tasted a few of them recently at a trade tasting and was impressed with the lean, taut wines from a land known all too often for buxom chardonnay and pinot noir. The 2010 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir exhibits a toothsome quality with red fruit and good acidity. Rita Hills.) Tyler winery.

wanted to see what varietial of wine I was buying, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir etc. Although I try to keep my tasting notes and blog reviews to wines that are much less expensive, I also like to post about wines I enjoyed and this Bordeaux I enjoyed immensely. I am finally getting around to trying French wines.

It is a quaint vineyard and after a tour of the ferementation vessels we have our tasting in the cellar, surrounded by oak barrels. Federico speaks English well and conducts the tasting. Below are some notes from the tasting. Pinot Noir 2010 Family Reserve. "Welcome!" Alexander joins his. Viognier 2011.

Now here are some tasting notes. Pinot Noir 2010 grand reserva. "What exciting wines!" is my first reaction to meeting Marcelo Irurtia, who is in charge of vineyard management for his family's 100 year old winery, and Maria Silvia Bianchi, who is in charge of exportation. The brand of these two wines is Km.0 Cool melon flavors.

Javiar did just that – and thus led the now-currant movement of small family wineries putting their efforts into perfecting the presentation and taste of the natural Tannat grape. Now Javiar is a man very much about “good taste.” Wine is good for your health, yet I think it should taste good. Here are some tasting notes.

They grapes will include Pinot Noir and Riesling. or perhaps as a tasting room. “What are those curious birds!” I can’t help but ask, as we tour the vineyard of Bodega Bouza in Uruguay. My guides are Eduardo Boido, winemaker and Cristina Santoro, who manages PR and communications. They will be vinified here to start. Merlot 09.

As we taste the delicious wines (the family produces over thirty wines, we continue to chat. As we taste it, Daniel jokes that his original vision was to make an award winning "Brunello" style wine. enjoyed the Pinot Noir 08 from this line with is slightly jammy flavors and clean, elegant finish. I asked, amazed.

One is 90% Chardonnay and 10% Sauvignon Blanc and the other is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Ana and Carlos travel often to London and New York and other markets to hand sell their wines at various in-store tastings and private dinners. And here are some notes from the tasting. Don Prospero Pinot Noir 2011.

Finally, we come to the tasting portion. It uses chardonnay (30 percent) pinot noir (45 percent) and pinot meunier and is toasty, rich, and sumptuous. and now we try the Cuvee Lalou 1999, which is 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. mumm tour and tastingMumm in Reims. Do you have a poster?" years.

am in Epernay at the Terroirs & Talents de Champagne tasting at the Au Restuarante Theatre.  During my WSET studies when we thought about champagne we really only learned about the chalk soil, yet during this week of tastings it was incredible to taste the vins clair from all the different soils. visit each producer in turn.

I love blind tasting. Without knowing whether or not I am intrigued by the producer, whether or not I've had it before, or any of the many other things that influence my expectations about a wine before I actually smell and taste it. Tastings Agrapart Peter Liem Pragerdid this last year at about this time , and now again.

It’s the time of year when distributors and/or importers have annual (or semi-annual) portfolio tastings. Yesterday was the Polaner Selections tasting and I dropped by for a while in the second half. Mostly the range consistes of blanc de blancs from Mesnil, but the rosé has 25% pinot noir from Ambonnay. Quite fun.

Fast forward almost 2 years and I'm finally tasting the fruits of his noble effort, a Pinot Noir made from California grapes. Back in April of 2010 my friend's Justin did exactly what he said he would do. Make wine. That's right, he's making wine in the bathtub of his 475 square foot apartment in NYC's East Harlem.

So, it was a very short tour, but a very enjoyable day and I got to taste some very nice wines from one of the youngest wineries in the Finger Lakes. had already tasted and reviewed their 2007 Cabernet Franc and found that to be one of the best Finger Lakes '07 Cab Francs from what was a very good FLX vintage. Entrance sign off W.

