2016 Primarius Pinot Gris

Becky Sue Epstein
Features
1 min read
The wine is an appealing pale pink-gold, reflecting the color or the grape. To begin, there’s a woodsy aroma, that hints at the wine’s Oregon origins, then tints of stone fruit on the palate. A medium body, with a hint of bitterness and acidity on the palate that indicates it

2016 Kris Pinot Grigio, delle Venezia IGT

Becky Sue Epstein
Wine Reviews
1 min read
One of the classic northern Italian wines that really put Pinot Grigio on the map for Americans, this wine still delivers on its popular promise. The wine is straw yellow, and it becomes fruitier and sweeter as it warms in the glass, reminiscent of roses and apricots. On the palate

2006 Chateau Grand Corbin-Despagne

Becky Sue Epstein
Wine Reviews
1 min read
For wine-lovers who rarely have a chance to taste older Bordeaux vintages, this is a great experience: a Grand Cru Classé wine that is over ten years old, from the Saint-Emilion part of Bordeaux, which means that is is mainly merlot. The wine is just transitioning from mature fruit to

2016 2 Lads Pinot Noir Cuvée Beatrice

Becky Sue Epstein
Wine Reviews
1 min read
The 2 Lads winery itself is a destination in the countryside not too far from Traverse City, Michigan. It is built in a super modern style, sited on a bluff with a great view that includes sections of their 23 acres of vines. The 2 Lads Winery produces white, rosé

2016 Mari Vineyards Grüner Veltliner

Becky Sue Epstein
Features
1 min read
By Becky Sue Epstein Northern Michigan is starting to look like any other orchard-turned-wine-country around the world, with Old World-style wineries as well as modern buildings dotting the landscape. Wineries here are crafting classic vitis vinifera wines from grapes grown right on their properties, wherever possible. The tasting room staff

Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandel

David Honig
Wine Reviews
1 min read
This well-priced single-vineyard Zinfandel just begs for local lamb chops and good company. Chocolate covered cherries and spices waft up from the glass. Big on the palate, this leads with black and red fruit, blackberries and raspberries, with a background of dark chocolate. Still tight half an hour after opening,

Konteki “Tears of Dawn” Sake

David Honig
Wine Reviews
1 min read
A complex sake with a multilayered palate. The color is quite clear, like water, but with better legs. Apple, white florals, and hints of caramel roil up from the glass. The palate leads with caramel apple and banana, followed by deeper flavors of potato and truffle. A tiny bite of

Tōzai “Living Jewel” Sake

David Honig
Wine Reviews
1 min read
A complex sake with a multilayered palate. The color is almost perfectly clear, with barely a hint of straw. The nose is complex, offering  yeast, melon, and pear. There is a lot of movement on the palate, opening with melon, then rolling through pears, white florals, hazelnut, and raspberry. Potato