Arturo Ciompi

I have written often about Dry Creek Vineyard, located in the Dry Creek AVA (American Viticultural Area) of Sonoma County. These fine people are never satisfied. The wines go from strength to strength, the quality of late has blossomed further due to some great vintages, yet they still keep their prices modest and affordable. What […]

Most people don’t give Hungarian wine a second thought. If they are familiar with them at all, it has to do with a sweet wine that has been the nectar of kings for centuries! It’s called Tokaji, and this celebrated wine runs the gamut from lightly sweet to an absolute nectar known as “Essencia.” But

The ancient vineyards of Greece still have secrets to tell. The area of Corinthia, Nemea, with vineyards 3,400 feet in elevation, produces a refined, delicate red that seduces you throughout the evening. To me, the wine suggests an imaginary Nebbiolo/Pinot Noir amalgam in all of its subtlety and complexity. The grape is Aghiorghitiko, not an

Rosé season is upon us, and instant pleasure factor takes center stage on these increasingly popular “light reds.” But just as every winery in existence now seems to make a rosé, I like to look at those who have long featured these wines as a major part of their portfolios. Since 1986, Masciarelli has made

It’s no secret that the Albariño grape, from the northwestern Spanish province of Galicia, is a top choice for accompanying seafood. And it’s especially wonderful on one of those hot, muggy days when the fruits of the sea are most appreciated and the right wine makes the perfect match. The popularity of this wine has

Most people will never taste Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23 or their S.L.V. Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings – they go for well over $100 a bottle. So what does one get with their “Artemis” Cabernet Sauvignon, today’s selection, for about $60? (This example uses some “Estate” fruit combined with grapes from other sources.) It is

Most people don’t think much about aging white wines. Of course there are wonderful exceptions; predominantly white Burgundies, Alsace whites and the great Mosel and Rhine Rieslings of Germany. But there are other regions also out to prove they can make wines that not only age, but actually improve with requisite time in the bottle.

Concannon Vineyard was built in 1883 in the Livermore Valley, east of San Francisco Bay. Life and grape growing was simpler then. But Petite Sirah was always a dark, brooding grape used to blend into everyday table wines. Third-generation owner Jim Concannon began bottling Petite Sirah as a standalone wine in 1961 – and the

I supplied wine for a “house concert” where my wife sang this past Sunday. I put out a nice selection, but couldn’t help but notice that all the white wines were finished with the exception of the Chardonnay. And it was a very good one! My point is that the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) crowd still

Thank goodness (and Argentina) for the frequently delicious reds made from the Malbec grape. Malbec still makes superb wines in the French region of Cahors, due southeast from Bordeaux on the Lot River. But for quality at relatively low prices, Argentina rules. Today’s example, a bit pricier than “everyday,” makes the under $20 category a