Brooks Lake Lodge, Wild West Luxury
Pinnacle Buttes view from Brooks Lake Lodge
Brooks Lake Lodge and Spa is a secluded hideaway near Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, The Continental Divide, and Jackson, Wyoming. If you find yourself searching for a luxury or all-inclusive lodging option in this territory, it is likely to show up. A unique combination of resort and ranch, it has upscale service and amenities in a wide open, scenic setting, with well-arranged activities to fulfill your every outdoor desire.
Dining is western gourmet to the fullest. Dinner features daily choices of entrees, like venison, walleye, or a bison tenderloin with horseradish glaze and roasted asparagus. There are locally inspired dishes, like a trout pâté salad, and always out of the ordinary sides, such as a gouda risotto. Afternoon tea, a meal in itself, offers a selection of cheeses, fruits, and warm, fresh-baked cookies. The Cowboy Bar is a popular gathering spot in the evening for lively conversation and libations. The wine list is brief but solid, with many of the wine (Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon, Clos Du Bois for the house wine) and beverage names featured to match the rustic theme of the lodge. The wines, along with a selection of local beers and a full bar, are available for purchase, the only food or drink not included in the initial price.
Bison Tenderloin
The staff is loaded with passionate and completely-equipped personnel. Our fishing guide had a degree in wildlife management and concentration in fisheries. The wrangler that led our horse rides had a nursing degree and plans to pursue work in horse pharmaceuticals. The massage therapist is renowned in the area. The general manager is full of knowledge, and energy! He talked in depth about the history of the lodge, the land and ecology, and the variety of wildlife inhabiting the area. All this when he wasn't teaching a guest to shoot a bow and arrow, or leading a hike to the summit of the nearby Pinnacle Buttes. All the staff members were well-informed and prompt to assist with any request, regardless of their particular responsibilities. It is an extremely smooth-running operation.
Accommodations, from rooms and suites in the main lodge, to the numerous private log cabins, are modern rustic in style. All rooms are updated and fresh, with lodgepole pine furnishings, cozy wood burning stoves, and private porches or balconies to take in the beautiful views of the horizon. The spa is surprising, with a full-range of spa services, sauna, workout facility, and a gigantic, outdoor hot tub with another panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.
For an active luxury experience in the still somewhat wild west, give Brooks Lake Lodge a try!
Brooks Lake Lodge and Spa - 458 Brooks Lake Road, Dubois, WY 82513
Westbank Grill - Four Seasons Jackson Hole
The Four Seasons Jackson Hole is an ultra-luxury resort in a breathtaking setting, located near the base of the Grand Teton mountain range. Somehow, Westbank Grill exceeds these surroundings by delivering an excellent wine and dining experience.
The Food: A perfectly prepared 32oz dry aged American “Kobe” Wagyu bone-in beef rib eye with grilled vegetables and roasted mushrooms with Wyoming Whiskey, rosemary, and garlic confit. Five intriguing sauces accompanied the beef, including huckleberry pudding and horseradish cream.
The Wine: Jackson Hole Winery The Outlaw Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, a local product. Sourced from Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, it showed dark fruit and a velvety smooth finish, and meshed well with the beef. The winery does production nearby, at over 6,000 feet!
The Service: A true team effort was flawless from greeting to goodnight. Several staff members seamlessly transitioned throughout the night after our initial lead server became ill. Had she not made such a strong first impression, we would not have noticed that our service was being managed on the fly. There was no indication that anything went off-plan.
The Atmosphere: From an open booth featuring what must be the restaurant's best view, I felt completely at ease in the large dining room. It is the epitome of a luxurious while rustic theme, with a majestic stone fireplace dominating the center of the room, and floor-to-ceiling windows on either side overlooking the mountain and ski lifts.
Westbank Grill in Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole - 7680 Granite Loop Rd., Teton Village, WY 83025
Chance Meetings With Winemakers
I met Jeff and Stephanie Lippencott by chance at lunch in a hotel where we were staying. Jeff is a composer, responsible for music accompaniment to numerous top-rated television programs. Later, as I sat at the bar reading Rajat Parr's Secrets Of The Sommeliers, Jeff sat next to me, and asked what had me reading the book. I explained my passion for wine, my blog, and working to share the love. "I make wine!" he exclaimed.
