Category: Boutique Wines

Fontanella Family Wines, Napa: Inaugural Releases
When it comes to family-run wineries, I always enjoy seeing how the many different roles and responsibilities involved in a

2004 Erba Mountainside Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
In Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series of science fiction books, the main character has invented a science called Psychohistory for predicting

Flowers Winery, Sonoma Coast: Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs
I love the places where wine grows in spite of the adversity heaped upon it by the place, the climate,
2006 Jack Larkin Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa
The allure of Napa is legendary, even clichéd. The wine country lifestyle, or whatever you want to call it, combined

Peay Vineyards, Sonoma Coast: Current Releases
As a wine reviewer who gets paid next to nothing for his work, I have the luxury of only reviewing

2005 Peacock Family Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa
I have a hard spot in my heart for peacocks. Spending summers with my father in Sonoma County as a

Outpost Wines, Napa: Current Releases
To the casual visitor or inexperienced wine lover, Napa may just be a name on a bottle, or a vision
The World’s Best Kosher Wine?: Tasting The Covenant
. I’m not counting the Maneschewitz he had growing up as an occasionally-observant Jewish kid. But as it happens in
New Cabernets from Napa
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an archaeologist or an exploratory marine biologist. I had dreams of

2006 Isole e Olena “Collezione de Marchi” Chardonnay, Tuscany, Italy
Chardonnay is just about the last grape variety I think about when I daydream about Italian wine. In casual conversation,
Rivers-Marie Winery, Sonoma Coast: Current Releases
The creation of a new winery is always an exciting thing, especially when it is founded with the goal of

Kapcsándy Family Winery, Napa: Current Releases
Napa has a way of turning modest dreams into major productions. Lou Kapcsándy and his wife Bobbie decided to retire

2005 Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon, Howell Mountain, Napa
I’ve been drinking wine for more than 30% of my life at this point, taking notes on wine for ten

2007 Cooper Mountain Vineyards “20th Anniversary Reserve” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
One of the great pleasures of wine appreciation will always be the process of tasting the wine of a single

2004 Domaine de la Bouissiere Gigondas, France
The best known and highest quality wines of the world continue to get more expensive over time. This is a

2003 Smith Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa
There are more legends, stories, fairytales, and fables than anyone could count which all involve some guy up on a

Alfred Gratien Champagne, Epernay, France: Current Releases
The more good Champagne I have, the more it seems to me that you really get what you pay for.