Monthly Sips: The Best Wines I Drank in April
One of the most common questions I get is, “What’s your favorite wine?”
Truth is, wine is very situational for me. I rarely revisit the same bottle, which often makes it difficult for me to answer this question.
So, I decided a monthly log of the best bottles I’ve had of late would be a good start.
You can reference this guide when you’re stocking up your cellar or just craving something different. Hopefully, these monthly wine roundups will inspire you to try some new things! Even if you can’t get these exact same bottles, I challenge you to get out of your wine comfort zone and explore a region, grape, or style of wine you have yet to taste.
Monthly Sips: The Best Wines I Drank in April
Here are the best wines I drank in April 2022, in no particular order. You may be able to purchase some of these online, and if so, I’ve included links below.
By the way, some of these links are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using the links provided, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I appreciate your support!
If you end up trying any of these wines, please let me know your thoughts!
Image credit: Albert Bichot
Albert Bichot NV Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Réserve
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Crémant and other sparkling wines made using the Champagne Method are the best values for your money. If you’re anything like me and love champagne, but you don’t have the budget for it, this wine is for you.
Dry, crisp, and refreshing. Perfect for a special occasion, or just a Tuesday night.
I enjoyed this special bottle while speaking on a panel at the OC Wine Fest with Millenial Competition about women in the wine industry.
azur 2020 rosé d’or, napa, ca
Believe me when I say this is one of my favorite rosé wines of all time.
We had the pleasure of tasting this wine with the winemaker herself, Elan Fayard, during our monthly winemaker tasting. Elan shared how she pioneered this style of rosé winemaking in Napa Valley when she was just 26 years old.
Elan’s style exudes balance and elegance - each of her wines show a characteristic silkiness on the palate. I can guarantee it’s nothing like any other California rosé you’ve had before.
If you’re interested in getting access to boutique wines and joining a virtual wine tasting with some of California’s best winemakers, stay updated here.
The 2020 vintage is sold out, but get the 2021 on Azur’s website for $38 here.
Les Vins Pirouettes Eros, Alsace, France
Whether you’ve had orange wine before, or you still think orange wine is made from oranges, you should run to grab this bottle.
Medium-bodied with some tannins and high acidity, plus notes of orange blossom, ripe apricot, juicy tangerine, honey, and chalk. A blend of some of the most aromatic grapes (Riesling/Gewurztraminer/Muscat), it’s very fruity and very drinkable.
This wine is a product of an association built by Christian Binner in an effort to showcase some of Alsace’s best organic and biodynamic vineyards and winemakers.
Image credit: Subject to Change Wine Co.
Subject to Change 2019 'Bang Bang' Chardonnay, Coastview Vineyard, CA
WOW. This wine was such a standout at Raw Wine (a natural wine festival) for me.
If you belong in the ABC (anything but Chardonnay) club, you need to try this wine. Just trust me when I say it’s nothing like any other Chardonnay I’ve had before. It has a bit of texture from some skin contact, along with notes of citrus, pear, honey, and minerality (great acidity, too).
Minimal intervention, lower ABV.
bibi graetz 2018 testamatta, Tuscany, italy
If you know me, you know that I don’t really care about wine scores. BUT that being said, I have only come across a few 100-point wines in my life, and this was one of them.
This is one of the fruitiest and smoothest Sangiovese wines I’ve tasted, and it was absolutely delightful. You can definitely drink this on its own without food (which I don’t say often about Italian wines), but it pairs wonderfully with Italian food (duh), particularly anything with truffles.
This vintage is sold out, but I highly recommend trying the 2019 Anniversary Label for a special occasion.
final girl 2019 petit verdot, happy canyon of santa barbara, ca
I had the pleasure of pouring this wine at a media event in West Hollywood, and it did not disappoint (Final Girl wines never do).
Anna and Peter share a love of horror movies, hence the fun label. Anna uses a minimal intervention style, resulting in extremely juicy, drinkable wines.
It’s rare to see a varietal expression of Petit Verdot - it’s often just a blending grape. This is a full-bodied wine with ripe black fruits and sweet baking spices. Perfect for warming you up on a cool evening.
phelan farm 2021 gamay, cambria, ca
Another standout at Raw Wine, Phelan Farm is run by the legendary Rajat Parr.
Minimal intervention winemaking with nothing added (not even sulfites) or taken away. I was lucky to sit in on a panel with winemakers who make wine without the use of added sulfites (more on that soon) and learn more about Parr’s unique style.
This is a light and refreshing red wine - perfect for sipping on the couch or at a summer BBQ.
dumol 2017 WESTER REACH PINOT NOIR, russian river valley, ca
DuMOL is a small production winery that crafts nuanced, vineyard-focused Chardonnay & Pinot Noir from distinctive sites in the cool-climate Green Valley of the Russian River Valley.
Named after founder Max Gasiewicz’s children, Duncan & Molly, DuMOL believes in producing a small amount of great wine, rather than a large amount of pretty good wine - which is evident in this bottle!
This a great representation of a Sonoma Pinot - it’s dry but fruit-forward, elegant and balanced, with notes of red cherries, strawberries, violets, cedar, and a touch of umami.
Sign up here to receive access to DuMOL’s limited shipments.
Jansz Premium Sparkling Rosé, Tasmania, Australia
Have you tried wine from Tasmania yet? If not, this needs to be the one that converts you.
With a cool climate like Champagne, Tasmania produces excellent Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and sparkling wines. This rosé is made using the Champagne Method, so it has similar flavors and characteristics to champagne, but it’s an excellent value.
This wine is dry with notes of strawberries and cream, grapefruit, and pastry. It pairs delightfully with brie or goat cheese.
We tasted this during our Wines of Australia virtual wine tasting. If you haven’t joined one of our monthly virtual wine tastings yet, what are you waiting for?! Browse all of our upcoming events here.
I hope you enjoyed this recap of my favorite wines from April. If you taste any of these, please let me know in the comments below! I’ll be back next month with another roundup of my favorite wines from May.
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like this one about how to plan a wine tasting party at home.
And if you’d like to attend a virtual or in-person wine tasting event, join our Wine Tasting Club or check out our upcoming events here.
Happy sipping!
