Upon recommendation from Reddit yesterday.

Domaine Georges Mugneret-Gibourg Vosne-Romanée La Colombiere

Quite a perfumed burgy. Red fruits, subtle dark fruits, rose petals, and spice.

The palate reflected the nose quite well. Texture was velvety like a flower petal.

If I had to describe this wine in one word it would be “ethereal”.

Not the selection I expected on a business class flight. They used to have at least one or two decent options. I've heard a lot about the infamous Apothic Red from this community, but I didn't dare to try it.

Luckily EPC and Philipponat are decent Champagne options.

Notes in post below.

13 Oct 2026 (transcript and video at link) Record high temperatures this year forced European wine producers to harvest grapes much earlier than usual. French wineries fear it will lead to the worst season in 30 years. But Nordic newcomers to the world of wine are toasting what they believe will be a vintage harvest, thanks, in no small part, to climate change. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports from Sweden.

Had these two side by side with my wife, and we both clearly preferred the Veuve Clicquot.

Ruinart Rosé NV – 91/100

Very polished and well made, but almost to the point of being boring. Nothing really wrong with it, just not particularly exciting or memorable.

Veuve Clicquot Vintage Rosé 2015 - 93/100

More multidimensional, noticeably more complex, and with a longer finish. Just a much more interesting Champagne overall.

My wife independently came to the same conclusion.
I know Ruinart Rosé has plenty of fans, but for us the Veuve was the clear winner.

Curious if anyone else has tried these side by side, or how you rate the Veuve 2015.

This was a gift from a friend. A very nice red with acidity and thick body. On the nose there is smoke, mushrooms, molasses , blackberries, and oak. On the palate there is plum, oak, vanillas, earthy undertone and smooth tannins. The finish is long and sharp. Very well balanced and enjoyable.

This wine holds up exceptionally well. I was about to toss this wine, but this is day 4 of opening. The wine softens up but still maintains basic structure. The flavors evolve into more olive and less grassiness. The acids are toned down, and it drinks more elegant. This wine is temperature sensitive. Keep it a little cooler and sip over the course of a few days. Enjoy!

I had a wonderful bottle of wine and am now spending more time invested in the amazing wine, but I have also heard the history is pretty cool. What do you think

Planning on a three day visit to Aranda and the surrounding areas. Looks like we lucked out in that there's ‘Bodegas entre velas’, an open house by candlelight in the underground tunnels on Saturday night 17 October. Unfortunately my lousy Spanish isn't helping me find whether tickets are required or if we can just show up and visit. (anyone have info?)

Aside from that, we're planning on a day local to Aranda - looking at Finca Torremilanos, Martin Berdugo, Historica Don Carlos, Subterranea Santa Maria, Territorio Luthier, and Dominio de Cair followed by dinner probably at El Lagar de Isilla.

We need to find a driver for a more remote day, probably Penafiel. Wineries on the possible list are Alfredo Maestro, Aalto, Tinto Pesquera, Legaris, and Emilio Moro, and I need to dig a bit more.

Suggestions on wineries (and maybe a driver) would be greatly appreciated. We're looking for big reds with good QPR, and preferably with some age to tame the tannins a bit.

Thanks, I'll post a summary after we get back.

Nice lineup at Promontory this weekend. It was a social event so notes are a bit thin.

Welcome drink: 2017 Dom Perignon: lemon, pear, white flower, brioche, reductive match stick. Leaner than other vintages I've had.

2022 penultimate: cherry, strawberry, raspberry, garique, silky tannins. Good concentration.

Promontory:

2019 : great concentration. more tannin, darker fruit, blackberry, black currant, garrique. Will be great in 10 years.

2017: very enjoyable. Not as concentrated as 2019 but great minerality/gravel.

2016: dense dark fruits, blackberry, slightly more jammy but in check and should age very well next 10 years.

2013: high fine tannins, dark fruit, garique, dense fruit.

2012: darker fruit, blackberry, black currant, garique, finer tannins. A little more elegant. Favorite wine of the day.

2020: a little more red fruit, chalky tannins, higher acid, very good. They managed to make a good wine that year. They picked 80% of the fruit before the fires.

My mother is a die-hard CB Cream Sherry drinker. She'll drink other cream sherry, but few live up to her Christian Brothers. It's not super common here in our state and we've learned that the distributor has no new restock date at all according to Total Wine. She'd heard from a local store that it had been discontinued. However, I can find no evidence of that online. We're probably gonna try stocking up on it. So, I got a few questions:

• Is it being discontinued?
• Anyone have any similar style (and price if possible) recommendations for replacements?
• Do they have any kind of web presence at all or any kind of contact info? I couldn't find one and was looking to e-mail them about its status.

