Great Wine - Great Buys - Your Store

01 Mar

Posted at 14:55h in All of Pat's Picks, Featured
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Did you hear that explosion? It came from Oregon wine country. And the hits just keep on comin’. In 1970, there were 5 legit wineries in Oregon. Now, there are over 700 with more on the way. Californians have contributed to the rapid growth by coming north and staking a claim. But no need to go down to Ashland and build a wall. Some of the influx from the south has been positive. Take La Crema. The California-based mega-producer bought vineyards in Dundee a couple of years ago. Now, they’re producing a very tasty...

01 Mar

Posted at 14:16h in All of Pat's Picks
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The descriptors include the words “presence and persistence”. Are they talking about a  wine? Or Tom Brady? In this case, Wine Spectator is indeed talking about 2015 Intrinsic Cabernet. “The texture is rustic with a savory and inviting finish.” How’s that for flowery wine talk? I can’t wax that poetic but I can tell you that in the around-$20-cabernet-category, there’s a lot more bad than good. This 100% Washington cabernet is an exception. Personally, I wish it had just a touch more character but overall, it’s a good wine, a nice value and...

01 Mar

Posted at 13:59h in All of Pat's Picks, Featured
2 Likes

There’s more than one way to skin a cat. (Skin a cat? Hey, I don’t make up these old sayings. I just repeat them.) And there’s more than one way to make red wine. The folks down at Willamette Valley Vineyard south of Salem used the non-traditional “whole cluster” method when they crafted this 2015 pinot noir.   Usually, Oregon pinot is tart and earthy. This one is just the opposite. It’s semi-sweet and fruity, due in part to the whole cluster process. Think strawberry and cherry. If you normally...

01 Mar

Posted at 13:52h in All of Pat's Picks, Featured
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What is it about the word “zinfandel” that compels zin producers to come up with wacky play-on-word names for their wines?  “Seven Deadly Zins”. “Artezin”. “Brazin”. “Zinful”. Then there’s “Menage a Trois”. I’m not gonna touch that. Thankfully, the Seghesio family, producers of zinfandel in Sonoma County for over 100 years, don’t force it. They called theirs, “Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel”. Perfect. And the wine is just as straightforward as the name. The 2014 Seghesio is a solid representation with the rich pepper and spice flavors that zinfandel is known for. What it doesn’t have is...

09 Feb

Posted at 14:04h in About Wine, Featured, Wine Rules!, Wine Tips
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The vast majority of wine that you’ll find at your neighborhood grocery is not age-worthy. Vintners intentionally craft most wines so they taste their best shortly after their release. Wine expert Kevin Zraly claims “less than 1 percent of the world’s wines are meant to be aged for more than 5 years.”...

10 Jan

Posted at 11:56h in About Wine, Wine Rules!
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Good advice from the Wine Spectator: “think like Goldilocks”. If you serve a wine too hot, it emphasizes the alcohol. If you serve a wine too cold, you lose the aroma and the flavor. So you want to serve the wine like Goldilocks preferred her porridge: just right....