The Dalmore is a staple of many great whisky cabinets, but for 2025 the scotch distillery is going after space in another important storage space for great booze: the wine cellar. The Dalmore Cask Curation Series: The Red Wine Cask Edition is a collection of three whiskies aged in barrels that once matured French red wines — a departure from their typical port and sherry finishes, for which the distillery is best known. The collection comprises three red wine casked whiskies: a 24-year, a 34-year, and a 43-year. 

The distillery’s official partner for this collection is Château Mont-Redon of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Southeast of France. The winery, which is the largest single property in the appellation, was founded in 1923 — a full 13 years before the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation was even created. Founder Henri Plantin recognized the potential of the land’s terroir early, and the result of that decision has been more than a century of complex wines (and now, whiskies). 

This is not the first time that red wine has been used to make a Dalmore malt. Bottles like The Dalmore Quintessence have previously used red wine, though in the case of Quintessence, the barrels hailed from wineries in California, and featured Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Pinot Noir. The Dalmore launched the Cask Curation line in 2023 with its sherry series, and followed last year with an exploration of port casks. This third collection is the first to touch unfortified wines, specifically wines made from Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Grenache Noir. Dalmore describes these wines as “rich and plummy,” with savory notes and a jammy character.

Red wine has been an increasingly popular theme across malt whiskies in recent years, and generally speaking it’s been a reliable way for distilleries that specialize in things like sherry and port to showcase the range of their spirit. Red wine maturation delivers similar flavors to port and sherry, but typically these flavors are more bright, fresh, ripe, and juicy than the nutty, dark, concentrated flavors of fortified wines.

The Dalmore’s collection seems to be keeping in line with that rule. Tasting notes provided by the distillery suggest that the youngest whisky in this collection (the 24-year-old) teases notes of red berries, citrus, roasted coffee, and creme brulee. The 34-year-old builds on these flavors with wood spice, overripe berries, and a “touch” of licorice. As for the 43-year release, it adds dark chocolate, tropical fruits, and a more defined backbone of wood spice running through the palate, with a hint of leather on the nose.

Cask Curation 2025’s price is, thankfully, for all three bottles  — a full $47,750 (Cask Curation is sold exclusively as a set). Speaking of the set, there are just 150 of them for the entire global market, available from the beginning of October. 

G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for whisky reviews and trends, perspectives on drinks, and stuff.

The words Santa Cruz elicits beach, surf, and other coastal California connotations. But wind up, away from the beach and into the redwood forests to find some of the most interesting, exacting and exquisite wine in North America. Start with Thomas Fogarty. Founded in 1981, the winery is perched at the tippy top of the region, well above the fog line and with Silicon Valley unfolding at its feet. It’s a wild place to make wine—the vineyards sit atop mountains, and dip and curve out of redwood forests and steep drops.

It’s remote, on roads favored by motor bikers and other explorers, who come for the incredible sunsets over the mountains. That wildness is worth it, as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay thrive in the fog-draped landscape. Tommy Fogarty has been here since 1981, making compelling, expressive takes on the grape. All seem to reflect the mountain—they taste of sagebrush, pine, bay laurel, chaparral and other local herbs. The wines breath with freshness only found in the highest peaks. I’m in love with all the wines Fogarty makes, but try the Pinot Noir’s Razorback Vineyard first. It’s intense and austere, with dark florals, notes of incense, juniper, and bay laurel, and a fresh fruitiness that ties together the herbaceousness. $85

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, Vogue, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

With more than 500 wineries in the Napa Valley, it can be challenging for a new winery to stand out. For Arborum proprietors Caren and Nick Orum, it’s all about stepping back and letting the land do the talking. They operate out of a pocket of Napa that was once among the valley’s most iconic plots. It was first planted in the 1800s at the advice of pioneering winemaker Charles Krug, who guided the former owners to climb the vines up the steep, terraced hillsides. From the land, winemaker Hannah Weinberger (Napa’s first female winemaker) brought her wines to the World Expo in Paris and brought home high honors.