And they taste so very good. This wine is all Bouzy, a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, but it reminded me of a wine I tasted a few years ago by Moutard that is made with the obscure grapes of Champagne, things like Arbanne and Petit Meslier. cannot tell you how excited I am about this. Some wine too.

Unlike Champagne and any other sparkling wine, the grapes used for Franciacorta include Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir). As we zipped through the mature Pinot Nero vineyard I couldn’t help but notice gorgeous looking dark, heavy fruit still hanging on the vines a week after harvest. “Welcome!”

For example, let's pretend I have just poured you a glass of 2006 Smoking Loon Pinot Noir from California. You would pick up the book, look up Pinot Noir (found on page 32), and read the following: Pinot Noir. The best Pinot wines are a startling ruby red. Quick! Wine, of course. Well done!" I asked.

The vineyards boast prime southeastern exposure & consist primarily of Chardonnay vines (94%) & the rest is made up of Pinot Noir (6%). Tasting Note: Pale straw in the glass with lovely mineral, dried fruit & citrus zest aromatics that reflect the purest expression of the Montgueux terroir. LOVED this champagne.

Drive up to the home/winery of winemaker Francis Boulard -- who makes some of the finest Champagne I have ever tasted -- and you will see a modest farmhouse, colorful children’s toys in the large driveway, and … a trampoline. Finally, the tasting. One of the problems with being biodynamic in Champagne is the cold, wet, rainy weather.

Now owned by Anthony Russell (son of the founder) and producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The reception, lunch, and tasting was held at the very elegant winery of Bouchard Finlayson, which is described as “a boutique winery” yet looks like a Bel-Air mansion or a 5-star hotel in Beverly Hills – take your pick. link]. link].

As an English major from UCLA – and a So Cal girl who grew up in Los Angeles, Newport Beach, and the ‘concrete jungle’ of big city life – there is something incredibly charming and completely old world about Mr. Downes’ home, which will soon turn into a tasting room where visitors can enjoy his excellent wines. First, imagine the vista.

I recently tweeted that I’d be leading a tasting of hipster wines. The tasting on Manhattan’s Upper East Side came and went and I didn’t wear a woolen cap, flannel shirt, or use empty 40-ounce cans of PBR as decanters. But we did taste some fine and fun wines, if quirky and hard to find (though not in Brooklyn).

The tasting room is large and spacious, yet what sets the room apart from others we’ve seen is a large, unusually ornate tapestry that looks as if it would be better situated in an Roman museum than here, in a rather rural region where baboons, instead of birds, feast on the grapes. Welcome!” Thelema Mountain Vineyards. News S.

It is a gorgeous day, and I am sitting in the bright white tasting room with Charles and Richard Theron, Sales & Marketing Manager looking out at sleek Arab horses, meandering sheep, and some healthy looking vines. "So what's the story with these gorgeous horses?" I ask Charles Hopkins, cellar master at De Grendel wines in Cape Town.

We have just driven through the charming, historic village of Gevrey-Chambertin to arrive at Mr. Gallois’s home and cellar, where a child’s bicycle is parked near the front door and two enthusiastic-looking music and video producers eagerly taste wine atop a barrel in the charming tasting room, minutes later exiting with several cases.

I'd like to thank Kristen and her good friends for helping me taste this flight of wine picks for Thanksgiving. Te Muna Road Vineyard Craggy Range Pinot Noir, 2009, New Zealand From the region of Martinborough, 100% Pinot Noir grapes are fermented in open-top tanks followed by aging in 33% new French oak barriques for 10 months.

The color was a little darker golden yellow than what I have seen in other Albariño's I tasted and the aromas were heavy on mineral, but still had lots of honeysuckle and peach. Sometimes I believe Shirley just likes to purposely prepare a dinner that will not pair with any of the wines in the rack on purpose. Pairing was OK.

The collection included sparklers, chardonnay, pinot noir, and a cabernet sauvignon, all named with numbers that had key significance for Jean-Charles. 7, my favorite Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast, was named for the moment he had his first taste of wine. For example, the JCB No.

