Enjoy Italy's Best Wines at HomeTenuta di Arceno had a terrific offering of a Chianti Classico and two Super Tuscans, one Merlot-dominant (2013 Valadorna) and one Cabernet Franc-dominant (2013 Arcanum). Both were delicious but I favored the Valadorna which was a blend of 74% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Full of ripe plum, blueberry, and sweet spice, this wine showcased Merlot at its finest.

Enjoy Italy's Best Wines at HomeTenuta di Arceno had a terrific offering of a Chianti Classico and two Super Tuscans, one Merlot-dominant (2013 Valadorna) and one Cabernet Franc-dominant (2013 Arcanum). Both were delicious but I favored the Valadorna which was a blend of 74% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Full of ripe plum, blueberry, and sweet spice, this wine showcased Merlot at its finest.

Murphy-Goode Sauvignon Blanc - North Coast NectarDry, delicious and highly recommended, the Murphy-Goode North Coast The Fumé Sauvignon Blanc.The 2018 Murphy-Goode Sauvignon Blanc begins with very pleasing aromas of lemongrass, citrus and a little tropical fruit. Tasting the wine reveals a smooth, slightly creamy texture from the deft addition of barrel fermentation to 13% of the juice. You’ll also find refreshing notes of pear, pineapple and citrus with a bit of a herbal touch and bright acidity in this tasty wine. It finishes crisply and with surprising length silently begging you to take another sip.This is a great option for seafood, spicy foods or just sitting on the porch in warm weather. Highly Recommended!

An easy sipper. Peach and apple, lean and clean with mild acidity. A terrific food wine.

We also tried the 2018 Naissance Napa Valley sauvignon blanc from Galerie Wine; a perfect wine to enjoy on a group video chat from your lanai.This low-production wine is aged using three methods: stainless steel tank, concrete egg and neutral oak barrels. It is aromatic, tropical and fresh, with nicely balanced grapefruit on the finish.

This ready-to-drink, bright, fruity cabernet sauvignon is made from 80 percent cabernet sauvignon along with a smattering of merlot, petite verdot, and cabernet franc. Luscious and smooth with cherry, berry and mocha notes.

Murphy-Goode is another member of the Jackson Family Wines and reflects a commitment to quality. A complex wine for the price with cherry, herbal and mocha notes.

Wine of the week: Easter reds RAS EL HANOUT LAMB SHOULDER WINE PAIRING: YANGARRA OLD VINE GRENACHE 2017 If ever there was a wine made for drinking with lamb, it was this: Yangarra – a biodynamic wine farm in the South Australia’s McLaren Vale – uses sheep in winter to graze under vine. The winemaker’s philosophy is all around healthy and alive soil, which involves no use of synthetic herbicides or fungicides, preferring compost and biodynamic preparations. Mix this with the fruit of bush vines planted in 1946, and the result is a complex, perfumed and elegant wine with plenty of tannins. The latter helps the wine stand up to the punchier Middle Eastern flavours of ras el hanout. Make sure you chuck on some pomegranate seeds to take the edge off the spices – and be sure to decant this one at least an hour before you dive in.

Wine of the week: Easter reds SLOW-COOKED LAMB SHANKS WINE PAIRING: LASSEGUE 2012 If you’re now having to juggle being a full-time teacher or nursery carer with working from home, the slow cooker is your new friend. Chuck everything in when you get up; enjoy the tempting aromas wafting through your house during the day; and then tuck in once the kids have gone to bed. Naturally you’ll want a serious red to get over the day, so let us recommend the 2012 Lassègue. This captivating claret has all the new leather and cigar box characteristics of a bordeaux, lifted violet and lilac notes. There’s an earthy quality which will go great guns with slow-cooked porcini mushrooms, and an innate mintiness that will that makes it a great sparring partner with lamb.

Wine of the week: Easter reds ROAST LEG OF LAMB WINE PAIRING: LA CREMA MONTEREY PINOT NOIR 2017 Simply cooked with garlic and rosemary, the juicy, sweet flavour of roast lamb is difficult to beat. A leg of lamb is a great shout, as you’ll enjoy leftovers for days. To accompany, we’d go for a new world pinot noir. Try La Crema 2017 from Monterey, California. This bright, plush wine is bursting with black plum, cherry, and rhubarb on the nose. Its flavours of plum and raspberry can cope with a healthy helping of redcurrant jelly on the side.

This midnight purple colored Syrah from Copain opens with a mild boysenberry bouquet with a hint of coffee. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and easy to drink. The flavor profile is a mild juicy plum that is slightly tart with notes of integrated black olive, mild minerality and charred oak. I also picked up a hint of blackberry towards the end. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins build-up slightly before drifting away. This Syrah is food friendly and would pair well with grilled steak tips.

