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Monteabellón: One of Ribera del Duero’s finest

Bodegas Monteabellón in Ribera del Duero, Spain In the heart of one of the finest wine regions of Spain, Bodegas Monteabellón produces complex and profound wines that speak to the winery’s utmost care and respect for its surroundings. This commitment to quality was recognised in the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards, where the 2018 Finca La Blanquera, one of the …

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Bolgheri 2021: Overview of a milestone vintage and top-scorers

A view of one of Tenuta San Guido’s vineyards. Bolgheri 2021 vintage rating 5/5 One of Bolgheri’s finest ever vintages, combining vibrant fruit, fresh acidity and ripe tannins with impeccable finesse and poise, showcasing exactly what the territory is capable of. Winter rains ensured that there was sufficient underground water for the vines to access throughout the three-month summer drought. …

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Crafting change: A celebration of Italian women in wine & spirits

Alicia Lini, fourth-generation vintner of Emilia-Romagna’s Lini 910. Women are increasingly taking centre stage as leaders, innovators and custodians of their regions in the wine and spirits industry. In recognition of this ongoing transformation, a second annual Women in Wine & Spirits Event will take place at Millennium Hall in Chicago on 20 October 2024. Hosted by Vinitaly.USA in collaboration …

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Italian pasta and wine: The best pairings for popular dishes

No traditional dish is more evocative of the extreme fragmentation of the Italian culinary tradition than pasta. Even more than pizza, which only became widespread across the entire nation in the second half of the 20th century, pasta stands as an emblem of the country, with recipes varying from town to town. Made with durum wheat flour, water and egg …

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Decanter’s Dream Destination: Villa Korta Katarina, Dalmatia, Croatia

Villa Korta Katarina and Winery, Croatia. Courtesy: Korta Katarina Originally built as a luxury hotel in the 1940s, this stately villa overlooking the Adriatic Sea sits on the picturesque Dalmatian coast, just outside the town of Orebi?, on the Pelješac peninsula. American philanthropists Lee and Penny Anderson purchased the property after helping to rebuild Croatia in the post-war period. The …

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Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2022 $48 (93 points)

An attractively built version, with a vibrant core of acidity and tannins framed by steely flavors of cherry and cranberry, all laced with crushed stone and black tea tones as this finishes with snappy tannins. Drink now through 2032. 14,330 cases made. Source : 189da51d4e31cc589bd2b37568d26a79

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2022 Kirkland Signature Napa Valley Red Blend

An interesting trend we’re seeing is more of the Kirkland bottles arriving earlier in the year than they have in prior vintages. This is another example of a wine where we reviewed the prior vintage just 7 months ago. The new (and very delicious) Kirkland Brunello came in a few months early. Toscana a little … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2022-kirkland-signature-napa-valley-red-blend/

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How to Search Wine Inventory At Any Costco Store

There was a massive, barely noticed update to the Costco mobile app. And get this, it finally lets you search the inventory at Costco stores, right from your smartphone. This is huge news as it can save countless trips to stores searching for bottles. And other items too. And it works really well. Let’s take … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/how-to-search-wine-inventory-at-any-costco-store/

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2023 Cune Albarino Rias Baixas

Cune is a producer who we always associated with red Tempranillo wines, and in a very good way, so it was a surprise to us to see this Albarino pop up from them at Costco. It also seems to be getting increasingly more difficult to find good Albarino under $15 as prices on many of … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2023-cune-albarino-rias-baixas/

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2023 Kris Pinot Grigio

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Kris in stores. For a while, it was a staple in the white wine section. Then it fell off the map for a bit, at least around the stores we frequent. So we were happy to see it again, and coming in at $8.99 which is $1 or … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2023-kris-pinot-grigio/

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2023 Kirkland Signature Cotes du Rhone Villages

Look what we found. The latest vintage of the ultra popular Kirkland Cotes du Rhone Villages is out in stores. It’s a September arrival (barely) this time; October last vintage, and actually March before that, so hoping we see some steadiness to this timeframe. We love having these on hand all fall and winter long. … Source : https://costcowineblog.com/2023-kirkland-signature-cotes-du-rhone-villages/

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Finding The Right Touchstone

It’s like a kiss that makes your knees go all wobbly, basically letting you know you’ll drift no further. It just happens, because you need it. This one is for you, If you love wine and are a high tech type. Backstory I’ve often been contacted by representatives of wine auctions, like the time I […] The post Finding The …

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Retzlaff Estate

Dana L. Brown has added a photo to the pool: Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/danalbrown/54030091358/in/pool-17918700@N00

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Building

Ruthinit has added a photo to the pool: Just for fun Source : https://www.flickr.com/photos/199494430@N05/54026994567/in/pool-52609756@N00

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Wine investment: La Place releases into tricky market

Choppy waters for fine wine. September has become a key month for Bordeaux négociants to distribute new vintages of international fine wines to certain markets, potentially providing more evidence of buyer sentiment. While there has been debate within parts of the trade about the suitability of the model for all wines, La Place de Bordeaux’s September campaign now represents top-quality …

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T-Oinos: A winemaking renewal in the Cyclades

The vineyards of T-oinos, located on the island of Tinos, part of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. Mykonos is among the best-known islands in the Cyclades archipelago, famed for its nightlife and windmills. It’s only when you land in Mykonos in midsummer that you realise just why there are so many white-sailed windmills: in the summer, the wind blows …

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Château Pradeaux Côtes de Provence Rosé 2023 $24 (92 points)

This is sturdy and fresh, with a copper hue and loads of blood orange, freshly squeezed tangerine and dried garrigue. White cherry and grapefruit notes chime in, bringing a pleasing bitterness to the densely built palate. Finely sculpted tannins guide the long, tangy finish, marked by a mint detail. Distinctive and delicious now, this rosé will age well for years …

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Vinography Unboxed: Week of 9/21/24

Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently. This week included a bunch of California wines, including a number of white wines from …

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