Sonoma Cutrer

It's Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranches - what more do we really need to say? Oak, Vanilla, butter - all that you expect from a great California Chard and then a little extra thrown in for good measure...

Swimbad Rose

Rosé is the tipple of the tempting whether we are in Touraine, Tempe, Tuscaloosa, Tuscany or Saint-Tropez. Provence, the archetypal French vacationland, is the poster child for what modern rosé ought to be. Pale, quenching, lip-smacking.

T. Solomon

I am willing to put my professional reputation on the line here and tell you that this may be the best sub $40 Pinot Noir you are ever going to try. Ever.

Tate Spring Street Cabernet

Tatiana Guillot Beaujolais

Most Americans have no idea how great the Beaujolais region has become. The last two decades have seen it grow, crafting some of the most intriguing AND affordable wines of France. It’s important to understand not all Beaujolais is the same, if you think Beaujolais Nouveau represents the character of Beaujolais, you’re dead wrong. Like the best Beaujolais, Julienas is firm, intense, tannic and nothing at all like the simple fruity wine from past.

Tatiana Guillot Macon Villages

Macon Villages was once a bigger deal, or at least it was once a wine that absolutely every restaurant had to pour by the glass. In the climate change era, Macon seems to be morphing from light and slightly generic to richer and even slightly buttery. But only slightly. Remember that Chardonnay in France is almost always more about the minerals than the butter; Macon is clean and crisp. We’re not quite to California richness yet, but who knows?

Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Riserva

Located in the Chianti Classico, Arceno is both traditional and modern. Here the region’s grape, Sangiovese, has 10% Cabernet added to it, gaining both some muscle and power but also a sense of flavor familiarity from that grape too. This is one of those wines that we recommend not only because of Arceno’s excellence and the great reviews but because the 2019 vintage is universally considered to be an ideal vintage.

Terrebrune Anjou Blanc

There are few certainties in wine. Opportunities can be vast. Some grapes do okay in lots of places other than their homes but truly shine in only one or two. Aside from South Africa, only in the Loire Valley is Chenin Blanc completely special. But even here, somebody might feel the need to gild the lily; Terrebrune adds 20% Chardonnay to its Chenin but the citric, honeyed intensity remains.

Terrebrune Rose de Loire

Founded in 1986 by Alain Bouleau and Patrice Laurendeau in the southern Loire Valley, this winery focuses primarily on rosé, which makes up two-thirds of their production. Their dry rosés offer more body and depth than the lighter Provençal styles, reflecting the Loire’s strength as a source for structured rosé wines.

The Palace Thief #2

Most of the Napa OGs have been bought out or at least changed hands numerous times. The winery behind Palace Thief Napa, starting in 1969, has remained owned and run by the same family. Now, it’s a third-generation project but the critical piece, the vineyards, is really what has allowed this family to achieve such demonstrated excellence. The Cabs are firm, powerful and very classically Napa-esque.