Markus Huber Terrasen Grüner Veltliner 2025, Traisental, Austria: Markus Huber Terrasen Grüner Veltliner from the Traisental wine region in Austria is a medium-bodied white with aromas of lemon zest, fresh ginger, a whisper of white pepper, and a cool mineral thread from the limestone and loess soils of the steep Traisen River terraces, and it's the kind of Austrian white that makes you wonder why you don't drink more Austrian white. On the nose it features white grapefruit, toasted hazelnut, dried herb, and a lively yeasty note that adds a savoury complexity. The palate is crisp and focused, with green apple, lemon curd, crushed chalk, and a long, tangy finish with lively acidity and a characteristic white pepper note on the close. Markus Huber farms vines between 5 and 80 years of age across the Traisental's steep limestone terraces, and his wines are consistently cited as some of the finest expressions of Grüner Veltliner outside the Wachau. Serve it well chilled now through 2030 with grilled prawns on a pesto risotto, where its citrus edge cuts through the richness, or try it with an arugula and warm herbed goat cheese salad for a pairing that earns every cent. Drink: 2026-2030. 484956 13.40% XD 750 mL $18.95 Score: 93/100. August 15, 2026
Charming Grilled Chicken Wine Full ReviewMarynissen Cabernet Franc 2023, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada: Drink: 2026-2028. 23973 13.50% XD 750 mL $16.95. August 29, 2026
Luscious Lamb Wine Full ReviewHidden Bench Gamay 2024, West Niagara, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario V.Q.A., Canada: Drink: 2026-2027. 20422 12.50% XD 750 mL $29.95. August 29, 2026
Voluptuous Veal Wine Full ReviewVilla Aix Rosé 2025, Provence A.O.P., France: Pomegranate and white pepper open this rosé, a bright, tangy snap trailing behind. Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence is the westernmost pocket of Provence, farmed here on a mix of limestone, sand and gravel. It's crisp and refreshing in the mouth, with real length for a rosé this pale. This is textbook Provence, built for a whole summer of easy sipping. Try it with a summer salad or a plate of grilled white fish. Drink: 2026-2027. 668426 12.70% XD 750 mL $19.95 Score: 92/100. August 15, 2026
Splendid Salad Wine Full ReviewFortant 2023, Languedoc, France: Fortant Grands Terroirs Languedoc is a medium-bodied blend of Syrah and Grenache from Minervois, aged on its fine lees in concrete and stainless steel tanks to build texture and freshness without a trace of oak. On the nose it's earthy and aromatic, with , cracked black pepper, wild garrigue, and schist that tells you exactly where it's from. The palate is juicy and focused, with plum, cocoa, thyme, and a long, savoury finish with supple tannins that make it one of the better value reds coming out of the south of France right now. Robert Skalli put the Fortant brand on the map in 1987 when he pioneered the radical idea of printing the grape variety on the label in France, a move that transformed how the Languedoc sold its wines internationally, and the Skalli family built their empire after relocating from Algeria to southern France in 1964. Drink it now through 2028 with a blade roast braised in red wine, where the wine's dark fruit and pepper lock in with the richness of the meat, or try it with wild mushroom bisque. Drink: 2026-2028. 20713 13.50% XD 750 mL $15.95 Score: 93/100. August 15, 2026
