#1 on the "Top 100 Best Buys of 2009" and 90 points from Wine Enthusiast: "Continues the solid trend of this label producing some of the best values in California. Dry, crisp and delicious, with mineral-infused flavors of oranges, honeysuckle and buttered toast. A blend of Malvasia Bianca, Muscat Canelli, Viognier and Roussanne." (10/09) Once owned by the rapscallion Randall Graham of Bonny Doon fame, the Big House label has gone through many permutations over the years, but none of its wines has ever achieved the level of success of the 2008 Big House ... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

91 points and the top scored wine in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "Fifty Super Domestic Wine Values:" "The sensational 2008 Chardonnay Central Coast, which is fermented and aged completely in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation, is a 30,000-cuvee of fabulous Chardonnay. Loads of tropical fruit, honeysuckle, and orange blossom notes fill the olfactory sense, as does the luscious medium-bodied texture on the palate. The wine is buttressed by crisp underlying acidity, and the result is a fresh, naked expression of Chardonnay that is top-flight.... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

From Wine Spectator: "Offers baked cherry pie, with rhubarb and blueberry, showing a wonderful fruit profile that's spicy, elegant and easy to drink. Great balance. Drink now. 35,000 cases made." (Web only, 2009) When James Laube blogged about Redtree Pinot Noir, we were all left sitting with cartoon-y question marks floating above our heads. Redtree? But for once Wine Spectator actually put a wine on our radar before their score and review made it scarce. Usually it is exactly the opposite - by the time Spectator or Parker or any of the myriad of other... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Bacchant Wines, the title of the collaboration between Master Sommelier Sara Floyd and the Pisoni family, bring you this incredibly tasty and wildly affordable Pinot Noir. From fruit sourced through the Pisoni family's deep connections in the Santa Lucia Highlands and made by Jeff Pisoni, the winemaker for Lucia, this is one Pinot this season that can't miss. The densely fruited nose is packed with red cherry and framboise tones, all the while a subtle lace of black pepper runs through the aromatics of the wine. On entry the wines comes of as ripe, yet i... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Possibly one of the hardest California wines to keep in stock, the Rombauer Chardonnay is THE Chardonnay that fans of the buttery, spicy, ripe and rich take on the varietal measure all other Chards against. In 2008, the wine doesn't falter - with tropical fruit tending toward pineapple and papaya and a creamy texture that just glides across the palate. Sure to sell out. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

91 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Bright red. Fresh red berries and Asian spices on the nose, with notes of rose and magnolia adding complexity. Lively and precise in the mouth, showing nervy redcurrant and strawberry flavors and a pungent floral quality. Finishes with very good seamless length and a strong echo of sweet red berries." (Nov/Dec '09) The new Verna's Estate Pinot Noir is a perfect example of the frugal drinkability Melville has to offer. From the get-go the nose tells you that you are going to be in for a wildly de... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

We like to think of this as a baby Rombauer - with all of the rich texture and bold fruit of the more expensive wine without its hefty price tag. Opening with melon and green apple aromas with hints of spice and coconut oil, the flavors are broady and citrusy, spiked again with spice. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Crisp, clean, fast and racy, this brand spanking new 2008 brings a riper style with the lean, crisp grapefruit, lychee nut and herbs. This is a high impact wine with an elegant, pure Sauvignon Blanc finish. 100% stainless steel fermentation and zero time in barrel. This is a summertime wine if ever there was one. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

From one of the most famous Napa Valley wineries, this lush, exotic Charonnay will dazzle you with its richness and balance and sheer power. "You must try our newly released Kalinda 2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay ($17.99), made for us by the same "cult" winery that produced our 2007, which sold out from our stores within six weeks after its release after some of you discovered who it was. This is a full-blown Chardonnay that provides a real tropical, white peach and spicy cinnamon apple set of varietal smells and flavors enclosed in a creamy/vanillin tone t... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This Chardonnay is light straw in color with a youthful greenish hue and excellent clarity. The rich, inviting nose shows bright tropical fruit notes. This vibrant tropical fruit continues on the palate with flavors of pineapple and honeydew melon, complemented by refreshing acidity. A generous mid-palate gives way to a bright focused finish with citrus elements of lemon and tangerine and mineral notes. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This Cazar Pinot comes from the Russian River Valley and was aged for 10 months - half in new 60-gallon French oak barrels and half in smaller French barriques. Lower in alcohol than many Pinots these days, this wine is balanced and full of fresh fruit and complementary spice. Made by Bill Hunter who, I've said before and I'll say again, is one of my favorite winemakers in California, this is the long lost sister bottling to his Chasseur label. Fans of the ever-popular bottling called Lily, which we carried the last few years, take note here: this is th... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

