Category: Delicious

'There are quite a few excellent and affordable bottles, but I’ve chosen three that stand out in my mind.'

'New Zealand is making more good value Pinot Noir than any other country, Matthew Jukes says on the publication of his third Classification of New Zealand Pinot Noir.'

'For me, this is the toughest of all commonly-asked consumer questions about wine to answer in a straightforward way that is useful in practical terms. To be clear, the problem isn’t that this is a dumb question. On the contrary, it is a question that every novice wine-lover should ask.'

'Much like fine Champagne, sherry is not the product of any single vintage. Rather, it owes its complexity and unique, oxidated qualities to blending and the presence of flor, a yellow-foamed yeast that grows on the surface of the wine as it develops. Yet, unlike Champagne or aged Burgundy, sherry is a bargain.'

'Although wines from individual cellars varied even more than usual in 2008, the following are what the French call “coups de coeurs”, producers that stood out for me by offering wines of particularly high quality.'

'Most of us are looking to find wines that are affordable and easy drinking for everyday consumption. Try a bottle of the Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Shiraz Cabernet ($10) to discover a very pleasant, affordable, everyday drinking wine. Look for currant, strawberry and raspberry with a touch of vanilla. This is a nice hamburger or pizza wine.'

'The Loire Valley is one of the world’s greatest–but most under-appreciated–sources for fresh, versatile, unfussy wines. There’s actually good news in this, since the gap between the renown of Loire wines and their true quality allows savvy wine lovers to snap up excellent wines that are priced well below their actual value.'

'The results of the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition are in! Sixty-three professional wine judges from throughout the United States evaluated 4,913 wines from over 1,500 wineries across the country. The judging of the wines took place in Sonoma County on January 5-8 (full list of winners here).'

'One Bordeaux buyer quietly confided in me that when he visited the region a couple of months ago he was allowed to taste the juice. "It's very rare that growers let you taste anything at this stage," he said. "It was really rich and sweet — 2009 will be a cracker." '

'In our broad blind tastings this year, we ultimately declared six wines Delicious on our personal scale and we gave three our highest accolade, Delicious!, which means they were not just tasty but truly exciting. In comparison with their peers, we found these nine wines exceptional.'

'My hope for the New Year is that winemakers turn down the "volume" so we wine drinkers can savor the music.'