Messanges is actually the old Loire Valley name for Cabernet Franc. Chinon is at its best when it’s in this unoaked, super juicy, super aromatic and super scrumptious mode. Dark, almost black, in color, the aromatics are so vivid, so lively...

Domaine Dupeuble Beaujolais has adorned the tables of wine lovers and restaurateurs for years because it is one of the very first wines that Kermit Lynch began importing when he first started bringing wine into the Bay Area. The property itself, located...

My first major task as a budding wine consultant in Chicago, at the tender age of 24, was to order and stock the store’s section that happened to include the wines of Greece. It was a slow-moving section as wines with names like Alexakis,...

In a region known for whites, Schiava is actually Alto Adige’s most planted grape—and the one locals drink. Elena Walch’s version shows just how compelling it can be when treated seriously: a touch riper, with a bit more texture, but...

With a cellar in the hamlet of Annunziata, the Bovios have long farmed some of La Morra’s best vineyards for Nebbiolo including Arborina (next to Elio Altare), Rocchettevino and, perhaps best, an impressive (but small) holding in Gattera, the...

Nero d’Avola, a red wine variety that is planted throughout the southern regions of Italy and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, has the potential to be a ‘superstar’ among grape types, with a noble character that challenges Syrah and...

Regular Price $28.99Case Price (12+ bottles) $25 One of the true missionaries in the world of dry pink wines is Arnot-Roberts. We’ve been buying their sumptuous, delicious California rosé for over a decade now and it never fails to please...

Regular Price $19.99, CASE PRICE $18.00 If you know winemaker Giorgio Rivetti, you know he doesn’t ‘dabble.’ When he does something, he does it big or he doesn’t do it at all! The family business began with Moscato—and he...

100% Pinot Noir, 8 g/l Generous, round fruit flavors with subtle spice and minerality. Surprisingly, no oak on this Bollinger cuvee, just freshness backed up with power. ★★★ FR While it was rich and fruity, I found it lacked backbone and oomph. Lacking...

50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir, 8 g/l Tightly compacted with firm structure with bright fruit flavors and focused minerality. Definitely a rosé Champagne that will repay bottle age. ★★★ FR As serious as rosé ever gets, I love the...

Staff Reviews: John Rittmaster: What a shame this was surrounded by so many dry, top-quality rosés, otherwise it would have been great. Excellent backyard party wine that’s not too sweet and balanced nicely. **+ Frank...

A fresh, fruity and incredibly delicious sparkling Vouvray from organic producer Sebastien Brunet. Produced from 100% Chenin Blanc, it bursts with notes of stone fruits, citrus and a lovely honeyed note on the finish. The perfect bottle to 'pop' with...

85% Pinot Noir, 15% Chardonnay, 7.3 g/l Extremely refined Champagne that showcases the Pinot Noir in the cépage. Tons of fresh fruit with well-delineated flavors and great finish. ★★★ FR My rosé of the day, this was incredibly...

70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 6 g/l True to the Vilmart style, this Champagne offers richness and weight on the palate but its lively structure promises even more to come with bottle age. ★★★ FR Not as rich and toasty as the Grand Cellier...

Crémant de Bourgogne, when it’s done right, covers a lot of the same ground as Champagne—traditional method, Chardonnay (usually), similar soils—but without the sense that you need an occasion to open it. This is mostly...