Classic Wines

Host Brian Freedman is here to help you this holiday season. If you've got wine lovers in your life (And we hope you do), you'll want to investigate wine gifts. What could be more convenient than combining the ease of online shopping with the thoughtfulness of a nice wine gift? Brian explains what kinds of gifts to search for, and gives you a good example (WineGiftsOnline.com) of where you can go to do your shopping.

Roving Reporter Michael Zimberg of What Would Mikey Drink gives us an inside look at Pride Mountain Vineyards. Touring the estate with co-owner Steve Pride and winemaker Sally Johnson, Mikey is able to learn more about the tasting, barreling, and storing of Pride Mountain's popular wines. Sampling the Pride Mountain Vintner Select Merlot, Steve and Sally explain the nuance and character that makes every vintage unique!

Although we are all accustomed to seeing the standard 750ml bottle, wine actually comes in a multitude of sizes. Two other widely utilized bottle sizes include the Demi (375 ml) bottle and the Magnum (1500ml) bottle. These different sizes can affect the wine inside as it matures over time, so it's important to factor bottle size in as a variable when aging. Join Brian Freedman as he discusses what you need to know about about size and aging.

Used in today's episode are the Luce 2001 Red Blend (Super Tuscan) and the Robert Mondavi 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. To find your favorite wine please visit us at ClassicWines.com.

Michael Zimberg of "What Would Mikey Drink" tours the Togni Vineyards with Birgitta Togni, wife of Philip Togni. Birgitta discusses her desire to keep wines natural, and her thoughts on how to properly balance the acids, tannins, and other factors that go into making their wine. Join Mikey for the second installment on his tour of Togni Vineyards (see the first Togni Vineyard installment here).

Continuing our Wine Cellar Management series, host Brian Freedman explores one of the great aspects of collecting and organizing your own wine cellar - region exploration. Even if you don't have an expansive cellar filled with rows of wine, it's still possible to have fun with similar wines from different regions. For example, in today's episode, Brian examines two Cabernet Sauvignons from the same producer, but from different regions. What will the terroir bring? The wines featured today are the Louis Martini 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) and the Louis Martini 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sonoma Valley). To find your favorite wine please visit us at www.classicwines.com.

Mike Zimberg (of the popular column What Would Mikey Drink) makes his debut as a ClassicWines.com roving reporter. Armed with a camera, a few insightful questions, and a keen eye for wine, Mikey gives us an inside look at some of the hottest wine spots in the world.

In his first episode, Mikey scores a personal tour of Philip Togni Vineyards with the man himself, Philip Togni. Even among elite wine circles, Togni is considered a master winemaker. As he guides Mikey through his vineyard, Togni's knowledge and passion for wine becomes evident. Join Mikey for this intriguing and enlightening look into the beautifully crafted Philip Togni Vineyards.

View all Philip Togni Wines >>

Continuing our wine cellar management series, Brian examines the usefulness of storing short term wines. When it comes to wine, certain bottles are good for day-to-day drinking, while others might require years of aging. The benefit of properly storing an aged bottle is fairly evident; however, what's the benefit of storing your everyday wines? Host Brian Freedman explains why you might consider making a little extra room for short term bottles. Used in today's episode is the Huber 2006 Zweigelt

Move over cabernet, this one is all about California Zinfandel. Among the extremely popular varietals produced by California, Zinfandel is one of the most dominant. Not to be confused with white zinfandel, zinfandel is a fruity red style that can also pack a punch of complexity. Tune in to this week's episode as Brian compares two distinctly different zinfandels from California. Tasted in today's episode are the Benson Ferry Vineyards 2006 95240 Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel and the M. Cosentino 2005 Zinfandel Cigarzin.