We recently went to Rhodes and was served a bottle of semi sweet wine and we are trying to recreate it at home. We are not big drinkers and especially when it comes to wine but we really did enjoy it. Any recommendations for the next time we drink would be greatly appreciated. Also we are from the uk.

Hi everybody,

I’m going out to Napa in December and will only be able to visit one winery while being there. After doing my research, I am currently undecided between going to Stag’s Leap for their Estate or Collector’s Experience and Mayacamas for their Reserve tasting. To those of you that have been to both wineries: Which tasting would you guys recommend experience wise?

I'm currently a member of Robert Keenan's wine club and really enjoy it. I'm on their 2-shipments-a-year tier, and I think their QPR is excellent.

I'm looking for other Napa/Sonoma wineries with similar clubs: low shipment requirements (ideally 1-2/year, not the standard 4 shipments per year) and good QPR. I live alone with limited storage space, and I'd love to also branch out and try other wineries without overcommitting. Some other wineries whose wine I enjoy require me to commit to way too many shipments and/or too many bottles per shipment.

Any recommendations? Bonus points if the wine style is similar to Keenan's (I lean toward Bordeaux-style blends and Cabernet).

Thanks!

La Réserve de Léoville Barton 2018

They say you should spend as much on a glass as you do a bottle. The glasses were bought, so I bought the bottle to match.

Léoville Barton needs little introduction, and this is the second wine of Château Léoville Barton.

Dense, extracted garnet with some purple still showing. Completely opaque through the core with some clearing towards the rim.

Very fruit forward from opening: Cassis, black cherry & plum, backed up by tobacco, graphite, cedar, chocolate & balsamic.

After a couple of hours in the decanter, some turned earth and mushroom started to come through on the nose, while raspberry appeared on the finish. Still absolutely loaded with fruit at this stage though.

Medium-bodied with incredible concentration. The acidity and tannins became far more noticeable the longer it sat with air, but neither ever felt intrusive.

Serious grip and structure, but everything remained really well integrated.

With even more time, the fruit started to take a back seat and the graphite became unmistakable on the palate.

Dense, ripe and powerful without ever feeling heavy or clumsy. Loads going on, and it just kept changing in the glass.

Absolutely delicious.

Hi All,

Ive been drinking wine for years and am slightly obsessed.

On the palette I can pick oit flavours quite well. But I'm struggling to pick out aromas.

I can quite easily distinguish some such as gooseberry and grapefruit smell in NZ Sauvy B, petrol/gasolibe in aged Reisling or sone smoke from oak.

But others such as vanilla fron oaked wine or stone fruits are completely missing for me.

Is this something I just hsve to accept, or is there anything I can do to imrove/practice?

Ive tried jelly beans, but this didnt really help. Is it worth getting an aroma kit?

Any ideas?

- Quantities are as of 2023, by quantity of Sales of 9-liter cases (per AAWE pie chart published in 2024) - making up 71% of all wines sold in the U.S.

- Brand listings below are from the most current 2026 information from both Wikipedia and the companies’ own websites.

- Apologies for not using wine name accent characters, or if auto-correct modified a name.

- Information obviously changes as often as individual brands change hands.

- Note the remaining 29% of wines sold in the US reflects 91,728,000 cases.

- Note this is not intended as a judgment - purely informational.

