Tasting Notes

Tasting notes for individual wines.

Theopolis Petite Sirah featured photo

Theopolis Vineyards Petite Sirah, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino County

Chilly weather is upon us and that means heartier dishes are likely on your table that beg to be paired with red wine. Theopolis Vineyards Petite Sirah is the perfect partner for a wintery meal and beyond. This is a very food-friendly wine. 2017 Theopolis Vineyards Petite Sirah, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino County — medium ruby in the glass with aromas […]

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New Wines from Notre Vue: 2019 GSM Rosé and Chardonnay Musque

Bob and Renée Stein are especially pleased to be releasing their 2019 Notre Vue GSM Rosé and Chardonnay Musque. 2019 was an extremely challenging year that was marked by two fires that struck the Sonoma County property. The first, in May, damaged the tasting room and warehouse. Then the Kincade fire, which started October 23, destroyed an outbuilding, furniture and […]

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Sherry Happy Hour to Celebrate #SherryWeek

Sherry lovers around the world have been celebrating Sherry this week. November 2-8, 2020 marks the seventh International Sherry Week Celebration organized with support from the El Consejo Regulador Jerez-Xérès-Sherry. We are happy to take this opportunity to share a Sherry with you that we received as a tasting sample.  Sherry is a fortified style of wine made exclusively in […]

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District 7: Certified Sustainable Wines from California’s Monterey AVA

The more I read about District 7 wines the more impressed and curious to taste the wines I became. Some of the qualities that attracted me include: family ownership, certified sustainable vineyards and winery, 100% estate vineyards, a commitment to renewable energy and community support. Today we’re sharing four wines from District 7 that we received as tasting samples. District […]

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Quinta da Fonte Souto, Portalegre, Branco, DOC Alentejo

The Symington family have spent five generations establishing themselves first in Portugal’s Port world and then as makers of quality dry wines in the Douro Valley. They own 26 quintas in the Douro and as of 2017 have expanded to Portugal’s enormous Alentejo region in southern Portugal. Quinta da Fonte Souto is that property located in the Portalegre sub-region of […]

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2015 Geil Bechtheimer Scheurebe Kabinett, Rheinhessen

Weingut Geil is a family winery located in the village of Bechtheim in Germany’s Rheinhessen. Johannes Geil-Bierschenk tends 30 hectares of vines that include Riesling, Silvaner, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Kerner, Scheurebe, Rieslaner, Huxelrebe, Muskateller and St. Laurent in the family’s estate vineyards. Organic practices are followed. I’m pretty sure this is our first taste of Scheurebe and […]

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2016 Shelter Winery Spätburgunder: a Taste of Baden

Shelter Spätburgunder is the middle-tier Pinot Noir made by Hans-Bert Espy and Silke Wolf at their small winery in Kenzingen, Baden. The couple farm just a few hectares of vines north of the Kaiserstuhl where the soils have transitioned from volcanic to limestone and loess. Growing conditions are a bit cooler here too, thanks to the influence of the Black […]