13 posts
2016 Adelaida ‘Anna’s Estate Vineyard’ Syrah ($36) Nestled into the rolling foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains near Paso Robles, California, there is an idyllic contemporary winery owned by the Hoffman family and operated by Dr. Stanley Hoffma...
2021 C’EST LA VIE Pinot Noir + Syrah Blend ($13) C’EST LA VIE wines “invites you to simply take life as it comes.” C’EST LA VIE wines are imported from the Pays d’Oc IGP in Southern France. This region covers all the wines that are not made under ...
Red Wines of Maremma Toscana These red wines from the Maremma Toscana sub-region of Italy’s Tuscany are considered “Super Tuscans” using non-native Italian grapes and/or blends. Many fine examples of Super Tuscans come from the region of Maremma, o...
Winemakers sometimes co-ferment Syrah with Viognier. But, why would they combine a red-wine grape and a white-wine grape during fermentation? Well, this began in the Côte-Rôtie, a wine-growing region in France’s Northern Rhône Valley where Viognier...
2013 McPrice Myers ‘Beautiful Earth’ Red Blend ($42) When I was looking for a good wine to accompany a recent meal, I noticed this Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre (GSM) from Paso Robles and grabbed it. Upon pouring it, I immediately noticed that this GSM ...
2016 Thomas Allen Generations Red Blend ($7) This was a new one to me. I’d previously tried the Thomas Allen Cabernet Sauvignon, but wasn’t aware of their red blend. Thomas Allen is owned and operated by third generation wine grape growers, Thomas ...
California’s Gold Rush of the 1850s included the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. As fortune seekers flocked to the Sierras to prospect for gold, small wineries also began to appear. But the decline of gold mining in the late 18...
2015 Foggy Veil Hillside Selection Santa Barbera County Red Blend ($13) This red blend is 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, in a traditional Rhone style. And the California Central Coast, Paso Robles and Santa Barbera, are doing tremendous Rhone blends. ...
2013 Abadia Retuerta Selección Especial ($30) Abadia Retuerta first started producing wines in Spain in 1996. The winery and surrounding vineyards are on the former site of the 12th century Santa Maria de Retuerta Monastery in Sardón de Duero. This ...
2013 Wild Horse GSM ($12) This blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre (GSM) from Wild Horse is medium-light in body with a soft mouthfeel, candied red fruit flavors, and light tannins. When served slightly chilled, at cellar temperatures, it’s a ver...
2015 Ventisquero Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva ($15) Chile has been producing wine for more than 400 years. But, in the past 30 years has really made great strides in producing highly notable wines. And the Maipo Valley has become Chile’s red wine coun...
2013 Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles Rhône Style Blend ($6) This Rhône style blend is a perfect fit for Behind the Cork ™ - Wine of the Week. It’s affordable, it’s attainable and it’s a nice wine to enjoy any day of the week. Being a Rhône blend, it ...
2014 Foggy Veil Hillside Red Blend ($13) This blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Grenache from Santa Barbara County is another unexpected winner. In the Rhone tradition, this blend has the big fruit, medium tannin characteristics of the Syrah with the Grena...