AG Pick: Xarmant Txakolina 2010

If you’re looking for a wine to get you ready for warmer weather try the 2010 Xarmant Txakolina. It may be a bit intimidating to spell or pronounce but this white wine is extremely easy to drink. Xarmant Txakolina comes from the Basque region of Spain, in the northeast part of the country. The Basque [...]

AG Pick: Jaillance Cuvee de l’Abbaye Cremant de Bordeaux

If you love French sparkling wine but are turned off by the high price of Champagne, make Crémant your celebratory bubbly. Crémant is the name for the sparkling wine produced in France outside of the Champagne region. Made in the same method as Champagne but typically costing much less, Crémant is the perfect blend of [...]

A Trio of Ravenswood Zinfandel — Great Pairing for Your Holiday Meal

Zinfandel makes a great pairing with holiday meals. Flavors that range from bright and fruity to dark and spicy make Zinfandel an extremely food-friendly red wine, whether you’re serving turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables or beyond. If your holiday get together also includes a variety of tastes when it comes to wine, Ravenswood has [...]

AG Pick: Filus Torrontes 2010

Taking a sniff of Torrontes can be like sticking your nose in a bouquet of flowers. The grape produces white wine that is fresh, floral and aromatic. Just as Malbec is the red wine grape of Argentina, think of Torrontes as the white wine grape of the South American country. If you need a touch [...]

AG Pick: HB Picpoul de Pinet 2010

As the summer nears its end (at least according to the calendar), the lingering hot temperatures call for white wine. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing white to enjoy outdoors or want something to drink with lobster or other shellfish, the HB (Hugues Beaulieu) Picpoul de Pinet 2010 from La Cave de Pomerols is the [...]

AG Pick: Mandolin Syrah 2009

Easy to drink and easy on the wallet, the 2009 Mandolin Syrah is the kind of wine you can enjoy any day of the week. This wine comes from the Monterey region in California’s Central Coast, an AVA that is influenced by its proximity to the ocean. Vineyards in this part of the Central Coast [...]

AG Pick: Heron Hill Chardonnay 2009

Need a break from overly oaked California Chardonnay? Head across the country to upstate New York for Heron Hill Winery’s elegant and satisfying 2009 unoaked Chardonnay. Heron Hill has been producing cool-climate Chardonnay and Riesling for more than 30 years in the Finger Lakes region. The vineyards’ location near Keuka Lake helps protect the vines [...]

AG Pick Under $20: 2009 Carmel Road Monterey Chardonnay

Do you like your California Chardonnay to have a touch of oak but too often feel like you’re sucking on a piece of the barrel?  Then you’ll want to pick up a bottle of the 2009 Carmel Road Monterey Chardonnay.  This white gets oak just right, using it to enhance and not overwhelm the flavors [...]

A Pair of Kosher Wines for Passover

Searching for great tasting wines that are Kosher for Passover?  Look to one of the oldest New World wine producing countries — Israel. I recently tasted a Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from Gilgal, a new label from the Golan Heights Winery. The wine is named after Gilgal Refaim, a site in the Golan Heights region [...]

AG Pick Under $20: Van Duzer Estate Pinot Gris 2009

Nearly three years after launching The Amateur Gastronomer, I’m writing my first AG Pick article on a Pinot Gris. Why, when I’ve sought to write about a wide variety of grapes and wines, did I somehow manage to neglect this one?  It’s mostly because I don’t drink a lot of Pinot Gris, or its Italian [...]