This light-yellow colored entry level Chardonnay from Kendall Jackson is very good. It opens with a faint pineapple and toasted coconut bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and easy to drink. The flavor profile is similar to the nose. It features pineapple, coconut, oak and mild lemon with notes of ginger. The finish is pleasant and lingers nicely. This vintage, like those of the past is a crowd pleaser and consistent. I would pair this Chard with coconut shrimp.

Medium purple color. Aromas of juicy plums, dark currants, with smoky earth, tobacco, mint chocolate chip and spiced black tea. Full-bodied, structured but velvety, fresh acidity, this is balanced very nicely. Tangy red and black currants and cherries mixed with complex notes of spiced coffee, earth, tar, pepper and coffee grounds. This is a bright but complex Super Tuscan that offers a lot of what I look for in these wines at a very reasonable price. Could use air or a year or two. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot aged 12 months in French oak.

Kendall-Jackson’s popular chardonnay has changed with the times, with more bright and buoyant acidity in the mix to give a lift to the crowd-pleasing ripe fruit and rich oak-derived notes. You can still expect a smooth and mouth-filling style, which has made it a top-selling white wine across North America, but with more refreshing lemon and pineapple on the palate to cut through the vanilla, butterscotch and luscious fruit notes. Drink now to 2023.

This straw-colored Chardonnay from Cambria was described as a food wine by the Tasting Panel. It opens with a shy oak and apple bouquet with hints of lemon. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, nicely balanced and very smooth. The flavor profile is a tasty mild green apple with notes of lime, vanilla and light oak. We also picked up some hints of toasted almond, minerality and caramel mixed in as well. The finish is dry and lingers nicely. The Panel suggested pairing this Chard with grilled trout with butter or Rhode Island clam cakes.

Sourced from six blocks across the Yangarra Estate. Roughly 50% on sand, the other half on ironstone. Its temper is even, its flavour is substantial. This wine is as balanced as they come. Tar and blackberry, a touch of sweet plum, plenty of peppercorn and dashes of cedar. Tannin drains back through the wine in an even flow. It’s in overall excellent shape and is, as so often, very good buying.

This Jackson Estate wine comes from the Arroyo Seco AVA in Monterey County. Pale orange in color, this rosé truly represents a summertime wine. Aromas of watermelon and ripe apricot give way to flavors of wild strawberries and pink grapefruit, layered with white floral notes.A crisp wine with bright acidity, it's best served lightly chilled. It pairs well with a charcuterie platter, grilled asparagus, and cobb salad.

This pale golden delight displays an aromatic bouquet of crisp lime, melon, and ripe pear, followed by flavors of fresh fig, herbs, and luscious honeysuckle. A dry, medium-bodied sauvignon blanc, it pairs nicely with a charcuterie board of ripe cheese, herbaceous crackers, prosciutto, and marcona almonds.

Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio?Same, totally different, or shades of grey?Some quality pinot gris winesOregonWillaKenzie Estate Pinot Gris 2017 (Willamette Valley)

If you ever come across a wine produced by Jackson Family Wines, take notice. It will be mouth-wateringly good. This is from its first estate in South Africa, a super-high-end Chardonnay which showcases the very best of what SA's Western Cape can produce. Creamy tropical notes intertwine with custard tart, fresh apricots, nectarines and white truffle. On the palate there's a lively balance of acidity and creaminess from the gentle oak ageing. A fresh lemon zest evolves, before culminating in an electric zesty zing on the finish. Phwoar.

Only 217 cases of this stunning Pinot Noir are produced each year from the coldest spot of Green Valley in the Russian River AVA. Planted in 1975, this old vine vineyard struggles to ripen, creating super low yields that preserve purity and a unique expression. I fall in love every time I drink a bottle, as soon as the black currant, black cherry and herb-cured violets hit my nose. The palate is even juicier – black cherries, kirsch and a milk chocolate with so much texture across silky tannins and a stunning finish.

It’s wild berry time, children!