Best Beef Wine Full ReviewMega Spileo Assyrtiko 2024, Peloponnese, Greece: Mega Spileo Assyrtiko P.G.I. Peloponnese from the mountain vineyards of Aigialeia in the northern Peloponnese is a medium-light white grown on organically farmed hillside soils at over 700 metres above sea level, where temperatures run nearly 8 degrees cooler than on the coast below, and the result is a Assyrtiko with a freshness and precision that the sun-baked Aegean islands can only dream about. On the nose it's precise and lifted, with white grapefruit, crushed limestone, wild thyme, and fresh mountain breezes. The palate is taut and energetic, with lemon curd, green apple, and a long, zesty finish with bright, food-friendly acidity. Winemaker Stelios Tsiris crafts this wine for the Mega Spileo Estate, founded in 1999 on the ancient vineyard lands of the Mega Spileo Monastery, a Greek Orthodox monastery built into the cliffside of the Vouraikos Gorge in 362 A.D., where monks began growing grapes in the mid-15th century and a massive wine barrel called the Angelis, capable of holding 12 tonnes, still survives on the property today. Serve it well chilled now through 2029 with grilled whitefish with mango salsa, where the wine's citrus edge and saline character are a natural match, or try it with grilled pepper and mozzarella paninis where its bright acidity cuts through the richness of the cheese. Drink: 2026-2029. 31680 12.50% XD 750 mL $16.75 Score: 91/100. August 15, 2026
Scrumptious Seafood Wine Full ReviewKtima Gerovassiliou 2024, Macedonia P.G.I., Greece: Malagousia was nearly extinct before Vangelis Gerovassiliou rescued a few surviving vines and replanted them himself in the 1970s. White peach leads, honeysuckle and a saline edge trailing behind. It's rich and aromatic in the mouth, with bright acidity keeping it from feeling heavy. This is one of Greece's great modern success stories in a glass. Serve it with shrimp saganaki or baked feta with tomato. Drink: 2026-2026. 49573 13% XD 750 mL $24.95 Score: 93/100. August 15, 2026
Scrumptious Seafood Wine Full ReviewPeri Peri Viceré Inzolia 2025, Sicily I.G.T., Italy: Inzolia is one of Sicily's oldest native white grapes, often blended into Marsala but shown here on its own. Star fruit leads, a hint of orange blossom and a soft, waxy texture layered through. It's crisp and refreshing in the mouth, with bright acidity keeping every sip lively. This is proof Inzolia deserves more attention as a standalone white. Try it with fritto misto or linguine alle vongole. Drink: 2026-2027. 51690 12.50% XD 750 mL $24.95 Score: 92/100. August 15, 2026
Scrumptious Seafood Wine Full ReviewPasqua 11 Minutes Odi Et Amo Rosé 2024, Venezie I.G.T., Italy: Pasqua calls itself 'the house of the unconventional,' and this rosé leans into that with real personality. Pink grapefruit and ripe peach carry the nose, a whisper of orange blossom layered through. It's crisp and lively in the mouth, bright acidity keeping every sip fresh. Serve it chilled with grilled salmon steaks or a spread of charcuterie and cheese. Drink: 2026-2027. 556142 12.50% XD 750 mL $19.95 Score: 92/100. August 15, 2026
Charming Grilled Chicken Wine Full ReviewSiddùra Èrema Cannonau Di Sardinia 2023, Sardinia D.O.C., Italy: Black plum leads this Cannonau, clove and warm cedar rounding things out. Cannonau is Sardinia's signature red grape, genetically identical to Grenache but shaped by the island's sun and sea air. It's full and generous in the mouth, soft tannins and bright acidity keeping every sip lively. This is a wine built for long, unhurried summer dinners outdoors. Serve it with porchetta or grilled Italian sausage with lentils. Drink: 2026-2035. 51402 13.50% XD 750 mL $37.95 Score: 97/100. August 15, 2026
Plush Pork Wine Full ReviewViberti Giovanni La Gemella Barbera D'alba 2023, Piedmont, Italy: Viberti Giovanni La Gemella Barbera d'Alba D.O.C. from Piedmont is a medium-bodied 100% Barbera from old vines in the La Morra commune that makes an immediately convincing case for why this grape deserves to be taken as seriously as the Nebbiolo growing right next door. On the nose it's fresh and aromatic, with tart pomegranate, dried cherry, and cinnamon. The palate is juicy and focused, with a long, bright finish with fine, supple tannins and the kind of food-friendly acidity that makes every bite taste better. The Viberti family has been farming in La Morra since 1921, and winemaker Giovanni Viberti represents the fourth generation to craft wines from these hillside vineyards in the heart of the Langhe. Drink it now through 2030 with veal Parmesan with a fresh tomato sauce, where the wine's bright acidity and dark fruit are a natural Piedmontese match, or try it with chicken cacciatore where its juicy character ties beautifully to the slow-cooked dish. Drink: 2026-2030. 632372 14% XD 750 mL $24.95 Score: 90/100. August 15, 2026
