Wine With Wanda

Don Melchor Dazzles Again

“Don Melchor is for me the constant search for the best expression of each of the vines within the vineyard, in order to achieve the beauty of the balance of the terroir of Puente Alto in each vintage. That is my true obsession. I use technology as a tool to achieve greater knowledge, but with this, observing and feeling each plant and wine is what allows us to achieve the perfect balance in each vintage." - Enrique Tirado, Winemaker & General Manager, Viña Don Melchor

Is there a wine in your life that makes your heart skip a beat when a new vintage is released? I was introduced to Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon five years ago and it was love at first sip. At that time, I had no idea that Don Melchor was considered a Chilean wine icon. I grabbed the bottle to share with friends, and we were all mesmerized. Based on my tasting of the newly released 2018 vintage, my affection for this game-changing Chilean wine shows no signs of wavering.

First created in 1987, the second vintage of Don Melchor (1988) was the first Chilean wine named to Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of the World. Since then, it has placed on this prestigious list nine times, including three placements in the Top 10.

In a world full of Cabernet Sauvignon, what makes Don Melchor so unique? To answer this question, I defer to Enrique Tirado, the winemaker and general manager of Viña Don Melchor: "Don Melchor is not a single Cabernet Sauvignon, but multiple expressions."


The grapes for Don Melchor are sourced from seven parcels in the Puente Alto Vineyard in the upper Maipo Valley, at the foot of the Andes Mountains. The next steps reflect Tirado's meticulous approach to crafting Don Melchor: the seven parcels are harvested independently and more than 150 micro-vinifications are made in the cellar, they are then tasted and selected for the final composition. No single component represents more than 60% or 70% of the blend. Crafting Don Melchor is truly is a labor of love for Tirado and his team. Their precision and passion are reflected in Don Melchor's elegance, authenticity, and consistency that still respects and expresses vintage variation. 


Tirado has crafted Don Melchor since 1995 and he said, “Don Melchor 2018 manages to produce that unique sensation you only get from great wines and great vintages”. The ideal weather conditions yielded grapes of exceptional quality. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (91%), Cabernet Franc (5%), Merlot (3%), and Petit Verdot (1%), Don Melchor 2018 ($120) is bold, balanced, refined but exuberant. It is complex but not off-putting. Vibrant and robust, it does not cross the line towards jammy vulgarity. Flavors of pristine red and dark berries, fine tannins, hints of herbs, and a kiss of earth; they're all in the glass.

My only regret is that maybe I sipped 2018 too soon. 2018 is impressive now, but Don Melchor tends to age like a dream, becoming more captivating over time. I've tasted 2017 a few times, including side-by-side with 2018, and that additional year in the bottle has added even more nuance and lushness. I know the already marvelous 2018 will be even more dazzling over time.

PS – I interviewed Enrique Tirado a few months ago on Instagram Live, and he does a beautiful job describing the philosophy, process, and style of Don Melchor.

When Clean is Controversial: Avaline's Simple Wines Bring Plenty of Delicious Drama!

Katherine Power & Cameron Diaz, Founders of Avaline 
image courtesy of Avaline

The response from the wine media was fast and furious when actor Cameron Diaz and entrepreneur Katherine Power introduced their Avaline wines to the world last year. Quicker than you could chill a bottle, Avaline’s "clean wine" claims were branded as misleading. It’s true that much of the language surrounding clean wines is cloudy; there is no legal definition of clean wine.

Avaline's website states that “Avaline makes clean, delicious wines with organic grapes. Transparently produced, full of natural goodness, free of unnecessary extras.” It is wonderful that Avaline’s wines are crafted from organic grapes, but that’s not quite revolutionary. Regarding additives, Avaline does filter their wines with bentonite clay, and cream of tartar is added to prevent the formation of crystals. There’s nothing controversial about these additives, but they’re certainly not necessary -- trust me, wine geeks love an unfiltered wine!  

I like the charming and talented Cameron Diaz, she actually seems like someone that it would be fun to share a bottle with, but I confess that I always approach celebrity wines with some skepticism. But I finally accepted an invitation to give Avaline a swirl. From all accounts, Avaline is a hit with consumers, so I wanted to taste the wines sent to me with an open mind. No one likes a wine snob. 


Avaline White Wine ($24)
The label says Made In Spain, but no region is listed. Vintage and information about the blend are also absent. A search on Avaline's website yielded more info: Avaline White is a combination of Xarel-lo, Macabeo, and Malvasia grapes sourced from Can Ràfols dels Caus, respected producers in Penédes, Catalunya. That’s a delightful surprise -- Xarel-lo and Macabeo are essential to producing the Spanish sparkling wine Cava, so it’s a treat to encounter these varieties in a still wine. The label describes the wine as “dry with a crisp fresh finish”. I must admit, this is a pleasant sip. Fresh with perky acidity, flavors of citrus, green apple, pear, fresh-cut grass, and a hint of salinity, this is a charming summer wine to enjoy as an apéritif or paired with salads and fresh seafood. 

Avaline Red Wine ($24)
The label simply states Vin de France with no indication of region or the blend, so once again, I had to do some detective work on Avaline’s website. A blend of Grenache & Syrah from the Southern Rhône, “the winemaking family respectfully asked Avaline to keep their identity confidential." A light-bodied and juicy red with flavors of black cherry, and pops of black pepper and spice, I recommend serving this red slightly chilled. A tasty pairing with barbecue or pizza. 