This dark red colored Pinot Noir from Oregon opens with a fragrant pomegranate and plum bouquet with a hint of black pepper. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic and juicy. The flavor profile is a tasty plum with notes of black pepper, mulberry and oak. I also detected hints of cola and pomegranate. The finish is dry and its flavors and gentle tannins linger nicely. This Pinot Noir would pair well with pork tenderloin. Very good.

Anderson Valley – the tasting notes Vineyard planted at an elevation of 600 m on sandstone. Planted in 2011. Robert Young and Upper Barn selections. 18% new oak. 500 cases. Fruit rather simple on the nose. Some lychee interest underneath though. Crystal clear. With a lightly savoury note on the end. Hint of popcorn but not too much. 16+

Anderson Valley – the tasting notes Wente clone. 37-year-old vines. Lower and warmer vineyard than Skycrest. 67% foot trodden. 25% new French oak. Tastes a little more old-school California Chardonnay than Skycrest Copain Chardonnay. Satin texture. Some freshness but also some sweet popcorn flavour. 16

Anderson Valley – the tasting notes Same fruit source as the Maggy Hawk Chardonnay but presumably picked earlier. 67% foot trodden. No new oak. 285 cases. Livelier, greener fruit than the Maggy Hawk with structure and citrus-peel zest. 16.5

Anderson Valley – the tasting notes Jackson Family’s northerly vineyard in California at 75–150 m. Mix of clones. Each lot vinified separately with an average of 20% whole cluster. Aged separately with an average of 20% new oak. 480 cases. Very fresh and pure on the nose. ‘Stereotypical feminine’ characters. Great purity with a light hazelnut character. So pretty! But there’s a little structure there too. 17

Anderson Valley – the tasting notes Jackson Family Wines brand. Native yeast. Small lots. 16 months in French oak, 35% new. Fruit from Maggy Hawk vineyard at an elevation of 76–152 m in the far north of the valley. All 777 Dijon clone according to the tech sheet. 275 cases. Pale blueish crimson. An attractive savoury quality to this. Very juicy and fluid with the merest hint of coconut. Then dry and appetising on the finish. Needs a little bit of time to settle down but there is freshness of fruit here. I’d love to taste just the fruit! 16.5

Anderson Valley – the tasting notes Copain is now part of Jackson Family Wines. Abel is the name of the vineyard near Navarro, not the clone. 20-year-old vines at an elevation of 61 m. All destemmed into open-topped fermenters. 20% new French oak. 350 cases. Quite a bit of grunt, even (positive) earthiness, on the nose. Smooth texture and rather sophisticated and layered. Still quite youthful and tense. 16.5

Wine of the Day: La Crema 40th Anniversary Pinot Noir Last year Sonoma’s long-loved Pinot Noir producer, La Crema, celebrated its 40th anniversary of making cool climate wines with an old-world character. In celebration, the winery has created La Crema’s 40th Anniversary Pinot Noir ($100) blending premium fruit from their Russian River estates, including Ross, Saralee’s, and my favorite, Seascape. To bring the present and the past together, La Crema’s current winemaker, Jen Walsh, worked with the founding winemaker, Rob Berglund, to bring the historic style of the winery together with modern techniques. The resulting wine is complex, nicely structured, and elegant, with wild berry, cola, violets, and soft herbs, with a savory earthiness on the finish. This is your wild mushroom risotto or truffle pizza pairing, as the wine has texture and concentration, without being overly weighty or intensely powerful. It is a beautiful representation of the quality La Crema delivers in their single-vineyard Pinot Noir wines.

At Freemark Abbey, A New Chapter Continues Its Storied History A blockbuster, the 2017 Merlot offered abundant fruit, firm tannic structure and a smooth finish and the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, an opulent Bordeaux blend, was full bodied with dark fruit and chocolate.

At Freemark Abbey, A New Chapter Continues Its Storied History A blockbuster, the 2017 Merlot offered abundant fruit, firm tannic structure and a smooth finish and the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, an opulent Bordeaux blend, was full bodied with dark fruit and chocolate.

At Freemark Abbey, A New Chapter Continues Its Storied History The 1999 and 2015 wines from the Sycamore Vineyard, a cooler climate vineyard set along the Mayacamas Range, were intensely dark in color and presented rich black currant flavors.

At Freemark Abbey, A New Chapter Continues Its Storied History The 1999 and 2015 wines from the Sycamore Vineyard, a cooler climate vineyard set along the Mayacamas Range, were intensely dark in color and presented rich black currant flavors.

At Freemark Abbey, A New Chapter Continues Its Storied History The 1999, 2009 and 2015 Cabernets from the Bosché vineyards, known for its wines of “sophistication, depth and longevity,” exuded signature notes of florals and full-bodied fruit, especially dark cherries.

At Freemark Abbey, A New Chapter Continues Its Storied History The 1999, 2009 and 2015 Cabernets from the Bosché vineyards, known for its wines of “sophistication, depth and longevity,” exuded signature notes of florals and full-bodied fruit, especially dark cherries.