Please note that our reviews are based on a variety of sources: samples sent to our team, those we purchase in store, tasting events, those tasted in restaurants and while traveling domestically and internationally.
White Wine
José Pariente Verdejo 2024, Rueda D.O., Spain: José Pariente's Verdejo from Rueda is a vibrant, medium-bodied white wine crafted from 100% Verdejo with notes of dill, wet slate and tangerine peel. This dry wine displays taut, energetic character and soaring aromatics that will continue to develop over the next six years. Serve it well chilled with grilled fish as the wine's nervy acidity complements the delicate flavors, or pair it with salads topped with grilled prawns where the wine's mouth-watering finish balances the charred shellfish. Winemaker Martín Códax vinifies this wine in a combination of stainless steel tanks, concrete vats and wooden casks, aging it five months on the lees to add textural complexity while preserving remarkable freshness. The wine's powdery minerality and citrus pith intensity showcase the quality possible from Rueda's high-altitude vineyards. This zesty, food-friendly Verdejo represents excellent quality and will drink beautifully through 2032. Verdejo food pairings: grilled fish, salads topped with grilled prawns or chicken. Drink: 2026 - 2032 345058 13% XD 750 mL $23.95 Score: 88/100. March 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Red Wine
Ravine Cabernet Franc 2021, Niagara ON The Lake, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada: Ravine Vineyard Estate Cabernet Franc from Niagara-on-the-Lake is a well-balanced, medium-bodied red offering aromas of crushed wild strawberry, dried thyme, and hints of toasted cedar. It's dry with firm tannins and lively acidity. Serve it slightly below room temperature with grilled lamb chops as the wine's juicy fruit and herbal complexity will enhance the meat's savory richness beautifully, or pair it with aged Gruyère cheese where the wine's structured tannins and persistent finish will complement the cheese's nutty depth perfectly. Head winemaker Jay Johnston, who joins an impressive lineage of Ravine winemakers including Lydia Tomek, Marty Werner, Shauna White, Peter Gamble, and Ben Minaker, crafts this wine for the sixth-generation Lowrey family who have farmed this 34-acre certified organic estate on the St. David's Bench since the early 1900s. The property sits atop an ancient riverbed carved by the Niagara River 22,000 years ago, where the unique glacial soils and elevation create ideal conditions for growing Bordeaux-style varieties like Cabernet Franc. Enjoy now or cellar for 2-4 years. Cabernet Franc food pairings: grilled lamb chops, aged Gruyère cheese, beef burgers. Drink: 2026 - 2030 50114 13.5% XD 750 mL $29.95 Score: 90/100. March 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart