Sam's Club releases its own wine label: Infinite

I suppose it was bound to happen. That partytrain known as wine sales had to arrive in Generica, stopping at the Sam’s Club station. Like the last guy at a party to realize his fly is open, Sam Walton’s masterminding crew has released its own private wine retail label. I should’ve expected it… I should’ve sensed it in the air. But the moment the press release entered my inbox offering up a sample of this new Spanish red blend, I HAD to try it.

Read more: Sam’s Club releases its own wine label: Infinite 2008 Spanish Red

Wine review: Errazuriz 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Aconcagua Valley

Chile is just now getting to the point where they produce good cabernets. I’ve enjoyed their white wines for as long as I can remember but their reds always wallowed in green pepper and asparagus… and not in a good way with dollop of hollandaise. Errazuriz, a winery founded in 1870 by Don Maximiano Errazuriz, has established themselves internationally as a quality-driven business. They also farm their vineyards sustainably, taking care of the soil for the coming generations.

Read more: Wine review: Errazuriz 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Aconcagua Valley

Spring has sprung: Wines reviews to get you drinking

Spring has sprung. The newly back-from-vacation birds are chirping… the honeybees are busy, and all the animals are horny. Makes me want a drink… or a cigarette, but I don’t smoke. Then, naturally, my mind turns to wine, my favorite beverage. This time of year, as warmth slowly creeps back into the days, I can’t help but shun the heavy reds and pair the weather with something a little more refreshing… mostly rich whites and light-bodied reds.

Read more: Spring has sprung: Wines reviews to get you drinking

Brazin 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel Dry Creek

Not everyone can craft really tasty zinfandel. Sometimes, this varietal wine can be overly alcoholic, with fumes wafting up your nose. Other times, it’s too intense and brash like a pushy whore wearing too much makeup. Not this one.

Read more: Brazin 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi

Wine review: Willakenzie 2006 Pinot Noir Pierre Leon

This pinot house has been cranking out incredible wine since 1995, when high-tech biz man Bernard Lacroute saw an ad for Oregon land in the Wine Spectator. 420-acres of cattle land to be precise. Back then, the price for Yamhill dirt wasn’t as offensive as it might be today.

Read more: Wine review: Willakenzie 2006 Pinot Noir Pierre Leon

Wine review: Jean Bousquet 2007 Malbec

One winery who sniffed out the organic trend before it happened: Domaine Jean Bouquet in Argentina. Third-generation French winemaker Jean Bousquet moved to Mendoza’s Tupungato Valley in 1997, planting the vineyard in a climate that didn’t require chemicals and pesticides to thrive. They grow a little bit of everything, from the indigenous Torrontes grape to Merlot to this delicious Malbec.

Read more: Wine review: Jean Bousquet 2007 Malbec Mendoza

Parducci 2008 Pinot Grigio California + Humboldt Fog

Pinot grigio might be a bit “pedestrian” for wine snobs out there, basically because of the cheap crap from Italy. This fruity yet tart, organically-farmed number from California might turn heads. Pair it with Humboldt Fog cheese and it’s magical.

Read more: Parducci 2008 Pinot Grigio California + Humboldt Fog Cheese

Wine review: Domaine Le Garrigon 2008 Côtes du Rhône

Are you ready for something a little different… daring… even shocking? Bring out this wine at your next gathering. It’s wine in a box, ‘cept it it’s not in a thin, cheap cardboard box labeled Franzia– it’s literally in a wooden box. And it has GOOD wine in it.

Read more: Wine review: Domaine Le Garrigon 2008 Côtes du Rhône

Wine review: Merieau Gamay de Touraine Le Bois Jacou

Right now, the unknown wine regions are THE deals in France. Forget trying to find a cheap Red Burgundy or Bordeaux and dive into the obscure frontier. Got $20? You’ve can slurp a fruity gamay from Loire Valley’s Touraine region, thank you very much.

Read more: Wine review: Merieau 2007 Gamay de Touraine Le Bois Jacou

Domaine Carneros 2005 Brut

Domaine Carneros is the California outpost of France’s famed Taittinger Champagne house, located in a opulent chateau on the eastern side of Carneros in Napa Valley. In 2008, they received certifed organic status for their vineyards — the first sparkling wine house to achieve that in America.

Read more: Domaine Carneros 2005 Brut