Faust Cabernet Sauvignon is a Fantastic “Treat Yourself” Wine
With inflation surging, the safety of the “$20 bottle of a varietal and region I like” is getting shaken. By that I mean, if I grabbed a cab sauv north of $20 from Cali, at the very least I expected to enjoy, if not love…
What Happens When You Age Wine? Comparing 2 Reviews of the Same Wine 8 Years Apart
Take a trip back in time with me. All the way to the hyper distant world of 2014. My then-girlfriend (now wife) and I had just come back from a 5 month soujourn in South East Asia, and my parents (presumably grateful their feckless son…
Wine Tasting: Less Bullshit Than You’d Think
Ok, let me be quite frank. There is some element of bullshit to wine tasting. Wine tasters and critics who are able to eke out every faint soupcon of flavour may tend to exaggerate just a tad. And what about those wine critics who were…
Antinori Pèppoli Chianti Classico Makes a Pefect Meal Pairing
There are some who argue that wine is meant to be had with food. Others (including myself) believe some wines are best consumed solo. But, on occasion, a wine like Antinori Pèppoli Chianti Classico comes along that pairs so well with a meal, you wonder why you…
Date Night Dinner & Wine #3: Tasty Tartare With Valpolicella
A typical Saturday for me includes at least three beers, two bowls of boxed macaroni and cheese, a few hours of kittens laying on my face, and usually excludes pants. Yesterday, however, I had a hunger that could only be sated by one of my…
Pol Roger Brut Champagne: A New Treat for a New Year
Every New Year’s Eve I treat myself to a new Champagne (as good an excuse as any to spend far too much on a bottle of booze), and give it a review. This year, based on numerous recommendations, I opted for Pol Roger Reserve Brut…
What’s a ‘Wine’? V: When to Send Back a Bottle
When you order a bottle of wine at a restaurant, the accompanying ceremony can seem a bit silly and unnecessary. You are presented with a small sample to swirl, smell, sip, and – inevitably – affirm as, “Excellent, thank you.” What’s the point? I mean,…
Bear Flag Smooth Red Is Solid Throughout
The use of “smooth” right in the title immediately had me worried. Smooth is the ultimate booze buzzword, which more often than not means “we didn’t even taste it, but we could likely justify it as smooth.” Nonetheless, once again, I was suckered in by…
Watch This Wine: Viognier is In Vogue
It wasn’t until I’d polished of my bottle of Route Du Sud Viognier that I thought, “Damn, I should really drink more of this stuff.” My next thought was “Damn! Everyone should drink more of this stuff!” I’m of course referring to the varietal known as…
Revolution Red is the Perfect Party Wine
Smoth’s Rating: PartyTime/10 I’m not sure if the vintner of Revolution Red would find my assessment of his/her wine flattering or insulting, but regardless here it goes — Revolution Red is a straight up party wine, as appropriate for a red Solo cup as for a crystal glass. But…