Vinho Porto, Porto, or simply Port is a fortified wine produced solely in Portugal’s Douro Valley.  Five indigenous grapes are mainly used for Port production, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cao, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Francesa, and Touriga Nacional – and the fermentation process is stopped when a neutral grape spirit (basically a brandy) is added to the wine.  The resulting product is slightly sweet from the unfermented sugars, with the high-alcohol richness from the addition of the brandy.  While the general production process is similar, variations within the process result in greatly varied styles of Port, from the violet-hued freshness of a Ruby Port, to the barrel-aged, slightly oxidized Tawny style, up to...   Read more

The white grape Moscato Bianco has grown outside of the town of Asti, in Italy's northwestern region of Piedmont, for centuries.  The wine Asti Spumante found popularity in the United States decades ago, but it has fallen a bit out of fashion in recent years.  At the same time, its more elegant cousin Moscato d'Asti has recently exploded in popularity.  Moscato d'Asti must be made with 100% Moscato Bianco, and has sweet fruit flavors, a mild effervescence, and low alcohol levels.  Due to its sweetness, it has traditionally been viewed as a dessert wine, but wine drinkers have recently picked up on it as an all-occasion, deliciously fruity and accessible wine. Until recently Moscato d'Asti has held a small...   Read more

Are you searching for a new wine to try? Are you particularly a fan of white wine? Do you want to try a taste of a white wine from Italy? If so, then Pinot Grigio is the wine for you. Although known as Italy's most popular wine, Pinot Grigio is no secret to American wine consumers since it is very commonly recognized in the U.S.  In August of 2010, figures by the Italian Wine and Food Institute (IWFI) in New York named Italy the leading exporter of wines to the U.S. In recent years, the demand for Pinot Grigio in the U.S. has climbed sharply, outshining highly popular wines such as Chianti.  If your taste buds never experienced this Italian white wine, once they do, your mouth will be watering for more. Pinot...   Read more

"I have been an enormous fan of Spanish wines since the early 1990's.  By then, Alejandro Fernandez had been producing stunningly good wines called "Pesquera" for over 15 years in Ribera del Duero, Spain.  This area, 2 hours north of Madrid by car, is where the Tempranillo grape varietal reaches perhaps its greatest heights.  Just to the north, Alejandro's "Condado de Haza" Vineyards were in their early production and today produce excellent Tempranillo wines of great power and finesse.  Both "Pesquera" and "Condado de Haza" are available here at Marketview Liquor. Fast forward 20 years and now Marie Fernandez, Alejandro's daughter, is the winemaker of "Dehesa la Granja" or "Farm Pasture."  We recently...   Read more