Gato Negro Sauvignon Blanc 2013 - Molina 

This delightful white wine is produced by one of Chile's most esteemed and productive wineries, San Pedro. Enjoyed worldwide by wine lovers on every continent, its bright flavors include melon, citrus and apple flavors all balanced with a crisp but mild acidity. Both the wine and the winery are worth a visit - each is memorable.

Cabernet Sauvignon Rapel Valley Natura 2012 - Vinedos Emiliana

Viñedos Emiliana is the leader of organic and biodynamic wine production in Chile. Natura wines are made from organically grown grapes, using no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or chemical or sewage sludge-based fertilizers. However, they do have added sulfites (albeit considerably lower than the norm) to deter spoilage. The resulting wine is elegant with red berry, plum and currant flavors with a hint of dried orange and ginger. 

Chateau l'Hospitalet - Gerard Bertrand, Languedoc-Roussillon

Official red wine of the 2013 Nobel Prize Banquet, whose provenance goes back to the Templar Knights. A blend of firm tannins, inky black fruit with lifted spice and floral aromas. Aged in classic French oak.

Chateau Lilian Ladouys Saint-Estephe 2011 - Medoc

A stunningly beautiful ruby red wine with the flavor of a dark chocolate cake topped with rich ripe raspberries. Each glass offers a very smooth flow with tons of rich red fruits, such as currants and raspberries. There is a smooth note of tannins on the finish. Really a wonderful Bordeaux. A fine wine to enjoy right now but great when allowed to age and mellow even more. Consider a case.

Chateau Mayne Guyon 2011 - Cotes de Bordeaux

Initially an earthy flavor but after an hour an aroma of wild flowers and Asian spice develops, providing a surprisingly smooth yet bold oak finish...good wine for dinner of red meats and rich sauces or as a special event gift for the true wine lover. Flavor notes include rich blackberries, ruby red currants and ripe plums with hints of smoky charcoal and anise. A favorite medium body-medium priced wine that's also outstanding with pork. An international winner.

Saint Cosme Chateauneuf-Du- Pape

Crafted by the legendary winemaker Louis Barruol, this wine has it all - baker’s chocolate, espresso, bay leaf, licorice root, black currant preserves and steeped fig. A glorious blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and 10% Cinsaul.  

La Vieille Ferme

Full plum and cherry fruit flavors mixed with a hint of lavender and vanilla - all with an easy lingering finish. Dry with medium acidity and medium ripe tannins. Named after  'the old farmhouse', this wine hails from south of the Rhône Valley.

Riesling QbA Mosel Dr. L. 2012 - Loosen Brothers

Brothers Ernst and Thomas Loosen created this memorable white wine with dancing peach, cherry and white currant flavors balanced on a bright acidity. Long and creamy on the finish, it also offers spicy overtones. A true cellar treasure.

Braccesca Sangiovese 2010 - Fattoria La Braccesca 

The Famiglia Antinoni winery is located in the northeastern part of the Montepulciano production zone, south of Florence. This wine is smooth, rich and complex. It is beautifully balanced and medium bodied with a lingering finish. A firm base of moderate acidity and tannins gives a solid medium-dry structure to the subtle complex fruit flavors.

Chianti Classico 2010 - Castello di Verrazzano 

A vibrant Chianti Classico with ripe strawberry and raspberry aromas and hints of violet. A delicious red cherry taste layered with white pepper and a hint of chocolate. The Castle Verrazzano itself is located on a hilltop in the Chianti Classico area which was the first grape growing and wine producing area in the world to be determined by an official proclamation thanks to the Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici in 1716. Not a bad provenance for a wine that's still lengendary.

Chianti Superiore 2011 - Banfi

An elegant wine that brings the flavors of cherry, currant and fine spices to the table. The selected grapes are macerated for 8 days and then aged for 5 months in French oak barriques. The wine is finally released after more lengthy bottle aging. The label contains Leonardo da Vinci's portrait of Cecilia Gallerani, the 16 year old mistress of Lodovico Sforza, Duke of Milan and also Leonardo’s very necessary patron. Entitled Lady with an Ermine, both the painting and the wine are truly "classico".  