Jeff enthusiastically described cultivating a small vineyard over the past decade in Southern California, from which he now produces Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a red blend under the One Vine Four Branches label. Stephanie recounted the depth of resources and research that have been invested in learning about winemaking. They once hired a Master Sommelier to gain entrance to and escort them through barrel rooms of the first growth chateaux of Bordeaux. Jeff is hands-on throughout the entire winemaking process of growing, harvesting, barreling, and bottling his wines, which contain only juice from his grapes. Annual yield determines whether the wines will be single varietal or blends. An early effort, the 2010 Syrah, won a gold medal in the Los Angeles Cellarmasters home winemaking competition, and a silver medal in Wine Maker Magazine's home winemakers competition. He expressed his excitement over recently receiving a shipment of new, custom-made, French Oak barrels for use with his 2015 vintage, which will be a blend appropriately entitled Maestro. While still very limited in volume, Jeff's "hobby" has grown from sharing a few bottles with friends and clients, to making sizable philanthropic gifts.
I love to meet winemakers and hear their inspiring stories, and the surprise aspect of this encounter provided an additional thrill. It was an exhilarating conversation that came about entirely by chance, even after our initial introduction. More wines available logically means there are more people making it, so remain alert to wine-minded people you run into. You never know when that person sitting nearby is a winemaker!
Quenching Your Wine Thirst - 2015
Standouts from a tasting of the current portfolio of Thirst Wine Merchants.
White Wines
- Blackbird Vineyards Arriviste Rose 2014 - A delightful dry Rose from French varietals. $16
- Sandhi Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills 2013 - Becoming a regular favorite from Rajat Parr. $34
- SCRIBE Estate Chardonnay 2013 - Grapes from the corner of Carneros, Sonoma, and Napa, with a hint of pepper. $25
- SCRIBE Chardonnay Skin-Fermented 2014 - From a different clone in the same vineyards as #3, delivering a very unexpected punch. $34
- Gramercy Cellars Viognier 2014 - A field of daisies and baby powder. $22
Red Wines
- Leonetti Cellar Merlot 2013 - A Merlot leading the way?! Very dark, thick, and smooth. $84
- Figgins Family Estate Red 2012 - Herbaceous, then very dry and balanced. $87
- Chateau Angludet Margaux 2011 - The winemaker loves Petit Verdot, and this has 12%. Dark and earthy, with a hint of sweetness to finish. $45
- Blackbird Vineyards Arise 2012 - Dirty and chewy with strong spice. $52
- Owen Roe Syrah Ex Umbris 2012 - From hot and cool climate vineyards offering balance. Smooth with some spice. $19
- Sean Minor Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 - $18
- Boroli Barolo 2010 - $45
- Shaefer Vineyards Merlot 2013 - $53
- Casa Silva Carmenere 2013 - $15
- Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco Vigneto Enrico Cialdini 2013 - Yes, Lambrusco. $18
Don't Judge - Simple Service
I have a friend who is a member of the Joseph Phelps Preferred Wine Club, and has verticals of Insignia and Backus Cabernet in storage. You might not pick him out of a lineup to be the wine collector. I witnessed a server in a full-service restaurant with a solid selection of wine offer my friend every drink available except the wine list. After the list was asked for and delivered, the server highlighted only wines by the glass. For whatever reason, this server had determined my friend was not a serious wine drinker.
A server in a restaurant with any wine program at all should have the list at the ready, if not on the table, when making introductions. After that, there are simply too many potential unknowns to judge a diner on appearance. If the server had offered the list going in, he might not have found out about my friend’s collection of wine, but he would certainly have known he was likely to order a bottle. When selling a full-service experience that is attracting sophisticated diners, it is a good rule to expect that they want your best, regardless of appearance. Or at least that they want to see your wine list.
A Visit To Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello
I visited Ridge Vineyards' Monte Bello Estate high atop the Santa Cruz Mountains during the final assemblage of their 2006 flagship wine. I recently happened upon a supply of the wine, and enjoyed recalling one of my best winery experiences.
Paul Draper - Legendary Winemaker
Anything Ridge begins with Paul Draper, the chief winemaker since 1969 and CEO since 1988. Draper is one of the most-decorated winemakers in the world, including the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine and Spirits, which he won shortly before my visit in 2007. He is an advocate for quality and transparency in winemaking, and Ridge has listed all ingredients on their labels since 2012. It was intriguing to have a conversation with Paul at ease in his element. With one of wine's greatest resumes, he remains eagerly hospitable. When setting up my visit, I copied three Ridge employees on my request email, and who do you think replied first and most-graciously? That's right, Paul Draper.
Monte Bello Assemblage
Tasting the individual components of the 2006 Monte Bello was extremely interesting, with guidance from Ridge vice president of winemaking for Monte Bello, Eric Baugher. A Santa Cruz-area native who grew up farming before earning degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology, Baugher has been with Ridge since 1994. During the tasting, he explained in depth the constantly-refined science of winemaking at Ridge. The Monte Bello is a Bordeaux-style blend is made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc grapes, all grown on the Monte Bello Estate. Draper likes to say, "Wines make themselves", and the cool, mountain-top climate and terroir undoubtedly "make" this standout wine as much as the winemakers.
Ridge Vineyards and Wine History
2006 marked the thirtieth anniversary of the famed Judgement of Paris, where the 1971 Ridge Monte Bello placed fifth. It was celebrated with a re-tasting of the same wines from the seventies, and this time around, the Monte Bello lead the way for the now dominant American wines. The 2006 version is promoted as a "direct descendant" of the winning wine. But sentimental feelings for the 2006 aside, any year is likely to impress. At the assemblage tasting I also savored a couple of glasses of the 1978. Browned at the edges, yet bright and fresh, with a fantastic(!) taste of forest floor, this library selection was still very much alive. Always concentrated and complex, Ridge Monte Bello is built to please now or for the long-haul.
Along with the excellent wine and conversation, the humility and commitment to great wine at Ridge must be appreciated. During my visit, there was not a peep of the accolades from the thirty-year anniversary of the Judgement, nor Paul Draper's James Beard Award. All talk was about the current and future wines. If you have the opportunity, take the long, winding road up the mountain to Ridge, a unique and memorable wine experience.
Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello - 17100 Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA 95014
Wine Stories - Allora Vineyards
Wines are always accompanied by stories. My friends gifted me two delightful wines from Allora Vineyards. I was not familiar, so I read up on their history. Owner Terry Klein spent his teenage years in Napa Valley, and dreamed making fine wine. Returning as an adult with his wife Nancy, they purchased a pasture in St. Helena in 1998, and commenced growing what would become Allora. In a short time, they have turned out a solid product line from their former pasture.
Allora Vineyards Lusso Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - With tannins smoothed out, a gentle giant emerged. Layers of complexity expressed themselves over time, with red berries, chocolate, and wood tones. A 100% Cabernet Reserve wine.
Allora Vineyards Cielo Red Proprietary Blend 2011 - A rustic, slightly spicy wine reflecting Italian style. Also very smooth, and dry at the end. The blend is 75% Sangiovese and 25% Cabernet.
Additional wines include a Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc.
Another story is on the Lusso label, which features the art of Margaret Keane, famous for her Big Eyes paintings and the 2014 film centered on her life story. In the poster the label is taken from, three young women sit contemplating over their wine. Looking closely, you can see a tiny Cielo bottle on the right side of the print.
Wine Questions Asked: What Are Tannins?
This is a question I hear often, as tannins in wine are often referred too, but seldom explained. Tannins are responsible for the chemically induced reaction in our mouths that brings about the sensation of dryness, astringency, and sometimes bitterness. In short, wines heavy in tannin have spent more time with grape skins and stems, and likely in wooden barrels. When your tongue feels parched even though your mouth is full of red wine, or when the immediate reaction to taking a drink is to pucker your lips, those are tannins at work.
For a more complete explanation, here are two dynamically different links from great wine resources, explaining just what tannins are all about:
- Wine Folly - By Madeline Puckette, concise and colorful, listing wines both heavy and light in tannins
- WineAnorak - Here, Jamie Goode takes a deeper, scientific approach
I have a long friendship with tannic wines, having begun my wine journey on California Cabernet, and moving quickly to Barolos and other Italians made from Nebbiolo. Whether or not tannic wines are your preference, these articles will set you straight on the definition, and wines to avoid, or explore!
Brian McClintic, Master Sommelier And Much More
Master Sommelier. Vallin winemaker. SOMM Film Star. Les Marchands Wine Bar owner. Brian McClintic shared some of his experiences from all aspects of his busy schedule.
What was it like having a camera in your face while studying for the master sommelier exam?
I think it impacted me positively. The Master Sommelier test is very social. The tasting is with a panel. Service is obviously social. The theory test is oral. You’re walking around with so much information in your head, a lot of people become socially awkward. The film forced me to come out of my shell, to lighten up and stay loose, and be the best version of myself. I was able to stay outside myself, to not get lost in myself.
how do you drink your way through a calendar packed with wine projects?
