY Sunday.  No, this Sunday was a touch different from my usual routine… Every few months, myself, my wife, and four of our closest friends get together for the Juicy Potato Club. The J.P. Club obviously needs a small explanation… When we were in Sardinia last year for 2 of our friends’ wedding, the day before they were due…

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The Great Twitter Wine Exchange–Part 2 of 2

This is part 2 of my Twitter wine exchange. In case you missed the first part, here is a quick rundown: One of the people I have been randomly talking to through Twitter is Kevin Widmer, who goes by the obscure Twitter name of @billybuttock. The rules of our wine exchange were simple: you send me a bottle, I’ll send you a bottle. The only stipulation was that the wine had to be under $20…

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Wine Review of De Toren Fusion V

Grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, 55%, Cabernet Franc 15%, Malbec 15%, Merlot 10%, Petit Verdot 5% Facts Fusion V is named after the blend of only the best of the five red Bordeaux grapes. You would therefore refer to this wine as a “Bordeaux Blend”. Currently, vineyards in South Africa are undergoing a large-scale replanting program. With this, South Africa winemakers have collectively decided to focus on the five international grape varieties (Cab, Cab Franc, Merlot, Malbec…

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Llopart Brut Rose Cava–Not Your Average Cava!

Grapes 60% Monastrell, 20% Garnacha and 20% Pinot Noir Facts Have you ever tried a good Cava? I’ll answer for you: No, you have probably  never tasted a decent Cava. Most of the Cava that is readily available from most grocery stores is generic-tasting "fizz". Perfect for mixing with Mimosas, nothing special on its own. Cava doesn’t exactly have the best reputation in the wine world, kind of similar to Asti (Nasti Asti as we…

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