Behind the Cork™ - Art of Earth Chardonnay by Mack & Schuhle

2022 Art of Earth Chardonnay by Mack & Schühle ($11.99)

One of the largest and most important viticultural groups in the world, the Mack & Schühle organization includes 29 cooperatives and around 5,000 winegrowers, managing more than 60,000 acres of vineyard plantings located throughout the top growing regions of Mendoza and San Juan in Argentina.

Art of Earth organic wines are true to their origins and winemaking traditions without the use of pesticides or herbicides. This Art of Earth Chardonnay comes from Mendoza Argentina. The organic vineyards are located at 2300 to 2600 feet in elevation. The presence of the Andes Mountains, which act as a barrier to the humid winds of the Pacific, along with the distance to the Atlantic Ocean, generating ideal conditions for the cultivation of vines.

This Art of Earth Chardonnay is produced with 100% Chardonnay grapes that are both fermented and undergo malolactic conversion in stainless steel tanks - it sees no oak aging. It is pale gold in color with subtle aromas of lemon, lime and tropical fruits. On the palate, this medium-bodied Chardonnay has bright flavors of citrus, yellow apple and pear with refreshing acidity on the finish.

This Mack & Schühle Art of Earth Organic Chardonnay is available throughout most of the U.S. and, at $11.99, is a great value as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Imported by Mack & Schühle

Behind the Cork™ - All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc - A Treat from Flora Springs

2021 Flora Springs Napa Valley All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc ($75)

Flora Springs has been producing one-of-a-kind Halloween-themed labels for quite some time and this year's All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc is a limited-production wine that is a perfect sip as the changing weather creeps in, from Halloween movie marathons to autumn-inspired dinner parties.

This year, Flora Springs General Manager Nat Komes, the creative spirit behind this annual endeavor, worked with comic book illustrator, graphic novelist and digital comics pioneer, Steve Ellis, to develop this years’ label.

This wine is produced from 100% Cabernet Franc that was aged 18 months in French oak barrels. And it is special - only 350 cases of this wine were produced.

This Flora Spring Napa Valley All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc is deep purple in color with aromas of rich dark fruit and a hint of jelly bean. On the palate, this full-bodied wine has delicious black berry and black cherry flavors along with ripe currant. The oak aging adds some subtle touches of brown sugar and vanilla. This wine is an interesting combination of being full-bodied yet delicate. It finishes beautifully -- long and super smooth.

Treat yourself this Halloween, or any time this Fall, with this delicious Flora Spring Napa Valley All Hallows’ Eve Cabernet Franc. It’s an amazing wine that is this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week! Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Flora Springs via Forte Mare

Behind the Cork™ - Dogajolo Wines by Carpineto Winery

Dogajolo Wines by Carpineto

Dogajolo (pronounced (Dog-ay-yolo) was launched in Italy in 1993 by Giancarlo Sacchet and Antonio Zaccheo Sr. of Carpineto.

"This is a momentous year as we proudly celebrate 30 years of our signature Dogajolo Toscano Rosso” said Antonio Michael Zaccheo Jr, the second generation of the Zaccheo family managing the Carpineto winery. 

“At the time we launched Dogajolo, Super Tuscans were highly coveted but considered an expensive wine for special occasions, or to drink at the weekend paired with a special meal. We set about changing this by producing an accessibly priced, approachable wine that you can enjoy every day. In doing so, we like to proudly say that we invented the ‘baby’ Super Tuscan category.”

2022 Dogajolo Bianco ($14.99) - This wine is a high-quality white wine produced from 40% Chardonnay grapes blended with 30% Grechetto and 30% Sauvignon Blanc. It is pale gold in color with aromas of citrus and melon along with floral notes. On the palate it has unique characteristics of being smooth and rich provided by the Chardonnay along with having bright notes of citrus and grapefruit from the Sauvignon Blanc. This wine finishes with refreshing acidity. (13/2% ABV, 1.7 g/L RS, pH=3.56, Acidity=5.0 g/L)

2020 Dogajolo ($14.99) - This wine is produced from 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was fermented for 10-15 days in stainless steel tanks. The Sangiovese underwent full malolactic fermentation while the Cabernet Sauvignon only underwent partial malolactic fermentation. It was aged for 6 months in used French and American oak barrels & cement vats followed by 4-6 months in the bottle. It is deep ruby in color with aromas of black cherry and spice. On the palate it has the classic cherry flavor of Sangiovese with added depth associated with the Cabernet Sauvignon. (13/2% ABV, 1.7 g/L RS, pH=3.56, Acidity=5.0 g/L)

These two wines from Dogajolo are great for everyday drinking and very affordable making them a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Cheers!

Dogajolo wines are imported by Opici Wines & Spirits and available in all 50 States.

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Carpineto Winery via Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Herminia Rioja Wines


Herminia Casas was the beloved wife of a winemaker in the early 1900’s in La Rioja, Spain. She was a pioneer in entrepreneurship and a champion of education access for women and children.

Her husband memorialized her legacy and their mutual life project by naming the winery for her.

These wines honor a woman, the feisty, nonconformist and determined Herminia. She labored tirelessly in favor of her community questioning and challenging the established norms of her time. Charismatic, committed, and a pioneer.

Now more than 70 years later, they continue to make modern, bold, and pioneering Rioja wines that represent Herminia's original project as they carry on her legacy.

Both of these wines are produced from 90% Tempranillo, the signature grape of Rioja, and 10% Garnacha which is a variety which complements Tempranillo due to its body and aromatic features.

Herminia Crianza ($16) - This wine is aged for 12 months in American and French oak before bottling and then spends 6 months in the bottle before shipping. It is medium ruby in color with aromas of red fruit and brown sugar. On the palate this dry wine (14% ABV) is medium-full bodied with flavors of black cherry, and light hints of oak. It has medium tannin and a nice, easy finish of dark red fruits.

Herminia Reserva ($22) - This wine is aged for 24 months in American, Hungarian and French oak before bottling and then spends 12 months in the bottle before shipping. This wine is deep ruby in color with aromas of black cherry, cigar box and leather from it oak aging. On the palate, this dry wine (14% ABV) is medium-full bodied with rich black cherry flavor and vanilla/brown sugar. It finishes long with nice fruit flavor.

These are a couple of really nice Rioja wines from Herminia that are also quite affordable, making them a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wines of the Week. Salud and Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Herminia Wines via IT Public Relations

Behind the Cork™ - Domaine Bousquet Alavida Organic Kosher Malbec

Alavida Organic Kosher Malbec ($19)

Alavida Malbec joins a very select group of wines: it is USDA-certified organic and kosher. Certainly, the first wine of its type from Argentina, Alavida is one of few wines worldwide to attain this unusual dual status. The 100% Argentine, reserve-level Malbec from Domaine Bousquet is also vegan, gluten- free, and Ecocert-approved.

The Alavida name means “To Life” (“a la vida”) in Spanish -- which is taken from the traditional Hebrew toast “L’chaim!” The Domaine Bousquet estate, high in Argentina’s Uco Valley, is owned by Anne Bousquet and her husband, Labid al Ameri. Anne Bousquet notes that “Argentina is a nation rich in diversity, and our own multi-cultural family has been making certified organic wines in Argentina since 1997.”

The winemaking process for Alavida is almost identical to that used in making a non-kosher wine, with two exceptions. Ingredients such as yeast must be kosher, and the wine must be physically made by a sabbath-observant Jewish team under the supervision of a rabbi.

This wine is aged with 90% of the juice in contact with used oak to retain the purity of fruit, and 10% is in contact with new oak.

This Alavida Malbec is deep purple in color with rich black fruit aromas and a hint of sweet tobacco. On the palate, this 100% Malbec is full-bodied and dry with black cherry and black berry flavors as well as a touch of cocoa on its nice finish.

This affordable, great-tasting Malbec, which is USDA-certified organic and kosher, is a great fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. L’chaim and cheers!

For more information on kosher wines, see my recent blog.

ABV: 14.5%, RS: 1.52 g/L, Total Acidity: 5.77 g/L, pH: 3.68

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Domaine Bousquet via Creative Palate Communications