Frank Family Zinfandel 2019, Napa Valley Cost: $44-46 What: I admire vineyard owners in the Napa Valley who resist the temptation to rip out their Zinfandel vines and plant Cabernet Sauvignon. Napa is a great place for Zin, but growers can get so much more money for Cabernet that the pressure is enormous to forget about everything else except the Cab. One of the few who have resisted the pressure is Frank Family, known for producing a variety of great wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and sparkling wines. Those wines are so good, we often forget about the great Zinfandel they produce. The wine is a true Napa Valley blend from the finest vineyards across the region. Some of the vines date back to the 1950s. The backbone for this wine comes from Frank Family’s sustainably-farmed S&J Vineyard in Napa’s Capell Valley and the Benjamin Vineyard located on the Rutherford…

TILIA Chardonnay 2020, Argentina TILIA Malbec 2020, Argentina Cost: $11-13 What: As climate change and conservation move to center stage of our awareness, sustainability has become a key component of wine producers. TILIA Wines has made sustainability the centerpiece of its operations. From soil conservation to social sustainability, they work to make sure future generations will be able to enjoy the same fine wine we do today. Their Chardonnay is a terrific wine, and an even better bargain. The grapes come from two sustainable vineyards in Mendoza, with elevations ranging from 1,500 to 3,000 feet above sea level. The mountain climate intensifies the flavors and allows the grapes to ripen slowly. It pays off with wonderful flavors of tropical fruit, peach and toasted bread. It is a gorgeous pale gold in the glass with pleasant aromas of tropical fruit and flowers. It has an intense mouthfeel with a long finish…

Frank Family Chardonnay Carneros 2019 Cost: $37-39 What: I am a firm believer in celebrating holidays, even the made-up ones like Valentine’s Day. I call it amateur night for romantics. Teri and I celebrated it anyway, with a great dinner at home. And nothing makes a dinner special like a great bottle of wine. We had lobster tails and crab cakes, and my wife loves Chardonnay, so the choice was easy: Frank Family. They consistently make some of the best wine in Napa Valley, which is saying a lot because Napa is the Mecca for wine lovers. They produce a broad range of great wine, but winemaker Todd Graff is at the top of his game with Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and sparkling wines. It helps that he has great fruit to work with. Graff works with 380 acres of prime Napa Valley estate vineyards and trusted grower-partners. Named after Rich…

Martini & Rossi Sparkling Rosé, Italy Cost: $14-16 What: If you have put off planning for Valentine’s Day, your time is about up, But don’t despair, there is still time to impress that special someone. Jewelry, flowers and candy are nice, but you can’t go wrong with a good bottle of wine. And what’s better than a bottle of rosé sparkling wine. We all have our favorites, but it is nice to try something new once in a while. So this year my wife Teri and I opened a bottle of Martini & Rossi Sparkling Rosé. I had never had it before. We were both glad we discovered it. In the glass it is a beautiful bright pink with lots of never-ending bubbles. Aromas of soft wild rose float up out of the glass with hints of red fruit and green apple. On the palate I picked up red fruit…