There’s approximately 2000 bottles between the racks and boxes on the floor. Probably 60% California reds. Given the house may need to be sold soon and nobody else in the family wants or can take so much wine we may end up needing to sell it off. Recommendations?

I feel like most I've had is generic and uninteresting. I've really had very little though. And it was a long time ago. I want to try it more and explore. What's some interesting ones to you? Maybe 20-45 dollar price

Previously been to montalcino and barolo, which are wines I feel well versed in, but my Chianti knowledge is for sure lacking. It’s not a wine trip per say, so will probably just try to visit 2-3 wineries. Recommendations? What to look for etc

Flying 15 hours JFK to HK. Is there anything special I should try? Thank you!

My daughter is a pastry chef and was tasked with creating 3 desserts to pair with 3 wines. I am a WSET2, and she reached out to me for some guidance.

Wines were:

Jordan Russian River Chardonnay

Hatford Court Sonoma Coast Lands End Vineyard Pinot Noir

Groth Cabernet Sauvignon

My guidance was:

“Chardonnay, think creamy. Rice pudding, chocolate mousse or like a fruit tart with butter cream.

That Pinot noir sounds like a lighter one. Think panna cotta/greek yogurt with some stone fruits. Like apricots.

Groth Cab think dark chocolate or flourless chocolate cake something richer”

Her creations (the three levels):

Top: Marscapone pastry cream with rapsberry foam, white chocolate cremeux, fresh strawberries

Middle : Crème fraiche and lime zest filling Caramalized “peacharines” from New Zealand and a crunchy milk crumb

Bottom: Flourless chocolate cake with a dark chocolate espresso bean and gold flake

She has not tasted the wines with the desserts as of yet.

How did I do?

We found this in our cupboard, which is warm and dark. We're not sure if it's safe to drink, but it still smells like wine lol. I've tried looking it up, but everyone only talks about the way it TASTES, and after days, not months, and no one talks about the safety of consuming opened, unrefrigerated wine that's been in a warm and dark place for well over a year. Would it be safe for consumption, or will my bowels commit scooter-ankle?

Loving this. Strawberry, raspberry, and peppery nose with earthy notes. Balanced arrival with more berries and bell peppers. Plenty of tannins, could probably use another year or two in the basement. Long dry cherry finish.

2019 is better (imo) than the 2018 of this. Will be seeking out more producers from your valley for 2019. It’s supposed to be a promising vintage and this bottle is suggesting that.

I got it for free when I used to work at a moving job and it doesn’t say any year on it. Maybe an expert here knows

Hello everyone, I’m traveling in late September to eastern Provence and wanted to know if anyone had a recommendation for(or two or three) producers to visit around the Draguignan area. I’ve noted Ch d’Esclans but any other stars in the area we should plan to drop by?

I've always enjoyed wine. Been bartender for over a decade, but recently have started expanding my knowledge and doing more structured tastings. This is going to be an expensive hobby. Thankfully I've been blessed that my father has a very extensive cellar so I've tried some amazing wine already, and the journey is just beginning.

Today I grabbed three French Chardonnay, amoung other things, to begin more regions and styles. This is my first tasting post, and I hope as I explore to make more. Cheers! The first bottle is a 2022 Mâcon-Village:

Nose: medium intensity of citrus, blossom, apple, a touch of pastry, butter and lemon curd.

Palate: dry, high acid, medium intensity bordering on pronounced. It has a lovely balance of citrus, apple, and salted butter. Maybe even some croissant, probably envoked from imaging myself sipping in France. Soft vanilla with a dash of nuttiness. Nice minerality as well. Mostly fruit and lees flavors with just a hint of oak and nuts. Finish is medium, again bordering on long lasting. I describe it as not long, but lingering.

Rating: A very good wine. I rated it initially as good. Since the intensity, tertiary flavors and finish were all not quite there, but decided that the were all close enough to bump it up a level.

Château Lestignac "En Blanc" 2020 is a biodynamic white wine from Périgord, Southwest France.

It’s a unique blend of 9 grapes including Sauvignon Blanc & Gris, Petit Manseng, Sémillon, Merlot Blanc, and other rare varieties.

