Here is the list of my ten favorite wines I tasted in 2016 1)   2010 Binomio Montepulcian d'Abruzzo Riserva  $52 - 93 Points Rich, silky, dark, plum, cherry, smooth tannin with the perfect fruit intensity. Wonderful with my veal chop 2) 2012 Ayoub Pinot Noir Thistle Vineyard $45 - 92 Points Wonderful!! The perfect combination of cherry and earth. Very smooth with an outstanding finish. Wow! 3) 2011 Renieri Brunello di Montalcino $38 - 91 Points Smooth and Lush, blueberry, dark stone fruit, and leather. Wonderful balance. Paired wonderfully with marinara sauce and Italian sausag e. 4)  2012 Ayoub Pinot Noir Memoirs $45 - 91 Points  Fruity but not jammy, smooth, medium body. Cherry with a hint of pepper at the finish. Nice! 5)  2013 Joesph Phelps Pinot Noir Freestone Vineyards $44 - 91 Points  Outstanding wine that starts out a bit muted buy builds to an amazing finish. Red cherry, w...

Mr. Mike Ryan of Gulf Breeze Florida asks “Do any good wines have a screw-top or are they only used for “cheap” wines?” Well Mike while it is true that many “cheap” wines use screw tops there are many really good “value” wines that also utilize a screw-top. Cork has traditionally been used to seal a bottle of wine because it was one of the few natural products pliable enough to keep the wine in while keeping the air out.  As the price of cork has gone up and up many winemakers looked for alternatives to cork to help keep the price of their wine reasonable.  Screw-tops are one of those alternatives.  Other alternatives are corks made of synthetic material, compressed pieces of cork, or a combination of real cork and synthetic material.   Cork has gotten so expensive odds are if you purchase a wine less than $30 you are buying a wine with one of the cork alternatives and not a wine utilizing a 100% natural cork. In many ways a screw-top is pr...