I cry myself to sleep every night?! Really, they just flow into each other. We were already making wine, and it all happened at once after the movie in a whirlwind. It’s ironic, wine is to celebrate, it’s social. It’s not like coffee, not a shot of espresso and go about your day. With wine we take our time. My day is not like that. Imagine if your job was eating just your favorite food. Now imagine if I asked you to start eating it twice a day. And you love steak. You wouldn’t be able to do that very long, not without throwing a salad in. I’m tasting wines constantly. Your palate can only take so much. But I love what I do. I remind myself at the end of the day that it’s just wine.
What wines were difference-makers for you?
As for ah-ha wines, there was never one, but there were several stages along the way. I was working at a steakhouse, and it was all about Napa Cab. From five to five-hundred-dollars. That’s where I learned to taste the difference. But then a guest would ask about our tiny French section, and I would think, “Bordeaux, is that a grape or a section? How do you pronounce these things?” So one night I splurged. I bought an eighty-five Pomerol, and took it to a friend who would know, and it was like, “Oh!” The smells and tastes were like nothing I knew. That was my new to old world intro. At a certain point you experience Burgundy, and at first you think, “It’s thin and soft, it smells light. Why is everyone going crazy for this?” I was working at the Little Nell in Aspen, and had my first Grand Cru Burgundy. That was when I got Burgundy. After that, going back to Napa Cab...they seemed unctuous, over the top. If it were just me, ninety-percent of what I drink would be whites.
what do people need to know about santa barbara wine?
Oh, I could talk forever. So there’s the new world of wine, it’s still in it’s infancy. In the old world, monks have been making wine over the course of centuries. Santa Barbara was only planted in seventy-one, so it’s very young. All of California, really, are like infants playing in a sandbox. Just highly gifted, intelligent infants. It’s the old world we learn from and give credit to, and we’ve come far very quickly. But do we know what grows best where? No, not until we know what is best viticulturally. Santa Barbara is a geographic anomaly. San Francisco area is great, cellar temperature year-round. Santa Barbara has the coolest, longest growing season in the valley. It allows us to plant grapes that ripen, but grow over a longer period of time. But it’s branded for tourism. You say “Napa” or “Sonoma” you immediately think wine. You say “Paso Robles”, you think wine. You say “Santa Barbara”, you think palm trees, sun, beaches, and bikinis, not wine. Everyone asks, “How can we change it?” I say, “Don’t! Stay out of the spotlight while we figure it out.” Maybe Gruner Veltliner is perfect for growing, but Pinot Noir is the most marketable. Now there are progressive growers who choose to plant what’s best, not what is most marketable. There are makers who want to work with Gruner Veltliner and others like it. And there are drinkers who want to try Gruner Veltliner, that are more open than ever. I like to say Santa Barbara has unlimited potential.
On winemaking and service
Vallin was not started to be a money-maker. It was to keep four guys connected together. But once we started, we decided, “OK, we’re going to do some serious wine.” Lots of somms make wine, put juice in a bottle, put a label on it, we’re not doing that. We said, “So Syrah is not the most marketable wine. Syrah is a world-class grape, let’s get behind it.” Northern Rhone is the heart of Syrah, and we made it our focal point. We were in Burgundy, drinking Jamet Cote Rotie. Let that sink in. Vallin was on the label, we liked how it looked on the label. We researched and found it was a street name, then went further and found it was actually a surname. Vallin means valley dwellers, from people that originally settled the Rhone valley. We said, “That’s cool and simple, let’s go with it.” It’s exciting to see three years later, we sold out of the ‘twelve, and are just waiting for the ‘thirteen in the barrel to be ready to bottle.
Brian exams the well-stocked shelves at Les Marchands
Service for a sommelier is different than any other service. The court teaches specific standards of service, so that if the Queen of England asks you to do a wine service, you could deliver that. It’s very technically precise. With staff, it’s different. You take the clientele, the concept, into account. Les Marchands is not buttoned-up like formal fine dining. We’re very warm and approachable, and technically proficient. Usually it is one of these, but not both. This is without being stuffy or pretentious. We size up each guest. We tailor service to each guest, it’s all about how we meet them where they are. Michael Jordan, the sommelier not the basketball player, is a master sommelier and my mentor. He said, “It’s not how much you know, it’s how much you care.” That’s something that has stuck with me, so simple but so powerful. We guess where guests are at, and think how can we meet them there. Invariably every night there is one guest you could have done something better. And being attuned to the needs of others is something applicable to every area of life.
