Clos Delfines

Albarino is Spain's most successful white wine and Clos Delfines is a benchmark for the style: crisp, green apple, pear and peach skins.

Colline Grenache

Colline’s Grenache vines are baked in the sun around the town of Cébazon in eastern Languedoc, and still enjoy enough of the Mediterranean breezes to retain some acidity. The winemaking is more traditional than modern (cold soaking the grapes for two days is still new thinking) but otherwise the grapes stay on the skins in vats for at least a month; then see long aging in cement cubes. The old guys would be proud

Corasado

Bodegas Lo Nuevo has unquestionably modernized their winery; it’s practically a technical marvel now. But what makes these wines special is the place, Jumilla, with its intense weather. It’s tough ground for most grapes, but Monastrell (the French, who borrowed it from Spain, call it Mourvedre) and Cariñena (once again, a borrowed grape dubbed Carignan by the French) can thrive here.

Corte Giovanni Extra Brut Prosecco

Though Prosecco is made throughout the northeastern Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli, there are two areas that produce wines with more vibrancy and complexity to them and that are solely elevated to DOCG status as a result: Conegliano-Valdobbiadene and Colli Asolani. A very dry version of Prosecco (the meaning of Extra Brut) is as modern as it gets, but it reflects the growing awareness of Colli Asolani as producing wines.

Corte Giovanni Frizzante Prosecco

I suppose to most people, Prosecco is all the same. But it’s not. There are all styles of the wine, especially as it has grown to dominance within the everyday sparkling wine category. Though we once called the grape Prosecco, we now use the more traditional name of Glera, and Prosecco refers to the area of northern Italy where Glera is grown and made. In this case, it’s a frizzante style that you can think of as fizzy Prosecco.

Corte Giovanni Rose Prosecco

Just a few miles south of the beating heart of Prosecco, Valdobbiadene, is the Societa Agricola Colli Asolani di Bedin where Corte Giovanni is made. This third-generation producer was founded in 1948 by Giacomo Bedin where the family has long specialized in Prosecco grown on the gentle slopes of the Colli Asolani hills. This is made from Glera, the classic grape of Prosecco, but a small amount of Pinot Noir is blended in for color and richness.

Daou Cabernet

Georges and Daniel Daou didn’t just buy land in Paso Robles, they bought the old Hoffman Mountain Ranch and its famed barn as well. Founded by Dr. Stanley Hoffman in 1964, this was the site of some legendary wines. I can go on about the 1976 and 1977 HMR Cabernet, but then that would be rude. Let’s just say that Daou wines have an excellent and established pedigree. Their Cabernet is solely from estate fruit; powerful and plump.

Darley Alexander Valley Red

Darley is 100% single vineyard Cabernet from a famed vineyard in Alexander Valley. One that currently produces some $75 Cabernet, a $200+ Malbec (what?!?!?), and an $85 Sauvignon Blanc among other craziness. 93% Cabernet, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec and 1% Merlot showcases intense black fruits with lengthy velvety tannins.

Darley Chardonnay

Fresh, vibrant, and full of charm, this Chardonnay shows off juicy pear and peach, a touch of vanilla, and toasty brioche. The palate is rich yet lively, finishing long with a hint of hazelnut warmth. It’s an easy match for seafood, soft cheeses, or just sipping with friends. So smooth it might seduce your seafood.

Domaine de La Fidelite Clos de Davet Rouge

This is a fairly new estate, founded by the daughter of one of the most influential figures in the region, Bernard Clement. Laurence de la Farge, and her husband, Geraud, built on Clement’s legacy; today their children, Antoine and Sophie, run this large and successful domaine. Their vineyard extends over 1300 acres, and the wines are slowly fermented and then aged in concrete for six months – so very traditional and terroir-driven.

Domaine de La Fidelite Premiere Cuvee

Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, once ubiquitous on shelves and wine lists, are getting hard to find today. Smart buyers are looking at the AOC’s next door, like Menetou-Salon, just a few miles west of those two better known areas. And just like those places, the soils are a mix of Kimmeridgian limestone and the even more famed soil, silex. Silex deserves its fame; it provides tension and complexity to the aromatic Sauvignon Blanc grape.

Domaine des Florets Reliance