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That Useful Wine Site

  Wine explained, clearly and helpfully, including critic-recommended specimens of each variety.

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Welcome to That Useful Wine Site!

You have apparently come to this page from a link on a search engine or another site. If this is your first visit here, I much recommend that you take a few minutes to look over the introductory material accessible via the blue “Introductory” zone of the Site Menu available from the “hamburger” icon in the upper right of this (and every) page. An understanding of the purposes and principles of organization of this site will, I hope and believe, much augment your experience here, for this page and in general. You can simply click this link to get at the site front page, which, unsurprisingly, is the best place to start. Thank you for visiting.

Some Personal Favorites

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About This List

I often wonder what the vintners buy…
    —The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

If we have skills, those are not primarily as wine tasters and evaluators ourselves; rather, our expertise, assuming we have any, is in “meta-review”—searching the work of many other tasters and evaluators to see where there seems to be consensus on good wines (within our self-imposed price limit of not over $20).

Nonetheless, it is inevitable that anyone visiting a site like this must wonder what the webmasters themselves find appealing in the wines they present. So, we have made this list. It is important, as we discuss more fully on our page about published wine reviews, that you keep in mind not only what limitations the reviewers (here, us) may have, but also that different people have different preferences. To belabor the obvious, Wine A may appeal strongly to us and Wine B not so much, whereas you might love B and scorn A—even if both are widely reckoned very good or even excellent wines. The difference would be the wines’ styles and your and our preferences in style.

Please note carefully that our “favorites” have nothing whatever to do with the list selections we present on this site for each wine type: not a few of our personal favorites do not appear on the lists for their type. They’re just our favorites, no more, no less: we don’t use our tastes as a measure for listing.

(Also, in numerous cases, a wine we would have listed is only available at a very few retailers: we can find it at some one or maybe two retailers we patronize, but that’s not sufficient availability to include it in this site’s regular lists.)

A side note: for not a few varietals, our current preference is rather tentative, meaning that while we liked them, there are still a fair number of candidates that we haven’t yet gotten round to sampling. We used to mark some of our choices that way, as “tentative”, but the reality is that all our choices are tentative, in the sense that tonight we might try something new that blows away our current preference. So all this is just a snapshot, a work in progress (lifelong progress).

One thing we do not do, however, is list any wine just to fill in a varietal; if, for a given varietal, no specimen we have tried so far has really appealed to us, we just leave that varietal off this list as if we hadn’t tried any of it at all yet.

In this list, the wine type (say, Merlot) is a click-on link to our page for that wine type. The individual wine’s names are click-on links to such CellarTracker pages as may exist for them, so you can see what other folks have had to say about them. (In the rare few cases where there were no posted comments to be seen on CellarTracker, the link is to some other plausibly germane note on the wine.) We do not necessarily agree with all of those comments (which, in any case, often disagree considerably among themselves), but you can see what actual non-professional consumers have had to say.

Very well, then, let’s cut the cackle an’ get to the hosses.

The List

Agiorgitiko:
 · Kotrotsos Nemea
   (not the same as their “Erasmios”, now discontinued)

Aglianico:
 · Caparone Aglianico
 · Donnachiara “Campania” Aglianico

Albariño:
 · Anselmo Mendes “Contacto” Alvarinho
 · La Cana Albariño

Aligoté:
 · Clendenen Family Vineyards Aligoté
 · Jean Marc Bouley Bourgogne

Altesse (aka Roussette):
 · Lupin Roussette de Savoie Frangy Altesse
 · Eugene Carrel et Fils Altesse
 · Domaine Giachino Roussette de Savoie Altesse
 · Jean Vullien Roussette de Savoie

Arneis:
 · Vietti

Assyrtiko:
 · Mylonas Assyrtiko
 · GWC [Greek Wine Cellars] Kourtakis Assyrtiko Santorini

Babić:
    CellarTracker has the following wine under two different listings:
 · Piližota “Sibenik” [“white label”]
 · Piližota “Sibenik” [“white label”]

Barbera:
 · Rocca Felice Barbera d’Alba Superiore

Bobal:
 · Atance Bobal

BombinoBianco:
 · Masseria Furfante Bombino Bianco

Bonarda:
 · Aleanna “El Enemigo” Bonarda
 · Zuccardi “Serie A”
 · La Posta “Estela Armando Vineyard”
 · Tilia
 · Trapiche “Broquel”
 · Cruz Alta “Reserve”