First, this is the first New Zealand red wine I have tasted in a least four years. The last was an unimpressive Pinot Noir that, along with some not so favorable press about NZ reds, kept me away from trying anymore. have always liked New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc's, but red wines were just not attractive to me.

The wine in stainless steel barrel tastes bright and ripe, but the new and once used oak adds this complexity that is lost from either lot alone. The fruit here is tasting very nice, showing some senescence and ripe blackberry. Harvest is progressing nicely, if slowly, here in Napa Valley. Our 2011 St. Up on Mt. What We're Drinking.

Gilgal Brut is made from a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir grown in the cool climate of the Golan Heights. Very cool idea -- Israreli sparkling wine! Produced in the classic Champagne method, it is aged for a minimum of one year in the bottle on the tirage yeast. News gilgal israeli sparkling wine

In fact, during one session during a Society of Wine Educator's conference, the audience blind tasted Franciacorta vs. Cru Champagne. Unlike the grapes of Champagne, the primary grapes for Franciacorta is Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier. Very excited to visit Brescia, Italy for the wine blogger's conference!

The tasting room on the 4th floor of the Metropolitan Pavillion was beautifully set-up with well chosen wines. So a great presentation today by Marnie Old, who gave a talk for Wines from Spain "Great Match" at the Metropolitan Pavillion about Cava. Marnie is a fabulous presenter whose enthusiasm for Cava came out loud and clear.

Today the Wine Media Guild had the rare and very special opportunity to taste test 'cork vs. screwcap' for the second time. Those of us lucky enough to be present in 2007 (myself included) tasted the 2002 vintage of various cru wines from Domaine LaRoche in both cork and screwcap. Jean-Claude Boisset Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2005 Cork **.

Emiliana Gran Reserva Novas Pinot Noir 2010 The first Vineyard to go organic, sustainable and biodynamic, Emiliana produces this expressive Pinot Noir. Morande Edicion Limitada Pinot Noir 2008 15 months in half new barrel make this Pinot sing aromatically! Outstanding Pinot Noir for the $22 pricetag

We arrived at Weingut Kranz where Boris Kranz and other Sudpfalz members (listed below) welcomed us and showed us into the tasting room, where each presented his or her wine. As a group and as individuals, the winemakers really appeared to strive for perfection and leaned toward the more classic elegant style of Pinot Noir.

Wine reviews J vineyards pinot noir sparkler sparkling wineReally fabulous wine for any occasion. gorgeous rose color, charred bread on the nose. Elegant sparkler in the french style with crisp acidity, a long finish, and gorgeous color and aroma.

The remaining vineyards feature Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc. Very excited to visit Schloss Schonborn again this week as a student in the Masters of Wine education program. The first time I went was on a trip sponsored by the German Wine Institute and the European Union for its Destination Riesling program. Hauptstr.

Very excited to meet him and taste through his wines! Master of Wine News Pfalz ellerstadt germany markus schneider belvini pinot noir winemarkus schneider belvini. so on the trip, our group will also be stopping at the winery of Weingut Markus Schneider.

The McGregor family established their winery in 1980 and began producing Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Noir that year. Today, the thriving McGregor Vineyard includes Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat Ottonel, Cayuga White, and Vignoles.

We did have to miss a few, but we did get to tastes some outstanding wines, have a fantastic lunch, meet and talk with some very knowledgeable wine people and view one of the most scenic lakes in the region. We did get in to do a little shopping while a make shift tasting area was being moved back indoors. at least for now).

Perhaps one of the greatest strengths of the new technology is the ability to host 'tasting webinars' for wine education. For example, many journalists, upon tasting a wine, would love to have the winemaker right there to answer questions about yeast, terroir, the way different plots are mixed, and vintage conditions.

With this we drank two different Inflorescence Brut Blanc de Noirs , the 2008 and 2009. Jaime then served a squash risotto which which we paired with the 2004 Inflorescence Brut Blanc de Noirs La Parcelle. But this is the Aube, after all, and the warmer climate in this excellent vintage brings unusual nuance to Pinot wines.

