Life is too short to drink bad wine

This is a very smooth drinking red from Valpolicella. Ripassa wines undergo a second fermentation with left over grapes from the production of Amarone. This creates a very silky and fruity red with very soft tannins which makes it perfect for traditional dishes like rack of slated lamb and game (deer and reindeer). Dark red purple colour with lots of sweet red and dark fruit on the nose. The taste is big and very fruity and ever so approachable. Valpolicella Ripassa 2012 Zenato Ca 14€ or 199 NOK

This is a very decent Pinot Noir from the Anderson Valley in California. It's also reasonable priced as it compares pricewise to generic Burgundy Pinot Noirs. The colour is medium red. On the nose it has a mix of red and black fruit which is slighly spicy with a sweet undertone. The taste is fruity and harmonic with a firm but very soft aftertaste. It's a delicious wine although it is not as good as the other top Pinot's from the same producer. Try with white meat. Copain "Tous Ensemble" 2013 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley Ca 20$ or 250kr

This property from St.Emilion and the underrated 2004 vintage is just drinking perfectly now. And what a beautiful wine it is! Dark red colour with a lovely bouquet of dark fruit, plum, chocolate and some coffee. Just gorgeous! It's also perfectly balanced on the palate with lots of dark fruit, delightful smooth and velvety taste. Incredible easy drinking and oh so irresistible! Really yummy stuff! Clos de l'Oratoire 2004 St.Emilion Ca 30€ (at the time)   This is the description from Parker: 'I tasted this wine on multiple occasions and some of the samples were more impressive than even this note suggests! Two others were somewhat monolithic, but my instincts suggest the 2004 Clos de l'Oratoire is an outstanding wine. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, it is extremely well-endowed for the vintage. A deep ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of espresso roast, chocolate, dried herbs, and plenty of sexy black currant and cherry fruit. Me...

This is a late harvest Riesling from Rheingau in Germany. Spatlese normally comes in two versions; one that is dry and one that is sweet. This is the dry version (Trocken) which makes it very fruity and adaptable to many kinds of food. Light green yellow colour and flavours of citrus and apple. Lots of fruit and a good acidity. This should fit most types of asian food, spicy, salted and smoked food. I tried it recently with the Norwegian traditional dish of dried salted rib of lamb (pinnekjøtt), which turned out to be a perfect match thanks to the acidity and freshness of the wine. Leitz Riesling Spaetlese Trocken 2011 Rudesheimer Bischofsberg Rheingau Low price

This is a unknown Champagne house to me but I was presently surprised by their style which is a more fruitdriven Champagne thanks to the high content of Pinot Noir in their cuvees. Many of them are more like Blanc de Noirs than normal brut. This one has 80% Pinot Noir and a very golden colour separating it from other houses and cuvees. Beautiful aromas of red berries and apples, with hints of butter and biscuit. Big rich and  fruity taste with a lovely balance and mousse. This should be perfect as an aperitif but will also go well with fish and white meat. Drappier Carte d'Or (or Carte Blanche) Champagne Ca 30€  

This is just a lovely Pinot Noir from Anthill Farms in Sonoma Coast in California. The colour is light to medium red and the nose is both "fruity" and "refreshing" with delicious aromas of raspberry, red fruit, cellar and plum. The wine is also both light and full bodied with lots of red fruit and a great delightful acidity which is rare in Californian wines. Overall a superbly balanced wine competing with red Burgundy. Anthill Farms 2013 Pinot Noir Sonama Coast  Ca 350 NOK or 30$

This Anthill Farms Pinot Noir is from a single vineyard in Sonoma Coast called Campbell Ranch. It's pricier than the normal Anthill version and the colour is deeper leading towards more medium red. The bouquet is just incredible with a lovely "chilled" red fruit that just explodes in the glass. The taste is big, massive and intense with a great complexity and with lots of cold red fruit and a great acidity. This is just a very very nice Pinot and definitely a step up from the basic version which is also very good. Burgundy watch out! Anthill Farms Pinot Noir 2013 Campbell Ranch   Ca 450 NOK or 40$