Tasting notes:Nose of ripe blackberry, raspberry, and chocolateRich, smooth, and full-bodied on the palatePlush finish with berry jam, currants, and notes of herb and spiceThis is a huge, ripe wine. It has extremely ripe fruit flavors and layers or rich berries throughout. With all wines in this ripe, opulent style, you...

Tasting notes:Nose of red berries and cassisFleshy texture on the palateFinish of black cherry, plum, and vanillaTo me, this wine is an old friend. I've enjoyed it for the past six years or so, and the price has hardly crept up. While I often see it priced in the high teens, I typically pay about $14 or so. It's not a...

After discovering the delights of Chianti it was to the Loire that my burgeoning interest in wine led next. Much fun was had working from the Atlantic coast East and inland along the 620-odd miles of the river discovering each areas predominant grape variety - Melon de Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay, Cabernet...

Most people, when they come visit me in San Francisco and ask to be taken to wine country, assume that they're going to Napa, but at least half the time, that's definitely not where we end up. These well meaning tourists aren't the only ones who seem to forget that Northern California has many different "wine countries."...

Mosel Rieslings are supposed to excel in 2006 with particularly good acidity. So I grabbed this $12 variety to see if this all around assessment would hold even with the less expensive wines as it often does. This wine has the "Kabinett" designation meaning it is the lowest of 5 "pradikats" or "titles" relating to the...