Robert Parker tasted the wines with winemaker Helen Turley. At their tasting together, the Marcassin owners poured the ’06 for Parker alongside their ’06s. Really, if this is really one of America’s best pinots, why just stand on your own accomplishments and not lash out at Burgundy? Robert Parker loved them!

We are talking about the influence of French oak on the 2008 Pinot Noir, and as is the case when wine geeks get together, the conversation turns to toast (not the kind you have at breakfast) and the importance of being on the same page with your cooperage. The Pinot Noirs (08, 07) are fabulous and very different because of the vintage.

The lanky, California maker of pinot noir, chardonnay, and syrah told me at his Sonoma winery that he had his conversion in 2005, after returning from a trip to Burgundy and the Rhone. He tasted the pinot noirs and syrahs he had been making since starting his own label, Copain Wines , in 1999.

believe I had a few Pinot Noir in the past that were about this color. Aromas were more earthy, a little drier taste and the finish was longer and smoother. A few weeks ago I read a very nice review on the New York Cork Report about a Long Island dry Rose` made with 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Saturday was that day.

The native grapes have unfamiliar names, yet many wines I tasted are familiar … Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malvasia. “We are very lucky today!” a woman said, stepping onto the gorgeous rooftop of a West Side building where the gorgeous sun displayed its golden rays after several days of clouds and rain.

We are talking about the influence of French oak on the 2008 Pinot Noir, and as is the case when wine geeks get together, the conversation turns to toast (not the kind you have at breakfast) and the importance of being on the same page with your cooperage. The Pinot Noirs (08, 07) are fabulous and very different because of the vintage.

That's the time most of the wineries open the tasting rooms. Last time here I was tasting only red wines, but today I planned on a white wine only day. tasted four white wines, purchased a few and back tracked to Swedish Hill Winery. Fortunately, today Pam only tasted a few and decided to do all the driving.

2009 Francis Coppola Votre Sante Pinot Noir. Wine reviews 2009 francis coppola diamond collection 2009 claret 2009 francis coppola votre sante pinot noir black swan 2010 south eastern australian moscato director's cut 2008 cinema director's cut 2009 russian river valley chardonnayDirector's Cut 2008 Cinema.

While everyone else was enjoying the delicious wine at the Top of the List Tasting, I was attending three fabulous seminars with the luminaries in the wine world. Beaux Frères 2009 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Flowers 2009 Sonoma Coast Camp Meeting Ridge Block 2 Pinot Noir. topic: natural wine movement.

Very excited to visit the Astor center today, and taste my favorite wines from 23 growers from the Jura! The red grapes are Poulsard (always grown on claysoil) and Trousseau (always on limestone soil) along with Pinot Noir. had met most of them on a trip in the Jura a few years back. News jura stephane Tissot

GUSHED: American pinot. Mike Steinberger rhapsodizes over the pinot noir from Rhys Vineyards, calling them the “best New World pinot&# that he’s ever encountered. Aditya Gupta, formerly in my NYU wine class, recently had a wine from Freisa, making it the one hundredth grape variety that he’s tasted.

This time of year there are a load of trade tastings, and even if like me, you only go to a few of them, you hear things. It is almost a Blanc de Noirs - 57% Meunier, 38% Pinot, and 5% Chardonnay. There are a few vintage wines and I cannot talk intelligently about them because I've had them only at tastings. That's right.3

When RN74 opened a couple of years ago, Parr drew attention by saying that he wouldn’t carry pinot noirs or chardonnays over 14% alcohol. The NYT details that at a recent panel discussion and tasting about balance in pinot noir, Lee presented a 13% and a 15% pinot noir of his to the audience.

Porterhouse was the elegant venue for a tutored tasting of La Follette wine lead by winemaker Greg La Follette (formerly of Flowers, de Loach) who recently launched a new winery last year called La Follette. Of the Pinot Noirs, my favorite was the 2008 La Follette Manchester Ridge Vineyard which was very floral and elegant.

