Hi Reddit friends! I am planning my bachelorette party in Santa Barbara in March and want to spend one of the days visiting a few vineyards (don’t worry! There are only 5 of us and we are in our 30s). I know there are several awesome tasting rooms in and around SB but am looking for a more picturesque vineyard setting with great wine. Any recommendations?

Hey all, I’ll be in the Cleveland area for the holidays and want to pick up some wine to drink that week. I’m not looking to order online and would love to grab some good Riesling (preferably with some bottle age). This may be a very specific ask without ordering from a restaurant (like Cru) but figured I’d float this out there. Anyone know of any good shops? White preferred (I’ve got enough red in storage) but open to any suggestions… thanks!

Im a designer and im making a new menu for a client, he wanted to unify all his menus into one, wine menus included, so ok, i finish all the other shit with no problem, but when i get to the wine part, im completely lost, i have no knowledge of wines, and the three wine menus he handed me classify wines in diferent ways, and some of them have the same name but diferent labels, i have no clue were to begin, if anyone can shed light, im more than thankful!

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I wanted opinions on wines for Christmas now I’ve just taken delivery of some wines from my cellar. Struggling this year as going for a 3 Bird roast so not 100% on wine choice

What are your choices for a good Christmas? I know Pinot is always a good choice but after the last few years something different is more appealing

Hey I won a bottle of wine and really like it. I have looked on google and even tried searching the photo back on google nothing. Just wondering if anyone know. Thank you

Recently went to Europe. Spoke to a few small producers that cannot crack the code to get good distribution in the United States. The big distributors have a stranglehold over the market. They can import and distribute wine at a lower marginal cost than small distributors. There are three tiers to US wine/spirit distribution. The small producer in Europe would like to be distributed in the US, but doesn't want to be lost in the crowd when it comes to dealing with Southern, Breakthrou etc.

I am trying to understand the economics of the distribution chain. There might be a startup play here that could solve the problem for small producers in Europe getting access to the US market in a novel and more cost-efficient way.

Does anyone know the exact economics and profit margins to bring a bottle of wine from Europe to the US?

I can't seem to find much info about this company besides their own website. Looks like a subscription service, with their claim to fame being natural wine. This Stellenboch pinot was pretty good, but thin and a bit strange. Only 11% ABV and it was noticeable. Color was a very amber. Quite sweet, which surprised me for there being "no sugar" according to the website. Anybody else had any experience with this wine maker?

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I pretty much don't know anything about wine (be nice to me haha), but have been trying to branch out more and have been lurking on this sub for awhile. I thought this might be a good opportunity to try something new, but honestly this selection doesn't interest me particularly. Anyone tried any of these?

Examples that are under $25 and/or from underrepresented regions are especially welcome

After something like 12 years I'm finally off the waitlist for SQN. Life has changed a lot in those years, and I no longer have the desire or money to pay $1600 for 6 bottles of wine. I wouldn't mind keeping 1 syrah and 1 grenache and selling the rest. Does anyone have any idea on how easy/difficult it is to sell these at or slightly above cost in general? I've never sold any wine, and I don't want to buy the allocation and be stuck with most or all of the bottles.

Recently got a bottle of Waterford Estate Reserve Chardonnay from my local supermarket. Didn't realise until I got home that the vintage is 2019.

I know the better Chardonnays can potentially age up to 10 years. It does have a 4 star rating on vivino and was expensive for me who usually won't spend more than €12, it was reduced from €39 to €27.

Obviously the best way to find out is to open it but I wanted to save it for Christmas dinner. But if it hasn't aged well I guess I should have a backup. What do you guys think?

I have been very excited about this tasting for a few reasons. Firstly, despite being based in Germany, I was able to source some great bottles. Secondly, I have heard great things about Carménère blends but have never tried any, and Cabernet Franc is a favourite of mine, but I have never tried an Argentinian take on it.

Details and verdict in the comments. The full journey you can find here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/wine/comments/1faffpp/would_anyone_like_to_follow_my_wine_world_cup_reds/

I make this post after drinking and being slightly disappointed after my umpteenth attempt to get into SB. It’s just not complex or exciting and they all taste very similar, same lemongrass and green apple tartness.

What’s some strong opinions you have about wine? Or bonus, what SB do you think is actually good

I am a big red wine lover, but want to broaden my palate and also have a lighter alternative for summer or when having fish and seafood. For the past year I have attempted to “learn” to like white and rose wines. No such luck, even after multiple tastings and a wide array of styles. Somehow they just seem sour and too acidic to me. However, I have twice now come across orange wines which I enjoyed (but stupidly didn’t make a note of).

I am not sure where to start with orange wines. Any recommendations for 3-4 bottles I could get which might get me started here in the UK?

If it helps any, I am partial to dry, medium-bodied, non-oaky, medium/high tannin wines such as grenache, Sangiovese, Nero D’avola.

Thank you!

Has anyone here used Star Wine List? I’ve tried it a couple of times while traveling and found some good wine bars and restaurants through it. From what I understand they have sommeliers and wine experts who choose the places, and it’s not pay to play or anything.

Curious if anyone else has tried it and whether it worked for you too.

My office is having secret Santa for this Xmas, the person I got is a wine lover. I know nothing about wine or wine equipment whatsoever. Budget is 50 USD. Any ideas? Please help!!

Barbera from Colli Tortonesi in Piedmont,Italy. Colour: medium-deep garnet. Nose: intense and so much complex(I opened the bottle two hours before dinner),fruity,cherry,plum,bloody orange,some black pepper,licorice,lot of tertiary notes such as leather,forest floor,tobacco,vanilla,smoke,ash,then subtle it has notes of chocolate,an herbaceous touch and even some minerality. Awesome. Palate: dry,full bodied,15%abv(that you don’t feel at all),great acidity,low tannins. Great balanced with a long finish. Love this wine. Great value for money,I paid it 25€. 92

Going to throw this bad boy rack of Wagyu Short Rib into a friend's smoker this weekend. Slow and low baby! What would you pair with it? Somewhere in the $40-$80 range, give or take.

Bottle porn without notes, random musings, off topic stuff

I’m the great grand son of a wine maker from Fairfield California his name was frank cadenasso and I wanna know if anyone happens to have a bottle of his wine I could buy idk if he was popular or made any good wine but I’m trying to find it for my grandmother

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Ok wine hive-mind, help me out here. The first image is from the bourgogne-maps website showing the Les Vaupulans vineyard in Chablis. The 2nd is just a satellite image. The SE boundary of the vineyard cuts across multiple rows of vines? That doesn't seem right. Do some vineyard designations only cover a certain number of plants in a row?

Also, this isn't something that's unique to this vineyard. I've seen this lots of places, this was just one I was easy to screenshot and share.

Thank you to this group, for the tips and advices on how to ace the exam. I just really focused on the booet given by WSET, I studied for a month, practiced a lot of online exams that really helped me. My advice for the future takers, is to focus first on booklet given by WSET, and after you finish the book you can check other resources if you still have time.

Goodluck! and more to wine tasting!

Cepage: 50% Merlot 40% Cabernet Franc 10% Cabernet Sauvignon 12mos in neutral french oak, 100% malolactic - 13,5 abv

This wine opens with vibrant notes of ripe blackberries, juicy currants, and a touch of rosemary, complemented by the subtle fragrance of fresh flowers. The palate is full and smooth, with rich layers of dark fruit, savory hints of roasted meat, and a touch of soft leather. The finish is long and balanced, leaving a lasting impression of depth and flavor.

91/100

Great wine, tried it open immediately and after a few hours. The merlot shines through with a soft and friendly presence.