beautiful wine from the Côte de Provence, a blend of 85% Rolle (that's Vermentino to you Italo-philes) and 15% Ugni-Blanc (that's Trebbiano to you Italo-philes). This is the "entry level" wine, which is a joke because it is a complete wine, ripe, complex, cellar-worthy. Syrah, and Grenache. Delicious and earthy Blanc de Blancs. MORE >>

The areas to consider are the Cote Du Rhone, The Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence and Southwest France. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsaut, these are the most popular grapes of Southern France and vignerons (French winemakers) play around with them in the cellars to create their own identities. Ah, the Holidays. MORE >>

But I have an active imagination and lately I've been thinking about the south of France, Provence in particular. So instead we decided to spend a couple of days drinking the wines of Provence, specifically the Bandol appellation. Bandol is quietly known for making some of the finer red wines in Provence. Why Bandol? MORE >>

looked at a a report of my wine consumption in Cellar Tracker , the useful wine inventory and community tasting software created by Eric LeVine, and I see that my 2006 average value per bottle is $24.31. will be more selective about the wine I put in my cellar. will find more wine at the $15 price point that I truly enjoy. MORE >>

Wines that are made with organically and/or biodynamically grown grapes and with minimal intervention in the cellar - natural wines. This, in my opinion, is the strongest part of the portfolio - the selections from southern France, country wines from the Rhône, Languedoc-Roussillan, and Provence. And then there is Binner. ll take it. MORE >>