While not untrue, calling Cheverny a value alternative to Sancerre would completely overlook the virtues unique to this appellation. It is a much zippier expression of Sauvignon Blanc compared to its famous neighbor, more citrusy than grassy. When Kermit introduced this wine in July 1993, he said, “Salvard makes the most drinkable, quaffable Sauvignon Blanc I have ever tasted.”
     Thierry and Emmanuel Delaille of Domaine du Salvard specialize in crisp, mouthwatering Sauvignon Blanc, but for this cuvée, they add a splash of Chardonnay, which brings complexity, flesh, and notes of Meyer lemon and orchard fruit. The base of Sauvignon Blanc, meanwhile, provides freshness and liveliness as well as its characteristic flavors of passion fruit and lime zest. The two grape varieties combine for outstanding versatility, such that this bottle will serve you well alongside all kinds of seasonal spring fare.

From the heel of the Italian boot comes this crisp and zesty white wine reminiscent of a bowl of assorted fresh citrus and the nearby sea. Blending three Puglian (POOL-ian) grape varieties—Verdeca, Minutolo, and Bianco d’Alessano—it serves as the ideal introduction to this little-explored area. Open this alongside a bowl of fennel taralli, the donut-shaped Puglian cracker that has become my go-to aperitivo snack (the Danieli brand is my favorite)!

If you join me for dinner chez moi, chances are high we’ll be eating shellfish. In my eyes, nothing makes for a more lively group meal than shucking clams and oysters, steaming mussels, or going full-out low country boil. Having dry white wine on deck is a must. Enter Colleleva’s bright, chalky Verdicchio from Castelli di Jesi.
      Effortless to drink, and priced for easy enjoyment, this bottle makes the rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it, simple to follow—fortunate for me, as I like my moules marinières, scampi, and seafood stews with lots of winey broth for dipping bread. If seafood isn’t your go-to, don’t fret—this bottle is just as ideal for dishes like Chicken Marbella, garlicky herb pasta, or stewed lentils. Like any culinary staple, you’ll want more than one on hand, so plan accordingly!

In a region full of world-class Nebbiolo in the form of Barolo, this Langhe Nebbiolo is also a world-class rendition of this grape. It’s about as good as Tuesday night roast chicken Nebbiolo for under $20 gets. Cherries, the faintest hint of tar, a leafy and ever-so-slightly grippy finish come together in a beautiful harmony.

In the KLWM tasting room, there is a set of shelves affixed to the wall, on which sit some of the most magical bottles opened over the years. It is a Hall of Fame of sorts. Next to empty fifths of Quintarelli, Vieux Télégraphe, and various Burgundy legends stands a bottle of 1959 Cahors from Clos La Coutale.     
      I was not around to enjoy that vintage, opened in the ’80s, but I was recently able to get my hands on a few bottles of Clos La Coutale’s 2000 Cahors. I recently opened one alongside the 2022 vintage—both made by the same man, Philippe Bernède—and was blown away, both by the twenty-five-year-old bottles and the current release. This experience served as yet another reminder that this red perennially punches way above its weight, both in the immediate pleasure it delivers and the way it evolves in the bottle over time. That Philippe is able to coax this much complexity and class from the Malbec and Merlot he blends for this cuvée is nothing short of extraordinary.     
      Today, the 2022 is a robust, tightly coiled rouge, lifted by an impressive freshness that is balanced by notes of dark fruit, plum, earth, and eucalyptus. Over five, ten, fifteen, and twenty years, it will unfurl slowly, showing you a different kind of magic at each moment in time, culminating in a glass of stately Cahors that is similar, in ways, to aged Bordeaux.     
      I haven’t even mentioned the price yet, because there is nothing more to say but reaffirm what Kermit declared decades ago: “I would recommend this at any price.” For the outstanding value, this is the kind of wine you should buy by the case or more. I, for one, plan to pop the cork on the 2022 Cahors dozens of times in the twenty years to come. 

You can count on just two hands the growers we’ve worked with for four decades or more. Joining such families as the Peyrauds (Domaine Tempier) and the Bruniers (Vieux Télégraphe) in that company are the Laboucariés, who, for years, have crafted ethereal and delicious rosés and soulful, terroir-driven reds in the Corbières appellation halfway between Montpellier and the Spanish border. For this perennially over-delivering cuvée, Bruno Laboucarié blends two parts Carignan with one part Grenache and a splash of Syrah to produce a vibrant country red reminiscent of black cherries and spice.