The Manzanos Wines Journal
Stories of wine, passion, and craftsmanship from around the world, by the team behind a Spanish wine importer serving all 50 states.
The 4 Levels of Rioja: Crianza to Gran Reserva Explained
One word on the back label decides if a Rioja costs $12 or $60. Learn to read Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva like a pro buyer.
Pinotage in 2026: 6 Reasons South Africa Belongs on Your Wine List
South Africa pours some of the best-value wine on any US shelf, and almost nobody is drinking it. In 2026, that is the opportunity.
5 Reasons Chilean Carmenere Is the Smart 2026 Wine List Pick
Chilean wine exports dipped in 2026, but value reds surged. Here's why Carmenere from the Maule Valley is the smartest pour on any US wine list.
8 Spanish Wines Every California Wine List Should Pour in 2026
California moves $34.1B in wine a year. Here are 8 Spanish pours (and the pairings that sell them) built for the state's 2026 restaurant lists.
Why Piedmont Wine Is Built for the 2026 Table: A US Buyer's Guide to Barolo, Nebbiolo & Moscato d'Asti
Every 2026 trend report says the same thing: lighter, fresher, lower in oak and alcohol. Piedmont has been making exactly that wine for 150 years.
Why Rioja Is 2026's Smartest-Value Red for US Wine Lists
Spanish wine volumes are down in the US, yet export value jumped 8.4% to $3.43B. Here is why buyers who read the numbers are quietly loading up on Rioja.
Fire, Smoke and Value: Why Pinotage Is the 2026 Red Your Grill Has Been Missing
South Africa's smoky signature red is built for the grill and priced to win in a flat market. Meet Pinotage, 2026's smartest pour.
5 Reasons Chilean Carménère Belongs on Every 2026 US Wine List
It was a lost Bordeaux grape hiding in Chile for 150 years. Now Carménère is 2026's smartest value red, and buyers are paying attention.
New York Is Going Spanish: 7 Rioja Pours Every NY Wine List Needs in 2026
NYC's award-winning wine lists now run on Rioja. Here are 7 Spanish pours — and the pairings — every New York restaurant should carry in 2026.
Rioja's 2026 Moment: 5 Reasons America Is Trading Up to Spanish Reds
Americans are buying fewer bottles but spending more in 2026. Here's why Rioja's guaranteed aging makes it the smartest trade-up red on any US wine list.
South African Wine in 2026: 6 Reasons the US Trade Should Pour Bruce Jack Now
South Africa shipped US$562M of wine in 2024 and the US is its biggest upside yet. Here's why Pinotage and Bruce Jack are 2026's smartest pour for glass and shelf.
989 Acres, $20 Billion: 9 Wines Florida Restaurants Should Pour in 2026
Florida grows just 989 acres of grapes but drives $20.09 billion in wine activity. It's a drinking state, not a growing one — and its wine lists should show it.
US Wine Lists Cut 26% of Their Reds. These 4 Piedmont Bottles Earn Their Slot.
American restaurants now carry 26% fewer red wine labels than a year ago. The tariff math is brutal, and it is changing which Piedmont bottles are worth a pour.
Rioja Sales Fell 7.6% in the US. Gran Reserva Grew 16%.
Rioja shipments to the US dropped 7.6% — but Gran Reserva sales climbed 16%. The appellation isn't shrinking. It's consolidating at the top.
Pinotage and Fire: South Africa's Grill-Ready Red for Your 2026 Summer
One red smells like the grill before it hits your glass. Meet Pinotage — South Africa's smoky, native grape built for live-fire cooking and 2026's hottest summer tables.
Chile's Comeback Grape: 6 Reasons Carménère Belongs on Your 2026 Wine List
Bordeaux abandoned it. Chile mistook it for Merlot until 1994. Now Carménère is the country's signature red — and the smartest value on any 2026 wine list.
Virginia Wine Country Is Booming: 7 Restaurant Pairings for 2026
Virginia's wine industry just hit $8.37 billion and 300 wineries. Here are 7 imported pairings every Virginia restaurant list should pour in 2026.
4 Piedmont Wines Every US Wine List Needs in 2026
From the King of Wines to a low-alcohol fizz that's suddenly everywhere: 4 Piedmont pours from Duchessa Lia that belong on your 2026 list.
Drink Less, Drink Better: 7 Spanish Reds Winning US Wine Lists in 2026
Spanish wine exports to the US slipped 7% last year — yet Rioja is quietly becoming 2026's smartest-value red. Here's what US buyers are pouring instead.
Pinotage in 2026: 5 Reasons South Africa's Signature Red Belongs on Your List
South Africa's only home-grown grape is having a moment: smoky, food-friendly Pinotage delivers serious quality for the price. Here's why buyers are pouring it in 2026.
Chilean Carménère in 2026: 6 Reasons This Red Belongs on Your Table
81% of Chilean wine sells under $10 — but the real steal is Carménère, the lost Bordeaux grape reborn as Chile's most food-friendly red.
7 Import Wines Every Georgia Restaurant Should Pour in 2026
Atlanta's #1 Resy pick is a wine bar. Here's how Rioja, Carmenere and Pinotage pair with Georgia's Southern tables — and why they belong on your list.
Piedmont in a Glass: 5 Duchessa Lia Wines Every US Table Should Meet in 2026
Barolo is called the King of Wines for a reason. Here's how Piedmont's boldest reds and its featherlight Moscato d'Asti earn a place on your table in 2026.
5 Reasons South African Wine Is the Smartest Pour on US Lists in 2026
South Africa ships some of the world's best-value bottles into the US — so why does your list still have a Pinotage-shaped hole? 5 reasons to fix that in 2026.
Chile's Quiet Comeback: 5 Reasons Carmenere Belongs on Your 2026 Wine List
US wines from Chile in the $10-$20 band are quietly gaining ground while the rest of the world zigs. Here's why Carmenere is the smartest pour on your 2026 list.
Why Chilean Carménère Is the Smartest Red to List in 2026
Chile is the rare bright spot in a flat US wine market. Here is why Cremaschi Furlotti's Carménère earns its place on every list and table in 2026.
6 Spanish Reds Pennsylvania Wine Lists Should Pour in 2026
Pennsylvania is America's No. 1 control state for wine, yet volume fell 6.5% last year. The signal for PA restaurants: fewer bottles, better bottles, bigger stories.
5 Piedmont Pours Every US Wine List Needs in 2026
Barolo's thunder, Moscato d'Asti's silk: how Duchessa Lia's Piedmont range earns its place on America's 2026 wine lists — with pairings that actually work.
Why Rioja Belongs on Every US Wine List in 2026
U.S. wine volumes are flat in 2026, but value is rising 2-4%. Here's why Rioja's aging tiers and 95-point credentials make it the smartest red on any list.
5 South African Wines That Belong at Your Summer Braai in 2026
A Stellenbosch professor invented Pinotage in 1925 — and a century later it's still the smartest, smokiest red for your summer grill.