The Simple Wine

10/30/2026

Love Chianti? Here’s your next bottle.

Brunello is made from Sangiovese too, but exclusively from Montalcino, with years of aging before release.

Our Sofia 2021 is a great place to start. Open it with a steak, a Sunday ragù, or someone who appreciates a good bottle.

Find it at TheSimpleW**e.com 🍷

10/27/2026

10/26/2026

Piemonte gets plenty of love for its Nebbiolo w**es, Barolo and Barbaresco. But don’t overlook Barbera.

Bright cherry, a little floral, and very easy to drink. Give me a glass with some pappardelle and ragù and I’m happy.

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10/21/2026

You don’t need to spend $100 to get into white Burgundy.

When friends ask where to start, I usually point them south to the Mâconnais. Chardonnay with a generous, rounded character, and plenty of good bottles under $30.

This is Mâcon-Bussières. If French w**e labels seem confusing, here’s the breakdown:

Mâconnais = the region
Bussières = the village
Chardonnay = the grape

Think white flowers, ripe fruit, and a bottle I’d happily put next to roast chicken with mushrooms.

Save this for your next trip to the w**e shop. And follow along. There’s a lot of good w**e worth knowing beyond the famous names.

**e **eEducation

07/14/2026

Primitivo is one of Italy’s best value red w**es.

If you like California reds and want to explore Italian w**e, Primitivo di Manduria is one of the easiest places to start.

It’s rich, smooth, medium-to-full bodied, and full of dark fruit. A real crowd-pleaser that’s fantastic with barbecue or grilled meats.

And the best part? You can still find a very good bottle for under $30.

Have you tried Primitivo before?

**e **eeducation **e

07/11/2026

Chianti is one of Italy’s most famous w**es. Pizza, pasta, grilled meats. This is a w**e works with almost anything.

Chianti Riserva is made from Sangiovese in Tuscany and aged for over 24 months, giving it a rounder, more complete profile than a standard Chianti, while still landing around the $25 mark.

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07/06/2026

Not all Chardonnay needs to be big, buttery, and oaky.

This is the Bliss Blanc from Piemonte, Italy. We call it Chablis-style because it leans crisp, mineral, and refreshing instead of rich and heavy.

Perfect with oysters, sushi, roast chicken, or just a cold glass when you want Chardonnay with some snap.

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07/03/2026

Here’s how I’m pairing the 4th.

Burgers get Gelso D’Oro, a Nero di T***a from Puglia with dark fruit, soft tannins, and enough body for grilled meats.

Ribs get Primitivo UNO, basically Zinfandel’s Italian cousin. Old vines, single vineyard, and built for BBQ.

And for the overall heat, Gavi di Gavi goes straight in the ice bucket. Crisp, mineral, fresh, and perfect when it’s 90 degrees out.

All direct from small Italian family estates.

Save this before the cookout.

**e **epairing **e

07/02/2026

If your grandmother spent 6 hours on the sauce, you better bring a bottle that complements the effort.

Here are 5 w**es that will crush it with Sunday sauce, from Chianti to an aged Super Tuscan.

All directly imported from small Italian family estates.

Save this for your next sauce day.

**e **epairing **e **e

06/30/2026

Did you know Cabernet Sauvignon is the lovechild of 2 grapes?

Cab Franc + Sauvignon Blanc = Cabernet Sauvignon.

Basically, one vine pollinated the flower of the other, a grape formed with a seed inside, and when that seed grew into a new vine, Cabernet Sauvignon was born.

Grapes are freaks.

**eeducation **efacts