Author Archives: winellama

About winellama

I love wine...and finally decided to do something about it.

Mondeuse, Philippe et Francois Tiollier, Domaine de l’Idylle, Vin de Savoie AC, France, 2009, 12% abv., US$40

This bottle got a little lost in my wine cellar, and then you know, there was a pandemic, so we opened it at age 13 years. The cork broke and that made me worried we were going to be dealing … Continue reading

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Cocktails at Flor de Oriente

I recently took a post-pandemic trip to Aruba and Curacao, two islands located in the very far southwest of the Caribbean, well out of the path of any hurricanes, and just 17 km off the coast of Venezuela. Usually when … Continue reading

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Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains + Clairette, Cuvée Ancestrale, Tradition, Scea Domaine Guigouret, Vigneron Récoltant, Clairette de Die AOC, Rhône Valley, France, NV, 7% abv., US$16

This wine has a history going back 2,000 years in France’s Rhône Valley, but the first bottle I found and enjoyed was in Curaçao, off the coast of Venezuela.  What a find it was at the Carrefour supermarket – it … Continue reading

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Tempranillo, Flor de Pingus, Ribera del Duero DO, Spain, 15% abv. 2014, US$100

I cannot afford the top line of Pingus wines, but the Flor de Pingus, Peter Sisseck’s almost equally famous second label wines from Ribera del Duero, are within reach. Pingus is slang for Peter – the Danish owner and winemaker … Continue reading

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Nebbiolo, Luigi Oddero, Barbaresco DOCG, La Morra, Piedmonte, Italy, 2008, 14% abv., C$100

From one of the truly bona fide, historic and traditional Barolo houses comes a 2008 Barbaresco. The Oddero family has been in La Morra since before the 1700s, and the seventh generation of family members is still in charge of … Continue reading

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Lambrusco Reggiano, Frizzante Secco, Arte e Concerto, Lambrusco DOC, Reggio Emilia, Italy, 2019, 11.5% abv., C$23

I was looking for something interesting to serve friends with some charcuterie, and realized I had a few bottles of Lambrusco hanging around, so decided to put them to work.  The wine that is, not the friends.  Lambrusco is both … Continue reading

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Pinot Noir, Dehart Vineyard, Martin’s Lane Winery, Okanagan Valley VQA, British Columbia, 2015, 14% abv., C$100

From the heavily lauded Martin’s Lane Winery located in Kelowna, BC, this Pinot Noir is absolutely world class. Its translucent garnet tone offers a deep nose of mulberry, cherry, deeply ripened strawberry, freshly turned soil, and mushroom. The palate has … Continue reading

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Chardonnay, Premier Cru Chablis, Kirkland Signature, AOC Chablis, France, 2019, 13.5% abv., US$17.79

While perusing the shelves at Costco Lihue, I picked this Premier Cru Chablis up for a song. Aged in stainless steel for a year, this was a great wine to enjoy in the warmth of Kauai on the lanai.  I … Continue reading

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Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache, Gérard Bertrand, Côte des Roses, Languedoc AOP, France, 2020, 13.5% abv. US$15

One of the things I like to do most when in the US is to shop in the liquor section in Costco.  Usually that just serves to get me really riled up though – because I become overwhelmingly jealous at … Continue reading

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Pinot Noir, Ayoub Estate Vineyard, Dundee Hills AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 13.5% abv., 2017, US$65

Mo Ayoub is a fascinating person and well-reviewed vintner for whom growing grapes and making wine is a retirement gig – and what a gig it is.  His wines are eagerly sought after and elusive, as he doesn’t make much, … Continue reading

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