The Just Grapes 2008 & 2009 Barrel Project members all met last night at the Grocery Bistro for a blind tasting of 10 Premium Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignons. The Pritchard Hill area of Napa Valley is known for cult Cabernet producers such as Colgin, Bryant Family and Chappellet. All wines were tasted in a blind format (identity of each wines were hidden) served in two different flights. Each member was asked to vote for their top wine in each of the flight. Here are the results based on overall votes (ranked from top to bottom) and their suggested retail prices*. The order in which the wine were tasted will be in “()”. You can click the links for the tasting notes on each wine.

Many Just Grapes customers are environmentally conscious. Several regulars reuse our two-, three-, four- and six-pack carriers, bringing them back whenever they return to shop in the store. Others routinely check JustGrapes.net to see which new organic & biodynamic wines we carry. As many of you know, we’re in the midst of the biggest sale [...]

Yesterday, we began receiving stock for our Spring Blowout Sale: 50% on 50 Wines. As we opened box after box of incredible wine after incredible wine, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Three different 1.5 liter-bottles of Herman Donnhoff Riesling , each rated between 93 and 97 points by Robert Parker, marked down from $90, $79, [...]

At a wine bar on the North Side a while ago, I decided to try something different. I reviewed the specials, marveled at the value of a particular $6-a-glass New World red (everything else was priced at around $12 a glass), and placed my order with the bartender. “South Africa?” My friend raised an eyebrow [...]

In Thursday night’s “Clash of the Titans: Champagne vs. the World,” Just Grapes customers were put to the test in a blind tasting of seven sparkling wines, including one true champagne.  Asked to rank the seven bubblys from one to seven (seven being the highest quality sparkling and one being the lowest), the tasters chose [...]

By Brooke Gowen There are a million factors that go into the finished product that is wine. Some are beyond a producer’s control (such as bad weather, pests and insects, diseases, etc.), and others are completely controlled by the winemaker: grape harvesting times, the fermentation and ageing process, and myriad other vinification techniques. Today, let’s [...]

By Brett Ashley McKenzie Everyone knows someone who refuses to drink any sparkling wine other than authentic Champagne. They wrinkle their nose at the suggestion of Prosecco, raise an eyebrow at the mention of Cava, and wouldn’t be caught dead with a sparkling Californian Chard in their Mimosa. You’ve always wondered, “If I slid him [...]

Tomorrow at Just Grapes’ weekly free Saturday wine tasting, we’ll be offering four delicious kosher wines from the Galilee region of Israel. What exactly makes wines (or food) kosher, you ask? According to About.com, “Jewish Dietary Laws are rules and regulations concerning food that are derived from Biblical laws and rabbinical extensions. A person who [...]

I recently attended a luncheon at NoMi where I got to enjoy the lively and elegant wines of Pascal Jolivet, a dynamic producer from the Loire Valley, with a perfectly paired menu of fresh, seasonal foods. And, the best part was having the opportunity to learn about each of the wines we were sipping from Monsieur Jolivet himself.