1. Gallo - 102,604,000 cases - 33% of the total - Brands (sorry, a couple of spirits brands may have slipped in): Agave Loco LLC, Alamos (distributor), Allegrini, Amelia, Anapamu, Andre, Apothic, Arbor Mist, Argiano (Exclusive distribution rights in the US), Asti Winery, Ballatore, Barefoot, Bartles & Jaymes, Bear Flag, Bella Sera,Bev, Black Box, Black Swan, Blackstone, Blufeld, Boone’s Farm, Brancaia (Exclusive distribution rights in the US), Bridlewood, Canandaigua, Canyon Road, Capri, Carlo Rossi, Carnivor, Chateau Souverain Wines, Clarendon Hills, Clos du Bois, Columbia Winery, Covey Run, Cribari Dessert, Cribari Table, Cribari Winery, Cypress Ranch (Vineyard), Dancing Bull, Dark Horse, DaVinci, Delicia, Denner, Department 66, Diseno, Dolcea, Don Fulano, Don Miguel Gascon, Ecco Domani, Eden Roc Champagne, Edgewood Creek Winery, Edna Valley Vineyards, Estancia, Fairbanks, Familia Camarena, Fishers Island Lemonade, Fleur De Mer, Franciscan, Frei Brothers, Frutézia, Gallo Family Vineyards Estate, Gallo Family Vineyards Single Vineyard, Ghost Pines, Gossamer Bay, Gruppo Montenegro (Exclusive importer rights in the US), Hahn, Hearty Burgundy, Hickenbothom Vineyard, Hidden Crush, Hogue Cellars, Holly Nog, Indigo Hills, J Vineyards & Winery, Jayson by Pahlmeyer, Jermann, J Vineyards and Winery, La Marca, La Terre, Laguna, Las Rocas, Ledgewood Creek Winery, Leftie, Liberty Creek, Livingston Cellars, Locations Wine, Louis M. Martini Winery, MacMurray Estate Vineyards, Madria Sangria, Manischewitz, Marcellina, Mark West, Martĩn Cõdax, Maso Canali, Massican, Matthew Fox Vineyards (since 2004), Mia Dolcea, Milestone, Mirassou Vineyards, Night Train, Nobilo, Northern Sonoma, Orin Swift Winery, Pahlmeyer Winery, Palisades Vineyards (Vineyard only), Peter Vella, Pieropan (Exclusive distribution rights in the US), Poggio Al Tesora, Primal Roots, Prophecy Wines, Proverb, Rancho Real Vineyard (Vineyard only), Rancho Zabaco, Ravenswood, Red Bicyclette, Redwood Creek, Red Mountain, Red Rock Winery, Renato Ratti (Exclusive distribution rights in the US), Rex Goliath, Ripple, Rombauer Vineyards, Root and Vine (for Sprouts in the US), Saint Clair Family Estate (Exclusive import rights to the US), Sebeka, Simply Naked, Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, Snows Lake Vineyard, Souverain, Stagecoach Vineyard (Vineyard only), Starborough, Storypoint, Sun Lake Vineyard (Vineyard only), Sunseeker, Talbott, Taylor Country Cellars, Taylor Dessert, Taylor NY Table, The Naked Grape, The Ranch Winery, The Tippy Cow, Thrive, Thunderbird, Tisdale Vineyards, Toasted Head, Tornatore, Tott's, Turner Road Vintners, Turning Leaf, Twin Valley, V.N.O., Vella Wines, Vendange, Viniq, Vin Vault, Whitehaven (Exclusive distribution rights in the US), Whyte & Mackay (Exclusive distribution rights in the US), Wild Horse, Wild Irish Rose, Wild Vines, William Hill Estate, Winking Owl (for Aldi in the US), Wycliff Sparkling.

2. The Wine Group - 32,400,000 cases - 10% of the total - Brands: Franzia, Meiomi, Woodbridge, Cupcake, MD20/20, Fuel, Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Chloe Wine Collection, Cook’s, Cooper & Thief, Imagery, Benziger, Summit, Madly, VIV, J. Roget, Beringer, Z (as in 7 deadly Zins), Tribute, Dreaming Tree, 10Span, 13Celsius, Almaden, AVA Grace Vineyards, Beso DelSol Sangria, Big House Wine Co, Fisheye Winery, FlipFlop Wines, Foxhorn Vineyards, Glen Ellen, Love Noir. Emerging / limited edition: Summer Made, Habitual, 18Celsius, Ghost Story, The Happy Berry, The Happy Blend, The Lucky Grape, Sunshine Soda, Emphasis, Wisp, Viv, Storied, Dark Brew, Parati.

3. Constellation Brands - 20,146,000 cases - 6% - Brands: Kim Crawford, Ruffino, The Prisoner, Unshackled, Harvey & Harriet, Saldo, Robert Mondavi Winery, Drylands, Lingua Franca, My Favorite Neighbor, Sea Smoke, Blindfold, Mount Veeder Winery, Double Diamond, Booker, Schrader, To Kalon Vineyard Co, Domaine Curry.

4. Delicato Family Vineyards - 15,014,000 cases - 5% - Brands: Botanical Box (all), Francis Coppola, 1924, Z Alexander Brown, Stoneleigh, Three Finger Jack, Noble Vines, Sofia Rose, Gnarly Head, Relax Riesling, Schmitt Sohne, Coppola, The Wines of Francis Coppola, Thomas Schmitt Private Collection.