Dow's Vintage Porto 2011

Here is a Port to purchase and treasure - indeed, noted authorities have compared this year's outstanding offering with the legendary vintages of 1945 and 1963. Described as powerful, refined and luscious with a touch of dark plum, kirsch and cassis, this sought after Port is a beautiful blending of 40% Touriga Franca, 36% Touriga Nacional, 10% Sousao and 14% of old vine plantings. This, in short, is a Port for the Ages!

Dao Tondela Grilos 2010 - Casal de Tonda

A ripe and rich red wine crafted from 30% Touriga Nacional, 30% Tinta Roriz and 40% Jaen, all aged for 6 months in French oak, producing a dark plum, dried cherry and black currant flavor.

Dona Antonia Port Reserva - Vila Nova de Gaia

Named after the real life Dona Antonia. Born in 1811, Dona Antonia belonged to the distinguished Ferreira family and is credited with establishing the high standards that are the hallmark of all Ferreira Ports. She also supported regional roads, hospitals, and schools throughout Portugal. She is still revered as the "Grande Dame" of the Port Industry.

Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port 2011 - Vila Nova de Gaia

Aromas of rockrose and violets deliver elegance, finesse and harmony to this port. Gorgeous layers of liquorice and blackberry fruit along with seamless spicy tannins add the final finish. The port pairs beautifully with chocolate desserts and creamy blue cheeses like Stilton or Roquefort.

Godelia Mencia 2010 - Bierzo 

This expertly balanced red wine blends the flavors of cherry, boysenberry and currant with accents of toast, licorice and spice.

Acrobat Pinot Noir 2012 - Oregon

Crafted by the wine masters at King Estates, Acrobat has crisp tannins and a smooth structure complete with blackberry, currant and spice flavors.

Chester - Kidder 2009 - Long Shadows, Washington State

What wine do you serve at an elite White House State Dinner when the guest of honor is none other than Francois Hollande, the President of France? In the Obama White House, the wine chosen was an elegant deep purple cabernet with intense creme de cassis, raspberry, toast and spiced meat flavors. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Syrah, 17% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc, this wine spent 30 months in 100% new French oak.  Are there more expensive American wines? Surely. But that should never be the basis for selection. Rather quality should be and there Chester-Kidder is among the best.

Cooper Hill Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2012 - Cooper Mountain Vineyards, Oregon

Nuances of black olive and mineral traces mingle with black cherry and rich spice flavors in this highly sought after organic wine. Vibrant magenta color with strawberry notes and a hint of cherry grape overtones. Winery founded in 1987.

Iron Horse Sparkling Wine 2008 - Russian River Valley, California

Crafted from half Chardonnay and half Pinot Noir. Aged for nine years. Soft and creamy with flavors of raspberry and lime.  Rich and savory. 

Matanzas Creek Winery - Sauvignon Blanc

This winery, with many thanks to their wine maker, Marcia Monahan-Torres, oftens a variety of Sauvignon Blanc wines that are crafted by a true master. With attention to the unique character of each plot of grapes, the wines here are attended to with the care and insight often so sadly lacking in many of the larger more commercially driven facilities. The result is an array of Sauvignon Blanc wines that both delight and amaze. 

Matanza Creek Winery, Sonoma California - Helena Beach Sauvignon Blanc 2008

This wine offers notes of white peach, honeydew, slight fennel, mineral, all full body and mouth-feel. It pairs beautifully with South Puget Sound Treasure Cove Oysters. The earthy creaminess and morel-like flavor of these Oysters actually changed the taste of the wine, making a more complex duet. Supported by a firm crisp base, the strong minerality and rich texture of Helena Beach is highlighted.

Opus One 2009

An impeccable wine produced at one of the world's most beautiful wineries, all thanks to the visionary plans of two great winemakers, Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Because of their efforts, this remarkable winery continues to produce wines equal to its legendary founders' legacy.  The 2009 vintage combines a blend of  81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot and 1% Malbec. It brings together the silkiness of the 2007 with the power and darkness of the 2008, a combination that is pure vintage art.