Specitically, what are your thoughts on the Nicolas Feuillatte Collection Vintage Blanc de Blancs?

Hello, I am an amateur getting into wine. I have been a wine club member at Cooper’s Hawk for about a year now and go wine tasting monthly. I enjoy the experience and the bottles, but am looking to try and diversify my “wine cellar” for a reasonable price. It seems that a lot of these online retailers offer $300 of wine at $150, but I don’t know if they artificially mark the price up to then sell it “at a discount.” I have looked into Vivino but it seems like most bottles can only be bought by cases. Are there any recommendations on platforms that you can buy single bottles from and put together a shipment to try various styles without being ridiculously overcharged? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hi all, I'm very new to the world of wine and discovering that I really enjoy what a sommelier recently told me at a restaurant are reds with "soft tannins and medium body." I wish I could remember what I ordered the other night because I found it very smooth and silky. I tend to dislike reds that are very puckery or dry, but I also don't like sweet. I have found that some Grenaches tend to fit this description quite well based on my recent ordering of glasses at wine bars.

Based on this, which regions or winemakers would you recommend for me? Ideally would like to keep it under $40/bottle. Is there such a thing as a natural Grenache? Would happily take suggestions for that as well!

I went to HomeGoods and found a set of Zwiesel Sensa for $25 then went to another location and found a set of the Schott Zwiesel MioVino on clearance for $8. I understand the Zwiesel Glas is their more upscale line/collection but I do love a good deal so I wanted to see which one you guys recommend I keep. They’re both labeled for red wine but I do intend to use them as an all-purpose wine glass.

Bought from auction, delivered today and enjoyed with turkey dinner leftovers

Very rich on the palette, tons of caramelized apricot and apple with a hint of florals balanced by a solid amount of acidity. Nice lingering sweetness and waxiness on the palette, super happy to have a couple more of these to cellar and enjoy over the next several years!

Landed a pair of these guys.

Cellaring one, and decanted the other for about two hours. It was pretty tight at first but eventually opened up very nicely. Beautiful floral notes, dark fruit, and a bit of an earthy pull. Very much in line with what I’ve heard about the 2018’s.

Planning on aging the other for about 5 years, curious to know what others on the sub think about the improvement from here. Does it gain more complexity or is it mostly in the tannin?

Follow-up to the post a couple of weeks ago where I counted one week of wine shop tastings in 25 metros. A few people asked what the tastings actually are, so this time I went through the next three weeks (Oct 12 to Nov 2, within 50 miles of each downtown) and read them. 1,045 tastings at 323 shops in 27 metros.

What shops are pouring

Winemakers and importers in the room are the most common "special" format: 47 tastings have a named producer or importer pouring their own wines. Classes and 101s are next at 49. Italy is the most common region (32), then Champagne (19, in 9 metros), Bordeaux (14) and Burgundy (11). Blind tastings turned up 21 times in 10 metros, usually as a recurring weeknight thing. Halloween is already on the calendar: 20 tastings in 14 metros, mostly candy pairings.

What it costs

630 of them list a price. 317 are free. Of the paid ones, 96 are under $20, 103 are $20 to $49, 72 are $50 to $99 and 42 are $100 or more. The top end is Wine Watch in Fort Lauderdale pouring Screaming Eagle, Harlan and Scarecrow for $1,495, and two Zachys dinners in New York at $1,000. 415 tastings don't say what they cost, which is 40%. Same problem as last time, slightly worse.

The free-vs-paid split by city held: Denver, the Twin Cities, New York, Baltimore and Chicago are mostly free. LA, the Bay Area, Atlanta, San Diego, Phoenix and the Inland Empire are almost all paid.

When

Friday and Saturday are 588 of the 1,045. Thursday is 199. Monday and Sunday are 26 each.

One worth going to in each city

Not the biggest, just the one I'd pick if I lived there. All within about 15 miles of downtown.

