Previous Staff Selections • Bill McCleary
Spring 2026
Familia Torres Sangre de Toro Original
(Catalunya, Spain)
Surdyk's Price
Spain is one of the largest wine producing countries in the world, known for bargain pricing and reds to suit any taste. A longtime favorite of mine and a star feature in Surdyk’s Spanish wine section is Torres Sangre de Toro red blend. It was first made back in 1954, and today it is ranked in the top 14% of wine from the Catalunya region, just west of Barcelona. This is a delicious wine to pair with flavorful spice-infused cuisine. Its delightful ripe berry aroma and deep crimson hue usher in a robust, yet velvety experience on the palate. I particularly like the soft middle notes of black pepper, licorice, and orange peel. The grape blend of Cariñena and Garnacha promote fruit flavors of cherry and blackberry, and six months of American and French oak aging makes for a smooth, rounded oak tannic core. There’s a nice balance of acidity which makes this red well-suited for hearty meat stews. Sangre de Toro is very drinkable and shows true Spanish character.
Winter 2025
Ghost Pines Cabernet Sauvignon 2022
(Tri-County, CA )
Surdyk's Price
The Cabernet Sauvignon grape makes fabulous red wine. Over the years, it has become the signature red grape of California. Its rich, deep garnet color, dark currant flavor with notes of toasted oak, and firm tannic texture make Cabernet wine the perfect choice with all beef cuts, as well as venison and duck breast, this time of year. Ghost Pines by the Louis Martini Winery in Sonoma County, California is one of my favorites for both taste and value. They start by selecting grapes from three wine regions in California: Napa, Sonoma, and Lake Counties. This allows for fine blending of the Cabernet grapes for the best characteristic flavor, along with a spicy mix of wood smoke, cured tobacco leaf, and bittersweet chocolate, and a tannic structure in the finished wine. My recent tasting of this 2022 vintage showed big aromas of dark cherry fruit, cola, and vanilla. A full-bodied texture of soft to medium tannin added to the weight of the wine. It finished with a nice balance of acidity and bold, appealing fruit taste. It pairs perfectly with grilled steak, as well as an aromatic, steamy stew or simple, meaty pizza. A few weeks back, it was ideal with my wife, Bonnie’s, meatloaf. Ghost Pines Cabernet will age well with time and will only get better in the next six to nine years.
Fall 2025
Hacienda Lopez de Haro Reserva
(Rioja, Spain )
Surdyk's Price
Spanish red wine from the Rioja region has always been popular at Surdyk’s. One of our best is from Hacienda Lopez de Haro. It’s a great, robust take on premium wine at a bargain price. I’ve personally been drinking this Rioja for years. It is a rounded, full palate of flavors with a core full of spice and a smooth, long finish. The Tempranillo grape is its signature, with some Graciano added for color and body. The flavors are bold with plum, cranberry, and raspberry fruit expressions. You’ll find a bright acidity that balances a medium/firm tannin that adds good structure to this red wine. Deep in the middle is a spice rainbow of vanilla, crushed tobacco leaf, and a touch of balsamic. This carries a “Reserva” classification, which in Spain means the wine spent one year in oak cask and two more years in the bottle before being released for sale. Here’s classic Rioja flavor just waiting for you to set your table to serve up hamburgers all the way to a nice steak. Grilling that steak over charcoal would make this a smoky wonder.