Voluptuous Veal Wine Full ReviewPlaneta La Segreta Grillo 2024, Sicily, Italy: Planeta La Segreta Grillo Sicilia D.O.C. from Menfi in western Sicily is a medium-light 100% Grillo grown on certified organic estate vineyards and fermented in stainless steel at low temperature to lock in freshness and aromatics, and at this price it's one of the more persuasive arguments for keeping a case of Sicilian white in the fridge at all times. On the nose it's bright and fragrant, with white grapefruit, dried chamomile, crushed chalk, and a cool sea breeze from the Mediterranean. The palate is crisp and juicy, with lemon curd, green apple, a whisper of fresh fennel, and a long, saline mineral finish with lively, food-friendly acidity. Winemaker Alessio Planeta, named Wine Enthusiast's Winemaker of the Year in 2023, oversees production across six distinct estates in five regions of Sicily, and Diego Planeta first planted vines at the family's Ulmo estate in 1985, with the La Segreta name coming from a hidden woodland grove along a nature trail on the property. Serve it well chilled now through 2027 with fish tacos with a lime slaw, where the wine's zesty character ties the dish together, or try it with a seafood salad where its bright acidity lifts every bite. Drink: 2026-2027. 39442 12.50% XD 750 mL $19.95 Score: 91/100. August 15, 2026
Scrumptious Seafood Wine Full ReviewLazzeretti Brunello di Montalcino 2015, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: Lazzeretti Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G. from Tuscany is a medium-bodied 100% Sangiovese from the Val d'Orcia slopes below Montalcino, aged in a combination of large Slavonian oak casks and smaller French barriques, showing exceptional concentration without sacrificing freshness. On the nose it's precise and lifted, with tobacco leaf and rose petal. The palate is structured, with tart cranberry, graphite minerality, clove, and a long, tapered finish with firm, ripe tannins that still have plenty of road ahead of them. Marco Lazzeretti took over the family estate at age 18 in 1998 with nothing but a dream and his grandfather Pietro Bastiani's old vineyards, and became one of Montalcino's most compelling young producers. Cellar it through 2040 or pull the cork with roast venison steak with a red wine reduction, where the wine's firm tannins are a natural match, or try it with roast partridge for a Tuscan game table pairing of real elegance. Drink: 2026-2040. 318352 14% XD 750 mL $42.75 Score: 95/100. August 15, 2026
Glorious Game Wine Full ReviewBanfi Magna Cum Laude 2022, Tuscany, Italy: Castello Banfi Magna Cum Laude Toscana I.G.T. is a full-bodied Super Tuscan blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Syrah that arrives from Montalcino already wearing its confidence well, with a nose of , pressed violet, graphite, and a whisper of warm cinnamon from aging in French oak barriques. The palate is structured and polished, with plum, earth, toasted cedar, and a long, energetic finish with dense, well-knit tannins that are clearly just getting warmed up. American brothers John and Harry Mariani founded Castello Banfi in 1978 after purchasing 4,500 hectares around Montalcino, and their pioneering clonal research on Sangiovese helped define the modern style of Brunello di Montalcino across an estate that spans over three dozen distinct soil types. Cellar it through 2031 or open it now with a slow-roasted leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic, where the wine's dark fruit and firm tannins are a natural match. A venison ragù over pappardelle on a cold night is equally charming. Drink: 2026-2031. 28469 14% XD 750 mL $32.95 Score: 95/100. August 15, 2026
Best Beef Wine Full Review