Cellar Notes

Notes about the wines we have tried recently.

Garofoli Verdicchio

Garofoli Verdicchio Times Two

Today’s Cellar Note takes us to the Marche region of Italy and provides a taste of Verdicchio, a grape variety closely associated with the region, which lies along the Adriatic Sea. We received both wines as tasting samples. 2017 Garofoli Macrina Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore, Marche — pale straw in the glass with generous aromas of oat […]

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Summertime Sippers from Hess Select

As I sit writing this Cellar Note today’s temperature is expected to break the triple-digit mark. Strategies to keep cool will be needed. Umbrellas will be up on the patio and the misters turned on. Something cool in the glass will be required. We recently received three wines as tasting samples that will do nicely. These wines will keep you […]

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Tascante Ghiaia Nera Nerello Mascalese

Nerello Mascalese will forever be connected in my mind to Sicily and more specifically Mt. Etna. Not so much because it is, along with the white grape variety Carricante, the signature red grape of the Etna DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), but because the striking natural beauty of Mt. Etna. Several years ago we spent three weeks traveling around Sicily. […]

Wine by Andrew Jones

Field Recordings + Barter & Trade

In today’s Cellar Note we share our tasting notes for two wines made by Andrew Jones. To be honest, Andrew Jones is a new winemaker to us and, as it turns out, his story is pretty interesting. Both wines are tasting samples that came to us by chance — a chance encounter on Twitter with Mark Aselstine, co-owner of Uncorked […]

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Gran Moraine Rosé of Pinot Noir

Rosé is wonderful for so many reasons. It is a beautiful color in the glass and can be light and refreshing or carry more flavors and complexity. It’s as variable as the grape varieties used to make it and the best examples have ample acidity. Rosé pairs well with a variety of food, depending on its style, and I rarely […]

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Sparkling Wines of Israel – Golan Heights Winery

I haven’t had a wine from Israel for many years so it was a pleasant surprise to have the opportunity to try some sparkling wine from Israel. I wasn’t aware they even made sparkling wine until I was offered some samples from the Golan Heights Winery. Golan Heights Winery History The first vineyards in the Golan Heights were planted in […]

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Lodi Rosé: Pick a Variety

It seems Rosé is hitting the marketplace earlier than in the past. We used to be hard-pressed to find new vintages by May. That’s when the weather warms and we begin spending happy hour outside on the patio. But it is currently the end of April and we have already been to two Rosé tastings at a local wine shop. […]

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A Taste of DO Bierzo and Bodegas Godelia

Godello, Doña Blanca, Mencía. Are these grape varieties familiar to you? They aren’t to most of us. All three are indigenous to the Iberian Peninsula and are represented in our Cellar Note today as components of the wines made by Bodegas Godelia. Godelia is situated outside the village of Cacabelos in the Spanish wine region of DO (Denominación de Origen) […]

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A Taste of the Pacific Northwest

Today’s Cellar Note includes three varietal wines from two very different wine regions in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is represented by Oregon Trails Wine Co. Pinot Noir and Washington state’s Columbia Valley by Pacific Crest Wine Co. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Both brands are part of the Wine Trees portfolio of wines. We received all three as tasting […]

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The Lost Chapters

The Lost Chapters is the name of a range of wines made by Paul Scotto and Mitch Cosentino. This dynamic duo of winemakers collaborate on twenty-odd wine labels under the Scotto Cellars umbrella of wines. Both winemakers are blending specialists. Paul considers himself a blendologist, using grape varieties to make wine with layers of flavors the way a chef uses […]