Cellar Notes

Notes about the wines we have tried recently.

Sipping Vermouth

Today we are sipping something a bit different for us – vermouth. We recently tasted a vermouth crafted in California and two made in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Both are infused with botanicals and fortified, but they taste very different. We received both as tasting samples. I used to think of vermouth as exclusively an ingredient in cocktails, I […]

doqi Kisi, Kakheti

Today’s cellar note takes us to the country of Georgia on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. Georgia lies south of Russia and north of Turkey and Armenia. Azerbaijan lies to the east. This is a region with an ancient history of winemaking dating back at least 8,000 years. Along with that history comes the qvevri, a large, oval […]

Tinto Figuero Tempranillo

We took advantage of a cool spell, relatively speaking, to sip some Tinto Fino, aka Tempranillo. These three lovelies offer a comparison of vine age, winemaking and aging from Spain’s Ribera del Duero. We received these wines as tasting samples. Ribera del Duero is a rugged wine region north of Madrid that takes its name from the Duero River, which […]

Mix Up Your Summer Sipping

I don’t know about you, but hot summer temperatures can make me lazy. I prefer to keep food preparation simple and the same applies to summer sipping. Pouring a glass of chilled wine is about as simple as it gets, but it’s also fun to mix things up a bit on occasion. I have a couple of suggestions for refreshing, […]

Chillin’ With Rosé of Pinot Noir

Our celebration of rosé continues with three rosés of Pinot Noir. Two are made in California and the third in Oregon. All were provided to us as tasting samples and all are part of Jackson Family Wines. How did they know my first love is Pinot Noir? Hot weather has descended upon us this year without much transition from cool, […]

Sipping Kenwood Vineyards Six Ridges

After a long, wet winter and spring it appears summer may finally have arrived. I hope. That means we’re ready to slip more white wines and lighter red wines into our wine rotation. Kenwood Vineyards sent us two such wines as tasting samples that will be delicious dining companions in the months to come. The Six Ridges line of wines […]

A Taste of Abruzzo from Codice Citra

Today’s cellar note brings you a taste of Abruzzo, an Italian wine region located in the central part of the country along the Adriatic Sea. If you think of Italy as shaped like a boot, Abruzzo is located just below the calf of the boot. Marche lies to the north, Lazio to the west and Molise to the south. We […]

Sosie Wines featured photo

An Introduction to Sosie Wines

I don’t know about you, but as a wine lover I am always thrilled to discover a new grape variety or winery. Sure, I have my old favorites, but finding new and exciting wines keeps wine interesting to me. We recently received tasting samples from Sosie Wines, a producer that is new to us, and we are happy to share […]

Domaine Bousquet Ameri featured photo

Ameri from Domaine Bousquet

Domaine Bousquet winery and vineyards are located in Tupungato within the Uco Valley of Mendoza, Argentina. The location is high elevation, 4000 feet above sea level, where the soil is sandy and the rainfall scant thanks to the rain shadow caused by the nearby Andes Mountains. The vineyards are farmed organically and certified as such, as are the wines.  Ameri […]

Hess Panthera and Lion Tamer featured photo

New Wines from Hess Family Wine Estates: Panthera and Lion Tamer

Today’s cellar note has us sipping two new wines from the Hess Family Wine Estates Lion Head Collection. This is the debut vintage of Panthera Chardonnay and the second vintage of Lion Tamer Red Blend. We received both wines as tasting samples. Donald Hess first purchased acreage on Mount Veeder above Napa Valley in 1982. The site was originally settled […]