Brachetto:
 · Matteo Correggia “Anthos”

Cabernet Franc:
 · Hobo “Camp” Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Sauvignon:
 · Tahuan “Siesta en el Tahuantinsuyu” Cabernet Sauvignon
 · Errazuriz “Max Reserva” Cabernet Sauvignon
 · Catena Zapata “Catena” Cabernet Sauvignon
 · Caparone Cabernet Sauvignon
 · Columbia Crest “Grand Estates” Cabernet Sauvignon

Carménère:
 · Errazuriz “Max Reserva” Carménère
 · Anakena “Tama Vineyards Selection” Carménère

Carricante:
 · Tornatore Etna Bianco

Cataratto:
 · Donnafugata “Anthìlia”

Chardonnay:
 · oaked style - Kumeu River “Village” Chardonnay

Chenin Blanc:
 · Arnaud Lambert Brézé Saumur Blanc Clos de Midi
 · L’Ecole No. 41 “Old Vines” Chenin Blanc
 · Monmousseau Vouvray
 · Les Vignerons de la Noelle Anjou Blanc “Le Haut Vignot”

Ciliegiolo:
 · Marco Salustri “L’Ideale” Ciliegiolo

Cinsault:
 · Via Wines Chilcas “Single Vineyard”
 · De Martino “Gallardia del Itata”

Corvina:
 · Zenato Valpolicella Classico Superiore
 · Zenato “Ripassa”

Counoise:
 · Sans Liege “Groundwork”

Croatina:
 · Davide Carleone Croatina

Dolcetto:
 · Pecchenino “San Luigi” Dolcetto di Dogliani
 · Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto di Dogliani

Dornfelder:
 · Winzergenossenschaft Kallstadt Kobnert Dornfelder Rotwein Trocken
 · Gerd Anselmann Dornfelder

Early Melnik:
 · Logodaj “Melnik 55” (“Early Melnik” Grape)

Falanghina:
 · Falanghina Beneventano - Donnachiara “Resilienza” Falanghina Beneventano
    CellarTracker has the following wine under two different listings:
 · Falanghina Flegrea - Aia Dei Colombi Falanghina
 · Falanghina Flegrea - Aia Dei Colombi Falanghina
 · Falanghina Flegrea - Fontanavecchia Falanghina del Sannio Taburno
 · Falanghina Flegrea - Vinicola del Sannio Falanghina Beneventano

Fer:
 · Domaine du Cros “Cuvee VV” Marcillac
 · Domaine Philemon “Croix d’Azal”
 · Domaine du Cros “Lo Sang del Pais” Marcillac

Fetească Neagră:
 · Recas Castle [blue label]

Fetească Regală:
 · Recas Castle

Fiano:
    CellarTracker has the following wine under two different listings:
 · La Capranera
 · La Capranera
 · Rocca del Principe Fiano di Avellino

Frappato:
 · Feudo di Santa Tresa
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings:
 · Valle dell’Acate “Vittoria”
 · Valle dell’Acate “Vittoria”

Furmint:
 · Domaine Királyudvar “Sec” Furmint

Gaglioppo:
 · Librandi “Duca Sanfelice” Cirò Rosso Riserva
 · Scala Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore
 · Vincenzo Ippolito Cirò Rosso Classico Superiore ”Liber Pater“

Gamay:
 · Lucien Lardy Morgon Cote du Py
    CellarTracker has the following wine under two different listings:
 · Lucien Lardy Moulin-a Vent “Les Thorins”
 · Lucien Lardy Moulin-a Vent “Les Thorins”
 · Domaine du Pavillon de Chavannes Côte de Brouilly “Cuvee des Ambassades”

Garnacha | Grenache:
 · Casa Castillo “El Molar” Tinto
 · Borsao “Tres Picos” Garnacha
 · Lurra Garnacha
 · Navaherreros Garnacha de Bernabeleva
 · Castillo de Monséran “Cariñena” Garnacha
 · Vinos Sin-Ley “G” Garnacha

