Luxury is relative, right? There are expensive cars, watches, handbags – things that cost positively ridiculous amounts of money, and are really more of a status play than a quality play. Oh, sure, I had my day, when I indulged in ridiculously expensive designer shoes and handbags, but I’m over that. (All my money these days goes toward plane tickets and wines.)

To me, luxury is a really excellent glass of wine – and even better if it’s paired with some friends and some really excellent food.I’m here to share some recon that I hope inspire you to treat yourself!

William Cole Vineyards I met Cole Ballentine this past summer while he was swinging through Chicago. This was a new-to-me winery and I love first encounters with new wines! Fair warning: you won’t find these wines just anywhere. Production is small (like, 2000 cases, or about 12,000 bottles a year), and they are 100% DTC – which means “direct to consumer.” So you need to either make your way to Napa Valley, or acquire them by contacting the winery on their website and/or joining their wine club. Cole and his family pretty much run the whole show and their only goal is quality. I find this really refreshing.

They do not submit their wines for scores. And as mentioned, they do not put their wines into distribution. (Cole was in town for dinners with local wine club members.) I tasted the William Cole Cuvée Jean Marie Chardonnay 2022 and it was pretty near perfect – juicy with apples and a kiss of nectarine – like an orchard party kissed with a bit of lime zest and a little bouquet of flowers on the party table.

I also tasted the 2021 and 2009 Cuvée Claire Cabernet Sauvignon and holy hell – divine; super complex, with black fruit, black olives, dried violets, cocoa nibs. And the 2009 was a sexy beast – layering in black cherries over dried herbs, that cigar box thing and some earthy / brambly notes with an undercurrent of savory black olives.

Perhaps the thing I loved the most is their approach. As Cole said, “It’s about making great wine – not about the wine making us great.” These wines are luxury, and yes, they’re expensive ($95 for the Chard, and $195 for the 2021 Cab) but you can’t even buy a single Chanel shoe for $195!

Mayacamas This legendary Napa Valley winery’s roots go back to 1889, and since the 1950s, it’s been turning out consistently excellent Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon from the slopes of Mount Veeder. I received samples of both their 2022 Chardonnay and 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, and oooh-weee … stand back. These wines are gorgeous.

For every new vintage release, Mayacamas does a really cool thing: they re-release the vintage 10 years earlier. So I got to taste 2009 and 2019 Cabernets and 2012 and 2022 Chardonnays. You really get a sense of how these wines stand up over time, developing deeper and different flavor profiles – that’s the mark of a well-made wine.

The Cabernet is lush with black cherry and oil-cured black olives jumped out of the glass, backed up with fresh herbs – as juicy as a Hollywood scandal. Exactly what you want with steak (the wine, not the scandal). You could smell the age on the 2009 – that dusty aroma, which led to cherry/plum compote, bay leaf, cloves, fresh tobacco, and silken tannins. The 2019 Cabernet is $185 and if there are any left of the 2009, that’s $300.

I adored the Chardonnays! The 2012 still had crunchy orchard fruit – think Granny Smith apples and nectarines. The 2022 Chard is an affordalicious luxury at $65 and the 2012 – again, if any remains – is $90.

Del Dotto This Napa Valley family-owned winery has a very cool approach to aging wines. They experiment with a wide array of barrels to age their Cabernet Sauvignon wines, and I received two samples: both 2019 Cabernets: one aged in an American Oak Fouquet barrel and the other aged in a Taransaud French Oak barrel. Wow! So freaking fun to taste!

The American Oak one is all cherries, chocolate and a hint of coconut (they call this the Almond Joy / Piña Colada barrel). It’s rich and decadent and I love it. The French Oak one has brighter red fruits and more prominent herbal notes. It’s like a raspberry cordial had a baby with a really good dark chocolate bar. Both have satiny tannins that makes the wine just slide across your palate. $250 each and worth it!

Bertani I met Andrea Lonardi, chief of winemaking for Bertani in 2022 at the Wine Media Conference in Lake Garda, Italy. Aside from the fact that he looks like an Italian movie star, Andrea is the second person in Italy to earn the Master of Wine title (in 2023). He is as knowledgeable about wine as he is charming and the Amarone wines from Bertani are nothing short of exceptional. Their Amarone Della Valpolicella Classico DOCG 2012 – yes, 2012 – is still available in the market (Bertani is known for its 45 vintages of of Amarone) and its heaven. Made from 80% Corvina Veronese and 20% Rondinella (classic Valpolicella grapes), you’re going to get dried cherry, backed up with some nutty coffee notes, dried thyme, and a dried violet note. It’s what you want with a lasagna, or a big piece of gorgeous red meat. And it can be had for about $125.

Familia Deicas If you don’t know Familia Deicas wines from Uruguay, sit down and listen, because these wines are heaven. Their Preludio red blend is the first non-Italian wine that won the Grand Gold Medal at Vinitaly. It’s a blend of tannat (the signature grape of Uruguay) and Cabernet, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Marcelan. And guess what – it’s less than $40. Deicas also makes another beautiful red called Extreme for about $50. These are well-made wines that are consistently excellent and the price cannot be beat!

Smith Madrone I fell in love with these wines when brothers Stu Smith and Charlie Smith did a Zoom wine tasting in 2020, and I recently got to taste the new vintages of their gorgeous Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet. They’ve been making wine in Napa Valley since 1971 and prices range in price from $25 (rosé) and up and they always offer great deals on three-packs. The wines are consistently glorious, thanks to careful winemaking and authentic expression of each varietal. Their Riesling the best California Riesling I’ve tasted, with an amazing balance of acidity and orchard fruit.

Champagne Palmer You can’t talk about luxury without talking about Champagne and this is my favorite! I visited them in Reims earlier this year, and I just love their house style – it’s all about freshness and elegance. They are not a huge house – only about 1 million bottles a year (compared to 10 or 15 million at the big houses). And their price points are super reasonable: Under $50 for their entry level cuvée (which is beautiful).

So – live a little, why don’t you? Treat yourself! It’s not like you’re dropping a wad on a car or fancy jewelry – it’s a bottle of wine that you’ll share with friends and savor the experience. Cheers!