Drew's Wine List

  NV Dark Horse Big Red Blend Vintage:  NV Region:  California, USA Winery:  Dark Horse (owned by E&J Gallo) Varietal:  Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon Price:  $6.99 (you can find this everywhere) Rating:  88 Points My Rating:  88 Points The Review:  I knew that sooner or later, this day would come. Dark Horse has crept its way onto the shelves of every store ever over the past few years, and its been a wine that's continually found its way into my research. I've finally caved and bought it. And for the first time in this blog's brief history, I am writing a blog about a wine that I opened and am drinking right now. So, let that be a foreshadowing. Dark Horse is a winery that has popped on the scene in a major way over the past few years. They're owned by the world's largest wine conglomerate, good ole' E&J Gallo, and have been putting out a multitude of wines that all retail for $7. They source grapes m...

  2014 Castellani Sangiovese Vintage:  2014 Region:  Tuscany, Italy (Toscana IGT) Winery:  Famiglia Castellani Varietal:  Sangiovese Price:  $14 (found at Wegmans) Rating:  90 Points My Rating:  90 Points The Review: After a brief week off and a trip home, I'm back again with another delicious wine! For this week's wine, we'll be venturing to our summer homes in the Tuscan countryside to taste a wine from a legendary producer. The Castellani family has been putting out renowned Tuscan wines for around 150 years now. Around 25 years ago, however, the current owner decided to start focusing on his winery's environmental impact. The vineyard switched to organic (and from what I could read, biodynamic) farming processes and implemented a new focus on maintaining the land itself. This quality has shown itself in the wines, and even one of their low-end wines is receiving quite the acclaim. This 2014 Sangiovese receives the European Union quality certif...

  2018 Dr. Loosen "Dr. L" Dry Riesling Vintage:  2018 Region:  Mosel, Germany Winery:  Dr. Loosen Varietal:  Riesling Price:  $10 Rating:  88 Points My Rating:  91 Points The Review:  Since I've already written about Riesling from the Alsace region, I figure I should cover the other region that's really renowned for Riesling- the Mosel in Germany. Whereas Alsatian wines are always dry, Riesling from the Mosel will occasionally have a touch of residual sugar to balance the extreme acidity of these wines. This will add a little body and results in a brilliant wine that is amped up to level 100 in all facets. This wine also serves as a great introduction to one of the most recognized producers in Europe- Dr. Loosen.  The acid levels are so high in Mosel Riesling for two main reasons- the Mosel is one of the northernmost wine regions in the world, so the grapes struggle to ripen fully; and these are some of the steepest vineyards in the worl...

  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...