He’ll shop around the world’s best wine regions, including France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Argentina, South Africa, and California to find some very good juice in bulk that a vineyard might sell for $55 per bottle and sell it for $15. Lot 135 Central Coast Syrah 2007 $12 Animal, bright fruits, dark berries, strawberries, red licorice. MORE >>

From Monterey, California, a Meritage is a Bordeaux style blend using Cabernet and Merlot. this one also has Petit Verdot and Malbec in the mix. On the nose a thick and intense syrupy aroma of ripe cherries, with juicy flavors showing herbal influence, swathed in violet powder and a mild vegetal edge. MORE >>

With all this talk of the merlot and pinot noir it was now time to enjoy the latter. Summerland is one of the better California producers in my book. My wife and I were lucky enough and honored to sit and try every wine in their line when we visited their tasting room in Summerland California on our way to Ventura. Good stuff. MORE >>

The red varietals that define this region, syrah, carignan, grenache, mouvedre and to some extent merlot and cabernet sauvignon are always blended together is some way shape or form depending on the appellation or sub-appellation. It is 90% sangiovese, which is the main grape in this area with the rest being made up of canaiolo and merlot. MORE >>

And with that being said we decided not to jump the gun with whites, roses, and Beaujolais saving these for April and focusing on the western Coast of the United States for March's Wine Starter Kit. This month the kit is a hundred bucks for six great expressions of the big three: Washington, Oregon and California. Cheers MORE >>