90 points from Robert Parker: "Other top values from the iconic Calera winery include Calera’s least expensive Chardonnay, the 2008 Central Coast, which comes from an assortment of vineyards in Monterey, Santa Clara, and San Benito counties. This cuvee is put through 100% malolactic, and is aged in 10% new French oak for ten months. It offers abundant notes of honeysuckle, orange marmalade, white currants, and tropical fruits. Crisp, elegant, mid-weight, and revealing no evidence of its wood aging, it will provide plenty of pleasure over the next 1-2 yea... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Great color, deep, dark garnet with a clean and bright red band in the rim. The aromas take a minute to come up, and then they take off into a blend of ripe berry and cherry with just a hint of new oak. We age the wine in both new and seasoned French and American oak. The front of the wine is soft and almost immediately begins evolving into the broad mid-palate. The mid has weight, length, and structure. The acids were great in 2008 and provide an essential rounding effect to the "big fruit" inherent in the wine. The finish is long and filled with ripe, ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

93 points from Wine & Spirits Magazine and the top rated Pinot Gris in the 'Year's Best Pinot Gris' article: "This wine is a great example of a crisp and bright style of Pinot Gris. Exhibiting aromas of Asian pear, honeydew and citrus blossom, it is overtly fruity yet still complex for this wine variety. The flavors of tangy lime, comice pear and starfruit linger on the exceptionally long finish. A great 'warm weather' wine, it goes with simple appetizers and a wide assortment of seafood any time of the year." (08/09) Sometimes Chardonnay just won't do,... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

Duckhorn's popular Sauvignon Blanc is back, and the 2008 vintage is seamless. The beguiling nose is redolent of kaffir lime, stone fruit and tangy citrus. Upfront grapefruit and lemon citrus flavors layer over subtler stone fruit, banana, coconut and lychee flavors, making the drinker feel transported to a deserted island. Hints of spice from barrel fermentation on the finish, the wine has a rich, leesy mid-palate but plenty of acidity. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Year after year, Ted Seghesio releases some of the best Zinfandels on the market. The Sonoma Zin, which combines fruit from Home Ranch, River Road, Lone Oak, San Lorenzo and Cortina Vineyards balances the sweet briar fruit California Zin is known for, with sultry spices understones and fine tannins without ever being over the top. Balanced and food friendly. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Hands up! Now, step slowly away from the barrel. This is not your usual California Chard in all that buttery, oaky glory, but instead something that's clean and crisp and undeniably refreshing. Aromas and flavors here tend more toward the apple, peach and pear end of the spectrum, with hints of orange zest and stony minerals on the finish. Ideal for grilled shrimp, fresh crab or oven fried chicken. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Wow. If you're looking for a Chardonnay with a sense of place, that is fresh and balanced and good with food, then look no further than the Lioco Sonoma County. The fruit comes from a number of sites in Sonoma County all planted on "creek bed soil" along the Russian River. Combine the fruit with a no oak treatment and you'll get a wine that is unbelievably fresh, with Kaffir lime, chalk and grapefruit aromas that give way to ripe pears, honey and minerals on the palate. A lot of wine for the money. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

The 2008 vintage in Edna Valley was fantastic, and sit shows on this bright, value-priced Chardonnay. Warm days, cool nights and steady buy mild winds helped the grapes develop fully but slowly. Partial barrel fermentation, partial malo and extended lees contact give this wine an incredible texture with plenty of acidity to keep it food friendly. It tends toward the tropical, with pineapple, guava and peach aromas and flavors touched off by Tahitian vanilla, cinnamon and colve spice with a streak of minerality. A lot of complexity for a $10 bottle. 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Utilizing some of the best and brightest fruit from California's Central Coast, this negociant label speaks loudly with brambly black fruit, pepper spice and mocha. Add that hint of bacon and smoke on the finish and you get one of our best Rhone-style value blends from California. (Keith Mabry, K&L Hollywood) 

