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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.

Top-rated California Cabernet wines on display.

Ranking the Top-Rated California Cabernet

California, Producers and Wineries, Reviewing, Wine RegionsBy Vinfolio Staff March 15, 2019

While you can show that certain vintages, labels, or producers are better than others using metrics like tasting scores, price performance, and bottle value, ranking the top-rated California Cabernet is still a subjective process. In this guide, we’ve identified some of the highest quality producers, vintages, and wine labels on the market today. While these rankings are by no means definitive, they are designed to help you gain a better understanding of which wines most collectors find worthwhile so you can add top-quality Cabernet to your collection.

A server displays a bottle of Priorat wine.

A Guide to Priorat Wine: How to Invest in the Region’s Best Bottles

Buying Wine, Collecting, Investing, Spain, Wine RegionsBy Vinfolio Staff March 14, 2019

Wine Enthusiast’s Michael Schachner says, “To say the Priorat has boomed is an understatement.” The Priorat wine region has become very fashionable over the past few years–and for good reason. This area is home to some of the best wine producers in the world and the most popular bottles are gaining significantly in value on the secondary market. If you want to start your own Priorat wine collection, this guide will help you get started.

A bridal shower wine basket can be themed to match the wedding.

How to Create the Perfect Bridal Shower Wine Basket

Buying Wine, Gifts, PartiesBy Vinfolio Staff March 8, 2019

Putting together a bridal shower wine basket is a creative way to celebrate a friend’s or relative’s upcoming wedding. Customized baskets show the bride how much you care about her and will make her feel even more special on her big day. This guide will take you through the process of putting together a beautiful wine basket that fits the bride’s unique personality.

Cult Wines: How to Invest in the World’s Most Popular Bottles

Collecting, Education, InvestingBy Vinfolio Staff March 1, 2019

Cult wines are among the most popular and expensive bottles in the world, making them tempting investments for every type of collector. I’ve known collectors who have made tens of thousands of dollars by selling their cult wine collections on the secondary market. Whether you buy wine for investment purposes or to enjoy it yourself, seeking out cult wines can be worthwhile if you’ve done your research. The challenge is that these wines are exceptionally rare and valuable, often making it difficult to obtain the best vintages or get the best value for the quality. This guide can help you navigate some of these challenges and build a fantastic collection of the right cult wines for you.

2011 was one of the Château d'Yquem best vintages

What Are Château d’Yquem’s Best Vintages?

Bordeaux, France, Producers and Wineries, SauternesBy Vinfolio Staff February 22, 2019

What makes a great Château d’Yquem vintage? All of these wines are excellent–the château doesn’t release a vintage if the grapes aren’t satisfactory–and they’re all designed to age for decades, so there aren’t many vintages that fall short. Still, different vintages have different strengths. You’ll find vintages that taste mature just 35 years after release and others that still taste exceptionally young at age 50. Some collectors prefer Château d’Yquem bottles that develop mature flavors fairly early whereas others prefer wines that age more slowly. This guide will help you find the best Château d’Yquem vintages based on your personal preferences and goals.

Buying wine by the case can be a wise investment

The Complete Guide to Buying Wine by the Case

Buying Wine, Collecting, InvestingBy Vinfolio Staff February 15, 2019

Buying wine by the case is a great way to stock up on wine for a party, lay down birth year wine, or see how a top-rated vintage evolves over time. However, buying wine by the case isn’t always a simple process. For starters, not all retailers sell wine by the case. Even if you find a retailer that sells full or half cases of wine, it can sometimes be difficult to determine whether you’re getting a good deal. This guide will walk you through the buying process to help you decide which cases are worth investing in and how to care for the cases you buy.

The best vintage year of Opus One is subjective.

What Is the Best Vintage Year for Opus One?

California, Investing, Producers and WineriesBy Vinfolio Staff February 14, 2019

Designating one year as the best vintage year for Opus One is a difficult and subjective task; wines from two different years may both be fantastic in completely different ways. Some vintages are fruit-driven and intense in flavor, while others are delicate and bright. To pick the best vintages for your own collection, you’ll want to consider which of these two styles you prefer as well as whether you plan on reselling your bottles on the secondary market in the future. Our guide to the best Opus One vintages will help you narrow down your choices and build a rewarding collection of these iconic wines.

A Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche vintage vertical

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche: The Best Vintages

Burgundy, Collecting, France, Investing, Producers and WineriesBy Vinfolio Staff February 8, 2019

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche is one of the greatest wine labels in the world. Even the lowest-rated vintages from this estate are still exceptionally high in quality, which means it’s nearly impossible to invest in a bad bottle of La Tâche. However, as with any label, some vintages are more valuable and impressive than others. Seeking out the very best wines from this producer ensures you’ll get the highest return on your investment and will get to enjoy only the finest wines the estate made.

Meursault wine is a unique white Burgundy

The Ultimate Guide to Meursault Wine

Burgundy, Buying Wine, France, Investing, Wine RegionsBy Vinfolio Staff February 1, 2019

The reason so many wine enthusiasts adore Meursault wine is that it is opulent yet approachable. These wines taste luxe and silky even in their youth, making them some of the easiest wines in the world to collect. You don’t have to worry about opening your Meursault too early, as even the youngest wines have spectacular balance and layers of flavor. Whether you’re starting a Meursault collection for the first time or you want to explore a few lesser-known producers or styles from this area, this guide will help you discover all that this region has to offer.

The best Valentine's Day wine ideas should reflect your personality as a couple.

Valentine’s Day Wine Ideas for Every Type of Celebration

Buying Wine, Enjoying Wine, HolidayBy Vinfolio Staff January 31, 2019

My idea of the perfect Valentine’s Day wine is generally either vintage Champagne or aged red Burgundy. However, last year, we decided to try something a little different. We chose a bottle of 1961 Château Prieuré du Monastir Del Camp Rivesaltes–a truly special wine that had fascinating flavors of fresh citrus and dried fruit. Serving decades-old Grenache was an unexpectedly great Valentine’s Day wine idea because it made the evening much more memorable. My spouse and I have shared dozens of bottles of Champagne together, but we’ve only had one bottle of 1961 Grenache from the Languedoc.