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To all Wine Exchangers, First a little basic wisdom.  It is a simple fact that the hierarchy of Burgundy vineyards has been established over centuries based on performance.  Typically places like Marsannay, Santenay, Maranges and Givry don’t perform at the same level as Gevrey Chambertin or Vosne Romanée vintage in and vintage out.  But when […]

To all Wine Exchangers, There are a few things in the world that make life better.  One of them is a delicious bottle of Cabernet that shows the classic varietal fruit of currant, black cherry and or blueberry, with attendant nuances of chocolate, spice, and violet.  It’s even better when it comes from a respected […]

To all Wine Exchangers, It would be easy to write this even if we didn’t taste the wine.  We have worn our affection for Rioja on our sleeve for, what, a couple of decades? La Rioja Alta has been a house favorite for a long time as well and is one of the bastions of […]

To all Wine Exchangers, What a treat to finish out the year for white wine with an offering that pushes all the buttons and epitomizes what we do as a company. Great story? Check. Master of Wine Julia Harding broke it down thusly, “Made from 100% Verdejo grapes, this fresh, zesty, lemon- and grapefruit-scented white […]

To all Wine Exchangers, It was over twenty years ago when a Bordeaux merchant walked into our store with a 1992 vintage Bordeaux from a producer we had never heard of.  We were all laughing under our breath as 1992 was an, ahem, how can we say this nicely… ‘useful’ (barely) vintage in Bordeaux.  In […]

To all Wine Exchangers, It almost makes me a little verklempt when I think about just how much respect and admiration I have for the team at Cristom Vineyards. Three guys, together since 1992, honing their skills and crafting some of the finest Pinot Noir in North America. Three guys that have learned together, grown […]

To all Wine Exchangers, The Borgogno name is a strong one in Barolo.  And, it appears, a divided one.  There are numerous wineries in Barolo that currently are or have been Borgogno-operated, though we’re unaware of the relations (if any) between the families or how far out the tendrils extend.  Regardless, if there are indeed […]

To all Wine Exchangers, Everything old is new again.  And better!  Hey, we have nothing but praise for the Martinis, who produced one of the bread and butter labels in California in the 60s and 70s when ‘baby boomers’ were learning about wine.   But, as happened to lot of labels during the ‘corporate’ winery years […]

To all Wine Exchangers, Back in the day (like, the 1980’s), when ‘German wine’ was but a sea of Liebfraumilch and Zeller Schwarze Katz and other grosslage plonk, it was pretty easy for the ‘cutting-edge’ merchants at the time to carry ‘the good stuff’.  Simply put, all you needed to know about German wine back […]

To all Wine Exchangers, If today’s offer was a Napa Valley Cabernet with its 98-100-point score and limited production of 500 cases… what do you think this wine would cost?  In the land of Harlan, Screaming Eagle and Realm’s of the world?  $500 +, easy.  Now take where this wine hails from… the “Right Bank” of Bordeaux […]