Old Vines, New Chapter Originally planted in 1910, the estate vineyard was until very recently stewarded by the Bilbro family—Jake Bilbro (of the Marietta family) leading the charge with humility, integrity, and an unshakable respect for the land. Recently sold...
The Original Poolside Sippers As a young somm, I once had a wine director describe the Blanco by Ameztoi as ‘Grown up Sprite’. I giggled at the description—then I tasted the wine, and agreed. The fellow had a college degree...
One of Italy’s Greatest White Wines Yes, I know it’s Pinot Blanc. Champagne’s dirty little secret. The ‘other’ white grape of Alto Adige after Pinot Grigio. But in certain instances, in certain locations, this grape can really sing. Vorberg is...
Bordeaux Value with First Growth Pedigree As Bordeaux goes, this is the class of the crowd. The 2017 Clarendelle Bordeaux Rouge emphasizes balance and elegance over jammy concentration or high alcohol. This red owes its finesse and structure to a...
The Ultimate Summer Red Jean-Michel Dupré’s Beaujolais-Villages “Glou Glou” is what summer red dreams are made of—light on its feet, juicy as can be, and built to be drunk with a slight chill, a hot grill, and a crowd of...
Lake Garda’s Secret White "Le Creete," from a single small parcel, is made with fruit from vines that are more than 50 years old. Grown just south of Lake Garda in the Veneto region, this wine is made from 100%...
Liguria in a Glass The 2024 Bruna ‘Majè’ Pigato tastes like Liguria—like salty wind off the Mediterranean, like lemon groves carved into cliffs, like wild herbs and sun-warmed stones. It’s electric, aromatic, and alive. Bruna is the benchmark producer of...
Northern Burgundy’s Hidden Gem I looked at this bottle as it was offered to me and remarked, candidly, “You don’t see a lot of wine around here from that appellation.” I was assured that it would be the best Irancy...
Summer Red, Reinvented: Sottimano’s Dry Brachetto Here’s a fun one, and perfect for the summer. Sottimano’s 'Maté' is made from Brachetto, a grape most often associated with sweet, fizzy reds—which can be delicious in their own right in the proper...
The Beaujolais Benchmark Is it still good? Better than ever. Do you still want it? You should if you know what’s good for you. We’ll let the wine speak for itself—and use the words we’ve already penned to fill in...
Real Wine, Real Place: Sesta di Sopra 2024 Sangiovese Some wines are just plain good. The 2024 Sesta di Sopra Toscana IGT Sangiovese isn’t factory made wine. This is real wine—grown, harvested, and bottled by hand on a remote 44-hectare...
Galicia’s Best-Kept Secret: Albariño & Mencía from Casa Monte Pío I love finding producers who fly under the radar, and Casa Monte Pío in Galicia is one of those quiet gems that delivers much more than expected—especially at their new...
The Benchmark Montepulciano: Marina Cvetic 2020 When people ask what Montepulciano d’Abruzzo should taste like, this is the bottle I reach for. I love when people disparage Pinot Grigio and Montepulciano, Trebbiano and Fiano. There are so many great expressions...
Legacy Refined: Oddero’s Vibrant 2020 Barolo Reaching back to the late 1700s, Oddero helped shape the story of Barolo itself—first bottling under their own name in the 19th century and exporting as early as the 1870s. Today, under the guidance...
Gueguen’s Breakthrough Bottling Has Arrived This is the first vintage Ideal Wine & Spirits has imported from this particular vineyard, and for good reason: the quality of the wine took a major leap in 2023, and they felt it was...
Feather-Light, Off-Dry, and Flat-Out Delicious A stalwart of the Skurnik Wines portfolio and one of the standard bearers of fine Riesling today, Schloss Lieser is everything you want in a Mosel estate: steep slate vineyards, old vines, a deep well...
Bold, Perfumed, Unexpected—This Is Kyè Freisa is one of Piemonte’s oldest grapes, historically rustic, even controversial, but thanks to the visionary work of Aldo Vajra—who began reviving the variety back in the 1980s—it has become something beautiful and unexpected. Freisa...
Marietta’s Lot 74: California’s Best Red Value? Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red Lot No. 74 is the newest release in one of California’s most consistently delicious red wine series, and it’s as irresistible as ever. If you loved the wildly...
History, Hills, and Honest Wine Founded in 1986 by Russ Rainey, this estate has always stood for something more than just delicious wine. It has championed deep organic farming, dry-farming, and the belief that great wines must speak clearly of...
Gewürztraminer, Reimagined in the Alps I’ve long held a deep affection for the Alto Adige region—its mountain air, sun-warmed vineyards, and the way its wines seem to hum with clarity and energy. For me, it’s one of the greatest white...
Pillot Punches Above His Weight—Again Jean-Marc Pillot’s wines represent one of the best values in white and red Burgundy today, particularly when measured against their peers across the Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise. With deep family roots in Chassagne-Montrachet,...
