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
Pago del Cielo Celeste Verdejo Sur Lees 2024, Rueda D.O., Spain: Pago del Cielo's Celeste Verdejo Sur Lees from Rueda is a vibrant, medium-bodied white wine blending Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc with notes of green apple, grapefruit, lime and fresh herbs. This dry wine displays creamy texture and refreshing acidity that create an energetic, food-friendly profile. Serve it well chilled with grilled asparagus with hollandaise as the wine's bright acidity cuts through the rich sauce, or pair it with Spanish tortilla where the wine's freshness balances the creamy eggs and potatoes. Winemaker Juan Carlos Sancha ages this expressive white wine on its lees to add texture and complexity while preserving the fruit's aromatic purity and taut structure. Pago del Cielo represents a new generation of Spanish winemaking, focusing on indigenous varieties like Verdejo while bringing modern techniques to showcase the potential of Rueda's high-altitude vineyards. This clear, expressive wine represents excellent quality and will drink beautifully through 2027. Verdejo Sur Lees food pairings: Manchego cheese, calabrese salad, gilled asparagus and artichoke galette. Drink: 2025 - 2027 44756 13.5% XD 750 mL $19.95 Score: 92/100. December 2025. Best Value White Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
Red Wine
Tenuta di Nozzole Nozzole Riserva Chianti Classico 2021, Tuscany D.O.C.G., Italy: Tenuta di Nozzole's Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva from Tuscany is an elegant, medium to full-bodied red wine showcasing notes of red cherry, toasted hazelnut, dried sage and sweet tobacco. This dry Sangiovese displays firm, velvety tannins and bright acidity that will soften beautifully over the next five years. Serve it at room temperature with osso buco with gremolata as the wine's structure cuts through the braised veal shank, or pair it with grilled portobello mushrooms and aged Parmigiano-Reggiano where the earthy flavors harmonize with the wine's savory character. Winemaker Alessandro Staderini oversees production at this historic estate owned by the Folonari family, one of Tuscany's most respected wine dynasties with roots in Italian winemaking stretching back to 1825. The Nozzole vineyards sit at 450 meters elevation in the Greve-in-Chianti subzone, where galestro soils and cooling breezes from the nearby hills produce Sangiovese of remarkable elegance and finesse. This Riserva represents exceptional value and will continue to evolve through 2030. Chianti Classico food pairings: lasagne, meat-lover's pizza, roast chicken. Drink: 2025 - 2030 11109 14% XD 750 mL $27.95 Score: 93/100. December 2025. Top Rated Red Wine Full Review Add to Shopping Cart