Vinfolio Blog | Wine Posts - Industry News & Collector Resources

Some of the best Barolo vintages include 2010, 2006, 2001, and 1996.

Your Guide to the Best Barolo Vintages

Collecting, Investing, Italy, Piedmont, Wine RegionsBy Vinfolio Staff May 10, 2019

Vintage quality is an important factor to consider whenever you buy fine wine, but when you buy Barolo, it’s absolutely essential. That’s because the quality of Barolo significantly impacts its aging potential, and a fine aged Barolo is truly a special experience. A well-made wine from a top-quality vintage will taste astoundingly complex at age 20 or 30. Even some of the best wines from the 1950s and 1960s are still drinking well today. However, for Barolo to be this long-lived, it must be high in quality and perfectly balanced.

Sauternes vs. Tokaji bottles side-by-side for comparison.

Sauternes vs. Tokaji: Which Sweet Wine Should You Invest In?

France, Hungary, Sauternes, Sweet Wine, Wine RegionsBy Vinfolio Staff May 9, 2019

Sauternes and Tokaj wines are some of the most sought-after in the world. Both regions are famous for producing sweet, concentrated white wines that can age for decades–some can even age for centuries under the right conditions. These wines share similarities–botrytized grapes are used in both regions, for example–yet comparing Sauternes vs. Tokaji reveals that these are two very different wines. For one thing, they don’t have the same flavor profile. Fine Sauternes is known for tasting rich and honeyed, while Tokaji Aszú is often much fruitier and more acidic.

Tenuta San Guido's Sassicaia vintage guide

Sassicaia Vintage Guide: How to Invest in This Iconic Italian Label

Italy, Producers, Producers and WineriesBy Vinfolio Staff May 2, 2019

In 2016, wine critic Jane Anson had the opportunity to try 44 different Sassicaia vintages in a single day. By the end of the tasting, she was “approaching sensory overload,” but she never got tired of the wine. Anson said the Sassicaia vintages displayed an excellent balance that kept them from being overpowering. She said, “[It’s] almost impossible to imagine another European Cabernet-based wine, tasted through this many vintages, managing to pull off this gentle physicality.” In particular, Anson enjoyed the 2014, 2010, 2006, 2001, 1996, and 1985 vintages, as they were especially refined, complex, and aromatic.

Penfolds is one collectible Australian wine producer

What Is the Most Collectible Australian Wine?

Australia, Buying Wine, Collecting, InvestingBy Vinfolio Staff April 26, 2019

Last year, one of my goals was to expand my Australian wine collection. I already had a few bottles from Penfolds and Mollydooker, but I wanted to find more collectible Australian wine to add to my cellar. The problem was that I wasn’t sure exactly where to start. This country is known for producing some of the most delicious, distinctive wines in the world, but, like many collectors, I wasn’t as familiar with Australian producers as I was with French or Italian ones. To get more familiar with Australian wine regions, I spent some time sampling wine from well-known producers, including Clarendon Hills, Glaetzer, and Greenock Creek. The wines I tasted were so impressive that I ended up buying much more wine than I had initially planned. Today, my Australian wine collection is plentiful and diverse, and I had a lot of fun getting it to that point.

Giving wine as a corporate gift can be tricky.

How to Give Wine as a Corporate Gift

Buying Wine, GiftsBy Vinfolio Staff April 25, 2019

How do you show your employees, colleagues, or clients how much you appreciate them? Giving wine as a corporate gift is one of the best ways to thank them for their hard work. Fine wine is a classic gift that appeals to a wide variety of people and also looks polished and professional. Some beautiful bottles, like 2002 Piper-Heidsieck Millesimé Rare, look so impressive that you don’t even need to wrap them.

Moët & Chandon tasting notes can help you choose a wine.

How Moët & Chandon Tasting Notes Can Help You Find the Perfect Champagne

Champagne, France, Producers, Producers and Wineries, TastingBy Vinfolio Staff April 19, 2019

Moët & Chandon produces some of the most age-worthy, valuable, and flavorful wines in the world. However, if you’re new to Moët & Chandon, you might feel overwhelmed by the number of labels and vintages available to choose from. Moët & Chandon tasting notes can help you make your decision. Professional tasting notes are designed to guide collectors and wine enthusiasts to the wines that best match their personal tastes and investment goals. This guide will direct you to reliable reviews for Moët & Chandon’s best labels and vintages. You’ll see what experienced wine experts have to say about specific wines and will get detailed advice on the best bottles to add to your collection.

Send wine online as a gift using the right websites.

How to Send Wine as a Gift Online

Buying Wine, GiftsBy Vinfolio Staff April 12, 2019

The internet has made it easier than ever to send your friends and loved ones wine as a gift. Nearly every bottle you could possibly imagine is available at your fingertips. Looking for a rare bottle of 1996 Château Latour? You can send this wine as a gift online without ever stepping foot outside your house. In the past, you would have had to visit or call multiple wine shops to see if they had it in stock. In fact, this bottle is so hard to find that you likely would have had to travel outside your state to get your hands on it.

Cristal consistently gets high champagne ratings and reviews.

Champagne Ratings: The Top Ten Wines You Should Add to Your Collection

Buying Wine, Champagne, Investing, ReviewingBy Vinfolio Staff April 11, 2019

Champagne is making a comeback. In 2011, Champagne held just one percent of the total market trade share. By 2018, this number had risen to eight percent. Why is Champagne gaining on the market? In part, the rise is due to a spate of excellent Champagne ratings and reviews from top wine critics. Recent releases like the 2008 Louis Roederer Cristal are receiving perfect scores from notable experts and this is driving up the value of Champagne as a category.

DRC and Clos de Tart make some of the best grand cru Burgundy.

Ranking the Best Grand Cru Burgundy

Burgundy, France, Producers and Wineries, Wine Regions, WineriesBy Vinfolio Staff April 5, 2019

The reason it’s so hard to rank the best grand cru Burgundy is that personal taste plays a huge role. It also comes down to what you value most. Are you looking for a wine with a high quality-to-price ratio (QPR)? Is flavor complexity the most important factor? Or do you want to buy wine that you can resell for a profit? No matter which quality you value most in a wine, this guide will sort–and in some cases rank–grand cru Burgundy according to a few different criteria.

Pauillac wine is among the most collectible Bordeaux.

How to Start a Pauillac Wine Collection

Bordeaux, Collecting, France, Investing, Wine RegionsBy Vinfolio Staff March 29, 2019

Wines from Pauillac receive top scores from critics and can age for very long periods of time. Although producers from this area only make traditional Cabernet Sauvignon-based blends, there’s still plenty of diversity of flavor in these wines, making the tasting experience very exciting. If you want to start your own Pauillac wine collection from scratch or you’re looking for new wines to add to an already extensive collection, then this guide will help you discover the best wines that this region has to offer.

Decanting Château d'Yquem isn't common but it can be beneficial.

Decanting Château d’Yquem: Should You or Shouldn’t You?

Bordeaux, Enjoying Wine, France, Producers, Producers and Wineries, Sauternes, Serving, WineriesBy Vinfolio Staff March 28, 2019

A few years ago, a wine enthusiast wrote a letter to Wine Spectator’s Dr. Vinifera asking whether it’s safe to decant Sauternes. The letter writer had just come back from a restaurant and had been surprised to see that the sommelier poured a 1995 Château d’Yquem from a decanter. Dr. Vinifera responded that decanting Château d’Yquem certainly isn’t a common practice, but it’s also not a bad idea. Like any other fine wine, some Sauternes vintages open up with a little aeration and become more expressive.

The best Dom Perignon food pairing takes into account the vintage and style of the wine.

What Is the Best Dom Pérignon Food Pairing?

Champagne, Enjoying Wine, France, Producers and Wineries, ServingBy Vinfolio Staff March 22, 2019

In 2015, journalist Melissa Chang was invited to a private wine tasting party built around unique Moët & Chandon Dom Pérignon food pairings. Each dish was designed specifically to complement a particular Dom Pérignon wine. The classic 2004 Dom Pérignon was served with bacon jam biscuits. A bottle of 1998 Dom Pérignon P2 was paired with smoked king salmon. The night wrapped up with glasses of 2003 Dom Pérignon Rosé followed by a sweet tofu dessert. Chang said the tasting reminded her just how versatile Dom Pérignon and other fine Champagne can be. She says, “Champagne is like a little black dress—it goes with everything.” This guide will show you how to create the ideal pairing for all the bottles in your collection.