Garganega:
 · Inama Soave Classico

Gewürztraminer:
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings:
 · Navarro Gewürztraminer
 · Navarro Gewürztraminer

Godello:
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings:
 · Fraga do Corvo Godello  · Fraga do Corvo Godello

Graciano | Morrastel:
 · Rio Madre Rioja Graciano
 · Vinos Sin-Ley “GRA2”

Graševina/Welschriesling:
 · Enjingi Graševina

Grechetto:
 · Antonelli Grechetto

Greco:
 · Ippolito 1845 “Mare Chiaro” Cirò

Grenache Blanc:
 · Navarro Grenache Blanc
 · Curran Grenache Blanc
 · Priest Ranch Grenache Blanc
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings:
 · Edetària “Via Terra” Garnatxa Blanca
 · Edetària Via Terra Garnatxa Blanca

Grignolino:
 · Marchesi Incisa della Rocchetta Grignolino d’Asti

Gros Manseng:
 · Domaine des Cassagnoles Gros Manseng Reserve Selection

Grillo:
 · Paolo Cali “Blues” Grillo

Grüner Veltliner:
 · Gobelsburger Kamptal Grüner Veltliner
 · Stadt Krems Grüner Veltliner
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings with slightly different label names:
 · Hirsch “Veltliner Nr. 1” Grüner Veltliner
 · Hirsch “Hirschvergnügen” Grüner Veltliner
 · Birgit Eichinger “Strasser Gaisberg” Gruner Veltline

Hárslevelü:
 · Carpinus Tokaji Hárslevelü

Jacquère:
 · Domaine de L’Idylle Savoie “Cruet”
 · Jean Perrier et Fils Savoie “Cuvee Gastronomie” Abymes
 · Philippe Ravier Savoie “Apremont” Jacquère

Kadarka:
 · Sebestyén Kadarka
 · Oszcár Maurer Subotica Kadarka
 · Oszcár Maurer Subotica Kadarka “1880”
    (same wine: name changed in 2017).

Kerner:
 · Abbazia di Novacella-Kloster “Stiftkellerei Neustifter” Kerner

Lacrima di Morro:
 · Luigi Giusti Lacrima di Morro d’Alba
 · Velenosi Lacrima di Morro d’Alba Superiore “Querci’Antica”
    CellarTracker has no page for this wine; we instead link the “Dr Wine” page on Luchetti:
 · Lucchetti “Fiore” Lacrima di Morro

Loureiro:
 · Anselmo Mendes “Muros Antigos” Loureiro Eschola
 · Niepoort “Dócil” Loureiro
 · Aphros Loureiro

Malagousia:
   These two are the same wine: the winery simply changed the label name from ‘Axia’ to ‘Turtles Vineyard’:
 · Alpha Estates “Axia” Malagousia
 · Alpha Estates “Turtles Vineyard” Malagousia

Malbec:
 · Zuccardi “Serie Q” Malbec
 · Susana Balbo “Signature” Malbec

Malvasia:
 · Birichino Malvasia Bianca

Mavrud:
 · Villa Yambol Mavrud

Melnik:
 · Orbelus Melnik

Melon (de Borgogne) [Muscadet]:
 · Marc Ollivier Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie

Mencia:
 · Losada Vinos de Finca “El Pajaro Rojo”
 · Guimaro Ribeira Sacra Mencia

Merlot:
 · Caparone Merlot
 · Marques de Casa Concha
 · Columbia Crest “Grand Estates” Merlot

Monastrell | Mourvedre | Mataro:
 · Juan Gil Jumilla “12 Meses” [silver label] Monastrell

Mondeuse Noire | Mondeuse Noir:
 · Fabien Trosset Mondeuse d’Arbin “Malatret”
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings:
 · Maison Angelot Mondeuse
 · Maison Angelot Mondeuse
 · Charles Gonnet Chignin “Vieilles Vignes”
 · Philip Ravier De Savoie St Jean La Porte
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings:
 · Eugéne Carrel “Jongieux” Mondeuse
 · Eugéne Carrel “Jongieux” Mondeuse

