Hot Sheets

Having been established in Sonoma since 1895 as growers, Seghesio is an all-star producer when it comes to Zin. A large-scaled, seemingly raspberry-infused offering that shows gorgeous aromatics of full-fruit as well as an overriding wave of peppery spice and cinnamon aromas complete allures.

In the mouth it is generous, ripe, packed with character that normally shows in twenty dollar versions as well as a scale-tipping, broad finish. Have this wine with barbecue, pasta with red sauces or a hunk of blue cheese, you be impressed! This is a whole lot o' zin for under twenty-five bucks and is a wonderful wine for barbecue season 2014.

The village and red wine growing region of Faugeres is very remote. Tucked away in the hills above the city of Beziers in the Coteaux-Du-Languedoc, this region and producer is extremely well-known in wine circles as one of the finest secrets in all of France.

2012 is a very exquisite vintage in these parts, and this full-throttle offering is no exception! Based around Grenache (80%) with the rest being Syrah and Mourvedre, Mas D'Alezon's wine is dense and very spicy with plenty of extroverted scents of blackberry, ginger, smoke, and white pepper. In the mouth, it goes quite deep and complex while carrying a feral streak that makes it go beautifully with grilled leg of lamb, venison, or any other game dish.

A prominent name when it comes to Amarone, Accordini Igino somewhat defies categorization. Guido Accordini is very respectful of his terroir and vineyards, farming them with the greatest respect to nature. In the winery, this is where one might refer to him as a neo-classicist. In any case the results are consistently astounding and right now at this special price, if you like the large-scaled Amarone stylings of Italy, you'll undoubtedly go ape-crazy over it at an almost half-off special!

Accordini's Amarone is a full-on, intense heady red. Extraordinarily large but also extraordinarily smooth, it's laden with aromas of licorice, tar, almond, saturated cherry, cedar, lively pepper and exotic spices on the nose. In the mouth it explodes, expands and luxuriates all of the senses. Concentrated and rich, this mountain of a wine conceals its tannins and alcohol nicely. Impressive with slow-roasted pork dishes or gorgonzola and can be drunk over the next 10-12 years.

Hey kids! Check out this fun-filled and very credible white wine value from Washington that utilizes Roussanne, which is one of the major grapes for white Chateauneuf-du-Pape. A project spearheaded by one of our local vendors and made by Brett Isenhower of the vastly underrated Isenhower cellars in Walla Walla.

Unoaked and varietally proper, tropical scents of lychee, pineapple and wild flowers carry over into a mouth-coating palate yet fully maintains its brisk character; lots of anisette and citrus comes through in the middle and on the vividly vibrant finish This is a soulful Northwest white wine that is very fairly priced and one that you can proudly serve to and impress out-of-town guests. Pairs well with fresh crab, grilled halibut or just about any other provencal seafood dish.

The hilltop village of Montepulciano is one of the most picturesque in all of Tuscany. Although the village is heavily touristed, many of its wines are some of the renowned sleepers in Tuscany. The son of Vino Nobile, the superb producer Fattoria del Cerro's Rosso di Montepulciano is quite the flavorful Sangiovese treat for 12 bucks.

Savory and bursting with unmitigated Tuscan scents of wild cherry, earth and aromatic herbs and spices make you want to get on the next plane back to Italy. Once the wine is in the mouth, it bursts with generous fruit along with the tell-tale wild spice overtones and flows nicely to a very stylish finish. Enjoy this with Penne Bolognese.

Made from 100% Cabernet Franc, Chinon wines are a distinct taste of France and replicating these wines in the New World is quite a challenge. Bravo to those who succeed but they are few and far between. The current winemaker at Domaine J-M Raffault, Rodolphe Raffault is 14th generation and has ably followed in his ancestors' footsteps and is making wines that are some of the finest in the region. Having prime-time terroir doesn't exactly hurt either.

Clos D'Isore is an enclosed vineyard that dates back to the 17th century. The current 6+ acres were planted in 1938 and are steeply situated in clay/limestone soil which sits atop a white chalk subsoil. The 2010 is a well-structured wine with generous raspberry fruits, Asian spices, pronounced flint, sanguine and pekoe all which are packed in snugly at the moment. Old-vine depth backbone and persistence abound, this wine is a $20 offering that can age for a long time. Late last year I had a 1996 of this offering that was humming – 2010 has even greater potential. Give this wine until 2018 by which time the material will unfold and the flavors will expand and smoothen with floral aspects joining in on the fruit, mineral and spice mélange. A wine for those who truly appreciate the art of detailed French wines, Best 2018 – 2026+.

For the 5th vintage in a row, this 100% Tempranillo from an area known more its luxury wines continues to impress, especially for a mere 10-spot!

Lovely, bursting and flavorful…packed with scents of cranberry, raspberry, roasted earth and hints of clove which follow over into a texture that can best be described as "gulpable". Forward, engaging and lots of fun, this wine is perfect for those mid-week cravings for good reds or for when friends drop by unannounced.

I love to repeat this story every year that I offer up this delicious mouth-watering white wine from the Loire Valley

Drink Cheverny, just don't visit there. Reminiscing about a visit to the Loire Valley and this specific grower and village in 1996, Bryan got inspired to feature this flavorful white wine and tell a little travel story.

Attached at the hip by the adjacent village of Cours-Cheverny, if you visit Cheverny you can have lovely white wine, but...Woke up, decided to take the bus from Blois instead of driving. The bus stops and basically leaves you off in the middle of a damn wheat field and then you have to walk about 20 minutes to find a cigarette-smoke-stained bar to wait and have a cup of coffee because you are early for your appointment. If you've been to France, you know which bar I am talking about, it's in many sleepy villages. After drinking 4 cups of dishwater disguising itself as coffee, Bryan then went on his visit to Domaine Salvard. Before we go into the wine, a very important question: How is it that a country that is so renowned for its creativity and influence in both food and wine cannot make a good cup of coffee?? If you ever want to kick a caffeine addiction, just go to France, have a cup of coffee or two and you'll quit. In Italy, you might have to wait two hours in the post office to mail a postcard, but damn-it, you are going to have good caffe!

We always get asked for tips about travel in France, but here is an important one to remember. While in France, if you are going to have your acid-reflux act up, don't do it with their coffee, do it with their brilliant wines! Domaine Salvard is a longtime Loire Valley favorite and perennial apex buy. 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Chardonnay (Cheverny allows for 20% of another varietal to be blended in with the Sauvignon Blanc) and aged entirely in stainless steel. Intense ripe aromas of gooseberry, grapefruit, fresh cut grass, and just a hint of herbs. Plucky and electric citrus notes carry through on the palate, with mineral, and mouth puckering acidity. An incredibly refreshing white that goes down quicker than a glass of water, this is one to stock up on especially if you like things like Sancerre but don't exactly like the price. After the visit to the Domaine, the bus didn't arrive for another 2 hours, so it was back to the Bar Cheverny for lunch. I think I ate roadkill. Truthfully, I really try to block out any remaining flashbacks of Cheverny that I might have. As I said, drink the wine, maybe visit a Domaine, but don't visit the village although I've heard there is a decent castle in the neighborhood…