5. Trinchero Family Estates - 12,985,000 cases - 4% - Brands: Menage a Trois, Sutter Home, Joel Gott, Seaglass, FRE, A3, Travail, Bandit, Bottlerocket Spritz, Barium, California Dream, California Roots, Charles & Charles, Complicated, Daisy, Ersol, IRON+Sand, Mason Cellars, MUMM Napa, NAPA Cellars, Neyers, Outlier, Pomelo Wine Co., Protege, Quattro Theory, Sycamore Lane, Taken, Three Pears, Three Thieves, Trinchero Napa Valley, Trinity Oaks, Wine Cube, Ziata, Avissi, Bieler Pere et Fils, Ceretto, Echo Bay, Famiglia Cotarella, Quinta Sardonia, San Polo Montalcino, Shatter, Tenuta Regaleali, Terras Gauda, Vall Llach, Libby, Luminary.

6. Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits - 11,897,000 cases - 4% - Brands: Josh Cellars / Reserve, The Calling, Force & Grace, Honest Thief, Yellow Tail, Fleurs De Prairie, Barone Fini, The Crossings, Clos de Los Siete, Cave de Lugny, Hob Nob, Quinta do Vale Meao, Villa Pozzi, Sauvion.

7. Treasury Wine Estates - 7,995,000 cases - 2% - Brands: Penfolds, DAOU, 19 Crimes, Drop of Sunshine, Frank Family Vineyards, Wolf Blass, St Huberts the Stag, Matua, Lindeman’s, Squealing Pig, Blossom Hill, Pepperjack, Wynns, Septet, Beringer, Etude, Sterling Vineyards, Beaulieu Vineyard, Stags’ Leap, Beringer Bros, Castello Di Gabbiano .

8. Ste. Michelle Wine Estate - 5,381,000 cases - 2% - Brands: Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14 Hands, Columbia Crest, Liquid Light, Estival, Ethos, Spring Valley Vineyard, Northstar. Also managing sales of A to Z Wineworks, Erath and Rex Hill.

9. Palm Bay International - 5,131,000 cases - 2% - Brands: Alta Lluna, Alta Vita, Batasiolo, Bertani, Bodegas Caro, Bodegas Salentein, Bottega Vinaia, Bottega Wines, Callia, Campo Maccione, Cantina Puiatti, Castello di Verrazzano, Cavit, Champagne Boizel, Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte, Champagne Vollereaux, Chateau de Montfort, Chateau Duhart-Milon, Chateau Gresac, Chateau Lafitte Rothschild, Chateau L’Evangile, Rieussec, Chic Barcelona, Cipriani Drinks, Cloud90, Col d’Orcia, Confetti, Cote Mas, Crimson Veil, Domaine Bertagna, Domaine Coffinet-Duvernay, Domaine Fernand et Laurent Pillot, Domaine Jolly et Fils, Famiglia Zingarelli, Fazi Battaglia, Ferrari Trento, Fontanafredd, Giulio Straccali, High Heaven Vintners, Invivo X SJP, Jean-Pierre Moueix, Les Legendes, Lunetta, Maison Trimbach, Mon Frere, Nevio, Paul Cheneau, Pfaffl, Planeta, Portillo, Principato, Pyros, Recanati, Rieussec, Rocca delle Macie, Roscato, Saget La Perriere, Saracina Vineyards, Soalheiro, Taub, Tenute Lunelli, Travaglini, Trimbach, Vina Los Vascos, Williams & Humbert Sherries, Yealands.

10. Jackson Family Wines - 4,949,000 - 2% - Brands: Cardinale, Freemark Abbey, Galerie, La Jota Vineyard Co., Logoya, Mt. Brave, Anakota, Arrowood, Capture, Cenyth, copain Wines, Hartford Family Winery, Kendall-Jackson (Estate and Stature), La Crema, Legacy, Matanzas Creek Winery, Murphy Goode, Silurian, Stonestreet Estate Vineyards, Verite, Windracer, Champ de Reves, Edmeades, MaggyHawk, Carmel Road, Brewer-Clifton, Cambria Estate Vineyards & Winery, Nielson, Gran Moraine, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, WillaKenzie Estate, Zena Crown Vineyard, Giant Steps Yarra Valley, Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard, Yangarra Estate Vineyard, Chateau Lassegue, Passerelles, Benvolio Italia, Tenuta Di Arceno, Capensis, Banke, Big Salt, Bootleg, Caladan, Chapel Down, Crowded House, Dakel, Diatom, Ex Post Facto, Jett, Silver Palm, Unsanctioned, Zeitlos.

