Drew's Wine List

  2015 Kirkland Signature Barolo Vintage:  2015 Region:  Piemonte, Italy (Barolo DOCG) Winery:  ??? Varietal:  100% Nebbiolo Price:  $19.99 Rating:  92 Points My Rating:  92-94 Points The Review: Happy official fall! Today's wine is an absolute steal but is definitely not for the faint of heart. Barolo is strangely enough not very well known in America but is one of, if not the most, prestigious wine region in the world. It's one of those regions where you're unlikely to find a good example for below $50, so finding something that is well-rated for $20 is quite the find!  Barolo is made exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape- the pride of Northwestern Italy. These wines are absolute tannin bombs, which when executed well can result in mindblowing texture and depth. When executed poorly, Nebbiolo can seem abrasive (you may have experienced this drinking a young Cab Sauv. It can sometimes seem harsh or astringent). Luckily though, you won't find a...

  NV Dibon Cava Brut Reserve Vintage:  NV Region:  Penedés, Spain (Cava) Winery:  Bodegas Pinord Varietal:  60% Xarel-lo, 30% Macabeo, 10% Parellada Price:  $9.99 My Rating:  92 Points The Review: Over the summer, I decided to ask my friends at the local wine shop here in Charlottesville to select me a few wines. This is something I like to do (and would recommend you do!) because it provides an opportunity to really branch out and try something you may have never even looked at. This wine today, the Dibon Cava Brut Reserve, was one of those wines for me. I'd seen the stand-out yellow label in stores but had always steered clear. When I asked my friends for a wine that "tastes like Champagne, but costs like a college student wine," this is what they sent me, and boy was I pleased. Cava, as we've talked about in a previous blog (see "Why is Sparkling Wine So Confusing?"), is made in the Champagne Method. So, it's fermented in the bottle and on the dead ...

  2019 Hugl Weine Grüner Veltliner (1L) Vintage:  2019 Region:  Niederösterreich, Austria Winery:  Hugl Weine Varietal:  Grüner Veltliner Price:  $12 My Rating:  86 Points The Review:  We're venturing into hipster grape territory today, so slap on your skinny jeans and get ready! Grüner Veltliner is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated grapes in the world of wine. It's really only grown in Austria, so that's probably why it doesn't get much press... But I'm out to change that! GV is very similar to Sauvignon Blanc. It's really high in acid, has lots of citrus and green apple notes, and has a hint of something else- usually a touch of a white pepper note or a faint floral note. So if you find yourself loving Sauvignon Blanc, this can be a great way to mix it up some without venturing very far from what you know you like. As an added bonus, it's usually pretty cheap too! The 2019 Hugl Weine GV isn't necessarily the best example of this grape, ...

  2017 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet Vintage:  2017 Region:  South Australia, Australia Winery:  Penfolds Varietal:  77% Shiraz (Syrah), 23% Cabernet Sauvignon Price:  $12 from Wegmans (Total Wine also has it) My Rating:  91 Points The Review: It's finally starting to feel a bit closer to Fall outside and I'm chomping at the bit to start wearing flannels again! So, to attempt to "manifest" colder weather and changing leaves, I figure I should write about a bold and full-bodied red. Before we get into it, let me clear up an age-old point of confusion. What is "Shiraz?" I'm so glad you asked! Shiraz is what our kangaroo loving friends call Syrah. No one really knows why... they just kinda do their own thing down there and no one really bothers to question it. Today's wine comes from Australian superstar producer Penfolds. Arguably Australia's most famous wine producer  (it's not really arguable, but people don't like definitive sta...