A Taster’s Journey

December is a time to celebrate. Now is the time to open some of your better bottles of wine and share them with family and friends.

It is also a great time to find new wines that really excite you. If you go to a restaurant for a special dinner, try something new. Ask the sommelier to recommend a great bottle in your price range.

Another fun way to find wines that you love is to throw a dinner party for friends, and ask everyone to bring a bottle of wine. But be specific, for example a St. Joseph from the Rhone, and give the desired price range.

Cheers!

Everyone enjoys a good $10 bottle of wine, but sometimes you want something special. Here is what I am adding to my wine cellar:

California Blends 2001, 1999 & 1997

California Cabernet has certainly had some excellent years recently, particularly 2001, 1999 and 1997. Although there may be many blockbusters here, the prices have gone through the roof and you better select carefully. My preference from California these days is not a 100% cabernet wine, but a blend. Adding a little Merlot or Cabernet Franc can soften the wine, and give it another layer of flavor. Dominus and Insignia are two of the best, and also command the highest prices. A few other blends that I recommend are: Gary Farrell Encounter, Kathryn Kennedy Lateral, Viader, St. Clement Oroppas and Franciscan Magnificat.

Everyone enjoys a good $10 bottle of wine, but sometimes you want something special. Here is what I am adding to my cellar today:

1997 Brunello di Montalcino

The best vintage since 1990, and there are still some left. Costanti, Il Poggione, Pertimali & Poggio Antico are some of the best.

1996 Bordeaux

2000 is the “great” vintage, but extremely expensive. The ‘96 was a very good vintage and has recently been seen on sale. Ch. Lynch Bages, Ch. Leoville Barton, Ch. Grand Puy Lacoste & Ch. Leoville Poyferre are all outstanding.