But then prohibition hit, and the property was enveloped by the wilds. When the Orums took over, the olive trees were overgrown, reaching up to twenty feet tall. It took serious elbow grease to pull up the weeds and replant vineyards up the slopes. They brought on legendary winemaker Andy Erickson, who was drawn to the land’s rich Napa history. High praises soon followed. Arborum’s Proprietary Red–predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with a kiss of Cabernet Franc—is absolutely gorgeous. It’s super-finessed with deep flavors of black fruit, cocoa, bay laurel, and fig. Critical acclaim aside, Arborum is keenly focused on giving back. 100% of earnings go to charitable organizations, from environmental causes (like Napa Land Trust and Save the Redwoods) to those that help support the Napa community. We’ll drink to that. $265

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

Deep in the heart of Uruguay, on a hill that leads into a ridge and overlooks a vast and verdant valley, lies Vina Eden—the vineyard of Eden. There are a lot of reasons to love Vina Eden. The views are one, as is the architecturally-minded winery dug into the side of the cliff—the winery’s cellar is literally carved into the moss-dotted rocks. The winemakers work with local entrepreneurs to create secondary products from their production—like jammy alfajores from Tannat grapes and dulce de leche with a Marselan grape liqueur. “We love to make things when we’re working,” says co-owner Rosane Zlatkin. “If we’re not having fun, why do it?” They also put a big lean on Marselan, a grape from the Southwest of France that shines particularly brightly in Uruguay’s breezy, beachy climate. At Vina Eden, it’s full and plush, with electric notes of raspberry balanced by blooming roses and juicy plums. All that is tied together with structured, inky tannins .$45

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

Wings is inspired by the winemaking journey of a father and son—the brand’s founder, Aurelio Montes, and his son, also named Aurelio Montes. The goal: making a Chilean Carmenere that could seriously take flight. If you’ve ever been to Chile, you know it can be hot and dry. As a result, the country’s best wines tend to be big and bold, like they’re born on a hot, sunny day. To sidestep that exuberance, the Montes looked to grapes that come from  steep inclines that climb up the higher slopes of the lush, warm Apalta Valley. That incline allows Carmenere (typically a Bordeaux grape used in blends) to grow with freshness and intensity, producing a wine that is both ethereal and elegant. It’s deep and rouge in color with shimmering threads of violet. The palate dances with force and restraint, with pretty silky notes of ripe wild raspberries and a lingering spice of bell pepper and peppercorn. The fruit is ripe and giving, but the acid floats across the palate like a song. A Chilean Carmenere well worth paying attention to. $70

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

The worlds of wine and basketball are increasingly blending together. LeBron James and JJ Redick launched a wine-fueled podcast, and baller oenophile Carmelo Anthony hosted an Instagram Live series called “What’s In Your Glass?” where he chatted with other NBA wine enthusiasts. And most recently, Robert Mondavi Winery rolled out a years-in-the-making collaboration with VII(N) The Seventh Estate, a winery run by Anthony and his co-founder Asani Swann Benjamin.

VII(N)—named after the French word for wine, and the Roman numeral version of Anthony’s Knicks jersey—explores the rich history of Bordeaux wines. There are nuanced, rich Chateauneuf-du-Papes and Grand Cru blends from Saint Emilion. Now, together with Robert Mondavi and its chief winemaker Geneviève Janssens, they’re exploring one of the wine world’s other great regions: the Napa Valley.

Ode to Soul, the first release from the collaboration, is a nod to Napa history, highlighting grapes harvested from the legendary To Kalon vineyard that runs through the heart of Napa. Blending Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it’s a California Cabernet with a Bordeaux accent. Plush and unctuous notes of black cherry, licorice, lavender, and Montmercy cherry that finish off with enveloping tannins. $275

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

IfThe White Lotus put Sicilian wine on your radar, keep that fascination going by uncorking some of Feudo Montoni’s standout reds. The estate, which has been growing vines since 1469, makes exacting and entrancing wines. The property is guided by Melissa Muller, a New Yorker with Sicilian roots who formed her career running restaurants and writing cookbooks that nod to her heritage. Then she met Feudo Montoni winemaker Fabio and everything clicked. The duo fell in love and she left New York for good.