Inventory: Hollywood

Au Bon Climat winemaker Jim Clendenen has been a driving force for high quality wines in Santa Barbara County since the early '80s. His signature style, which deftly merges Old World sensibilities with New World flair manifests in tasty, well-crafted wines from regional blends like this one, to the most sophisticated single-vineyard bottlings. Using top notch fruit from the county's best vineyards, including the famed Bien Nacido vineyard, the 2008 Santa Barbara Chardonnay is graced with a delightful tension between the tropical fruit and buttered toast ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Alpen Cellars, established on a family ranch in the spring of 1984, is situated in a picturesque mountain valley at the foot of towering craggy peaks in the rugged Trinity Lake region of Trinity County, California. It seems an unlikely location to attempt to grow wine grapes. But the notion, a product of a young enology student's vision, turned out to be notably rewarding. 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

Bright, fresh and lively. This is a perfect poolside sipper with a bit of melon on the nose and zippy acidity on the palate. Lime undertones. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Broadley’s 2008 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley was bottled in June, 2009. A blend of three vineyards, it is a preview of just how good the 2008 vintage is in Willamette Valley. It offers up the superb perfume characteristic of the vintage; unlike 2007 in which spice notes dominate the aromatics, in 2008 fruit and floral aromas have the upper hand. On the palate it has layered, succulent cherry and raspberry fruit with excellent depth and balancing acidity. It has enough structure to evolve for several years bu... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City

Elegant and affordable, this is a delicious white wine from a small producer. Definitely sancerre-like in its structure, the wine has subtle flavors of grapefruit, lemon, and green apple backed up with fresh acidity, a floral nose, low alcohol, and a long finish. 2008 was a great year in Sonoma for white wines and Dry Creek Valley is a perfect AVA for sauvignon blanc production. The 2008 'Lazarie' is a soft and beautiful wine from a single block of Handley's sustainably farmed Dry Creek Valley vineyard. It was aged 5 months on the lees for added mine... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

After a challenging 2007 vintage in the Willamette Valley, the late 2008 harvest was quite welcome, creating a wine that is wonderfully balanced and intense. The '08 vintage comes from Illahe (40%), Mahonia (20%) and Eola Springs (40%) vineyards. This has slightly darker fruit notes than usual, with lots of ripe plum and briar fruits on the nose and secondary aromas of sweet earth and dried savory herbs, all of which continue onto the palate. Enjoyable now with some air, this will be fantastic with a little age too. 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

As noted in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Columbia Crest, owned by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, has long been known for the quality of its value-priced wines." (10/09) And who isn't loving value right now?? Once again, in this balanced and lip-smackingly good 2008, Columbia Crest really delivers. Apple, lemon zest and tropical notes of mango and pineapple form the core of this fruit-forward wine. But it's not just about delicious fruit salad here. There is also vanilla, toast and a touch of balancing minerality and acid. An ideal everyday Chardonnay, pr... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

This is the 32nd vintage of Brander's Sauvignon Blanc, and their experience shows. Made using the best Sauvignon Blanc fruit from the Los Olisos area, the 2008 vintage is crisp and dry with subtle floral notes to complement the stone fruit and gooseberry flavors. Delicious and refreshing for springtime salads, summer sipping and winter soups like rosemary and white bean. L.A. Times Wine of the Week: "Hail the 32nd vintage(!) of Brander Sauvignon Blanc. Made from fruit grown in the Los Olivos area, the 2008, like all the vintages before it, is a summer cl... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Bottled California sunshine, the Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc is all pomelo, apples and honeydew on the nose. Equally bright on the palate, the flavors tend toward tropical fruit with hints of minerals on the finish. 90 points Wine & Spirits: "This lightly fragrant Sauvignon has the classic 'cat pee on a gooseberr bush' character of the grape. It's a clean and tart wine to serve with pasta tossed with English peas." (10/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Honig's Sauvignon Blanc is bright and fresh with grapefruit, lemongrass and lime aromas that carry over to the palate. In the mouth, the wine tends toward the tropical. The fruit comes from Honig's sustainably managed vineyards, and it is finished in a combination of large, neutral oak casks and stainless tanks. 89 points Robert Parker: "Consistently one of the finest Sauvignons made in California, Honig’s 2008 (30,000 cases produced) is a blend of 99% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Semillon from prime Napa Valley real estate. It exhibits crisp fig and melon no... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Another victory vintage in Mark West's never-ending fight to make Pinot for the people Fresh strawberry and raspberry aromas are rounded out by enticing spice scents, all of which continue onto the palate. In the mouth, the cherry cola and pie spice flavors and easy-drinking texture are exactly what you want in an every-night Pinot Noir. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Joel Gott is an amazing entrepreneur who believes that good wines shouldn't cost a fortune. It shows in every wine he makes, but is especially clear with this fun, fresh, tropical Sauvignon Blanc. Easy to drink and guaranteed fresh, since it's sealed with a screw cap, though we doubt it will sit on your wine rack long. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

