My Favorite Red Wine Experiences...

I often keep the corks from some of my favorite bottles of wine to help me remember what I enjoyed and on what occasion. After going through a bag of corks today, I figured it was about time to actually write some of them down. Here's a list of what I consider to be some of the top red wine producers and recommended releases from those wineries, along with the awesome places I drank them.

Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards - Napa Valley, CA, USA

I first had Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards wine at Hubert Keller's Fleur de Lys in Las Vegas on a recent vacation. The 2004 Conn Valley Eloge was recommended to me as a substitute for another wine that was out-of-stock. Wow, what luck, as this was one of the best Bordeaux-style red blends I've had.

Bell Wine Cellars - Napa Valley, CA, USA

Another one of my fabulous finds on the Northshore Brasserie's wine menu was the 2006 Bell Claret. Much like the Newton Claret, the Bell Claret is a rich, dark full-bodied Bordeaux-style red blend. I like to pick up a bottle every couple of months from Harvest Towne Wine & Spirits in North Knoxville.

Buoncristiani Family Winery - Napa Valley, CA, USA

Before visiting Tom Colicchio's Craft in Atlanta, GA, my girlfriend and I did a little research on the wine menu. After finding five or so New World reds in our price range, we checked the online reviews. It was hard to beat the raving comments about the Buoncristiani 2005 O.P.C. Napa Valley Proprietary Red. So, when went, that's what we ordered. This wine alone was worth the visit. It's an amazing deeply-colored, rich red blend.

Franciscan - Napa Valley, CA, USA

I first had Franciscan's red wine blend, Magnificat, at Knoxville's fabulous Northshore Brasserie on half-price wine night. It was the recommendation of our server, who said it was a favorite of the bartender. It immediately became one of my favorites. I also regularly buy their 2004 to 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, which are some of my go-to bottles in the $25 range. Franciscan is a great place to visit, too, in Napa Valley.

Jack Larkin - Napa Valley, CA, USA

I discovered Napa Valley's Jack Larkin at the bar of the Yountville, CA restaurant REDD. My girlfriend and I stopped in for a pre-Ad Hoc dinner drink and enjoyed a half bottle of Jack Larkin's Cabernet Sauvignon. Unfortunately, I don't have a record of the vintage. I believe it was 2005 or 2006. I hope to find it again one day.

Ken Wright Cellars - Carlton, OR, USA

I typically don't drink Pinot Noir. I've just never really enjoyed the flavor; that is, until I had Pinot Noir from Ken Wright Cellars. When pondering which wine to order to accompany my Discovery Menu meal at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas, a fellow diner recommended Ken Wright Pinot. Both he and our server thought it would be a good fit for the menu, which included seafood and red meat, but also still be enjoyable to a non-Pinot Noir fan, while also being affordable. They were right, no pun intended. I think I had the 2006 Carter Vineyard, but I am not 100%, as there are many different Ken Wright releases from various vineyards.

Lail Vineyards - Napa Valley, CA, USA

I randomly picked the 2005 Blueprint Red, a cuvee of Bordeaux varietals, while dining at Charlie Palmer's Aureole in Las Vegas. Luckily, it was a great one and it has a nice bottle with a cool etched bird drawing on it.

Louis M. Martini - Napa Valley, CA, USA

I had heard of Louis M. Martini before visiting Napa Valley, but had somehow confused it with wines more like Beringer. Little did I know Martini is an amazing producer of red wine. I did a tasting of various red wines from their Monte Rosso Vineyard at their tasting room, from their Syrah to Cabernet Sauvignon. I often buy their 2004 to 2006 Cabernet Sauvignons, which range from $18 - $30, depending on the vineyard (Napa Valley, Alexander Valley, Sonoma, or Monte Rosso) and vintage. Make sure you ask them to go to the cellar under the tasting room and get a piece of the amazing prosciutto if you visit.

Newton Vineyard - Napa Valley, CA, USA

Back in 2008, before I really started drinking red wine, a group of co-workers bought a couple of bottles of red wine for an after-party to celebrate a big group accomplishment. One of those wines was Newton's 2006 Claret. Oddly enough, we drank the wine in black plastic solo cups, but this was the defining moment in my "wine career" thus far. The Newton Claret was a dark purple - almost black - and had the most amazing aroma and taste. It was certainly the start of my love for red wine.

Roy Estate - Napa Valley, CA, USA

On a summer 2008 trip to Las Vegas, I took notice of the nice bar at Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico Steakhouse, and made a mental note to stop in on a future trip. This past winter, I did just that and ordered a glass of Roy Estate's 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a little pricey ($25 per glass), but was quite enjoyable (and fresh, I might add). I'm on the lookout for a full bottle.

Other great recommended red wines:

Barnard Griffin Cabernet Sauvignon, Richland, WA, USA

Bogle Vineyards Phantom 2006 Phantom, Clarksburg, CA, USA

Chappellet Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA, USA

Hahn Estates Meritage Central Coast, Soledad, CA, USA

Langtry Estate & Vineyards Guenoc North Coast Victorian Claret, Middletown, CA, USA

Luca Vineyards Syrah Double Select (no website)

Kokomo Winery Cuvee, Heraldsburg, CA, USA

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, South Australia

Ramon Bilbao Crianza, Haro, La Rioja, Spain

Rex Hill Pinot Noir, Newberg, OR, USA