These are two delightful, high QPR, food friendly, everyday wines I’d recommend for both wine novices and enthusiasts. Finding a $40 bottle of wine that delights my palate is easy. Finding an under $15 that delights my palate is much more of a challenge. Let me digress a bit. When I first started my wine…
Author: Martin D. Redmond
A Taste of Gratus Vineyards
I was very impressed by these alluring, vibrant and delicious wines! I recently had a chance to taste through a quartet of trade sample wines from Gratus (pronounced grah-tuhs) Vineyards. Gratus Vineyards is a, new-to-me, Napa Valley winery located in Pope Valley. My detailed tasting notes are below, but I was very impressed by these alluring, vibrant…
Overcoming The Odds Twice – The Women of Champagne Duval-Leroy #Winophiles
March is Women’s History Month, and the French Winophiles (#Winophiles) are celebrating the Women of Champagne. Why Champagne? Champagne has a rich heritage, and there were many women who are an inextricable part of its rich historical fabric. Many of these women were widows, (“veuve” in French) thrust into leadership by tragic circumstances. You may be…
Wine of the Day: 2000 Henriot Champagne Cuvée des Enchanteleurs Brut
If you haven’t had an exceptional mature champagne like this, you’re missing a treat! The Cuvée des Enchanteleurs” was Champagne Henriot’s Tête de cuvée, which in Champagne, refers to the top of the range of a specific house or grower’s wines. I say “was” because 2000 was the last vintage for this prestige cuvée. It has…
Wine of the Day: 2016 Lua Cheia em Vinhas Velhas Secretum
This unique wine crafted from the indigenous Portuguese Arinto grape variety, is a distinctive wine that has me craving it with Lobster Ravioli! My tasting notes follow: Color – Very pale straw yellow Aromas – Very appealing Meyer lemon, ripe peach, sandalwood, and a hint of petrichor aromas Body – Full-bodied, complex and harmonious with vibrant…
At Last! A Provencal Rouge – 2006 Domaine La Bastide Blanche Bandol #Winophiles
I’m a huge fan of the Mourvedre grape variety and this Bandol drinks well above its price point. Bravo! Have you ever had a wine on your “To Taste” list, but you never seemed to get around to it? Such was the case for me. So, when I found out that the theme for this…
A Taste of the #Food and #Wine of Uruguay #WinePW
This month the Wine Pairing Weekend (#WinePW) group of wine and food bloggers is making a virtual trip to Uruguay to explore its food and wine. My interest in the food and wine of Uruguay was kindled after watching the first episode of the three-part mini-series produced by Wine Enthusiast – It Starts With Wine (click here to…
Pairing #Wine and #Chocolate Lodi Style Redux
…the pairing of this wine and the Brix Medium Dark Chocolate worked very well! As you may know if you follow this blog, I’ve been contributing to Visit Lodi! Conference & Visitors Bureau blog. Visit Lodi is the official travel website for Lodi, California. One of my latest features on the Visit Lodi website is about pairing…
A Cross Cultural #Food And #Wine Pairing with Amado Sur #WinePW
The wine definitely over-delivers for the price and… paired nicely with my Kofte sandwich of charbroiled minced lamb, and beef! This month our Wine Pairing Weekend (#WinePW) group of food and wine writers are taking a virtual trip to Argentina! I have a soft spot in my heart for Argentinian wines. That’s because when we first…
A Surf and Turf Feast with Donnachiara Wines #ItalianFWT
“These were two outstanding wines that were the perfect accompaniment for our Surf and Turf Feast” The theme for this month’s Italian Food, Wine and Travel (#ItalianFWT) group of food and wine writers is Italian Wines For Cold Winter Nights. When considering pairing food and wine, do you pick the food first, or the wine?…