A classic California Chardonnay in the rich, full, buttery vein, without ever being ovder the top. This vintage spent eight months in 36% new French oak barrles with lees stirring, a treatment designed to complement the intense varietal character the winemaker found with the 2008 vintage. Lots of pear, lemon and melon fruit aromas with a hint of mineral that contines onto the palate. Will continue to richen in bottle over the next six months or so, and it will drink well over the next few years. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

No matter what you call it - Sauvignon Blanc, Fumé Blanc - this wine from Ferrari-Carano is good. Aged in a combination of older French oak and stainless steel, this wine is crisp and citrusy on the nose, with a tropical palate that's pretty irresistible. Fresh, with subtle oak spice on the finish, you'll want to have a bottle of this on hand for spicy Thai and Vietnamese food, even pollo abodabo. According to Wine Spectator: 'Refreshingly crisp, with lemon-lime, ripe peach, green apple and subtle herb notes. There's good intensity and focus, with terrif... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse San Francisco

An everyday Merlot showing fruit aromas of blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and cassis that are joined by notes of vanilla, hazelnut, milk chocolate and caramel from months of oak aging. The wine is soft and round in the mouth, the abundance of fruit present in the nose is replicated and lingers in the clean finish. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90% Syrah, 10% Zinfandel, pure Dry Creek Valley. This kitten is a fun and delicious pale red wine with flavors of strawberry and dark cherry. The rosé is bone dry, with rosés on the nose and subtle pepper on the finish. The grapes were picked solely to be used in this rosé, so the alcohol is low, the flavors are sharp and the acidity is lively. Perfect with salumi, fruits, chocolate or picnics! 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

89 points Wine Enthusiast: "This 2008 is the third vintage for this extraordinarily popular Riesling, again showing bright, vivid, punch citrus fruit and juicy acids. Residual sugar is about 1.5% and once again it is sourced from the Evergreen vineyard. With production climbing to 20,000 cases, this should be easy to find at least until fall." (08/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

90 points and an "Editors' Choice" from Wine Enthusiast: "A fine, dry Sauvignon Blanc. Dry and crisp in acidity with flavors of lemon, limes, figs, vanilla, honeysuckle and a nice tangy streak of lemongrass. No oak was applied but the richness of the lees shows in the butter cream." (08/09) One of the surprise finds of 2008 were the wines from a smallish winery in Paso Robles called Viña Robles. Some of you may remember the 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2006 Petite Sirah that we were pushing in the fall and winter of 2008. We think that the 2008 vintage o... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

From its lemon-green color to its aromas of Bartlett pear, Meyer lemon peel, hard lemon candy, clove and honeysuckle, this wine offers a captivating first impression. On the palate, it is lushly textured and full-bodied, displaying flavors of poached pear and lime custard, alongside brown baking spices and Stuhlmuller Vineyard’s signature wet stone minerality. 

