Ben Glaetzer has come up with a wonderful wine from Australia called Stickleback Red.  It’s an eclectic blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Dolcetto and Lagrein (the latter two grapes are native to Italy, and aren’t planted widely in Australia).  Stickleback is named after the small Australian fish. The grapes are from Southern Australia; 90% Langhorn Creek and 10% Limestone Coast.  This tasty blend is full bodied, showing...

I just had my first introduction to the Vinaceous wines, with their 2006 bottling of Red Right Hand.  I must say that I usually take no heed to labels when purchasing or tasting wine.  One must not judge a book by it’s cover, or a wine by it’s label.  But the packaging is great.  It hearkens to days past, when stage performances were the main source of entertainment for the masses.  It conjured up images of times when many...

The wines produced by Bodegas Alto Moncayo represent the modern era of Spanish wine making. Hailing from the Campo de Borja region of Spain, these wines are lush, full bodied and usually superb. The 2006 Bodegas Alto Moncayo “Veraton” is no exception. 100% Garnacha; this wine has a nose full of white pepper, cinnamon, liquorice, stewy blueberry and blackberry. As it opens in the glass it develops a beautiful floral note. ...

Here’s a bottle I purchased many years ago, for a steal (about $20.00). I had been saving it, and saving it for a special occasion.  And truthfully, I purchased it already past it’s prime.  So I finally took the plunge tonight and popped the cork. I am usually not sentimental about keeping wine past it’s time…  if you over-age your wine, you have defeated it’s purpose.  It looses all of the beautiful...

I’m constantly on the hunt for rich, full bodied wines for under $20.  Most just don’t deliver.  The majority of bargain wines are made from bargain grapes.  Flavors are not as concentrated, which means they can not be extracted as much during the wine making process.  The end result: light bodied, fruity wines with little to no character. I recently picked up a bottle of 2008 Bitch Grenache, from Southern Australia. ...