expect to experiment at Les Marchands wine bar & merchant, santa barbara
Most people look at our by the glass list and say, “What language is this?” But then we pour them a tasting and they’re in. We’ve found that “yeah, I’ll try it” makes up about ninety-percent of our clientele. When we originally told our investors we wanted mostly lesser-known European varietals on the list, they said, “Are you crazy?!” But these are balanced out by the local wines. There are tremendous values from strange places. Not just to be strange, but good, high-level wines. But they're not marketed, so they’re way underpriced.
What Brian described here played out in my experience at Les Marchands. Several staffers combined to accommodate my group's requests with recommendations that were right on target, and there were many unfamiliar wines available for tasting, along with attractive pricing. Wines by the glass change frequently, allowing for an ongoing educational process for those fortunate enough to be regular patrons.
Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchants
Tasting Experience At Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant
After an impassioned pitch from Brian McClintic of SOMM fame, I was more than eager to visit Les Marchands, his Santa Barbara Funk Zone wine bar. On a pleasant Friday evening in January, the bar was already bustling, and my group of four tested out the adaptability of his staff.
I loved the space, with partially roughed-out walls blending right into refined areas with floor to ceiling wine racks. We sat at a corner table directly adjacent to the end of the bar, where we never felt crowded or over-stimulated by the activity around us. I laid out my desire to taste several wines with my wife, while our companions would have only a glass, and asked for suggestions. There was not a tasting on the menu that night, but our initial server confirmed what I was looking for, and assured us that it could be arranged. Soon, a second server arrived. Based on a series of questions, she recommended six wines between the by-the-glass menu and specials board in the bar. My friends chose their glass from her descriptions that followed.
- Terre Des Chardons Marginal Grenache 2011 - What became my overall favorite. A great funky nose, then red berries and roundness. $43
- Calabretta Cala Cala Nerello Mascalese NV - My favorite that night was tannic and tart, with several layers and a long finish. $29
- Catherine et Pierre Breton Trinch! Cabernet Franc 2013 - Grassy, followed by earth, with a sweet finish. $33
- Bellus Girasole Sangiovese 2010 - Petroleum on the nose, then peppery, dirty, and mouth-drying. $31
- Ojai Vineyards John Sebastiano Syrah/Grenache 2013 - From Santa Barbara County. $46
- Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 - From Happy Lane, CA. $46
I inquired of our server about the wine clubs and shipping availability, and another staff member came to escort me to the wine market. He took considerable time to answer my questions about the current inventory and how the clubs work, while addressing numerable questions and requests from staff. The mission of helping customers to discover unknown wines was highlighted. We were discussing Cote Rotie. He described how, if my orders make clear I am a fan of Cote Rotie, or Northern Rhone, or Syrah in general, that Brian and the staff will recognize and use this knowledge to customize future shipments. However, this will not eliminate the encouragement of new experiences, as there will still be the unexpected bottles. I am certain that patrons of the wine bar and club members may be accustomed to hearing, "trust me", from the staff, and pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
There were slight transitional delays in service. I would like to have heard more about the Vallin project Brian is involved in. Perhaps the omission was due to lack of supply of the popular new wines. There was over-sell on the ramen bowl special, a new feature which was suggested four times, even though I stated from the beginning we were only drinking wine.
Four total staff members combined for a complete service experience, accommodating all requests, including the unscheduled, impromptu wine tasting, and answering all questions. Overall, I was pleased with adequate service, and exhilarated by the wines and the discussion of them with several staff members who "got it". I would become a fixture of Les Marchands should I spend regular time in Santa Barbara.
Les Marchands Wine Bar & Merchant
Suite B, 131 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Be Adventuresome With Wine Tasting
I recently overheard a foursome of young business people talking wine. Sitting at a nearby table, hearing their excitable discussion was unavoidable. "I love Cabernets," stated one, "and (mainstream producer) is really popular right now." The conversation carried on, experiences were shared, and it became clear that these were not wine novices. Yet, non-California Cabernet, like "those William-ette Oregon Pinots" received only a passing, dismissive mention from this group.
