behind the cork
2019 Ritual Sauvignon Blanc ($20.99) This organic Sauvignon Blanc is from the Casablanca Valley in Chile. This cool climate area is located on the northwestern side of Chile’s coastal range that is less than 30 km from the Pacific Ocean. This win...
Read more →In the making of red wines, bits of grape seeds and grape solids are often intentionally left in the wine during fermentation and aging. Sediment will also naturally develop in undisturbed bottles of red wine that have been aged in a cellar or wine r...
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behind the cork
2021 Pazo de Lusco Albariño ($24.99) This Albariño is from Adega Pazos de Lusco, one of the most renowned wineries of the Rías Baixas wine growing region along the northwestern coast of Spain. The winery boasts a historic 16th century complex that...
Read more →I’ve heard it over and over - “I don’t drink rosé…it’s too sweet.” But, that’s not always the case. Unfortunately, rosé wine’s reputations got ruined in the 1970s with wines such as Mateus, Lancers and especially White Zinfandel. Those are the ster...
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behind the cork
2021 Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Tarrassen ($18.99) Domäne Wachau is deeply rooted in the Wachau region of Austria and manages 30 percent of the entire Wachau vineyard area (400 hectares), including half of Austria’s most iconic vine...
Read more →Last time we looked at some of the reasons why a wine bottle might have a wax seal over the cork. Now, to the question of how best to remove the wax so that the cork can be extracted. Here are a few options: Probably the easiest way to remove a wax ...
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behind the cork
Josh White Wines  Josh Cellars is produced by Joseph Carr who named his wines “Josh” for his father. Josh Cellars is produced as a negociant brand. That means they don’t actually o...
Read more →Occasionally, you may come across a wine bottle that has a wax seal over the top of the cork that somewhat covers the neck of the bottle. You may have wondered “Why is it sealed in wax?” and “How do I remove the wax so that I can get to the cork?” T...
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behind the cork
These Monte Velho wines are from Portugal’s Esporão Group. Both are produced from blends of grapes from Portugal’s Alentejo region. This region, in eastern Portugal, covers approximately one-third of the country and is best known for its red wines....
Read more →I was recently asked by a reader to address wine scores. The reader asked “…where do you buy a wine that is rated 50-74? I have never seen a wine rated at that level. Do they exist?” Great question! There are several major wine scoring systems in u...
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