behind the cork
2016 Lion Tamer Red - The Hess Collection ($45) This red blend comes from The Hess Collection of wines from Napa Valley. Hess Family wines was founded by Donald Hess in 1978. Today, Tim Persson (Donald’s son in law) and his wife Sabrina are owner...
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behind the cork
2016 Vallobera Rioja Crianza ($10) This was an unexpected recent find. A Tempranillo from Spain. And, it’s a Crianza. This style of Rioja is required to be aged for one year in oak and spend one year in the bottle before being sold. This extra ag...
Read more →Early in my wine exploration, I was drinking a lot of inexpensive wine. Mostly in the $5 - $10 price range. And that’s where I did a lot of learning. When I’d splurge and buy a wine in the $10 - $15 range it would usually be a better wine. So, in ...
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behind the cork
2016 Écluse Ensemble ($48) This Bordeaux red blend from Écluse in Paso Robles is truly an ensemble of varietals. It’s produced from 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cab Franc, 15% Petit Verdot, 14% Merlot, 14% Malbec and 7% Carignane. A little bit of e...
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general
Last time we looked at wine scores and how well they can be relied upon as an indicator when selecting wines. Some wine scores are from reputable sources (e.g., Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Robert Parker’s *The Wine Advocate) *while others are ...
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ever wonder
You’ve seen them. The wine scores posted alongside the bottles on the shelf. 90 points. 88 points. 92 points. But what does it really mean? Is it a good indicator for making your wine selection? Well, the old adage “Buyer Beware” certainly applie...
Read more →Last time we learned that some red wines can make your mouth feel dry due to the natural tannin in the wine that comes from the grape’s skin, seeds and stems. But, if you don’t care for highly tannic wines, there are some things you can do. The tann...
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behind the cork
2012 Paniza Reserva ($7) This was a recent find. And, in true fashion for a Behind the Cork™ wine feature, it’s a great value! This is blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Grenache. And it’s a tasty blend. The Tempranillo a...
Read more →Have you ever taken a sip of red wine and noticed that your mouth feels dry or dusty? Almost that ‘cotton-mouth’ feel? Well, that is a sensation that is associated with red wine. Some red wines. The dry sensation is due to the wine being astringent...
Read more →A few months back a friend of mine told me that, in the past, he really didn’t like white wine. He said white wines just didn’t have as much flavor as red wines. He preferred the flavors of a red wine. But, on a wine tasting trip he went ahead and...
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