With so many great, affordable, and unknown wines to choose from, you should strategize for wine adventures. I had the pleasure of visiting with winemaker Lorenzo Marotti Campi at the Slow Wine Tour in Los Angeles. He poured his wines made from the rare Lacrima grape in the Marche DOC of Italy. The wines had an immensely floral nose, and the perfumed fragrance filled the general tasting area. There were sweet yet firm fruits, and peppery finishes. Lorenzo was extremely kind and hospitable, and his wines were outstandingly different from anything else I tasted.
Lorenzo Marotti Campi & Wife of Wine Man
unlimit your wine adventures
Here is the thing: If I had limited myself to tasting what I knew at the time, I would not have enjoyed this experience. I have had very few wines from this region, and did not know of the Lacrima grape. At the event, Marotti Campi was set up at a table far from regions like Tuscany or Piedmont, and was one of only two (out of 53 total) producers from Marche. It was the last table I visited, and his neighbor producer had already shut down, leaving the table looking somewhat disheveled. Fortunately, my wife insisted that we go over and try it.
I may never taste these wines again, but the ten minutes spent with Lorenzo and his wines made my night, and converted an otherwise average tasting into a memorable experience. If you are currently committed to a particular wine, enjoy it to the full. But when the opportunity to taste something new and different, red or white or bubbly, presents itself, take it! You just do not know what you might otherwise miss.
Connect with me on the social media links below for more out of the ordinary wine talk.
Wine Tasting By The Glass - Stonehorse Cafe
A restaurant with a strong wine program can provide the setting for a by the glass wine tasting, and potentially turn you onto your next go-to bottle. Recently at Stonehorse Cafe, three of us shared the following wines and observations.
Cultivar Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 - This was the unanimous favorite. Very dark and powerful, with spicy sweet finish, and requisite vanilla note. $28 (retail)
Coppo L'avvocata Barbera d'Asti 2012 - My top pick, but I'm a Barbera fan. Red fruits and a spicy effervescence. $14
Scarpetta Barbera del Monferrato 2012 - We all agreed on this for our bottle with lunch. Fruity, though darker, with earthiness. $16
Telmo Rodriguez LZ Vinedos de Lanziego Tempranillo 2011 - Jammy with smoke. Very pleasant and lengthy. Only one of us was a fan. $18
Recuerdo Malbec 2012 - Full of dark berries and currant, a little grassy. $16
Chateau La Hase Bordeaux Blend 2012 - Very mild, suffering against the bigger and fruitier opponents. It had no chance in this lineup. $14
Tasting several wines the glass can be an informative and fun social experience, and our impromptu session led us to a few bottles to seek out for the full experience. Take advantage of your dining out opportunities to experiment, and find the next big wine on your list.
Wines Of The Year
The best times with wine involve people, places, and excellent service experiences. Here are my top wines from 2014, with the events surrounding them.
- Gehricke Carneros Pinot Noir 2012 - This is a fabulous first production, with earthy leather, red berries, and some spice. I found it at the Primo's Fine Wine and Spirits wine tasting event in Tulsa. $35
- Caymus Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 - The 40th Anniversary edition is powerfully dark, velvety, and lasts seemingly forever. Fearing's Restaurant in Dallas offered it to me first. $60
- JL Chave Mon Coer Cotes-du-Rhone 2011 - Thanks to Master Sommelier Craig Collins and Arro in Austin for the introduction to this value Rhone. $19
- Brooks Bois Joli Riesling 2012 - This was my favorite find on a tasting tour of Oregon. Lots of citrus and just enough sweetness. Brooks is very generous, and they have a touching film about winemaking you should see: American Wine Story. $24
- Domaine Henri Gouges Nuits-St-Georges 2009 - Affordable Burgundy acquired at a wine lover's paradise, Brown Derby of Springfield, Missouri. $55
Post-Holiday Wine Shopping On A Budget
If your wine budget is short, here's an international mixed case of available and affordable bottles to enjoy while you replenish your savings:
- Sebastiani Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon - $16
- The Black Chook McLaren Vale Shiraz - $18
- Tommasi Valpolicella Rafael - $17
- Charles Smith Wines The Velvet Devil Merlot - $15
- Silvertop Malbec - $10
- M. Chapoutier Cotes-du-Rhone Belleruche - $15
- Michael Pozzan Wines Annabella Carneros Pinot Noir - $15
- Louis Jadot Macon-Villages Chardonnay - $14
- Gruet Winery Domaine Saint Vincent Brut - $10
- Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough - $18
- Bodega Del Abad Dom Bueno Godello - $15
- Joh. Jos. Prum Riesling Kabinett - $19