Tasting Notes

Tasting notes for individual wines.

Kuhlman Cellars: An Introduction to Texas Hill Country Wine

To say there is always something to be learned about wine is an understatement. There are always new grape varieties and wine regions to be discovered. And even in familiar wine regions there are always winemakers making something different that demands to be tasted. We recently made two interesting wine discoveries — Kuhlman Cellars and Texas Hill Country AVA north […]

Sipping West Coast Cabernet Franc for #CabFrancDay

December 4 is #CabFrancDay, a celebration of one of my favorite grape varieties. Because I am such a Cabernet Franc lover, I’m especially happy to participate in this year’s Cab Franc Day celebration. We received two wines, one we know well and the other new to us, as tasting samples. Cheers to Cabernet Franc on December 4 and everyday! Why […]

Giving Thanks and Sharing the Wine

Like a good many people, Peter and I have much to be thankful for. And like most, we feel grateful for our good fortune on a regular basis. As I age I find myself feeling thankful for all kinds of things I didn’t think twice about when I was younger. I no longer take for granted the importance of family, […]

Sparkling Rosé for Your Holiday Table

Hardly a month goes by that I do not enjoy a glass of rosé. I am also very partial to sparkling wine but enjoy it a little less often only because there is so much wine and so little time! This time of year, though, with the holidays upon us, I sip sparkling wine a bit more often and I […]

Sbragia Family Vineyards: A Taste of Dry Creek Valley

Sbragia Family Vineyards has all the elements necessary for an interesting wine story: family-owned vineyards, multi-generational history of winemaking and well-crafted wine. We recently became acquainted with Sbragia Family Vineyards (pronounced SPRA-juh) through a trio of wines sent to us as tasting samples. We are happy to have met and to share these wines with you. The Sbragia family has […]

Viteadovest Bianco, IGP Terre Siciliane

We never pass up the opportunity to taste skin-contact white wines. We enjoy everything from Pinot Gris with only a few hours of skin contact to other varieties that might have months of skin contact resulting in an orange wine. The flavors of these wines can vary significantly depending on the grape variety, length of skin contact, fermentation vessels and […]

Happy 100th Birthday to Nino Franco #Valdobbiadene

Nino Franco is celebrating 100 years of winemaking in Valdobbiadene, located in a hilly portion of Veneto, a little over 30 miles from Venice. Nino Franco remains family owned and is now in the capable hands of the fourth generation of the Franco family. We’re celebrating 100 years of Nino Franco with a glass of Nino Franco Rustico and a […]

Shannon Vineyards: Farming for Flavor in Elgin, South Africa

James Downes met us in the tasting cottage at Shannon Vineyards on a crisp spring morning. The cottage was James’ home in his bachelor days and looks out over a beautiful garden, vineyards and waterway. All of it had been washed clean by early-morning rains. Click on individual photographs in galleries to view. Close to return to the post. Shannon […]

Kenwood Vineyards: Wines for a Change of Seasons

I usually spend September in denial about the end of summertime. By the time October rolls around I’ve come to terms with fall and actually look forward to a change of seasons. Thanks to Kenwood Vineyards that transition has been especially easy, and delicious, this year. We received a group of wines as tasting samples that perfectly bridged the change […]