Now, Fabio and Melissa oversee the historic estate. They tend to fields of chickpeas and olive trees, and play with Sicily’s indigenous varietals, like Catarratto and Grillo—expressive, often salty and sometimes savory whites—and Nerello Mascalese and Nero d’Avola, which make rich but electric and expressive reds. All are well worth seeking out, but start with the Nerello Macalese ($35), born from vines that are only 35 years old, but hail from mother plants that have reigned over the estate for centuries. The resulting wine is incredibly elegant—garnet in color with layers of wormwood, bay leaf, blooming flowers and a stony minerality. Sip it at room temperature or let it chill down in the fridge for a moment to amp up the vibrance. 

Then graduate to the Nero d’Avola ($90), another one of Sicily’s star red grapes. The tannins are more structured and giving, balanced out by lively strawberry, blood orange, and black pepper. What I love about these wines is they’re ethereal but grounded, elusive and mysterious but enduringly familiar and endlessly lovable. 

Kate Dingwall is a sommelier and wine writer. Her work frequently appears in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

Cabernet Sauvignon is not known as a timid grape. And this Penfolds Bin 407 is no exception: The Australian Cabernet is brooding, muscular and expressive, showing off layers of tobacco, steeped cherry, and clove.

On the nose, there’s lovely nuanced notes of clove and cedar that play well with all the present and poised fruit. On the palate, it’s got this forest earthiness; mint leaves and sage brush on a foggy forest day, with a thread of tobacco that sings on every sip. Tannins are big but play well with all the layers of dried fruit, cassis, grated cinnamon and fennel that plays through the palate. The grapes are sourced from across Padthaway, Coonawarra, Wrattonbully, McLaren Valley, and Barossa Valley in finished in subtle oak that adds years to this wine’s life. $90

Kate Dingwall is a WSET-trained sommelier and spirits writer. Her work has appeared in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

One of my favorite tastings of 2023 — high praise, considering I went to almost 100 — wasn’t in Napa or Bordeaux. It was in the Livermore Valley, a small wine-producing region just outside San Francisco.

It’s in this tiny pocket of wine country where Darcie Kent makes joyous, exacting wines out of a neon purple barn. Kent’s great-grandfather founded a winery in Missouri in 1883 and in 1996, Kent — a visual artist by trade —  continued the tradition by starting her own winery. Her ethos remains artistic, so expect colorful labels painted by Kent and creative bottlings with a unique point of view.

A personal favorite is the Stone Patch Cabernet Franc. It’s a sharp, witty wine with a palate that paints with flavors, notably bright raspberry, curry leaf, and black cherry. The tannins are a whisper, which lets the flavors sing. I found a bottle in my cellar recently and was blown away all over again — it’s practically unparalleled for this price point. $50

Kate Dingwall is a WSET-trained sommelier and spirits writer. Her work has appeared in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.

If you drive south of San Diego along the coastline, after an hour or so you’ll hit Ensenada, Mexico, the entrance to the Valle de Guadalupe. Head inland and valleys will rise above you, extraterrestrial and desert-like, save for a smattering of vineyards that creep up the sides. Welcome to Mexico’s most exciting wine region.

At the center of the valley, Juan Carlos Bravo and his family have been carefully tending to old bush vines in the heart of the valley, watching over them as years passed and other wineries faltered. 

The family now makes a beautiful Palomino (a white grape most often used in sherry) and an elegant Carignan. It’s no easy feat. Many of his wines are decades-old and quite particular — he harvests the grapes at night to avoid the hot sun of the valley floor and preserve acidity in the grapes. The wine undergoes natural fermentation in concrete vats before it’s left to age for six years.

The resulting wine is ripe and ruby-red, with undertones of sandalwood, baking spices, and soft tannins developed over those six years of aging. $46

Kate Dingwall is a WSET-trained sommelier and spirits writer. Her work has appeared in Wine Enthusiast, Eater, Forbes.com, and Food & Wine, and she pours wine at one of Canada’s top restaurants.