Slik Wines Mix Case

The cava that made me go… oh this is better than Champagne but for a fraction of the price. The original winemaker for Raventos was a Spanish man who went to France to learn how to make sparkling wine. Instead of using the grapes they used in France like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, he oped for indigenous Spanish varietals. Making this an iconic winemaker who pushed the envelope for what sparkling wines should be.

Patrick Piuze made an Aligote that taught me that I shouldn’t be scared of a new grape or a new region. Every wine has something to offer, and even if you think you know everything there is to know about Chablis, you’re wrong.

Ask any wine professional what their favorite wines are and 98% will say Riesling. In a world where cocktails are asked to be made “not too sweet”, we have a love/hate relationship with sugar. But let me ask you this, do you drink soda? Enjoy a margarita? Sugar is a necessary component to great beverages, and even with this Riesling trocken (meaning ‘dry’ in German), you’ll get a hint of sugar. It’s good! In fact, it’s great. Give it a try and let me blow your mind.

The new wave of what I think California should be. Instead of big oak bombs that steamroll any dish in sight, winemaker Rajat Parr was influenced by the delicate, complex wines of Burgundy. Since you need a trust fund to drink Burgundy these days, this is a good alternative form an iconic winemaker.

Italy always intimidated me until I had my first bottle of ArPePe. This is a classic, flagship producer that every sommelier tells you about. I am a person to reject the hype and see for myself. Well, the hype is real. Try for yourself and you’ll see why people don’t shut up about this producer.

I think Napa intrigues me so much because every wine I had was absolutely not my style: Big, brooding, and heavy. Maitre de Chai is the new kid on the block that is saying, F that noise, let’s lighten it up a bit. If you can’t afford the big price tags on winemakers like Cathy Corison or Heitz Cellars, these are your guys.

The words Brut and Blanc to Blanc will help you understand this wine. Brut - meaning dry in sparkling wine terms. Blanc de blanc is sparkling wine speak for 100% Chardonnay. This is a dry sparkling wine from France, perfect with potato chips on the couch or enjoy it for a picnic date.

Moscato is the grape being used in this wine. D’Asti means “From Asti” in Italian. Asti is a small town in northern Italy known for their sparkling semi sweet wines made from the Moscato grape. This slightly sweet, slightly effervescent wine is perfect with lamb vindaloo or delightful as a replacement for dessert.

This would be a great comparison for Old World (European wines) vs New World wines (Not-European wines). Try this South African new world Sauvvy b to the French sauvignon blanc and see if you can tell the difference!

This would be a great comparison for Old World (European wines) vs New World wines (Not-European wines). Try this French Sauvvy b to the New World Sauvignon Blanc and see if you can tell the difference!

This would be a great comparison for Old World (European wines) vs New World wines (Not-European wines). Try this Chilean Pinot Noir to a European Pinot Noir and see if you can tell the difference!

This would be a great comparison for Old World (European wines) vs New World wines (Not-European wines). Try this Italian Pinot Noir to a the Chilean Pinot Noir and see if you can tell the difference!

Tempranillo *handshake emoji* Rioja. It’s good to know that sometimes a label will tell you the region (Rioja), and sometimes it will tell you the grape used (Tempranillo). For best results, knowing both will help you inform a decision of picking a wine. This takes time but it’s well worth the effort! You can expect big bodied red wines from this grape/region.

You might be catching on, but in general, wines from Europe will general sat the location on the label instead of the grape. So the grape is not Chianti, but Chianti is a place in Italy known for their light bonded red wines with herbal and tomato notes on the nose.

Malbec can be found all over the world, but the most famous are the ones from Argentina. It’s one of the major red grapes you’ll see over and over again so get a bit more comfortable with it. Try it against the Cabernet Sauvignon and see if you can spot the differences.

Cabernet Sauvignon can be found all over the world, but the most famous are the ones from the US and Bordeaux. It’s one of the major red grapes you’ll see over and over again so get a bit more comfortable with it. Try it against the Merlot and see if you can spot the differences.

Lots of words, I know, but let’s break it down. Delle Venezie is a specific place in northern Italy (In Europe theres a lot of meaning for where the wine is made!) that grows Pinot Grigio. Pinot Grigio is a light bodied, zippy, dry white wine that’s approachable for any situation!

The two most helpful words are California and Chardonnay. Wines from the Americas are known for fruit forward wines as opposed to their European counterparts. Although you can’t always tell if there's oak on this wine, the general style of California is going dryer and no oak!