Many of them are generous enough to help me in the Master of Wine program by sending me boxes of wine, with each bottle covered in paper bags so I can't know what I'm tasting until I am done with my notes. so imagine my surprise when I received two bottles labeled "3A" and"3B" and tasted them blind simultaneously.

Usually with this dish, I will have a Chianti or sometimes a Pinot Noir, but after taking a taste of the Salneval Albarino I opened for Shirley, I decided to go with a white wine for dinner. This week she made a delicious Chicken Cacciatore and needed 1/4 cup of a dry white wine. white wine Albarino Rias Baixas Spanish

Red wine varietals that tend to benefit from a good bit of oak include: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage, Chianti, Zinfandel, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo and Syrah. White wine varietals that are receptive to oak’s influence include: Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and of course Chardonnay.

I stopped into the Jenny and François spring portfolio tasting the other day to taste some of the new releases. When I go to these things, which I honestly don't often do anymore, I no longer try to taste everything. tasted the new releases from Champagne Jacques Lassaigne , the excellent producer in Montgueux.

Hand sorted, entirely destemmed, cold soaked 4-6 days • 3500 cases made • Aged in 40% New French Oak (Francoise Frere, Billon, Mercurey, Hermitage) • Released Spring 2010 This wine was part of a tasting at my Level ll Intermediate Certificate WSET class in Wine & Spirits last weekend at the International Wine Center

The wine: Avia Pinot Noir 2008. The wine was smooth with taste of strawberry and some blackberry and a small hint of rose petal. The Avia Pinot Noir at it's low price is much better than many I've tasted at 4 or 5 time the price. Pinot Noir SloveniaHowever, there are times he opens a gem.

After lots of tasting in the cellar we were back in the comfortable and warm reception room, tasting through the current lineup of wines. thought of this again later that day, tasting with Raphaël Bérèche. Beginning with the 2007 vintage, he makes an old vines Pinot Meunier from the vineyard of Les Misy in Port à Binson.

To really know the taste of wines from a certain place - this is not an easy thing for most of us. If you visit a Champagne producer a few months after the harvest but before the following spring, and if you are lucky, you will have the chance to taste vin clair, the base wine that eventually becomes sparkling wine.

2008 J Vineyards & Winery Pinot Noir (USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley). Style note: a very elegant Burgundian style of Pinot Noir with pretty red fruit (framboise, raspberries) and a very silky mouthfeel. 2008 J Vineyards & Winery Pinot Noir dierberg chardonnayfinish is med+.

Riesling and Pinot Noir was the focus of the event - six young Rieslings, and six Rieslings with age to see their incredible development. Fifteen Pinot Noirs, after tasting twelve of the most incredible Rieslings, was done at breakneck speed. Fabulous event today at Landmark in the Time Warner Center!

This is because the wine is from a place that actually favors and specializes in Pinot Noir, not Chardonnay. We drank a wine from Hermitage from a producer I was unfamiliar with, and although I hesitate to make superlative statements, this was without question the finest northern Rhône wine that I have ever tasted in my life.

In 1982, the Montague Vineyard, 50 acres adjacent to the Niagara District Airport, was acquired and produces Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Pinot Grigio. Afterwards, we had an icewine tasting with Bruce Nicholson, who was responsible for the vintages during 2006 and afterwards. Inniskillin Winemaker Bruce Nicholson.

If you've never heard of these wines or never tasted one, you are most certainly not alone. Pierre Larmandier wants to make red wine from Vertus Pinot Noir because he wants to preserve the history of Vertus." The villages where Pinot Noir thrives are also the villages that make highly regarded Coteaux Champenois.

Blackstone Sonoma Reserve Pinot Noir 2009. With its velvet texture, nose of well sorted fresh grapes, and fresh flavors, this is a well balanced New World Pinot that can match many foods, especially salmon, pork, rare duck. Mazzocco Sonoma Petite Syrah Aguilera 2007. Macari Sauvignon Blanc 2009. Macari Riesling 2009.

so if you are reading this for the first time, before reading the "tale" below you should know that the goal of this exercise is to taste wines blind and deduce the vintage, grape, and other matters of importance. Now you know that Pinot Noir (PN) is also made in the Loire as well as Burgundy, and now even the Languedoc.

