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
Quinta do Vallado 2023, Douro D.O.C., Portugal: Quinta do Vallado blends five native Douro varieties into this everyday-drinking red, and it punches well above its price. Sour cherry and violet open the aroma, with a graphite edge and a savoury spice note filling out the middle. Real acidity, not just ripeness, keeps the texture feeling fresh throughout. This is an unpretentious wine that never feels simple, carrying more character in the glass than the price tag suggests. Grilled steak or a gourmet burger would make a fine, casual match. Portugal keeps turning out five-grape blends like this at prices that feel almost unfair to everyone else. Food pairings: grilled steak, gourmet burgers, roasted sausage. Drink: 2025 - 2028 41900 13.5% XD 750 mL $19.95 Score: 92/100. August 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
White Wine
Fontanafredda Derthona Timorasso 2024, Colli Tortonesi, Piedmont D.O.C., Italy: Timorasso nearly vanished as a grape variety before growers in Piedmont brought it back from the edge in the 1980s. Green apple and chamomile lead this Fontanafredda bottling, with a flinty minerality running underneath. The texture carries real weight and richness, more substantial than most whites at this price point. It should only improve with a few more years in the bottle. Seafood Alfredo or a creamy aged cheese would make a fine match right now. Grapes get rescued from extinction more often than people realize, and this one was worth the effort. Timorasso food pairings: seafood Alfredo, creamy aged cheeses, grilled pompano. Drink: 2026 - 2032 36416 14% XD 750 mL $29.95 Score: 92/100. August 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart