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Wine Buying Guides

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Best California Reds Under $50
Best California Reds Under $5012 bottles our buyers rate way above their price
Best Value Reds Under $30
Best Value Reds Under $309 bottles worth every penny in 2026
Best Reds Under $25
Best Reds Under $25Everyday excellence, in stock right now
Top 12 Bordeaux at BHW
Top 12 Bordeaux at BHWThe Bordeaux worth buying today
Top 12 White Wines
Top 12 White WinesWhites to buy at BHW now
California Cult Producers
California Cult ProducersThe top 15 names you need to know

True Wine Insider's Guides to Your Favorite Wine Region

Our most-loved original writing — where to go, where to stay, what to taste, and the bottles to bring home.

Napa Valley
Napa ValleyThe true insider's guide — Oakville to Rutherford
Bordeaux
BordeauxWalking tours, châteaux and futures wisdom
Tuscany
TuscanyFlorence, Chianti and Brunello country
Willamette & Portland
Willamette & PortlandOregon pinot country, the insider's route
Baja California
Baja CaliforniaMexico's wine route, valley by valley
Rome & Beyond
Rome & Beyond72 perfect hours — eat, drink, tour, stay

Find your way through 1,200+ articles

Every article lives in one of these collections. Pick a path — or use the search above.

Wine 101 & The Basics New to wine or refreshing the fundamentals — how to taste, serve, store, decant and choose with confidence. Browse Buying Guides & Top Picks Best-of lists and honest value calls from our buyers — reds under $30, cult producers, cellar-worthy finds. Browse Insider's Wine Travel Guides Where to go, taste and stay in the world's great wine regions — written from the road, not the desk. Browse Vintage Intel & Futures Which vintages to buy now, Bordeaux futures explained, and where the smart money is going. Browse Food & Wine Pairing What to pour with what — from weeknight dinners to holiday tables and celebration menus. Browse Winery & Producer Profiles The estates behind the bottles — from First Growth Bordeaux to Burgundy's grand domaines. Browse Films & Interviews Winemaker conversations, cellar tours and tasting sessions — wine culture on camera. Browse Tips, Trends & Wine News What's happening in wine right now — market moves, trends worth knowing, myths worth busting. Browse Sustainable & Natural Wines Organic, biodynamic, vegan and low-intervention — the honest side of winemaking, and why it matters in your glass. Browse En Español · Puros Vinazos Nuestro blog de vino en español — cosechas de Burdeos, guías y las mejores ofertas de Big Hammer Wines. Browse Wine Offers You Missed Six hundred wine deals we've featured over the years — see what you missed, and find what's pouring now. Browse

Vine Blog

Bordeaux Futures
Graphic reading "Bordeaux en Primeur Futures explained by online wine store wine expert" over a man speaking
  • by Greg Martellotto

Bordeaux en Primeur Futures Explained by Online Wine Store Wine Expert

Whether 2021 Bordeaux En Primeur for the 2020 vintage goes live or virtual, buyers should...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Graphic reading "Learn To Drink Wine Like An Expert, Explained By Our Sommeliers" over a woman holding a glass
  • by Greg Martellotto

Learn to Drink Wine Like an Expert, Explained by OUR Sommeliers

There are some typical mistakes we make when drinking wine. Learn what they are and...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Graphic reading "Interview with Tabali wine maker series, Part 1-4" over two men talking at a table
  • by Greg Martellotto

BHW: Interview with Tabali #1 Chilean Winemaker Felipe Muller- Part 1 - 4

Tabali winery and vineyards are in one of the northern-most wine regions in Chile, Limarí,...

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Wine Tips & Trends
Graphic reading "Role Of A Sommelier, interview with Gabrielle Alessandroni" over stills of a woman and a man
  • by Greg Martellotto

BHW: Role of a Sommelier: Interview with Gabrielle Alessandroni

Meet Gabrielle Alessandroni, an AIS Sommelier and Sherry Ambassador. He delivers his expertise to people...

