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.
Red Wine
Yalumba Samuel's Collection Shiraz 2023, Barossa, South Australia, Australia: Yalumba Samuel's Collection Barossa Shiraz is a deeply saturated, full-bodied red that opens with a compelling nose of stewed mulberry, dried boysenberry, and violet, threaded with warm cinnamon bark and a hint of dark tobacco. The palate is plush and generously weighted, with velvety tannins and a wave of dark fruit richness that carries through to a long, mouth-filling finish with a savory twist of cracked pepper and clove. Serve it at room temperature and enjoy it now through 2033, as the wine has both the fruit and structure to reward patience. Winemaker Sam Wigan upholds a tradition stretching back to 1849, when founder Samuel Smith planted Yalumba's very first vines by moonlight, a piece of winery lore as romantic as the wine itself. Remarkably, Yalumba operates the only on-site barrel cooperage in the entire Southern Hemisphere, meaning the French and Hungarian oak hogsheads that shape this Shiraz for ten months are crafted right on the estate. Pour this alongside slow-braised beef short ribs with a red wine reduction, where the wine's smoky depth will mirror every rich, tender bite, or try it with a roasted red pepper and lamb ragout over pappardelle for a weeknight dinner that punches well above its weight. Shiraz food pairings: rib roast, stuffed red peppers, veal stew. Drink: 2026 - 2033 12907 14.4% XD 750 mL $21.95 Score: 93/100. May 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Sparkling Wine
Cave Spring Sparkling Rosé, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada: Cave Spring Estate Brut Sparkling Rosé from Ontario V.Q.A. is an elegant, light-bodied traditional method pink sparkling wine made primarily from Gamay grown on the mineral-rich limestone, shale, and sandstone soils of the Beamsville Bench, where the cool, lake-moderated microclimate of the Niagara Escarpment produces fruit of exceptional natural acidity and delicate aromatic precision. This sparkling wine is made using Méthode Traditionnelle, the traditional method of the second fermentation in the bottle, just as they do in the Champagne region. It opens with a fine, persistent bead and a beguiling nose of pomegranate seed, dried rose petal, and a whisper of toasted brioche and crushed river stone, while the palate is sleek and focused, with a silky mousse and a clean, pithy, electric finish that lingers with impressive persistence. Serve it well chilled and enjoy it through 2030. Winemaker and co-founding partner Angelo Pavan, who has been crafting wines at Cave Spring since its inaugural 1986 vintage, has always approached his craft with the patience of a midwife, using indigenous yeast fermentation and minimal cellar intervention to let the Beamsville Bench express itself as purely as possible. Cave Spring holds the distinction of being Ontario's first winery to achieve Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario certification for both its vineyards and cellars, a fitting honour for a family that has championed cool-climate viticulture on the Niagara Escarpment since 1978. Sparkling Rosé food pairings: seared scallops with a lemon caper butter sauce, smoked salmon blinis with crème fraîche and chives, grilled halloumi with watermelon and fresh mint. Drink: 2026 - 2030 50494 12% XD 750 mL $39.95 Score: 92/100. May 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart