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Daily Wine | My Wine Reviews

2024 Ampeleia Unlitro Toscana IGT [Rating: 3.5/5 | $20]

Tasted on May 2, 2024. #DailyWine #dnardi #Garnacha #Tuscany #Ampeleia #UnLitro This wine is a blend made predominantly with Alicante nero (a variation of Grenache or Garnacha), and other grapes including Mourvedre and Sangiovese. Dry red wine, 12% alcohol. Medium dark, purplish color. Medium-high intensity nose, with strawberry, raspberry, flowers, and some faint horse blanket.…

2024 Ponce “La Xara” Garnacha Manchuela [Rating: 3/5 | $14]

Tasted on May 19, 2026. Dry red wine, 13.5% alcohol. Medium dark, with purple rim. Medium-high intensity nose, with dark fruit (blackberry, plums), flowers, dried fruit, and hints of cocoa. Very rich in the palate, a hint of heat, some bitter herbs. A bit disjointed in the palate. This garnacha is on steroids – it…

2022 San Felice Chianti Classico [Rating: 2.5/5 | $19]

Tasted on April 11, 2026. Dry red wine, 13.5% alcohol. Medium-high darkness, with ruby rims. Medium-high intensity nose, with blackberry jam, figs, flowers, and bay leaf. Medium body, with very ripe/overripe aromas in the palate, some bitter tannins. Long finish with dried fruits. The wine is slightly unbalanced, with ripe and dried fruit accompanied by…

2020 Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico [Rating: 4.5/5 | $31]

Tasted on March 29, 2026. #DailyWine #dnardi #WineLover #Wine #Tuscany #Sangiovese #Chianti #ChiantiClassico #CastellInVilla Dry red wine, 14% alcohol. Medium darkness, garnet color. Medium-high intensity nose, with raspberry and strawberry- both fresh and a bit of preserves too. Also some floral notes and rosemary. Concentrated flavors in the palate, but a medium body. This feels…

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I am not a sommelier and I have no formal training in the wine business. I have learned about wine by reading, visiting wineries, doing blind tastings, and mostly by trying lots of wines. I have been drinking wine critically (i.e., tasting and taking notes) since 2006, when I bought my first wine book that introduced me to this beautiful hobby.

My view on wine

Following the European tradition, wine goes with food, and food goes with wine. For this reason, what I seek in wine is elegance, freshness, smooth mouthfeel, and balance among acidity, tannins, alcohol, aromas, and residual sugar. I do not like wines that are high in alcohol, oak, and over-the-top fruity; these types of wines are more like cocktails, and they don’t accompany food very well.

Unlike cocktails, wine is linked to a vineyard and a land. It cannot be replicated identically everywhere. Each wine, even if made from the same type of grape, is different. This is what is referred to as sense of territory (terroire).

I specialize in Italian wine. This is because Italy has a huge wine tradition and a rich variety of amazing and unique wines. It is also because of my background that led me to taste more wines from Italy than other places.

My reviews | Daily Wine

I call this blog “Daily Wine” because I believe that wine should not be something just for special occasions; it can be part of everyday meals. For this reason, I focus on inexpensive wines that do not break the bank while still delivering plenty of pleasure and excitement.

Most of the wines I review will cost less than $25 retail price, although sometimes I will review more expensive wines. The wines I tend to review are purchased from online retailers that deliver in the entire US (they are not easily found in stores in the United States). To find these wines, a good search engine is www.wine-searcher.com. The prices that I list represent what I paid when purchasing them.

I give scores on a 5-point scale. The parameters I use are balance, intensity, length, and complexity.

5/5 = an exceptional wine.

4/5 = a very good wine; one that I strongly recommend.

3/5 = a pleasant wine.

I only review wines that, for one reason or another, excite me.

Cheers!

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