It is not terribly common to find a rose made from popular red grapes from the Douro Valley like Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, but Quinta do Tedo did just that with their rose blend.
This one hits on all the notes we love in a good rose, with a nice balance between fruit and floral notes all around. Not bad at all for its reasonable price point!
Kerner is an interesting white grape that was bred in 1929 and is a crossing between Riesling and Trollinger. Grown in cooler climates, this one is often found in Germany, Austira, Switzerland, and northern Italy- the latter where we found Abbazia di Novacella's Kerner from Alto Adige.
For those who like a white wine with light phenolic textures, this is one to seek out!
Whenever we drink Champagne, we often go for the more common blanc de blanc or blanc de noir bottles over rose and other styles. But when we found Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial NV at a duty free store at an approachable price point, we knew we had to give it a try.
If you are looking for a sparkling wine with some intense red fruits and, admittedly, more mellow lees character, this one may need to be on your radar!
Whenever we travel, especially to regions that are not known for wine production, we often pick up a bottle or two of sparkling wine at duty free to enjoy somewhere beautiful.
Whenever our duty free shopping happens in Europe, odds are good we are picking up a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne to enjoy if only because it is at a vastly lower price point than we are able to find at home.
For a bottle that you are paying for the name recognition as much as you are what is inside, a lower price point is always welcomed!
After visiting Portugal, we were fully convinced that the best bottles of still wine generally have a hard time making their way out of the country on the export market. The bottles that we do get abroad are, well, simply not a showcase of the potential of the country.
Thankfully, this is changing, and some companies are able to get gems that show off the best of Portugal.
Morgado do Quintao's Branco is one such bottle, and this one, made with Crato Branco (also known as Alva and Roupeiro), is quite the delicious find.
We always love finding varietal bottles of grapes we've only ever had as blends, and Pfeffingen's Scheurebe from Germany is one such bottle.
This one blew us away with its complexity and rich, waxy texture so much so that we wonder why this grape is not more popular to begin with!
Whenever we visit Finger Lakes wineries, we always make a trip over to Keuka Lake despite arranging our trips to often be Seneca Lake heavy.
One obligatory stop for us is the aptly named Keuka Lake Vineyards for its gorgeous views and even better wine.
After letting their Riesling Evergreen Lek age in our cellar for a few years, we popped it open to discover a rather delicious wine with notable petrol and tropical character!
I have to admit, I did not know that Long Island grew grapes until taking WSET Diploma, and ever since I have been fascinated by one particular spot- the North Fork of Long Island.
The reason for this is because the north fork is said to be protected a bit from Atlantic influences by the Hamptons, and, as such, becomes a prized spot for grape growing.
So when we got our hands on a Pinot Blanc from Lieb Cellars as part of our Picked by Wine.com subscription, we were quite excited to try it!
When we visited Piedmont wineries, our primary goal was to try as many Barolos as we could. But because Piedmont is home to so many wonderful grapes, we were fortunate enough to try several other varieties that we fell in love with.
One such grape was the more approachable Barbera, and E. Pira & Fligli's Barbera d'Alba Superiore is one we just had to bring home with us.
The intensity of this one is hard to beat!
Quinta do Portal was one of our favorite Douro Valley wineries that we got to visit during our trip to Portugal, and naturally many of their bottles made its way home to us when the trip ended.
One such bottle was Quinta do Portal's 20 year tawny port, a lovely bottle that hit all the notes we love in a tawny with strong chocolate covered cherry flavors.
We really do love this one!