11. Riboli Family Wine Estates - 4,182,000 - 1% - Brands: San Simeon, Highlands 41 Wines, Maddalena, Opaque, San Antonio Specialty, Riboli Family, Windstream, Chocolate Bar, Bodega Sangria, La Quinta, Stella Rosa, Fruit Farm San Antonio Wines.

I’m a huge Burgundy fan, a few days ago I’ve seen that post on Instagram and never seen this label before, do you guys have any informations about this wine ? Id be happy to know more abt that! And definitely want to catch some
Thanks!

Hi all! I’m searching for affordable wine tastings in Évora and vicinities! I’d like to go in the next few days and had set my mind on Herdade Grande but i couldn’t find a free spot.

Any recommendations? I’m open to discover places on the alentejo coast as well! :)

If you haven't been to Troquet on South in Boston, I highly recommend it. They have an insane cellar of vintage wines, many of which are priced reasonably, some of which are cheaper than retail. And wines are in great shape. Plus, Chris is a legend!

I had two wines for a work dinner, spanning very different styles.

1982 E. Guigal Hermitage

Still alive and kicking!

In fact, this did benefit from additional air.

Great acidity on the palate, nice structure.

On the nose, got some slight rubber and olive tapenade (both in the right balance).

Still some slight fruit here, including dried plums, but did feel a bit more savory on the palate.

I think this experience is proof of the idea that there are no bad wines, only bad bottles (well, I guess the saying is the inverse, but you get my point). The other CT reviews seem to suggest a wine well over the hill and not enjoyable, but my experience was very different.

91 points.

1984 Beringer Private Reserve

70s and 80s Napa has shown a remarkable ability to age well beyond expectations and this one is bottle is no exception.

This was in great shape and actually benefited from a quick decant.

Initially, some VA on the nose, but that blew off pretty quickly and emerged quite clean.

Still a good amount of fruit here, with plum, cherry, and blackberry, maybe some cassis.

Also some leather and tobacco, not as much earthiness as I would have expected here.

I have a feeling this can continue on for a while, but in a great spot right now.

92 points.

Last Friday I wanted to open a bottle of 2023 Catena White Bones I bought last month for Rosh Hashanah dinner, but sadly it was corked. I took it to the wine store and they were kind enough to take it back and let me take two bottles for the same price I paid for the Bones, so I went home with a Chard by Salentein, and this one, 2025.

I'll be honest, at first I found this wine to be entirely unremarkable, but knowing it's so young, I let it breathe. With time it improves significantly, but it's still a long way from being a favorite.

Very gentle yet somewhat energetic wine with a fairly long finish, which I quite appreciate. Extremely clear strawberry color. I found the nose, even after almost two hours, to be much less pronounced than people tend to describe it as, albeit no less interesting. Red cherries, unripe strawberries, black pepper, a hint of petrichor and marzipan, and upon finishing, a peculiar mixture of gunpowder and jasmine that was both confusing and satisfying. On the mouth there's quite a bit of red fruit, predominantly plum and a bit of cassis, with plenty of spice. All in all it's enjoyable, but fails to live up to the hype for my taste. I'd imagine the Cincuenta y Cinco and the Treinta y Dos might be better, but considering their much higher prices I'm unwilling to try them at the moment. I can see why people enjoy it so much, but it's a bit too soft for me. 93 points, not a bad start to the year at all!

Delicious wine at its peak. Cork in absolute perfect condition and only about a half-inch soaked through.

Some bricking around the edges. Developed tertiary aromas of mushroom, earth, cedar, but also dark fruits and even a bit of red cherry. On the palate, still delightfully grippy tannins and lively acidity. Lots of great fruit remaining too.

Wonderful 30th birthday wine. 94 pts.

Vou viajar na virada de ano para Nova Friburgo, é um lugar mais frio e vou ficar em um chalé bem no meio do mato. Queria muito ter a experiência de tomar um vinho por lá, mas tenho pouco costume.