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Bordeaux Futures
Graphic reading "Big Hammer Wines Bordeaux Futures" over a glass of red wine, corks and a corkscrew
  • by Greg Martellotto

What are Bordeaux Wine Futures: How to Order & Invest

We are thrilled to announce that our 2022 Bordeaux en Primeur Futures program is now...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Three people clinking large glasses of red wine in a toast
  • by Greg Martellotto

What's the Best Temperature to Serve Wine

We get a lot of folks that often search our website and are asking the...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Split image: a hand holding red wine by a fire, and a hand holding a cut-crystal glass against a blue sky
  • by Greg Martellotto

Cool Climate vs. Hot Climate Wines: What Wine Lovers Need to Know

I’ve spent the last twenty years in every facet of the wine industry. I make...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Man in a blue shirt inspecting grapes in a wooden crate in a cellar, with a barrel in the foreground
  • by Greg Martellotto

From Botti to Steel: Mastering Italian Wine-Aging Methods

Aging wine is a funny thing. There isn’t a perfect method to it - every...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Several glasses of rose wine seen from above on a white surface
  • by Greg Martellotto

The 6 Italian Rosés You Should Be Drinking

Summer means rosé. And, when it comes to Italian wine, we don’t say rosé -...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Rosé Wine Lovers
  • by Greg Martellotto

Rosé Lovers: Learn All About Your Favorite Summer Tipple

As summer approaches, it's time to embrace the vibrant and refreshing world of rosé wines....

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Occasions
Three older men standing indoors, holding wine glasses and talking
  • by Greg Martellotto

Father’s Day Wine Gift Guide, Chosen by Wine Experts

Which one reminds you of your dad more? 1. He is a sophisticated collector, with...

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Bordeaux Futures
2020 Bordeaux en Primeur Futures
  • by Greg Martellotto

Bordeaux en Primeur Futures Big Hammer Wines Purchasing Program Introduced

2022 Bordeaux en Primeur Futures Program is now live! To make it easier, Big Hammer...

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Bordeaux Futures
wine investing bordeaux futures
  • by Greg Martellotto

Wine Investing: Bordeaux Futures - en Primeur

Most wine drinkers don’t know much about wine investing or wine futures. But we do...

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  • by Greg Martellotto

Here’s What No One Tells You About Bordeaux Futures Pricing

  Now, this time of year, everyone is talking about prices before the futures are...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Glass of rose and glass of white wine on a weathered wooden table with red and green grapes
  • by Greg Martellotto

Cheverny AOC vs Cour-Cheverny AOC: Exploring the Differences Between Two Loire Valley Appellations

As a master of wine, I have had the pleasure of exploring many regions throughout...

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Sustainable Wine
Four wine glasses holding white, rose and red wine, lit by low sunlight against a pale wall
  • by Greg Martellotto

Organic, Biodynamic, and Natural Wine - A Guide by Big Hammer Wines, Wine Experts

“Organic” is one of those buzzwords that, the more you look into it the more...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Health and Wine by Big Hammer Wines
  • by Greg Martellotto

5 Health Benefits of Wine by Big Hammer Wines, Wine Experts

I’m sure that nearly everyone has heard the old trope that having a glass of...

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Wine Tips & Trends
Two women in sun hats on a picnic blanket on grass, holding glasses of white wine beside a fruit basket
  • by Greg Martellotto

Exploring the Best Wines for Spring: Light, Crisp, and Refreshing Options to Complement the Season's Renewal

Spring is a season of renewal and growth, a time when the world awakens from...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Couple examining a bottle of red wine in front of shelves of wine bottles in a supermarket aisle
  • by Greg Martellotto

Here's Why You Should Reconsider Buying Wine At The Supermarket

Did you know that nearly ⅔ of all wine sold in the US is sold...

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Wine Tips & Trends
holiday wine dinners
  • by Greg Martellotto

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Wine for Wine Dinners & Holiday Dinner Parties

An Expert's Recommendation for Foolproof Wines this Holiday Season Planning a special holiday wine dinner party...

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Top Picks
Twelve wine bottles lined up on a wooden surface against a gold confetti background
  • by Greg Martellotto

The 12 Best Wines to Drink in 2023

Hi dear wine friend, The beginning of the year brings with it new opportunities, new...

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Occasions
We Asked Our Wine Experts: What Bottles Are You Gifting for the Holidays
  • by Greg Martellotto

We Asked Our Wine Experts: What Bottles Are You Gifting for the Holidays

Everything about the Holidays should be holly and jolly, but sometimes, at least when it...

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Wine Tips & Trends
View from a hilltop stone wall over green countryside, farmland and rooftops under a clear blue sky
  • by Greg Martellotto

White Wines Of Orvieto in Umbria: Heroic Wines Since The Time Of The Romans

Umbria: It’s not Tuscany! Overshadowed by its wealthier and more well recognized neighbor, Umbria offers...

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Sustainable Wine
Table set with a bottle labeled "Organic Wine", a glass of red wine, flowers and bread
  • by Greg Martellotto

Organic Vs. Non-Organic Wines

Every day it is more common to see the word "Organic" in the description of...

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