So have you ever been in the position of blind tasting a lighter bodied, rather fruity wine, with bright red fruit flavors, minerals, and in some cases, a vertical structure? would not know if they were Gamay, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Franc. One in particular was darker, suggesting more extraction. color: purple. nose: shy.

Today alone, Eric Asimov of the NY Times published an article reviewing his tasting panel's thoughts on sparkling wines not from Champagne, and also a blog post listing some of his favorite Champagnes. Pinot Noir-heavy wines. This is always based on a single vintage, and is usually about 90% Pinot Noir. cents.

The champagne in your glass likely is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and/or Pinot Meunier grapes. While both can be fun, they are made differently, taste different, and are priced differently. Does champagne go to your head faster because of the bubbles? No, it goes to your head faster because you are on a date.

We are sitting in the gorgeous guest reception villa Nicholas designed to entertain journalists and other visitors, and about to taste a selection of his wines and enjoy lunch. Tasting Cheval des Andes. Nicolas tells me about a 1929 Malbec he recently tasted. Creation of Cheval des Andes. Enter the Executive Chef. Pony Escapes!

Everyone loves the happy bright cheerful color of rose champagne, and also the taste that goes along with the extra addition from the Pinot Noir. Thinking of rose champagne this holiday season? The wines below are great food wines and many can also be served as an aperatif. NV Ayala Brut Rosé Majeur (Cognac One) $47 - $55.

Have you tried a themed tasting? Just recently, I decided to ask the stores to create "themed" tastings, which is more similar to the MW program in which students are given 12 wines grouped into "themes" and asked what the wines are. So tonight we had one of our first themed tastings of three Pinot Noirs.

Tasting notes: First up is a bouquet of summer fruits; peaches and nectarines with a tangy grapefruit accent. Flavor: broad and fresh; the characteristic fruity aromas of the bouquet come through with complexity and end with a clean finish. The crisp palate shows a tart freshness that sings with the essence of rose water and cherries.

Below are the wines I tasted -- all were incredibly well crafted, and some - by sheer personal preference - I like more than others. Saarstein Pinot Blanc 2008 - a fresh, fruity, dry wine with intense minerality (about six grams residual sugar) great for a salad course. valckenberg rheingraf saarstein pinot blanc undone pinot noir

From tastings at various trade shows, Portuguese wines often seemed to offer rich, concentrated flavor for a very reasonable price. The first wine we taste is a white wine made from the naturally acidic Arinto grape, with the aromatic Farnao Pires. The Riesling is delicious, very high in acidity with the signature taste of Petrol.

But even in the Languedoc, in the south of France where the grape proliferates, where reasonable people like Jancis Robinson dump on the grape for tasting like battery acid (or something ). By contrast, Becky Wasserman told me she considers Carignan to be “the Pinot Noir of the south,&# especially given its high natural acidity.

This dinner was a great opportunity to taste new things by my favorite producers, and also to get acquainted with some of his producers who are new to me. Pinot Meunier does very well in this area and Bedel's wines are mostly Meunier. Headrick's portfolio is small, but well selected. The one who converted to biodynamic farming in 1982.

Inquiring minds wonder if it will do for Bordeaux in China what Sideways did for pinot noir here? Tags: French wine tasting sized pours SIPPED: spiked juice. The good folks at Gizmodo sacrificed their own palates by turning Welch’s grape juice into, well, fermented grape juice using a product called Spike Your Juice.

As reported in ChampagneGuide.net , Franck Pascal is a rising star in the northern part of the Marne, in the village of Baslieux-sur-Châtillon where the soil is especially friendly to Pinot Meunier. This rosé is mainly Meunier, based on the regular NV cuvée with still red wine (both Pinot Noir and Meunier) blended in.

