Greece and Lebanon Are World-Class Destinations for Delicious Rosé

I think the world has started to embrace the idea that not all rosé is from France and actually some of its most interesting and gastronomic examples come from other parts of the world. Two of my favorite outliers come from the Mediterranean—but maybe not from places that would be your first or even second guesses. I speak of two unique and utterly fascinating winemaking regions—the island of Crete in Greece and the high mountains of the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. The producers from both of these regions have near cult-like followings for those in the know. So if you don’t know, this is a great opportunity to find out!

Parade of Provençal Rosés

It’s hard to think of a better way to spend a hot holiday weekend than with some fresh and vibrant rosés! The 2023 vintage in Provence is outstanding and many of our favorites have landed. This list represents some of the best QPR drinking when it comes to classic southern French pink wines, and all of these punch well above their price point. Because we work aggressively with our suppliers, we have classic wines from Provence for a fraction of what you would find elsewhere. Thankfully it’s a long weekend, so plenty of time to try a smattering of any of these gems. Santé!

The Elegance of Rosé Champagne

No conversation about rosé wine would be complete without including the sublime and capricious wines of Champagne. For me, most of the best and all of the worst Champagnes that I have had have been rosé—and for good reason. This far north, it is very tricky to get the skins of the grapes perfect, and to introduce color to the wine, at least part of it has to be macerated with the skins. In the south of France, on the coasts of Provence, the sunny, dry weather is moderated by the cooling influence of the sea, but in Champagne, even the summers can be wet, leading to rot. Most producers in the area opt to farm one small plot like a garden, using a different selection or clone of grapes, often very old vines with different pruning and lots of extra work like green harvesting. From this plot they will make a dark red wine that is blended into a base of white wine to make rosé. All three of the Champagnes in this article share this technique, and the first even a little more!

South America Wine News: Top Picks from Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay

Today's newsletter plays hopscotch across the Andes as we explore some of the best insider's favorites from South America. First, we get familiar with two showstopping projects from either side of the mountain range in Chile's Laberinto and Argentina's El Enemigo. Next, we'll get a glimpse of what visionary Chilean winemakers are doing to take the historic Carménère grape into the modern era, and finally, we'll explore a quartet of sub-$20 value performers that can stand tall in any regular, go-to rotation.

Chilean Winemakers Breathes New Life into Carménère

The Colchagua Valley, it turns out, is a fantastic place for Carménère, with the combination of the right soils and the long growing season that make this unique variety shine. Now that Chile is about 30 years into its journey with this Carménère, there is much to celebrate and champion. Chile has found its niche with wines that stand alone in the marketplace as showcases for what this grape can do.

Argentina's Enemigo Winery Is at the Top of Their Game

The wines from El Enemigo are some of the very best from Argentina—and, I would say, in the world. The easiest way for me to justify this statement is to make a sports comparison. When athletes are at the pinnacle of their sport, they make what they do seem effortless and simple. And the very best can take that to the next level—to me, it is almost like magic. All the wines from El Enemigo are like that for me, they are elite!

The Krug Challenge 2024: Krug x Flowers

Every year, Krug announces an ingredient of the year to inspire the chefs of the world to create dishes to go with their spectacular champagne. Not wanting to be left out, Cinnamon and I make something for the home kitchen as well—it is an excellent excuse to drink Krug on a weeknight. This year, the ingredient is flowers, and luckily for us, nasturtiums grow wild in the Willows neighborhood of Menlo Park where we live. It only took a short walk to forage a little bag of these edible flowers—in June they practically pour out onto the sidewalk!

Chile's Soulful Laberinto Wines Pull 95+ Scores at Less Than $22

Laberinto is without a doubt one of the most exciting producers in Chile. If you have been following our South American wine program, you’ll know that I have dedicated a rather large number of words to the wines of Rafael Tirado, founder of this Maule Valley winery. And, because I am so enthusiastic, I cannot help myself from putting more words towards this cause! I love when a wine/producer/region is so connected ideas and threads that can enrich the experience of a wine. That is what I am looking for. There is so much good wine out there that interesting and delicious beat out just delicious for me, always.

Napa Valley Vinters Annual Auction and Sneak Peek at Epic 2023 Vintage

Just a few months after February’s Napa Valley Premiere event, the influential non-profit organization Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) hosted their second and final major fundraising auction of 2024 as May segued into June. The annual auction included a barrel auction and a live auction event, featuring wines from 2023, 2022, and 2021—all still in barrel.

2023 Bordeaux: A Classic Vintage at Sharp Pricing

Despite such a fast and furious start to the campaign, we've so far seen very impressive engagement from futures buyers, with sales coming in much more volume than 2022. The main reason, apart from a large crop of high-quality wines? Pricing. With many châteaux releasing at 25% to 40% below their 2022 prices, the 2023 vintage is set to put the Bordeaux market right, and our avid collectors are the biggest beneficiaries. In our annual Bordeaux Vintage Guide, you'll find summaries of all the top appellations that we tasted, along with comprehensive lists of currently available selections. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg, so be sure to stay tuned in the coming weeks as marquee names like Montrose, Canon, the Pichons, and many others release their 2023s to market. Check out the notes for these, and all of the wines below on our 2023 Bordeaux Vintage Report.

Celebrate National Wine Day!

The official date for National Wine Day is always the 25th of May. Luckily, this year, that date is on a Saturday! So, we can celebrate today without having to worry about the consequences of a work weekday! The Pisoni family fits in perfectly with the idea of National Wine Day, so I felt like to day was a perfect day to celebrate them, too.

Portugal in the Spotlight and Rioja's New Wave

Today's newsletter gives Portugal a long-overdue stint in the spotlight. With some of the greatest stylistic and varietal diversity in the world, it's a wine explorer's paradise… For all our Spanish aficionados, I'm also providing a fresh look at some of the most intriguing producers redefining the landscape of the country's most important region, Rioja.

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