Estancia Wine

Under the tent at the Winter Festival of Naples Wine

A career in hospitality and marketing has taught me, if nothing else, the importance of value and listening to your customers. In my role as semi-retired, I write about wine with an emphasis on the value decided even if I continually struggle with the term.

For most, this means that I do my best to introduce my readers to wines of exceptional value for money. Find great wine bottles under $ 20, my reference, it is feasible, but more and more difficult, thanks largely to an unfavorable exchange rate that has skyrocketed the prices of imported wines, rising costs to U.S. producers, and unfortunately, the omnipresence of mediocre wine in this price category. It was looking deep and hard to find "exceptional value wines. But what about the wines of the premium to super-premium range, the price of $ 50 to $ 100 and beyond? Then the value is there? A growing number of readers have asked whether some higher priced wines represent good value?

Of course they can. This does not mean that I have never been disappointed with a bottle of wine that costs $ 100 or more. I. (Fortunately, it was usually someone else paid for it!) But the fact is that, for the most part, the higher the price, the more enjoyable wine. Notice that I still use the word "best". It is a term over the years has cost me more than my share of embarrassment in blind tastings, as the best wine is not often the most expensive wine. Is a drive to the wine store in a Jaguar better than a Ford? Not necessarily, they will both get you there, but it is certainly much more pleasant in the Jag!

Which brings me to share with you what the guests, waiters, and trade have been said about three hundreds of different wines that were made this year in Naples Winter Wine Festival. winemakers and wine collectors around the world submit their flagship event. There were red, white, pink, bubble, ports, grappa, high-alcohol wines, wines with low alcohol content, large bottles, flasks, bottles addition, huge bottles (12 liters !), wines from most continents, wines from almost every wine-producing countries in the world, wines from many states, and wines from almost the names of participants that there had - more than 600! But there were three of those wineries that has generated the most excitement.

Supervise the serving of wine events for the festival this year has given me a unique opportunity to hear what the customer says about this wine competitions. Somewhat surprisingly, none of the three that have caught the attention and palates of the crowd were the cult wines, and wine quality super-super, hundreds of dollars. While all the attention received favored vineyards, this could change very soon.

All the wines are red this trio, with the exception of a single vineyard of Chardonnay, and all were from California. Revans Family Vineyards Cabernet, the newest venture of Mondavi, Continuum, and Figge Cellars three wines, a pinot noir, syrah and chardonnay, were all of the application as the final event on Sunday, there were few of their wines to pour left. The only thing in common they all have offered, however, has been remarkable quality - and value - for the price!

Revan, now in all their vintage fourth, only cabernet, cabernet but what! And no wonder. When you start with a remarkable piece of land, employ Jim Barbour, a manager of Napa's Vineyard's most respected winemakers and to hire world-famous Heidi Peterson-Barrett to make your wines, some good things are inevitable.

Dallas-based cardiologist, Dr. Madaiah Revan realized a lifelong dream when he Purchas.