βοΈ 20 countries visited, 5000 wines tasted, and a few life-changing experiencesβ¦ I crammed 50 years of living into a singular year. Here are my best wines of 2025 and the stories behind them.
π Adventures on the Wine Route: https://amzn.to/45hBK3O
π Seven Fires Cooking the Argentine Way: https://amzn.to/4jkdTq7
π· Gabriel Glas Standart edition
StandArt Machine-Blown Universal Wine Glass
π₯ Wines featured in this episode:
-Bachelder West End Pinot Noir 2022 – Ontario, Canada
-Barbeito Verdelho 1885 – Madeira, Portugal
-Ramilo Colares Malvasia 2020 – Colares, Portugal
-Tenuta di Sesta Brunello di Montalcino 2017 – Tuscany, Italy
-Bodega Garzon Pinot Noir RosΓ© 2024 – Uruguay
-Bodega y Nicolas Zapata Criolla 2023 – Mendoza, Argentina
-Zuccardi Finca los Membrillos 2019 – Valle de Uco, Argentina
-Chateau de la Font du Loup Le Puy Rolland 2023 – ChΓ’teauneuf-du-Pape, France
-Il Colombaio di Santa Chiara L’Albereta Riserva 2022 – Tuscany, Italy
-Mario Portolano Donna Teresa 2012 – Campania, Italy
-DeFalco Lahar Lacryma Christi 2023 – Campania, Italy
-Silver Heights Marselan 2022 – Ning Xia, China
-Isola e Olena Chardonnay 2022 – Tuscany, Italy
-Vignoble de la Bauge Evolution Blanc 2023 – Quebec, Canada
-Domaine Tempier RosΓ© 2024 – Bandol, France
-Leaning Post Senchuk Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021 – Ontario, Canada
-Pago de Carraovejas Cuesta de Las Liebres 2019 – Ribera del Duero, Spain
Arrabilis Johan Vineyard Blanc de Noir 2021- Oregon, USA
-Capitan Gagnerot Echezaux 2019 – Burgundy, France
-Burlotto Langhe Nebbiolo 2023 – Piedmont, Italy
-Askaneli Gochaβs Collection Otskhanuri Reserve 2023 – Imereti, Georgia
-Urla Vourla 2021 – Turkey-Kavshiri Red – Georgia
-Vida Bonsai Kadarka 2024 – SzekszΓ‘rd, Hungary
-Amelia Chardonnay 2024 Limari, Chile (link for 23′)https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=qzMzPmEvjyM&mid=2025&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wine.com%2Fproduct%2Fconcha-y-toro-amelia-chardonnay-2023%2F2946236
-Garage Wines Co Bagual Vineyard 2018 – Maule, Chile
-Poggio di Soto Rosso di Montalcino 2022 – Tuscany, Italy https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=qzMzPmEvjyM&mid=2025&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wine.com%2Fproduct%2Fpoggio-di-sotto-rosso-di-montalcino-2022%2F3108104
-Mirianis Marani Kundza 2023 – Imereti, Georgia
-Minis Terrios Rosie Imperateasa 2022 – Moldova
-Kiuva Arnad Montjovet Superieur 2017 – Valle d’Aosta, Italy
-Villa Tinta Kahor NV – Odessa, Ukraine
-Biologist Sukholimanskiy Orange 2024 – Ukraine
-Martinez la Cuesta Collecion Familia Gran Reserva 2005
-Rioja, Spain-La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza 2000 – Rioja, Spain (link for 19′) https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=qzMzPmEvjyM&mid=2025&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wine.com%2Fproduct%2Fla-rioja-alta-vina-ardanza-reserva-2019%2F3024585
-Fenecka Manastir Prokupac 2022 – Tri Morave, Serbia
-Budimir Boje Lila 2011 – Tri Morave, Serbia
-Villa Melnik Melnik Family Tree 2023 – Struma River Valley, Bulgaria
-Kamil Barczentewicz Dobre Modre 2022- Poland
-Dom Perignon 1985 – Champagne, France
00:00 Intro
02:07 Ohh Canada & South America
11:44 France & Italy the staples
18:57 Surreal moments in China, Canada, & the best RED wine I had this year
30:19 Oregon, Film festival in Georgia, Hungary, and Chile
46:07 Chicago & Pizza & back to Georgia
50:06 Moldovan in Korea, Wine & War in UKRAINE
58:32 Rioja & Masterclasses in Serbia
1:06:00 Bulgaria & Birth Year DOM PERIGNON
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22 Comments
βGeorgian white varieties are not very aromatic so best way to make them is skincontact winesβ – I am sorry but this is oxymoron and downright ignorant claim.
Great video Matthew Your travel and tasting schedule is quite impressive Your overall knowledge of wines from places not usually heard from is very valuable Hope your channel continues its quality work
Can anyone go to wine tasting/trade shows in the US or anywhere or is it invite only?
Have you tried the middle priced "El Anejon" by Pago de Carraovejas? Is it worth the jump to Cuesta de las Liebres?
Love Leaning Post and if your back in 2026, it would be worth your time to visit The Organized Crime Winery too. They are a second-generation, family-owned, small boutique winery located on the renowned Beamsville Bench of the Niagara Peninsula. Another super award winning winery. Beautiful Niagara wines – yum yum π
Happy New Year! May 2026 bring you continued success both in your endeavors and personal growth.
I truly appreciate how you touched on one of the most important aspects of wine tasting (without necessarily implicitly verbalizing it), which is the impact the environment, company, vibe, and memory, has on how you internalize and remember a wine βexperienceβ. I believe that Passion is the key component of good story telling. Well done Matthew!
Love learning about your favorites! To more great wines in 2026!
Love this gonna try and find some of these I would love to travel for wine but for now Iβm traveling through tastes and imagination lol Iβm sure in the future i will be traveling keep it up in 2026
You are packing a lot into a short time, it seems you enjoy it and it is interesting to listen to your experience but I am tired after listening to all your travel.
Sounds like 2025 was a wholesome year! Thanks for sharing, I like the long form videos. π
Whoa, almost 50k subs! Glad the channel's doing well!! and thanks for putting the wines in the description, will make revisiting this easier
Whatβs up with all the 6,7 mentions in the video, Matthew? π great video, thank you!
What a brilliant way to end the year! Getting on this BEST WINES list! Thank you Matthew for visiting Villa Melnik and for spreading the love for Melnik wines! We look forward to your next visit to Bulgaria and to many more occasions to drink good wines together!
I am so happy for you Matt. Happy New Year!
Love your channel! Could you (or anyone else) recommend a good toasty, bready, sparkling wine i can get my hands on in the US? I've been craving one for so long now and the Roederer Estate is opened tonight didn't quite hit the spot π¬
Holy crap you had an amazing year
In Montreal I have tried some good Quebecois wines – I was most impressed with a hybrid-variety orange wine as well I think
Happy new year Matthew. Looking forward to many great bottles with the gang in 2026!
Hey Dr. Horkey if you could drink one wine or Champagne for the rest of your life what would you pick?
I picked up the outstadning 2000 Ardanza in a wine bar in Legrono for 50 euros back in May – we must have visited the same place. But having Pintxos in a small place around the corner, we found the Tondonia Reserva Blanco and I must say that was my wine of the year.
Best wines of 2025: on Christmas Eve I shared a bottle of 2019 Standish Andelmonde Shiraz with my sister. Wow – knocked my socks off! If you get the chance to try any of Dan Standishβs wines, they are incredible!?!
What a great story! You must be a travel genius, how do you pack all these wines and bring them along? How do you plan all your visits? How do you taste all these wines and party all night? Really enjoyed hearing your year summary