I am very much looking forward to Chateau Montelena’s 2008 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon release party. Their Estate cabs tend to be exceptional and I will enjoys testing out the 2008 vintage. The release party is on March 24th so I will post my thoughts soon.

I had the pleasure last night of an exceptional meal and even better wine at “Vino” in Honolulu. The experience was made special by Chuck Furuya’s extensive wine knowledge and matching wine list. Chuck has a passion for wine and enthusiastically shares his knowledge and his wine picks. When you go to Vino be sure to not limit yourself to the wine menu. Chuck has vastly more wines than he lists. In fact, he views a large wine list and ”showing off.” You will be best served if you get Chuck to find you a wine that fits your budget and taste.

If you like wine, Vino is a must when you visit Honolulu.

The 31st Annual Wine Road Barrel Tasting event continues this weekend. If you have done barrel tasting before you should give it a try. You get a chance to “preview” the wines before they are bottled and if you find some to your liking you can buy the wine futures at a discount. For a $30 fee you can visit and taste at a 100 different wineries and it is a great way to try some new wines. I will head up there myself this weekend and will post my impressions of what was tasting good next week.

I seem to be drinking a bunch of Sauvignon Blancs these days but here is another good find – the Veramonte from Casablanca Valley, Chile. It is crisp and fresh with strong acidity and floral aromas. It is also a another good value coming in at a little below $10.

I decided to have this blog to choronicle and to share my experiences drinking wine and visiting wineries in different regions of the world. By its nature this Blog is going to skip around in the varietals and regions represented as it reflects either what I am drinking currently or where I am visiting. I hope you enjoy the posts and you have thoughts or comments feel free to share.