My final thoughts? Fresh, fruit-forward, and tasty, Avaline’s wines aren’t complex, but they are enjoyable everyday wines. I applaud their commitment to using organic grapes and for avoiding some of the more questionable additives often seen in mass-produced wines. The wines are also Vegan Friendly. The debate about clean wine is an important one, but I wish Avaline would devote some space on their labels to detailing the grape varieties. Personally, I want to know more about the grapes, regions, and producers: come clean with those great details and don't bury them on the website! 

Share Wine & Quality Time Virtually with the Gaja Family

“I am an artisan. What does it mean to be an artisan? It means to have my own project, that I like to do in my own way. The process starts in the vineyards, that is the most important for us, through the cellar until arriving in the market. My wish is to be able to give inspiration to my collaborators.” - Angelo Gaja

Could winemaker Angelo Gaja be the antidote for Zoom fatigue? When an 81-years-young Angelo Gaja appeared on my computer screen from his vineyard in Piedmont, surrounded by yellow mustard flowers and imitating the buzzing sounds of the bees that are an essential part of the vineyard’s vitality, it was a  welcome shock to my system. Gaja’s wines are iconic, but a recent virtual tasting hosted by Wine.com, offered a rare opportunity to hear from the man behind the label. In wine circles, he is a legend, but in his heart, Angelo Gaja is an artisan.

With a rich history that spans five generations, Gaja’s wines have a powerful voice, and each bottle tells a story of tradition, innovation, land, family, and passion. During the Wine.com tasting, Angelo and his children, Gaia and Giovanni, amplified the message of their wines with heartwarming anecdotes and a guided tasting of three wines: Ca’Marcanda Magari from Bolgheri, Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino, and Gaja DaGromis Barolo from Piedmont.

Angelo spoke of how he teaches his children to think differently and follow their passion, and Gaia and Giovanni have certainly taken his example to heart. Wine isn’t just a business for the Gaja family; it’s at the core of their being. As Angelo said, winemakers are blessed to have a foot in nature and a foot in the world. Thanks to the wines of Gaja, I can have a foot in Manhattan and a foot in Italy.

If you want to take your palate on an adventure and feel inspired by the Gaja family’s words of wisdom, watch the video on Wine.com and pair your viewing with the wines featured in the tasting.


The tasting set, offered at a discounted price of $229.99, includes the wines listed below. Tasting notes courtesy of Wine.com. 

Gaja Ca'Marcanda Magari
The Gaja Ca'Marcanda Magari is a glowing intense color. The nose is polished, refined, focused and expressive, notes of eucalyptus, herbs and pine. Fine-grained tannins surround a sleek core of black cherry, blackberry and licorice flavors, with fresh nuances gliding through a long-lasting and expressive finish. Blend: 60% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot.

Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello di Montalcino
Deep garnet color. Charming notes of juniper berries, licorice and sweet wood greet your nose. This Brunello has a very clear expression of sweet and ripe fruit, opening on the palate, with notes of spice and earthy aromatic herbs. This wine has remarkable texture, mouth-filling fruit and a very good length.

Gaja DaGromis Barolo
Gaja DaGromis Barolo is an intense red color. Aromas of violets, rose petals and a hint of white pepper combine with rich, red currant, licorice and balanced oak. The initial aromatics flow across the palate with freshness and harmonious complexity, revealing juicy red orange and red grapefruit. The classic licorice and mineral austerity is buttressed by oak and noticeable tannins, which soften as the wine ages.

Sustainable, Innovative, and Connected to Tradition: Get to Know the Wines of Miguel Torres Chile

Eduardo Jordàn Villalobos, Winemaker, Miguel Torres Chile  

If you're a fan of Spanish wines, Miguel Torres is a very familiar name; the family-owned winery's legacy in Spain spans 150 years. Not content with making wine exclusively in their homeland, in the 1970s, they set their sights on the Southern Hemisphere, and Miguel Torres Chile was founded in 1979. Miguel Torres was the first foreign winery to arrive in Chile, bringing know-how, passion, innovation, and a respect for Chilean culture.  I recently had the pleasure of chatting on Instagram Live with their winemaker Eduardo Jordàn Villalobos. 

Stainless steel vats and French oak barrels were introduced to Chile by Miguel Torres-- innovations that played a pivotal role in the evolution of Chilean wines. Strong advocates of sustainability and environmental stewardship, they are founding members of the International Wineries for Climate Action and were named Social Visionary of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2019.



During our chat, we tasted Miguel Torres Chile Estelado Brut Rose País($18.99), the first Chilean sparkling wine made from País, Chile's oldest grape variety. Crafted in the traditional method, it is crisp and refreshing with lively flavors of strawberry, cherry, and a hint of tangerine. 

We also sipped Miguel Torres Chile VIGNO Vignadores de Carignan ($20.99). Crafted from old bush vines that are at least 30-years-old, it delivers lots of character at a great price point. Rustic but elegant, it is big but balanced with rich fruit flavors, hints of herbs, subtle oak, and bright acidity.