by Lucy | Mar 5, 2025 | Tasting, Wine Education
5 wines that punch above their weight… Looking for quality without paying an arm and a leg for a fancy label? Julien’s here to help… from crisp, layered whites to complex and exciting reds, here are 5 regional styles to check out – and how to find the best examples of...
by admin | Mar 3, 2025 | The Wine Explorers Letter, Wine Education
Hello Explorers, I remember the first time Will and I tasted Finca El Monte in 2023. We were visiting Matías Etchart at his Calchaquí Valley winery for dinner. We started with empanadas, baked in the wood-fired oven, as we always do. Then came pollo al disco—chicken...
by admin | Feb 26, 2025 | Tasting, Wine Education
“I spent $300 on this bottle so you don’t have to“… This week, Julien tastes Napa Valley cult favorite Insignia from Joseph Phelps… Is it worth the money? Julien tells us his pros (dense & composed)… His cons (quite oaky)… and his overall...
by admin | Feb 24, 2025 | The Wine Explorers Letter, Wine Education
“In victory, you deserve Champagne; in defeat, you need it.” — Napoleon Bonaparte. February is that month—the last gasp of winter keeping us from the rush of spring, the warmth, the good stuff. It’s when gym memberships quietly get canceled, when the gray sky...
by admin | Feb 17, 2025 | The Wine Explorers Letter, Wine Education
I found myself in Paris this past week, lost in the labyrinth of VinExpo. From Monday to Wednesday, I wandered the cavernous halls, tasting my way through the world—France to Italy, Georgia to California, the familiar to the esoteric. By day’s end, my palate was shot,...
by admin | Feb 10, 2025 | The Wine Explorers Letter, Wine Education
I found myself in a Parisian barbershop. Another test of instinct. The doubt crept in the moment I realized I had to explain how I wanted my hair cut beyond just saying, ‘shorter.’ I hesitated. A simple act. Yet stripped of my usual tools—language,...
