Love the smell of violets, and then it’s dark and inky on the palate. Good driving acidity to keep you clear headed, but has a soft side. Decanter gave this wine a bronze and described it as an “elegant balance of red berries and smoked oak. Big mixture of red and black cherries; tannins well-balanced with acidity and fruits.” Alpha Estate has won many awards, and garnered recognition for their innovation and for showing Greece can make excellent wine. This wine is a blend of Xinomavro and Syrah. They are located in the far NW corner of Greece in a previously unplanted area called Amyndeon.

Stainless steel fermentation keeps this wine’s fruit bright and clean. Pear and citrus notes with some minerality on a refined crisp finish. Great structure and great acidity made me fall in love this wine. It is perfect to enjoy with or without food. If reaching for a pairing, go for fish and shellfish.

Enter into a deep berry forest. The supple tannins will surround you and take you on a journey. Rich in texture and drinking well now, this will also be a great addition to a cellar. Napa neighbors are charging $125 a bottle for very similar quality, so at $39, this is a steal.

Jacquère is indeed a type of grape grown exclusively in the Savoie region, located in the French Alps, neighboring Switzerland and Italy. The terrior is not what I thought it would be at first guess. When I first heard about this varietal, I immediately thought it was going to be extremely teeth-numbing, high acid country. I was wrong (ouch, that's hard to admit). The Savoie region is not considered a "cool climate," it's positioned just at the beginning of Southern France and most vines have a nice sunny exposure. It is also not at a high altitude, so snow is rarely found on these vines.

The winery is organic and produces, at most, 4,000 cases a year. The wine is hand-picked, undergos cold fermentation and is sur lies for 4 to 10 months. There is no malolactic fermentation or oak on this wine. The body and minerality is similar to a Muscadet, and the nose is very much like a Roussane with a floral note combined with a slight citrus edge. This wine is perfect to start the evening with. It will pair easily with many cheeses and shellfish. If you want to save it for warmer weather, it will be perfect for picnics. Personally, I am breaking out the Raclette and going for a superb pairing.

Some Pinot Grigios are flat and uninspired (of course, nothing WU would ever offer), but this one is quite the opposite. This wine is lean but also has some meat to it. It’s as if someone didn’t tell how she was supposed to act. It is very pretty and sincere its delivery. Inacayal’s vineyards are located in Tupuntago near Mendoza, Argentina and benefit from a temperature amplitude and an altitude of 3,117 feet above sea level. Both play an important role in the ripeness of the grapes, allowing natural acidity and fruit retention as they reach full maturity. Yield is kept very low and hand harvested at the end of February. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature in order to resemble the traditional Italian Pinot Grigio. Bottling takes place at the end of June after spontaneous clarification and stabilization. Inacayal’s Pinot Grigio displays a brilliant whitish color with delicate green tones. The perfect balance between sugar and acidity make this wine outstanding in its type. It is fresh and floral, with citric notes mixed with white fruits and delicate traces of licorice.

A little fruit, a little earth, it all creates a nicely balanced food wine. The grape featured here is Aghiorghitiko: fermented and macerated in stainless steel, aged in used French barriques for 12 months and six months in bottle. Smooth tannins, intense raspberry fruit and sweet spices.