Easy to drink and easy on the wallet, the 2009 Mandolin Syrah is the kind of wine you can enjoy any day of the week. This wine comes from the Monterey region in California’s Central Coast, an AVA that is influenced by its proximity to the ocean. Vineyards in this part of the Central Coast […]
AG Picks
AG Pick: Biltmore Estate Chateau Reserve Blanc de Blancs 2008
Small and energetic bubbles. Citrus and tropical fruit flavors. This description could apply to a number of Champagnes and sparkling wines. But I’m not talking about French bubbly — I’m talking about North Carolina. The sparkling wine: the 2008 Biltmore Estate Château Reserve Blanc de Blancs. This brut is made from Chardonnay grapes grown in […]
AG Pick: La Follette Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2009
The first thing that grabs your attention on a bottle of La Follette wine is the illustration on the label: a man bending over the vines clutching a magic wand. It represents the blend of tradition and whimsy that winemaker Greg La Follette brings to each of his wines. The illustration was taken from a […]
AG Pick: Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2007
With its cool climate, New Zealand has the ideal growing conditions for Pinot Noir. In fact, Pinot Noir is the most widely planted red wine grape in the country. Yet as with a lot of Pinot Noir, finding a bottle from New Zealand that suits your tastes can be tricky. But there’s no finger crossing […]
AG Pick: Heron Hill Chardonnay 2009
Need a break from overly oaked California Chardonnay? Head across the country to upstate New York for Heron Hill Winery’s elegant and satisfying 2009 unoaked Chardonnay. Heron Hill has been producing cool-climate Chardonnay and Riesling for more than 30 years in the Finger Lakes region. The vineyards’ location near Keuka Lake helps protect the vines […]
AG Pick Under $20: 2009 Carmel Road Monterey Chardonnay
Do you like your California Chardonnay to have a touch of oak but too often feel like you’re sucking on a piece of the barrel? Then you’ll want to pick up a bottle of the 2009 Carmel Road Monterey Chardonnay. This white gets oak just right, using it to enhance and not overwhelm the flavors […]
Drink These: Standout Wines from the High Museum Wine Auction
This year’s High Museum Atlanta Wine Auction was a huge success, raising more money for the museum than ever before. Guests who attended the events had the chance to meet winemakers and winery owners as well as taste a large selection of wines available in the Atlanta area. At the trade tasting more than 100 […]
AG Pick Under $20: Van Duzer Estate Pinot Gris 2009
Nearly three years after launching The Amateur Gastronomer, I’m writing my first AG Pick article on a Pinot Gris. Why, when I’ve sought to write about a wide variety of grapes and wines, did I somehow manage to neglect this one? It’s mostly because I don’t drink a lot of Pinot Gris, or its Italian […]
AG Pick Under $15: Goose Ridge G3 2008
While tasting a variety of reds earlier this week at the San Clemente Wine Company in Orange County, California, it was not a California wine but a Washington state one that stood out. The wine: the 2008 Goose Ridge G³. Rich and elegant with intense dark fruit notes, the wine had me hooked from my […]
AG Pick: Domaine de la Charmoise Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Finally, it seems spring is right around the corner. The weather is starting to warm up, people are returning to the parks and outdoor cafes and soon the first crocuses will push through the soil. Just as food has wine pairings, I like to think that seasons have wine pairings — and the Domaine de […]