Cellar Notes

Easily overlooked, the wines of Washington State deserve your attention.

If you're in the market for a great white wine with character and body, Verdicchio is your best bet.

The deep south of France may not be as chic as Paris, but their wines are super.

For dedicated beer drinkers 'tis the season for the legendary Oktoberfest.

Joel Gott wines are known for budget-friendly prices, but how good are they?

Continuing with our French theme, our friend Franck Agostini has imported a bevy of new vintages from the Loire Valley for you to try.

If you can't get to France this year, at least you can replicate the pleasure of sipping wine in a French café.

Beaujolais is like everybody's favorite buddy: approachable, rewarding, informal and so very versatile. The "Cru" Beaujolais are among the best.

If you want all that great chardonnay flavor but none of the oak, try these delicious unoaked versions.

There's a hot new category in beer these days and it's all about being sour.

These flavor packed whites from the south of France deserve a bigger audience. And check out the values!

Summer's here and the time is right for rosé wines. Here's a handful of suggestions.

Not all delicious pinot noir comes from Burgundy. Here are three winners that hail from around the world.

We think one of the best ways to keep simple everyday wines around is to go the bag-in-a-box route. They're surprisingly good!

These light, flavorful reds are perfect for summer drinking, and go particularly well with grilled and barbecued food.

The beautiful pink rosés of France are perfect for this time of year, and Hugh has found a collection of winners.

One of Al's favorite wines, Valpolicella may be built on the light side, but it is packed with flavor and "la dolce vita" character.

  Albariño has become a very popular white wine from Spain. Hugh reviews several new entries into the market.

CalStar owner/winemaker Rick Davis keeps sending us superb wines sourced from great Central Coast vineyards.

Italian whites are emerging as high quality, affordable choices for easy-going springtime drinking.

  Some of the best white wines in the world come from France, and some of them are even quite reasonably priced.  

Once rare and unknown, the French variety Viognier has become a world wide favorite. Some Viogniers can be quite costly, but Hugh has found some bargains.

Think of Argentina, think of Malbec. But wait, there's much more.

Chilean whites are gaining an audience, but Chilean reds already have arrived.

Quality continues to improve in Chile with modern up to date wine-making.

Some call it Syrah, some call it Shiraz. Regardless, this is one interesting grape.

The back bone of many a Rioja, Tempranillo is a fabulous grape that also plays a prominent role elsewhere in Spain.

The interest in organic wine is way up, so here are a trio of can't miss choices.     

The ancient French region of Languedoc is home to some of the best bargains around.

It's the season for big hearty stews, which of course demand big hearty reds.