8 posts
behind the cork
2022 Montes Alpha Carmenère ($24.99) Montes — officially Viña Montes — was founded in 1987 by four partners with extensive experience in winemaking and viticulture: Aurelio Montes, Douglas Murray, Alfredo Vidaurre, and Pedro Grand. Their founding go...
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tour of grapes
Cabernet Franc 🍷 Cabernet Franc (often referred to as Cab Franc) is a lesser know grape, but it’s actually the parent grape for both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon! Nearly two-thirds of Cabernet Franc is grown in France, but Italy and the U.S. now h...
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behind the cork
2023 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Parallèle 45 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge ($15.99) Parallèle 45 is named after the earth’s 45th parallel, a famous circle of latitude that marks the midpoint between the equator and the North Pole. It also passes over the cellars of ...
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tour of grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon 🍷 Widely considered the “King of Red Wines,” Cabernet Sauvignon is the world’s most widely planted and renowned red wine grape. It originated in 17th-century France as a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It is cons...
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behind the cork
2023 Bezel Cabernet Sauvignon ($29.99) Bezel is a new wine adventure from the famed Cakebread Family of wines. Since 1973, they have made wine in Napa Valley at Cakebread Cellars in Rutherford, California. But with Bezel, they are breaking out of N...
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tour of grapes
Carignan 🍷 Carignan Grapes — Image from Wikimedia Commons (Sarah Stierch) Carignan (care-in-yen), also known as Carineña or Mazuelo, is a black-skinned wine grape variety, most likely native to Aragon, Spain. It is largely grown in France with ...
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behind the cork
2021 Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.99) When Chateau Ste. Michelle was founded in 1967, many believed great wine could only come from Italy or California. Their founders set out to prove otherwise—and in doing so, establi...
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tour of grapes
Carménère 🍷 The name Carménère (kar-men-nair) comes from the French word carmin (meaning crimson). Unlike many grapes whose leaves turn yellow or brown, Carménère leaves turn a brilliant, fiery red in the fall, long before the grapes are even ready ...
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