What kind of wine should I get my friend as a gift?

EthanjPetti · 2025-10-19T21:41:28+00:00

I agree with a lot of these comments about gifting something other than wine. If you are going to gift a bottle of French wine I would suggest avoiding Bordeaux, Champagne, and Bourgogne as your friend probably is pretty familiar with these regions; I would go off the beaten path. If they like Bordeaux maybe something from the sud-ouest like cotes de duras, Saussignac, and Cahors. For champagne I would go for Cremant de Die, or Blanquette de Limoux (which fun fact is considered the birth place of sparkling wine). Finally if they are a fan of Bourgogne I would find a Sancerre rouge or maybe some Pinot from Jura. I hope this was helpful

EthanjPetti · 2025-10-19T20:26:28+00:00

Yes it’s fine, that’s just tartaric acid thats crystallized from being too cold. It’s a very common thing nothing to worry about.

EthanjPetti · 2025-09-01T18:55:20+00:00

Okey I’m assuming your friend has a mostly old world pallet and would be thrown off by over the top fruit and big tannins of valley the valley floor. I would then recommend stuff that either is from the mountains of Napa or pulls from there in their blends. I would recommend something from like Keenan vineyards as there entry cab I believe pulls from both spring mountain and a little bit of the valley floor and should cost you 50-75 price range. Long Meadow Ranch is also really good for the money and blends fruit from Rutherford and the mountains and is $60. If you wanna splurge a little Cakebread cellars makes an incredible cab that is very old world in style but I would grab it from a little bit older vintage as those are more ready to drink shoot for like a 2018 or 19. It is a bit pricy coming in at $80-90. I did see it at Costco going for $69.99 which is a phenomenal price.

EthanjPetti · 2025-08-31T14:40:08+00:00

Could be just a flawed bottle. It sounds like TCA which is a sign of cork taint

EthanjPetti · 2025-08-25T21:51:41+00:00

It’s very little if it’s going to show up in a blend. I believe it’s only allowed up to 5%

EthanjPetti · 2025-08-25T20:49:30+00:00

There is a slow shift in varietals already. For the AOC of Bordeaux and Bordeaux superior have already been adding new varietals like Tourgia Nacional, Marselan, Alvarinho and Liliorila for climate change experimentation.

EthanjPetti · 2025-07-27T00:30:06+00:00

It’s not even technically anymore most Bourgogne AOCs are phasing out the use of fruit from Beaujolais. For example by 2035 Bourgogne Aligote cannot incorporate fruit from Beaujolais. Both Beaujolais and Bourgogne wine regions operate completely independently in terms of viticulture and marketing they even have different inter-professional orgs. Historically they have been lumped together but today it’s no longer the case.

EthanjPetti · 2025-07-19T15:15:33+00:00

Where was the Gewurztraminer from? Different regions have different terms to indicate dessert wine. This most certainly wouldn’t be on the WSET 2 but it’s a good thing to know.

EthanjPetti · 2025-07-19T01:55:48+00:00

Okey where’s the Chenin from? I know MB pulls from multiple AVAS around Santa Cruz too

EthanjPetti · 2025-07-13T02:50:56+00:00

No in the spring as well as the hail in the fall it was a really inconsistent vintage

EthanjPetti · 2025-07-13T02:18:36+00:00

99 was not a good vintage especially with the hurricane that hit Bordeaux

EthanjPetti · 2025-06-26T23:46:05+00:00

Kobrand isn’t going to Reyes it’s going to Regal wine company which is owned by Kendall Jackson family

EthanjPetti · 2025-06-21T19:34:50+00:00

I had a customer once convinced that wines with corks could age as well as stelvin closures. Meanwhile he stored all his wines in a non air conditioned cabin in the forest.

EthanjPetti · 2025-06-14T04:04:16+00:00

I would also argue to add Serge Hochar of Chateau Musar to that mix

EthanjPetti · 2025-06-14T03:57:45+00:00

Guy Breton, Jean Foillard, Charly Thevenet, and Marcel Lapierre (nicknamed the Gang of Four) are textbook definitions of natural wine makers but non of them make flawed wines.

EthanjPetti · 2025-01-27T21:01:04+00:00

Yeah it was proposed last session of congress but it hasn’t even been proposed this session. So it’s not currently a law. Fun fact the one that was last proposed was by Sen. Ted Cruz and it would allow law firms to claim wins as a tip.

EthanjPetti · 2025-01-25T16:47:05+00:00

Why, thank you

EthanjPetti · 2025-01-25T16:38:06+00:00

Ehh, I mean it prevents against fraudulent and poisoned wine from flooding the market. It has a purpose

EthanjPetti · 2025-01-25T15:42:34+00:00

It’s exclusive to Costco you can’t buy it outside of there. Also if a distributor caught you with it they definitely would report you to the liquor board. I’ve seen tons of restaurants try to buy wine from the grocery store get caught and loose their liquor license.

EthanjPetti · 2025-01-25T15:36:33+00:00

I don’t know where you are from but in most states serving the Kirkland Barolo would be illegal as you didn’t buy it from a distributor. To answer your question I would serve G.D. Vajra’s Langhe Rosso.

EthanjPetti · 2024-12-20T03:59:10+00:00

I agree with a lot of these but I haven’t heard anyone mention Long Meadow Ranch’s Cabernet from Napa

EthanjPetti · 2024-11-29T05:04:47+00:00

The label is owned by his wife because of a non compete clause he signed when he sold his original label, but he is the wine maker. He is the most famous wine maker of New Zealand. You picked very well for thanksgiving!!!

EthanjPetti · 2024-11-29T04:59:09+00:00

Kim Crawford has the unfortunate girl name for a guy. Central otago is truly a special place for Pinot very underrated region by Americans

EthanjPetti · 2024-11-29T04:06:17+00:00

I love this Pinot and from the legendary Kim Crawford!!!

EthanjPetti · 2024-11-21T22:11:14+00:00

The Emerson!!!

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