Montepulciano:
 · Tiberio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Moscofilero | Moschofilero:
 · Skouras Moschofilero
 · Nasiakos Moschofilero
 · Seméli “Feast” Moschofilero
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings (they changed their labelling):
 · Kotrotsos Moschofilero Erasmios
 · Kotrotsos Moschofilero

Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains:
 · Wohlmuth Gelber Muskateller Steinriegel
 · Bodegas Juan Gil Moscatel Seco

Nebbiolo:
 · Caparone Nebbiolo
 · G. D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo
 · Paolo Scavino Langhe Rosso

Négrette:
 · Domaine Le Roc “La Folle” Noire d’Ambat

Negro Amaro:
 · Castello Monaci Maru Negroamaro
 · Cantina Sociale Cooperativa “Copertino” Rosso Riserva

Nero di Troia:
 · Villa Schinosa Nero di Troia
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings:
 · Castel del Monte “Vigna del Melograno” Nero di Troia
 · Castel del Monte “Vigna del Melograno” Nero di Troia
 · Cantine Paradiso “Posta Piana” Nero di Troia

País | Listín Prieto:
 · Cacique Maravilla “Pipeno” País

Pecorino:
 · Tiberio Pecorino
 · Ciu Ciu “Merlettaie” Pecorino
 · Contesa Pecorino

Petit Verdot:
 · Casale del Giglio Petit Verdot
 · Ruca Malén “Terroir Series” Petit Verdot
 · Domaine L’Orviel

Petite Sirah:
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings:
 · Parducci “True Grit” Petite Sirah
 · Parducci “True Grit” Petite Sirah

Picpoul de Pinet:
 · Les Costieres de Pomerols “BeauVignac” Picpoul de Pinet
 · Domaine La Croix Gratiot

Piedirosso:
 · La Sibilla Piedirosso “Campi Flegrei”

Pinot Blanc:
 · Colterenzio Schreckbichl “Praedium Weisshaus” Pinot Blanc

Pinot Gris | Pinot Grigio:
“pinot gris”:
 · Biokult Naken
 · Trimbach Reserve Pinot Gris
 · Jules Taylor Pinot Gris
    CellarTracker has this wine under three different listings:
 · Jones of Washington Pinot Gris
 · Jones of Washington Pinot Gris
 · Jones of Washington Pinot Gris
“pinot grigio”:
 · Kupelwieser Alto Adigo Pinot Grigio

Pinot Meunier | Meunier:
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings:
 · River Road Vineyards Pinot Meunier
 · River Road Vineyards Pinot Meunier

Pinot Noir:
 · Hahn Family “SLH”
 · Navarro Anderson Valley (their basic PN)
 · Stadlmann “Classic”

Plavac Mali:
 · Bura “Fresh” Plavac Mali
    CellarTracker has this wine under three different listings:
 · Putnikovići “Lirica” Plavac Mali
 · Putnikovići “Lirica” Plavac Mali
 · Putnikovići “Lirica” Plavac Mali
 · Andrović Plavac Mali “Vrhunsko“
    (CellarTracker doesn’t distinguish, but Andrović has two Plavac labels: Kvalitetno [the basic] and Vrhunsko [the better].)
 · Little Blue Plavac Mali

Prieto Picudo:
    CellarTracker has the following wine under two different listings:
 · Leyenda del Paramo “El Aprendiz”
    CellarTracker has some incorrect white-wine reviews mixed into the next page:
 · Leyenda del Paramo “El Aprendiz”

Refosco:
 · Tenuta Luisa Refosco
 · Le Carline Refosco

Ribolla Gialla:
 · Fantinel Vigneti Sant’Helena Ribolla Gialla

Riesling:
 · Chateau Ste. Michelle “Eroica” Riesling
 · Chateau Ste. Michelle “Cold Creek Vineyard” Riesling
 · Trimbach Riesling

Rkatsiteli:
 · Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli

Robola:
 · Bazigos Robola
 · Gentilini Robola

Rosé:
 · Bougrier “Pure Loire” Rosé d’Anjou
 · Bougrier Rosé D’Anjou
 · Terra Blanca “Arch Terrace”

Roussanne:
 · Novelty Hill Roussanne

Rubin Bolgarski:
 · Ross-idi “Nikolaevo Vineyard” Rubin

Ruché:
 · Montalbera “La Tradizione” Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato

Sangiovese:
 · Caparone Sangiovese
 · Le Pupille Morellino di Scansano

Sauvignon Blanc:
 · Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc
 · Nobilo “Regional Collection” Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
 · Novelty Hill “Stillwater Creek Vineyard” Sauvignon Blanc

Savagnin/Traminer:
 · Domaine Boyar “Selection” Traminer

Scheurebe:
 · Gysler Scheurebe Halbtrocken
 · Koehler-Ruprecht Kabinett Trocken

Schiava:
 · Abbazia di Novacella
 · Franz Gojer Glögglhof Vernatsch

Schioppettino:
 · Bastianich Schioppettino Vini Orsone
 · Girolamo Dorigo
 · Grillo “di Prepotto”

St. Laurent | Sankt Laurent:
 · Rosi Schuster “Klassik” St. Laurent
 · Johanneshof Reinisch St. Laurent

sparkling wines (Champagne et al.):
 · Roederer Estate Brut, Anderson Valley

Sumoll:
 · Pardas “Sus Scrofa” Sumoll
 · Gaintus “Radical” Sumoll

Susumaniello:
 · Li Veli Susumaniello
 · Rubino Oltremé Susumaniello
 · Boccantino Susumaniello
    The wine below has changed itts name from Forte Incanto to Apollonio, but CellarTracker has only the one listing for it:
 · Forte Incanto/Apollonio Susumaniello

Syrah:
 · Montes Alpha Syrah

Tannat:
 · Garzón “Reserva” Tannat
 · Famille Laplace “Laplace” Madiran
 · Chañarmuyo “Keo” Roble Tannat
 · Bouza “Reserva” Tannat

Tempranillo:
 · Baron de Ley Reserva Rioja
 · Obalo Rioja Crianza
 · Tamaral Roble Tempranillo

Teroldego:
 · De Vescovi Ulzbach Teroldego

Torrontés:
 · Zuccardi “Serie A” Torrontés
 · Michel Torino “Cuma” Torrontés
 · Marcelo Pelleriti “Sol Fa SoulR Torrontés

Touriga Nacional:
 · Aveleda “Follies” Touriga Nacional
 · DFJ Vinhos “Grand’Arte” Touriga Nacional
 · Delaforce Douro Touriga Nacional

Traminer/Savagnin:
 · Domaine Boyar “Selection” Traminer

Trebbiano:
 · Tiberio Trebbiano d’Abruzzo

Turbiana:
 · Cà dei Frati “I Frati” Lugana

Txakolina:
Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli

Valdiguié:
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings:
 · Folk Machine “Lolonis Vineyard” Valdiguié
 · Folk Machine “Lolonis Vineyard” Valdiguié
 · J. Lohr “Wildflower” Valdiguié

Verdeca:
 · Li Veli Askos Verdeca

Verdejo:
 · Blanco Nieva Verdejo Rueda
 · Lagar del Rey Verdejo

Verdelho:
 · Ashbrook Verdelho
 · Tyrrell’s “Old Winery” Verdelho

Verdicchio:
 · Bisci Verdicchio di Matelica

Vernaccia:
 · Montenidoli “Tradizionale” Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Viognier:
 · Michel Gassier “Les Piliers” Viognier

Vranac|Vranec:
    CellarTracker has this wine under two different listings:
 · Tikveš Winery Special Selection Vranec
 · Tikveš Winery Special Selection Vranec
 · Plantaźe “Crnogorski” Vranac

Welschriesling/Graševina:
 · Enjingi Graševina

Xinomavro/Xynomavro:
 · Katogi Averoff Xinomavro
 · Thymiopoulos “Young Vines” Xinomavro

Zierfandler:
 · Weingut Stadlmann Anninger Zierfandler

Zinfandel:
 · Caparone Zinfandel
 · Peachy Canyon “Westside” Zinfandel
 · Cline “Ancient Vines” Zinfandel
 · Navarro Zinfandel
 · Karen Birmingham Zinfandel Reserve

Zweigelt:
 · Rosi Schuster Zweigelt
 · Judith Beck Zweigelt
 · Gernot & Heike Heinrich Zweigelt





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This page was last modified on Sunday, 8 December 2024, at 9:46 pm Pacific Time.