Author: Nancy (CSW)

Photo of six bottles of Coastal Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Chile

A Taste of Coastal Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Chile

Chile’s physical statistics are remarkable. It has a shoreline that stretches about 2700 miles from its northern boundary with Peru to Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America. At its widest, Chile is only 217 miles and averages a width of only 110 miles.  Based on its geography from west to east, Chile’s growing regions can be divided […]

Six Uruguayan white wines lined up on a table with trees in the background

A Taste of the Fresh White Wines Made in Uruguay

If Uruguay is on your wine radar it may be for its Tannat. The red grape variety was first brought to Uruguay by a Basque immigrant, Pascual Harriague, around 1860. Tannat has adapted perfectly to Uruguay’s soils and growing conditions and is the most widely-planted variety in Uruguay. The other reason Tannat is so popular in Uruguay is that it suits […]

Featured photo Domaine Bousquet Gaia wines on a table with trees in the background

A Toast to Earth Day with Domaine Bousquet’s Gaia Wines

As promised, and ahead of Earth Day next week, we are sharing three of Domaine Bousquet’s current releases Gaia wines. These wines in particular represent Domaine Bousquet’s continuing commitment to earth-friendly farming and winemaking practices. We received these wines as tasting samples.  You may recall from our prior post that the list of earth-friendly certifications earned by Domaine Bousquet is as […]

Photo of five Domaine Bousquet Cabernet wines on a table with a bench and lemon tree in the background

A Tasting of Domaine Bousquet’s High-Elevation Organic Cabernet

Domaine Bousquet doesn’t do anything half way. The 672-acre estate in Gualtallary zone of Tupungato in Mendoza’s Uco Valley lies at an elevation of 4,000 feet above sea level. The vineyards were planted in virgin soil and have been farmed organically since Jean Bousquet established the winery in 1997. In 2011 Jean’s daughter, Anne Bousquet, and her husband Labid Al […]

Featured photo Photo of bottle and glass of 2022 Esporão Reserva Monte Velho Red, Vinho Regional Alentejano, Portugal on a table with lemon tree in the background

Esporão Monte Velho Reserva Red 2022: A New Addition to Esporão’s Monte Velho Wine Range

Esporão has its fingers in a lot of pies, so to speak. The Portuguese brand is involved in wine, beer, olive oil and tourism in three wine regions. Herdade do Esporão anchors Esporão firmly in the Alentejo region with its historic estate. Quinta dos Murças is located in the Douro and Quinta do Ameal represents Vinho Verde. Today we are tasting […]

Photo of Sandeman Founder’s Reserve Ruby Porto bottle, special edition canister and glass of wine

Sandeman Founder’s Reserve Ruby Porto: A Tasty Place to Begin Your Exploration of Port Wines

Port wines are made from grapes grown in Portugal’s Douro wine region. The Douro was established as one of the first wine regions of the world in 1756. The region, which takes its name from the Douro River that runs through it, is home to vineyards planted along the river’s impossibly steep banks. The river begins its westward course in […]

Photo of bottle and glass of 2021 Smith-Madrone Chardonnay, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley on a table with lemon tree in the background

Smith-Madrone 2021 Chardonnay: A Taste of Springtime in your Glass

Honestly, sometimes a wine comes along at the exact right time. Such is the case with the recently released 2021 Smith-Madrone Chardonnay. It tastes just like what I’m ready for — springtime. After tasting several vintages of this wine, I have a certain expectation: Chardonnay that expresses the vintage with only a gentle guiding hand from the winemakers. Every vintage […]

Photo of a bottle and glass of Photo of a bottle and glass of Albert Bichot NV Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé on a red and white napkin with hearts

A Pink Crémant de Bourgogne to Sip for Valentine’s Day

Pink bubbly is not just for Valentine’s Day (obviously), but it is the obvious choice to celebrate the day because of its lovely color. Beyond its beautiful hue, rosé crémant is a delicious and affordable choice over champagne that is perfect with food. Today we are tasting a Crémant de Bourgogne made with Burgundy’s two signature grapes. We received this […]

Photo of Campogiovanni Brunello, Vignorello Tuscan IGT and BellAja Bolgheri Superiori on a table

San Felice: Making Wine in Three of Tuscany’s Premier Regions

Three wine estates sit under the umbrella of San Felice in Tuscany representing three different regions. San Felice is comprised of 370 acres of vines (and 15,000 olive trees) in Chianti Classico. Campogiovanni sits in Montalcino with approximately 57 acres of vineyards, 34 of which are dedicated to making Brunello. Bell’Aja is located close to the ocean in Bolgheri where […]