Recently my friend and I were enjoying blind tasting a wine as is a typical practice at dinner. After a few moments of careful examination, it was safe to concluded it was from the Old World, likely a 2007, and a Pinot Noir. Yet what sort of Pinot Noir? And if Burgundy, what appellation?

Its characteristic taste is fresh and distinctive, with just a hint of almond. Getting time to clean out the old wine fridge. Shirley keeps doing her part by challenging me to come up with a pairing for some of her weird dinner experiments. 10 *Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from the PR folks representing the brand.

… So I just had a fabulous lunch at Avra in NYC with Nicolas Miller, whose family owns the Bien Nacido brand (Pinot Noir and Syrah) and Solomon Hills brand (Chardonnay) in Santa Maria, California. am here to taste the Bien Nacido brand of Pinot Noir and Syrah, as well as their new 2008 Solomon Hills Chardonnay.

also got to barrel taste this semi-sweet rosé and was waiting for something a little different out of Shirley's kitchen to give it a try. I love it when Shirley decides to experiment in the kitchen. It either means we end up going out to dinner or I am in for a special treat. Stoney Lonsesome Estates 2008 Reserve.

enjoyed his Cellar Tracker note on the 2009 Coudert Clos de la Roilette Fleurie Cuvée Tardive , $26, Louis/Dressner Selections, and received his permission to re-print it here: This is my first taste of 2009 Beaujolais so I don't know if some other examples are bearing out people's speculation that the vintage may be marked by fat, overdone fruit.

cannot imagine cellaring it, as it tastes so good now, and doesn't seem to be holding anything in reserve. You blend Pinot Noir and Gamay somewhere near Touraine and you can make a decent wine. And it tastes really good right now. Some of my favorite wines have just been released in new vintages. Don't miss it. Pure joy.

Usually I taste blind, and now I'm sorry that I didn't because the sense of Napa terroir is so strong here it could have been an easy win. also liked the 2008 Pinot Noir, which was sourced from the Henry Ranch in Carneros. Brooks Painter, winemaker. so recently I received three wines from V. Very good quality, 931 cases. sattu

did stop at one and tasted their 2007 Meritage. say that because my luck has never been too good when tasting at a market or street fair and buying what I thought was an OK wine at the time. The winery and tasting room is located on the East side of Cayuga Lake between Waterloo and Ithaca. King Ferry Winery was founded in 1984.

have already tasted two of the Octavin Home Wine Bar artisan white wines and did review the Sauvignon Blanc from that collection and was looking forward to trying the Zin, but not necessarily writing a review. I've been holding out on the wine reviews until everything gets back to normal after my surgery. Best of all is the price.

SPIT: pinot noir. Wine journoblogger Blake Gray pens a break up letter to Pinot Noir. Here’s a taste: “It’s not only because you’ve gained weight, although I won’t deny that’s a big factor…But that’s not the only reason. Tags: tasting sized pours SF Chron ].

There is another wine in the portfolio, a wine that has quietly amazed me since the first time I tasted it. I'm talking about Empriente, the Pinot Noir based wine made from a single vintage, although it is not a vintage wine. The problem is, hardly anyone sells the wine. I've looked for this wine for years without success.

Moreover, he told The Sun , that it didn’t pass his taste test at home: “Instead of a nice French Burgundy, this was a cheap German Hock or Liebfraumilch.&# Also, fewer people are aware of what a ’21 Petrus label should look like let alone what it should taste like. Click for label photos.).

Wine & Spirits magazine assembled a group of leading sommeliers, tasted the wines and Rod Smith wrote a story about it. couple of weeks ago, the magazine assembled another group with David Hirsch to taste some of his 2007s–as well as some of the same 1997s tasted a decade ago.

She is a winemaker from Marlborough, New Zealand, and is here in NYC to showcase her delicous Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. You know Jules Taylor – of course you do.

If this guy invited me to a three hour tasting of Boone's Farm wines, I would go. enjoyed how the wine changed from front to back, how the initial taste was so honeyed and floral, and then the finish was more delicate and stony. Well, the chef at Alto did, anyway. Levi just organized the whole thing. And lucky for me, he invited me.