A classic Sonoman, benchmark, oldie and goodie, been there, done that cabernet sauvignon. Represents so many growers and makers that have shaped and styled the Sonoma landscape. Does so dutifully and admirably in low alcohol, easy oak and perfectly balanced epithets. This is the right stuff and really important teaching example of commercial excellence. Drink 2020-2024.

This is a red wine you can chill for a bit, to enjoy during the summer. Even though it’s from the famed Bordeaux region, don’t hesitate to put it in the fridge for a half-hour or so before drinking — as if it just came out of a wine cellar.The wine pairs well with many vegetable dishes such as tomato tarte and fresh mozzarella white pizza. The use of very ripe cabernet franc in the merlot-based blend adds delicacy to this wine. At first opening, there’s a hint of bright herbal garrigue in the aroma. On the palate, velvety red berry fruit is apparent but not overly dominant. The tannins are so fine as to be barely noticeable. With food, the flavors in the wine are enriched. A combination of delicacy and rusticity.

Fourth of July wineIt’s July 4, America’s 244th birthday.If you want to help celebrate the national holiday of our southern neighbour, why not do it with California Chardonnay or Pinot Gris from Oregon.The 2017 WillaKenzie Pinot Gris is a big Gris with a lime, cream and mineral profile.

Fourth of July wineIt’s July 4, America’s 244th birthday.If you want to help celebrate the national holiday of our southern neighbour, why not do it with California Chardonnay or Pinot Gris from Oregon.A deft use of oak similarly allows the 2018 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay to be buttery, but also fruity.

Fourth of July wineIt’s July 4, America’s 244th birthday.If you want to help celebrate the national holiday of our southern neighbour, why not do it with California Chardonnay or Pinot Gris from Oregon.The 2018 La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay is elegantly oaked so the aromas and flavours of apple, lemon and honeydew melon shine through.

American Rosés For An American HolidayA “drink, don’t think” kind of wine from a veritable producer. Salmon pink in color, delivering watermelon and mixed red berries. A little heavier in style, this is a good food rosé, with a little depth on the finish. Drink with tuna sashimi, lobster roll, soft shell crab sandwich.

In a California cabernet price category full of overly soft and jammy wines this displays a bit more acidic edge and vibrancy than most. There is actually some cabernet blackcurrant and herbal lift as well. Some tension. The tannins are youthful but balanced; the length is very good.

4th July DrinksLa Crema, Monterey Pinot Noir has aromas of black plum, cherry and rhubarb along with hints of earth. The flavours include red plum, raspberry and blood orange, which sit alongside savoury umami and riverstone minerals. This wine is richly textured with a juicy yet balanced acidity and a toasty barrel spice.

4th July DrinksThe Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay offers tropical flavours including pineapple, mango and papaya alongside citrus notes, plus vanilla, honey, toasted oak and butter – giving a velvety texture and a creamy flavour.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's Vineyard is a rich, heady wine. Black cherry, blackberry, espresso, menthol, licorice, spice and mocha all flesh out in the glass. I would give the 2017 at least a few years to settle down, as the tannins are quite potent at this stage.

The 2018 La Joie exudes class from the very first taste. Firm underpinnings of structure provide a gorgeous framework that wraps around a core of intense dark fruit. Lavender, sage, mint and grilled herb accents exalt the aromatic intensity of Cabernet Sauvignon.

For the first time ever, Le Désir is 100% Cabernet Franc in 2018. Vivid and brilliant in the glass, Le Désir bristles with energy. A vivid array of dark fruit, leather, spice, licorice, chocolate and espresso captivates all the senses. The 2018 Le Désir is a very special wine in the making.

The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc (Knights Valley) is bright and assertive. Citrus peel, sage, tomato leaf, white pepper and crushed rocks all race out of the glass. This is an especially steely, grassy wine that is best enjoyed at the dinner table. I especially admire its translucent and saline-infused energy. This is a reference-point wine that shows why Knights Valley is such a magical place for growing grapes and making wine.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith is a dense, powerful wine. Beams of tannin wrap around a core of rich fruit. Inky, deep and layered in the glass, the 2017 offers tremendous richness allied to the structure that is such a signature of these wines.