Inventory: Redwood City San Francisco

If you walk into one of our stores and ask a salesperson to point you in the direction of a quality, reasonably-priced Washington or Oregon wine, chances are good that what they recommend will have been made by David O'Reilly. The Sharecropper's Pinot Noir from O'Reilly's Owen Roe label comes from a variety of northern Willamette Valley appellations, and is luscious with cherry cola flavors and an undercurrent of earth and coffee bean. Refined but open, this is ready to drink tonight. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Consistently a great value wine for California Chardonnay fans, the Bogle Chard undergoes partial malo and barrel fermentation, but it has a good dose of acidity to keep the wine from becoming cloying. Buttery and rich with apple and pear aromas and flavors touched off with nutmeg and vanilla, finishing with a little hint of Werther's Original. According to Wine Spectator: "Fresh and lively, full-bodied and smooth-textured, with vibrant green apple, melon, ripe pear and honeysuckle ending with a long, full finish. Drink now through 2011." (11/09) 

Inventory: San Francisco

A stainless steel fermented Chardonnay that's aged in French oak, this affordable California white is rich and sweet with buttered guava paste aromas that carry over to the palate. A Best Buy, Wine Enthusiast: "Great price for a Chardonnay this rich and tasty. It has a buttery, creamy texture, framing tart flavors of pineapples, peaches and vanilla oak." (12/09) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse San Francisco

A "Best Values" designation from Wine Spectator Magazine: "Vivid passion fruit, lime peel, guava and quince flavors are refreshingly juicy and light-bodied, with good focus and a distinctive mineral note. Drink now." (Aug. 31, 2009) Made by Mason Cellars in Oakville, this is always a sure-fire bet for a herbaceous, fresh Sauv Blanc for summer sipping. From Wine & Spirits Magazine: "Scents of green fig and fresh cut grass fill this light, herbal sauvignon. Chill it for a salad of goat cheese and green zebra tomatoes." 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City

Conundrum is owned by the Wagner family of Caymus Vineyards, but stands on its own as a separate brand. Charlie Wagner and Jon Bolta share responsibilities of the proprietary wine. In 2007 production expanded into a state-of-the art winery in Monterey County close to the sources of the most grape varietals that make up the wine. This is the first vintage to be produced at the new production-only Conundrum winery. This 2008 shows gorgeous aromas of apricot, honeysuckle, and vanilla and lime zest enhance a deeply-flavored palate of tropical fruit, peach, p... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

If you like aromatic, mouthfilling whites, then Pine Ridge's blend of Chenin Blanc (81%) and Viognier (19%) is the wine for you. Aromas of red grapefruit, pear, lychee and muskmelon flirt with spicy white floral scents. In the mouth, the wine has ample tropical fruit, good acidity and an off-dry finish make the wine a great accompaniment to spicy Asian and Indian food. 

Inventory: Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Despite all of the challenges the 2008 vintage through at California vintners, the wines are quite delicious. The Groth SB is perfect for a little ceviche, with its melon and citrus character and solid acidic backbone. On the mid-palate the wine has the creamy texture of sur lie aging that, combined with the addition of 4% Sémillon, adds dimension and intrigue to the wine. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse San Francisco

The 2008 vintage in Washington was cool and long, creating some classic wines. One of those will surely be this melange-blend (Zin, Sangiovese, Cab, Syrah, Merlot, Cab Franc, Blaufrankish and Malbec) - Owen Roe's Abbot's Table. Dark cherry, plum and red fruit with smooth tannins and generous acidity. This is a dinner table wine priced for every day enjoyability. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Husch has been making Sauvignon Blanc since 1980 and the practice shows. Loyal fans will be pleased with the 2008, and it surely has the chance to win over some new ones too. Meyer lemon, grapefruit, kiwi and honeydew aromas give way to a complex palate fresh with flint, lemon curd and cantaloupe underscored by a run-through-the-grass herbaceousness that complements rather than overpowers the fruit. Crisp and refreshing, this is equally at home with line-caught halibut or spicy curry. 

Inventory: San Francisco

Part of the Rutherford Wine Company portfolio, this is the premier vintage of Lander-Jenkins Chardonnay. Crisp and bright on the nose, with hints of orange zest, apricot and vanilla notes. In the mouth, this fuller-bodied Chardonnay has pear and stone fruit flavors touched off by a creamy, vanilla-kissed finished. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Possibly one of the hardest California wines to keep in stock, the Rombauer Chardonnay is THE Chardonnay that fans of the buttery, spicy, ripe and rich take on the varietal measure all other Chards against. In 2008, the wine doesn't falter - with tropical fruit tending toward pineapple and papaya and a creamy texture that just glides across the palate. Sure to sell out. 

Inventory: Redwood City