Vibrant citrus and exotic fruit notes, lively acidity, a hint of tannins, and a mineral-driven finish.

Going to Strasbourg in July. I’ll have a free day. Any recommendations on wineries I can hit?

Iykyk but add a bottle cap worth of VSOP or any other good brandy to your red wine that's been sitting uncorked for a while. Will make it not only more drinkable, it will be more potent and enjoyable 😉

Thank me later!

I was tasked with cleaning out an old house after a sale and found this Stoneleigh Marlborough Cabernet Sauvignon from New Zealand, vintage 1993.

It was in the back of a cupboard shelf and the house is situated in a generally cool climate. Assuming it never left its spot on the shelf, the conditions likely were favorable for long term aging.

Any one here (or kiwis) have any info on this bottle or Vineyard? Planning on opening and getting back to you guys with tasting notes.

Hello r/wine! I am planning a trip to Chile/Argentina in December. Does anyone have recommendations for must-hit wineries (pallet skews towards bold & dry reds).

Hi everyone

I'm am reading Victor Hazan's wine book published in 1982 as I make my way to Genoa.

He cites several wines I would like to taste as I have never heard of them.

He cites many as vin de tavola vs. Doc or docg.

Were would I find these? In the enotecas I have been in in the past. It seems that everyone wants to push Doc and docg.

Is there a place where I might be blue to browse vin de tavola wines?

Thanks for any suggestions and wish me luck with the tarrifs😊

My first go round with pycm, and I kind of see the hype. Stony nose, crushed white rocks, hot sand, and a welcome background of mild bretty funk. High acidity and super smooth tannins, great mouth feel, both juicy and richly layered. The fruit shows itself on the palate, strawberry and tart raspberry joining ample minerals into a long finish. Excellent.

It was my late father's. I don't drink any more and I don't know what to do with it. Would it taste too disgusting to give away?

Volcanic soils from DDO’s Roserock vineyard. Whole cluster press, 20% new French oak.

This wine is bright, light golden in color. Aromas of green apple, lemon pulp, and florals jump out of the glass with some swirling. Very luscious mouthfeel, silky and substantial. Acidity is medium plus. Alcohol is present, maybe a tiny bit more noticeable than my palate prefers at 14.1%, but it’s not necessarily out of balance. The structural elements are very nice, satisfies the hedonism you want. Palate has citrus, apples, pears, peach pits, ginger, vanilla, and lip smacking minerality punch.

This is an excellent wine. It’s ready to drink now, but will be fine to lie down for a few years as well. I’d give it 94/100 points, very happy with it.

Second experience with this wine and it's substantially better.

Bottle age and a two hour decant before touching it, plus another hour in a decanter over lunch was the right amount. Honestly, it maybe would have evolved further from here.

Dark cherry, rosemary, red plum, blueberry notes, with some clove notes.

Paired well with Sicilian pizza at Tony's.

90 points.

I am 8 months pregnant and have not had a glass of wine since September when I found out. My husband has been stocking me up with some of my favorites each month of the pregnancy. Now I would like to look into trying some I may not usually gravitate towards.

So if you had to give up wine for 9ish months what would be the first bottle you personally would grab once you were able to have a glass again?

Under $50 preferred but there is wiggle room for a bottle or two of something special to celebrate some milestones post-birth.

Edit to add: looking for specific bottles, or wineries that you would gravitate towards, not just type of wine. I have gotten some bottles of champagne, a few natural wines, one or two whites, and mostly a lot of Spanish and Portuguese reds. Just trying to add some more things I may not usually drink to last months of my husband footing the bill. These will mostly be drank over the summer as people come to visit and stare at my baby.

A Portuguese unoaked wine made from the grape Touriga. Produced specificaly to show the grapes youthful aroma and taste which otherwise fades with age.

Aromas of blue and red fruit, Cassis, cherries and violets. A fresh berry forward taste with low acidity, blueberry, cassis, herbs and liquorice finish. Smooth tannins with a medium short finish.

Reminds me of gamay a fresh and young wine though less acidic. Overall a well made wine with nuance and some length. 88 points for a 18$ makes a decent QPR.