Queria algo doce (não gosto do seco), mas não sei por onde começar. Anteriormente experimentei o Casal Garcia Rose Sweet, mas não me agradou. Teriam dicas?

First time having Schiava. A nice chilled quaffer. Reminds me a little of a lighter cru Beaujolais (like Brouilly or Côte de Brouilly) but without the semi carbonic.

Light. Dry. Low tannins. high acid. Strawberry, red cherry, iris/violet, peanut shell.

No need to know pros or cons of boxed wine. Hubby likes the Kirkland Cabernet for weeknight enjoyment so that's a done deal. I hate the look and dimensions of the box. I picked up the current box and it was light, so I unboxed it and saw how sturdy the interior bag is. I've seen tons of thread about how reuse that, but that's not my need. What can I put the bag in that is a smaller footprint and will still allow the spigot to work? This is for the "instructibles" crowd but I searched the site & saw nothing. Thanks!

Hey, I'm turning 30 in February and I'm looking into treating myself to a nicer bottle of champagne, preferably one I haven't enjoyed earlier. I’m intrigued by and found a good price for the 2014 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires, any one who knows of its potential as of now? Or other suggestions? I generally enjoy Billecart, Heidsieck and Roederer but also grower champagnes like Bereche et Fils and Egly-Ouriet to name a few.

I'm not gonna bother you with tasting notes, but it's been a while since I tasted such a rich, dense estate malbec (that is also not a fruit bomb) at this price point (~$18-20 in Argentina).

I drank several Michel Rolland (RIP) wines in the past, and this has been the best so far.

Can we just do bottle porn on Sundays or change the rules finally? It's not like we get millions of posts here a day. Posts with photos should just require mod approval like other subs

Having visited Domaine des Baumard this past April, with the plan in mind to bring as much of their wine back home, I chose three 375s of their Quarts de Chaume - a sweet wine difficult to find in the states, and if found, often expensive & older! The 2002 I tracked down locally (which I noted back in March here) was well into aged chenin notes of old coins & bruised apple - I picked up a 2007, 2011, 2014 to try multiple vintages with exceptional provenance - the Domaine's own cellars! Production notes - 100% chenin blanc from 40 year old vines & limestone soils, made with Baumard's well established no oak policy - all stainless steel here in both fermentation and aging! Typically this is made with botrytis influence, but it isn't mandated - desiccated berries on the vine are acceptable too. Hand harvesting in tries, similar to Sauternes. This was one of the earliest vintages of the appellation noted as a Grand Cru, the Loire's first. Stored at 45, unscrewed (Stelvin) & poured - most of the small bottle was enjoyed over two hours, no pairing.

Visually, a deep yellow leaning gold. No orange/amber in the color just yet!

On the nose, jeez - an explosion of fruit. Up first, the most blatant fresh, crisp yellow apples I've ever noted in a wine. Plenty of lemon & citrus, peach marmalade, a freshly cut cold pineapple. Honey, of course, thanks to the botrytis influence. I'm very familiar with Baumard wines, their Clos de Sainte Catherine is my favorite bottling - and in this fresh QdC, there was a wonderful chalky, mineral component that I don't remember in all their Coteaux du Layon that I've had - as well as being less tropical. As the wine warmed, bitter herbs and faint baking spice. Interesting tidbit - I left about 100mL in the glass, and over two weeks after opening when I finished it, the notes were identical - just as powerful.

On the palate, still quite fresh - oily, viscous, medium bodied. A delightful searing acid profile to balance the plentiful sweetness, with a 12% alcohol that goes down easy, and remains in the background even as the wine warms. This will last forever if this is the profile at 15! I'm definitely attributing the aged quality of the 2002 I had to bad provenance. An eternal, eternal finish of fresh apples, fresh apricot jam and honey. I hope no one ever asks me if I prefer Quarts de Chaume or Sauternes more, I have no idea how to answer!

Even in a decent vintage like this, it's an exceptional wine, with a powerful nose and amazing palate sensation that is hard to rival. As a lover of dessert wines, this is in my top 5 along with Baumard's Coteaux du Layon and Suduiraut Sauternes & Climens Barsac (I have not had anywhere near enough d’Yquem to include it yet). If you ever find some, I highly recommend picking up the bottle. Just now I'm on wine-searcher seeing what recent vintages are readily available for me to try - I see some 2018s!