Epicuro Puglia Aglianico, 2022

The meal featured spinach pie, Greek lemon potatoes and Greek salad with feta cheese. I chose this wine to accompany it because it has a sneaky amount of sweetness to counter the salty, lemony flavors of the meal. It worked well.

Deep and dark. Blackberries, dark cherries and spice. Lush and smooth. 13% alcohol and residual sugar that is just below what many tasters detect. Well received. We also had the 2024 version which was more fruit forward but not quite as smooth or aromatic. For $5.99 at Trader Joe's, this and other wines from Epicuro are excellent values.
 

Notre Dame des Pallieres l'Olivet Cotes Du Rhone Villages Sablet, 2019

The village of Sablet is very near Gigondas, where the estate is located. As the name suggests (sablet = sandy), the soil is sandy, resulting in wines that are highly aromatic with more supple tannins than those in Gigondas. 

Medium deep, bright dark cherry color. This wine is a 60/40 blend of Grenache and Syrah--more Syrah than most CDR wines and that is showing. More black than red berries, dark cherries, anise seed and a touch of black pepper. Not at all like Gigondas but unique smells and flavors that I like. Ripe fruit, supple tannins, tasty finish..

2 Lads Old Mission Peninsula White Pinot Noir, 2023

I have had many Michigan Pinot Noirs, including those from 2 Lads, that I have found very disappointing. Not so for this white Pinot Noir, that I liked enough to bring home from the tasting room. After a year in the bottle, it is even better.

Light pink color, almost a rose. Smells like a Pinot Noir. Tastes like a Pinot Noir. Fresh red berries and cherries, well defined and detailed. Great acid/tannic balance. Shows the delicacy and depth of a good Pinot Noir. I poured out half a glass a half hour before dinner so I could taste the wine at room temperature as well as chilled. I preferred the room temperature; Donna, the chilled version. Take your choice; it's a nice wine.
 

Point Ormond Victoria Shiraz, 2020

A few months ago, I tagged this as a drink now wine. It has beautiful up front fruit and ripe tannins that lead to a long, delicious finish. With this bottle, as some Syrah complexity begins to emerge, I see signs of aging potential.

Medium dark, no oak, according to the winemaker. Black fruits--berries, plums, currants--plus some lavender, black pepper and leafy notes. Also hints of black olives reminiscent of bottles of Jaboulet's Domaine Thalabert Crozes when I drank them in their youth in the 1980s. Who knows? Whatever, the wine sells for $14.99, and I am a buyer.

Gaggino Convivio Dolcetto di Ovada, 2018

There are some misconceptions about Dolcetto  wines, primarily because of the name, which translates from the Italian as "little sweetie." The Italians had a different reason for this name, probably related to the little hills where the grapes are best grown. If I were limited to one word to describe this wine, it would not be "sweet" but rather "bitter." For my taste, though, it is a pleasant bitterness, like the bitterness of fine coffee.

Very deep and dark red. Black fruit and dark grape skin tones. No oak that I can detect but plenty of tannin. Compared to Barbera, Dolcetto is generally high in tannin, low in acidity, but this Dolcetto has enough acid to balance the bitter and lead to a firm, delicious finish.
 

G.D. Vajra Langhe Rosso, 2020

If you have $40 to $90 to spend on a bottle of wine, G.D. Vajra has many good choices for you. If you have $15, the estate's Langhe Rosso will give you plenty of pleasure--tonight, next week or next year. It is made from grapes from young vines of several denominations--Nerbbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Albarossa, Freisa and Pinot Noir. And it is perfectly blended to bring out the best of all of them.

Medium ruby. Not much new oak, if any. Beautiful smells of roses, violets and fresh fruit. Cherries and more cherries--tart enough to tease your taste buds and sweet enough to give pleasure. Enough tannins to provide a firm structure but supple enough to let the flavors shine through. I can't find anything to fault with this wine, except that I never buy enough.
 

Willamette Valley Vineyards Dijon Clone Chardonnay, 2017

When Jim Bernau of Willamette Valley Vineyards went to Burgundy in France for advice about growing great Chardonnay grapes in Oregon, he came back with Dijon clones which continue to be the source of his WVV Bernau Block Chardonnay. The estate's Dijon Clone Chardonnay sells for about half the price and is also excellent.

Full yellow gold. Unique smells and flavors: white peaches and cream, honey, lemon curd. Rich texture but not buttery. Long, deep, complex finish One of the favorite whites at our table.
 

Domaine de la Solitude Cotes du Rhone, 2023

I have never tried the Chateauneuf du Pape from Domaine de la Solitude, but it is well regarded. The estate was one of the first to use new oak, with mixed results at best. This Cotes du Rhone, though, was clearly made in the traditional style, and it satisfies my standards for Cotes du Rhone.

Medum ruby, bright and clear. Red berries, plums, spice, black pepper. Intensely fruity with fine, ripe tannins. Nothing in this wine that is not inviting. Everything I like in a Cotes du Rhone, and it sells for $13.99 at Plum Market in Ann Arbor. Should drink well for another two or three years so but why wait?
 

Kirkland Signature Friuli Grave Pinot Grigio, 2023

Trader Joe's is always a good place to find inexpensive Pinot Grigio wines, but this one from Costco is just as cheap ($4.99) and, in my opinion, much better. Grapes come from the cool climate Friuli region in the Alps of northeastern Italy, considered one of the best regions for Pinot Grigio.

Very pale, bright and clean. Some floral notes in the aroma. Very refreshing: green apple, lime, pear and honeydew melon. Lean and clean with just the right amount of acidity and fresh fruit. For $4.99??
 

Famille Perrin Ventoux Rouge, 2022

Through most of the late 1980s and early 1990s, La Vielle Ferme VentousRouge was a staple on my shopping list. Since it sold for less than $3 a bottle, I would buy at least a case every year and finish it off by the end of the year. I never aged it but am sure it would have improved over 3 to 5 years or longer. La Vieille Ferme is still available, but the grapes no longer come from Ventoux. The equivalent today, produced by the same Perrin family, is this Ventoux Rouge. It is available for about $7 at Plum Market in Ann Arbor, and I have seen it on the shelves at Sawall's Health Foods in Kalamazoo for a dollar or two more. It is still a big favorite of mine, demonstrating all of the best qualities of the Southern Rhone.

Medium ruby, bright and clear. Grenache strawberries covered with freshly ground black pepper. Syrah body and structure and Carignan spice. Drinks so beautifully at every stage of development and with any meal--from fine dining to carry out pizza. This is my last bottle; I must go and get more.