I have seen a good handful of posts and comments regarding the Coravin system since joining this subreddit.  Quite a handful of them contain misunderstandings or misinformation, so I figured I would try to make a catch-all post for Coravin tips and tricks.

I have personally been using a Coravin Model 6 for over 4 years and have used it on dozens of bottles.  I am not a professional, I haven’t used it for as long as many others, and I haven’t used it on nearly as many wines as some others, but I have not had any faults in the bottles that I have used it on to this point (knock on wood). Am I qualified to make this post, maybe not. Here it is anyway :)

To Coravin, or not to Coravin

• Vacu Vin works great if you’re finishing the bottle in close to a week; any longer you could maybe consider the Pivot.

How Long Does Wine Last After Using Coravin

• Short answer, it depends.  I would say it is generally “safe” for at least a few months to half a year.  From there I do believe it is more up to chance.  I have personally kept wine (that I am familiar with) for over a year with no noticeable difference between first puncture, further punctures, and finally opening the bottle.  I personally don’t ever take more than half of a bottle with Coravin as at that point I am more inclined to just pop it open, but the less wine in the bottle, the more risky it becomes.  

Use Cases ranked based on my personal experiences

• Having a glass or two without committing to a bottle.
• Testing before committing going to an event/group tasting to check for TCA or other faults.
• I want Pinot Noir, she wants Riesling.
• If you’re somewhat desperate… For cooking.  Maybe you just need a splash and forgot to find a half bottle in the supermarket (I really should buy some sherry to keep on hand since I regrettably do this frequently).
• Tasting multiple bottles when studying for wine exams.
• Tracking a wine’s development over some time.

General Use Tips

• Purge the needle before every use.  I cannot overstate how important this is.  It is my opinion that almost every post about Coravin “killing” a bottle is due to frugal or generally improper gas usage.
• Only use it on natural or high-quality agglomerated corks (like DIAM).
• Cut or remove the foil before use.  It clears any uncertainty about cork-type and it helps prevent excessive wearing down of the needle.
• Press the trigger in short bursts to not waste so much gas and to control flow.
• If you are pouring more than one glass, you can hold the trigger halfway to stop the wine from flowing and move from one glass to another.
• Best to swirl the wine to try to remove any layer of residual argon, most important when opening a Coravined bottle.
• Try not to puncture one bottle too many times.  I try to limit it to around 3-5, anymore gets a bit sketchy with resealing.
• Press the cork gently before use.  If it moves, don’t use the Coravin. I really recommend a Durand in cases like these; mine has been a lifesaver.  An ah-so is amazing as well and is much cheaper.
• Give time to let the cork reseal, keep it standing for a while.  Some people use a silicone cap, I have used a rubber band and paper towel in the past as a backup.  
• There is some different ideas floating around on how you should store a bottle after using Coravin. In an interview, the founder confirmed that you can store the bottle upright to halt development, or on its side to allow wine to develop further as it is still in contact with the cork to allow some air in.  I personally stopped storing any Coravined bottle on the side just to eliminate all risk of seepage.  I keep them on a display shelf in my wine fridge as a mini “BTG List" for myself and partner. 
• They say you can just puncture directly through wax, but I like to scrape off at least the top just so nothing sneaks its way in to the needle.
• Coravin has a little Tips & Tricks video where a lot of what I write here is mentioned .

Maintenance

• Clean it after every use.  Run a slow stream of warm water in through the spout so it runs through the needle.  I also purge a little after just to get any water that is stuck in there, but I think you can skip this as purging before use should achieve the same thing. 
• Replace the needle when it looks worn.  The needles are coated in Teflon, so if you start to see silver on the tip you should look into swapping it out.  

Model Recommendations

• I think the Model 6 is my personal recommendation, but the Model 3 is the best bang for your buck.  The only advantage of the 6 is that it has the “SmartClamps,” so you don’t have to open them yourself.  The materials also look a bit better, but that is subjective.

Hopefully this can be a good guide for people considering getting a Coravin, or people that have one and have not been getting good results. Of course, a lot of this is just my opinion, but I am stubborn and stand by them (and also think they are best practice).

If anyone has anything to add or any criticisms, be my guest! <3