Winervana Blog Posts

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Casa Silva

Casa Silva Microterroir de Los Lingues Carmenère and Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc.
Casa Silva Microterroir de Los Lingues Carmenère and Casa Silva Cool Coast Sauvignon Blanc. Click here for tasting notes.

Casa Silva

Casa Silva traces its roots back to 1892, when Emile Bouchon immigrated from Bordeaux to Chile’s Colchagua Valley. After decades of producing wines for others, in 1997 Bouchon’s great-great-grandson Mario Silva established Casa Silva to produce estate wines under the family’s own name. He had already  dedicated much of his life to recovering the old vineyards and wine cellar, and had acquired a unique understanding of the terroir in the Colchagua Valley, which is divided into the Andean sector,  influenced by the mountains, a central sector on the flatlands, and a coastal sector with significant influence from the Pacific Ocean.

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Allaire Vodka

Allaire Vodka

Allaire Vodka

Allaire vodka is a “premium” vodka that is produced in Poland. The vodka is distilled six times (allegedly in vertical columns) and and then filtered five times, aiming for “outstanding purity, clarity and shine.” according to the producer. The mash bill (grain base) for Allaire is reportedly rye-dominant — meaning a substantial portion of the spirit originates from rye grain rather than wheat or potatoes.

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How to Read a Wine List

how too read a wine list

How to Read a Wine List

This rant is also available as a podcast episode.

When presented with a restaurant wine list, don’t be rushed or intimidated. The server will often hand you a pages-long list, but then expect you to make a selection immediately, before you have any idea what foods you’re going to pair it with. That’s a bad idea. My suggestion is to just ask for water and then that will give you time to try and figure out what your entree is going to be. Sometimes the server will still try to rush you because they are on a schedule. Just politely say, “Well, we will have some wine with dinner, but we don’t know what we’re eating. So we need some time. Once we decide on our food, then we’re going to order some wine to go with it.”

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Catena Wines

Catena Wines.
Catena Wines. Click here for tasting notes.

Catena Wines

In 1902, Italian immigrant Nicola Catena planted his first Malbec vineyard in Mendoza, Argentina. Domingo, Nicola’s eldest son, took the family winery to the next level, building the Catena business to become one of the largest vineyard holders in Mendoza. Like his father, Domingo Catena fiercely believed that Argentine Malbec could make a wine as worthy as any first-growth Bordeaux.

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FOS Mastiha

FOS Mastiha Liqueur
FOS Mastiha Liqueur

FOS Mastiha  Liqueur

The Mastiha tree is also known as the famous Crying Tree,  since it “cries” teardrops of resin during the harvest period. It only grows and is cultivated on the small Mediterranean island of Chios. Nowhere else in the world has it been able to take root.

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Cecchi Wines

Cecchi Chianti Classico 2012 and Cecchi La Mora Vermentino 2014.
Cecchi Chianti Classico 2012 and Cecchi La Mora Vermentino 2014. Click here for tasting notes.

Cecchi Wines

In 1893, Luigi Cecchi became a professional wine taster. Although widespread in other parts of Europe, the craft of “palatista (taster)” was still unknown in Italy. However, Cecchi believed that by approaching Italian wines with professionalism and organization, people in Italy as well as elsewhere would be able to recognize the quality of the wines produced.

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Bollinger Champagne

Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut Champagne.
Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut Champagne. Click here for tasting notes.

Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut Champagne

The story of Bollinger Champagne began with Athanase de Villermont, the youngest son of a noble family. He inherited an extensive estate from his family in the Aÿ area of France. He foresaw the potential of the wines of Champagne, but as an aristocrat he was forbidden to become involved in trade.

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Simon Creek Winery

Simon Creek Cabernet Sauvignon NV and Simon Creek Merlot NV.
Simon Creek Cabernet Sauvignon NV and Simon Creek Merlot NV. Click here for tasting notes.

Simon Creek Winery

Wisconsin native Thomas J. (Tim) Lawrie had a 26-year career in the U.S. Army, including two tours in Vietnam as a combat officer, and was awarded the Purple Heart. He served as an Army Infantry Airborne soldier before finally retiring with the rank of Colonel. After which, he was almost universally referred to as, “The Colonel,” a somewhat surprising affectation for a Northerner, I think. As with most military personnel, he had assignments throughout the country, including California, where he acquired an interest in wine and wine production. Continue reading “Simon Creek Winery”

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Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay

Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 and Imagery Chardonnay 2016.
Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 and Imagery Chardonnay 2016. Click here for tasting notes.

Imagery Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 and Chardonnay 2016

In 1973, newlyweds Mike and Mary Benziger drove west and permanently settled in Northern California. Seven years later, Mike and and his brother Bruno Benziger purchased the historic Wegener Ranch on Sonoma Mountain in Glen Ellen, California. Hearing the Sirens’ call of the Golden State, over the next six years the four remaining siblings — Bob, Joe, Jerry, and Patsy, with their spouses — made their way to California.

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