• Atlanta: Perrine's (Howell Mill), Champagne deep dive with Gaston Chiquet and JL Vergnon, Wed Oct 21, $150
• Austin: Austin Wine & Food Foundation, meet the winemaker from Château Lascombes, Thu Oct 15, $90
• Baltimore: Bin 604, orange wines, Thu Oct 15, price not listed
• Bay Area: Flatiron Wines (SoMa), Bodegas Chacra tasting, Wed Oct 14, price not listed (if you'll drive to Napa: Pierre Péters at Compline, Wed Oct 21)
• Boston: Gordon's (Waltham), Inglenook winemaker masterclass, Tue Oct 20, $25
• Charleston: Avondale Wine & Cheese, blind tasting challenge, Thu Oct 15, price not listed
• Charlotte: Foxcroft (Dilworth), 2016 Bordeaux ten-year retrospective, Wed Oct 21, $85
• Chicago: All Together Now (Ukrainian Village), Saturday Sips, Sat Oct 17 or 24, 2 to 4pm, $10. Nothing themed inside the city these three weeks; the city's thing is the weekly walk-in
• Dallas–Fort Worth: Eataly Dallas, Barolo masterclass, Sat Oct 17, price not listed
• Denver: Trellis Wine Bar (Park Hill), "Same Grapes, Different Souls" blind tasting, Tue Oct 13, $65 (worth the drive: Boulder Burgundy Festival grand tasting, Sun Oct 25, $125)
• Detroit: Michigan by the Bottle (Royal Oak), Sips & Stories with Good Harbor Vineyards, Sat Oct 24, $10 (worth the drive: Lynch-Bages at Plum Market Ann Arbor, Tue Oct 13, $45)
• Houston: La Colombe d'Or, oysters and Champagne social, Thu Oct 15, free
• Orange County: Hi-Time (Costa Mesa), Champagne Geoffroy with Sacha Geoffroy, Sat Oct 24, $60
• Los Angeles: K&L Culver City, Champagne tent event, Sat Oct 24, $160
• Miami: Florida Wine Academy (South Miami), Château Angélus masterclass, Mon Oct 26, $250
• New York: Astor Wines, Liébart-Régnier Champagne, Sat Oct 17, free
• Orlando: Assemblage Wine Co., wine blending workshop, Tue Oct 27, $65
• Philadelphia: Tria Rittenhouse, "Orange Is the New White", Tue Oct 27, $75
• Phoenix: The Wine Collective of Scottsdale, blind Pinot Noir tasting, Fri Oct 23, $30
• Salt Lake City: Tracy Aviary, Duckhorn and Decoy flight, Thu Oct 15, $55
• San Antonio: Geraldine's Natural Wines, Portugal 101, Wed Oct 21, $40
• San Diego: The WineSellar, Mormoraia (Tuscany) with the winery, Fri Oct 23, price not listed
• Seattle: Halfseas, Romanian wines with Teodora Baba, Wed Oct 28, $25
• St. Louis: The Wine Merchant (Olivette), white Burgundy deep dive, Sat Oct 31, $75
• Tampa Bay: Vintage Wine Cellars, seated Tempranillo tasting, Fri Oct 23, $40
• Twin Cities: France 44, Bordeaux with Château Phélan Ségur, Tue Oct 20, $85
• Washington, DC: Chain Bridge Cellars (McLean), third-Wednesday blind tasting, Wed Oct 21, free

What did I miss in your city? And for the people who go to the $100+ ones: are they worth it, or is the $10 Saturday walk-in the better deal?

Three weeks, Oct 12 to Nov 2, within 50 miles of each downtown, from the shops' own pages. The columns add to 1,182 because four pairs of metros overlap (DC and Baltimore, Baltimore and Philly, LA and the Inland Empire, Austin and San Antonio); 1,045 are distinct. DC and Baltimore each stopped at 100. *Every shop in the Inland Empire circle is actually in Orange County or Long Beach; I found nothing in Riverside or San Bernardino.

On the first day of Thanksgiving weekend we had turkey with cranberry margaritas. On the second day of Thanksgiving weekend we had Peking duck with non-alcoholic beer. On the actual Thanksgiving day I said enough, we need some wine and opened up this Costco find. Mostly because we had a case of lobster sitting in the freezer (picked up from costco as well)

At CAD80 the value is amazing, should have gotten a few more bottles.

Golden lemon in appearance, notes of lemon, brioche, toasted almond on the nose. On the palate some peach, butter, brioche, lemon and green apple. Medium finish, crip acidity, balanced overall. A longer finish would have made it amazing, but at this price point it's a great wine, no complaints.

Paired with lobster, garlic butter and french fries

Ran in for something else and then this happens…..

Notes in post below.