Wine Laity

Jaime Kwon, DipWSET, FWS
🍷 making wines of the world accessible to all 🌎
🥂 quality • value • hospitality 🤗

07/27/2026

🍷 Blind Tasting No. 5

This one had me chasing my tail. It took me a while to spot the tell, but once I did, I knew the wine was from Italy 🇮🇹

The problem? Italy has hundreds of indigenous white grapes. Eventually, a briny note led me to Pinot Bianco from Alto Adige.

I was wrong.

🍷 The Wine: 2024 Schiopetto Friulano from Collio

In hindsight, I was geographically close—but I had no real sense that I was tasting Friulano. My biggest takeaway was that my mental picture of the variety was incomplete. The few examples I’d tasted before were much more restrained, so I wasn’t expecting this much expressive fruit. I also learned that chamomile is a classic Friulano note—something I won’t forget.

Every blind tasting expands your library. Sometimes the lesson isn’t learning a new grape—it’s updating what you thought you already knew.

07/20/2026

🍷 Blind Tasting No. 4

I considered the right answer... then talked myself out of it.

That’s what made this such a great blind tasting wine. We often associate Sémillon with more body and moderate acidity (its classic profile), but young Hunter Valley Sémillon defies that expectation.

The bright fruit made me consider New World Sémillon, but the laser-like acidity and lighter body led me elsewhere.

One of the biggest lessons blind tasting teaches is just how much terroir, harvest timing, and winemaking can shape a grape’s expression.

The Wine: Briar Ridge Dairy Hill Hunter Valley Sémillon 2023 🇦🇺🦘

dr.caofh spent $33 on this bottle, and I think it has another 10+ years of aging ahead of it.

07/13/2026

🍷 Blind Tasting No. 3

Why did I get this one right?

Part of the answer is this wine. Some wines are classic, expressive examples of their grape and region. Others are more atypical and can send you down the wrong path.

🇫🇷 This 2023 Chinon Cuvée Terroir had the hallmarks I look for in Loire Cabernet Franc: vibrant acidity, herbal notes, that unmistakable stemmy character, and beautiful red and black fruit.

🍇 That’s what we call typicity—a wine that clearly expresses where it’s from and what it’s made from.

🤤 And though my reaction on camera probably made it obvious, it bears repeating: this wine is absolutely delicious and an incredible value at around $28.

typicity

07/09/2026

🍷 What a Wine Pro Buys at BevMo: White Wine Edition

Looking for a great bottle without spending hours browsing? Here are 8 white wines I’d be happy to bring home—whether you’re looking for a weekday sipper or a bottle to impress guests.

Which bottle would you reach for first? Or is there another BevMo white you’ve discovered that deserves a spot on the list?

07/06/2026

🍷 The biggest mistake I make in blind tasting? Not trusting my instincts.

I actually said the correct answer early—but the wine’s smoky, reductive character kept me searching. Was I overthinking it?

Have you ever talked yourself out of the right answer?

The wine: 🇩🇪 2023 Wagner-Stempel Heerkretz GG Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir)

07/02/2026

🍒 Cherry is one of the most common flavors in red wine and, in my opinion, one of the most enjoyable.

🍷 These are bottles I’d be excited to take home, whether to enjoy with a meal or simply on their own.

❤️ If you’re a cherry lover, this is a great place to start.

07/01/2026

🍷 Valentin Morel Les Pieds Sur Terre Côtes du Jura Trousseau Les Trouillots

👀 Appearance: Hazy pale ruby with a clear rim.

👃 Nose: Sour cherry, wild strawberry, rhubarb, potpourri, dried herbs, and a touch of Brett that adds a rustic, savory edge.

🍒 Palate: Bright acidity, integrated drying tannins, and just the slightest spritz make this an incredibly food-friendly wine. Light in color, but with plenty of character.

🛠️ Winemaking: Organically farmed Trousseau from the Les Trouillots vineyard. Hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented with native yeasts before aging in stainless steel and older barrels. Bottled unfiltered with little to no added sulfur, preserving the wine’s vibrant fruit and naturally wild character.

📍Was super excited to pick up this bottle up on auction. Opened on a getaway to Mammoth Lakes.

06/29/2026

The 2024 Abbazia di Novacella Kerner comes from Alto Adige’s Isarco Valley, where the Augustinian Abbey has been making wine since 1142—more than 850 years of winemaking.

In the glass, I found lemon-lime, green apple, pear, apricot, white flower, elderflower, and a salty mineral edge. Then there’s that unmistakable Kerner note—somewhere between Fruity Pebbles and a sour gummy worm.

High acid, a long finish, and mouth-watering from start to finish. Bright. Refreshing. Complex. Delicious.

And yes, it paired beautifully with Korean BBQ.

So good I had to include it in my spring wine club.

06/25/2026

Not every summer wine is a pool wine.

These wines are still refreshing enough for summer, but offer a bit more complexity and intrigue than your typical poolside sipper.

Whether it’s a long dinner outside or a conversation that stretches into the evening, these are some bottles I’d reach for. 🥂

06/22/2026

Blind Tasting No. 1🍷

I spent this entire tasting trying to identify a classic grape or region.

Beaujolais? Domestic Nebbiolo? Maybe…

Then dr.caofh unveiled the bottle and I immediately understood why I was so confused.

The 2023 Stolpman So Fresh G.G.T. is a blend of Grenache, Gamay, and Trousseau, with some of the fruit undergoing carbonic maceration. No wonder I couldn’t settle on a single grape or region.

The result is bright, juicy, herbal, refreshing, and dangerously easy to drink. He paid $24. Worth it!

A perfect chillable red for summer. ☀️

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