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2022 BordeauxNapa weekendReds under $50Barolo vs Barbaresco

Wine Buying Guides

The best bottles in the store right now — ranked, priced and personally tasted by our buyers.

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

Wine Tips & Trends
Red and gold Chianti Classico emblem with a black rooster at its center
  • by Greg Martellotto

The Legend Behind The Black Rooster Of Chianti Classico

Chianti is one of the most renowned regions in all of Italy thanks to its...

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Puros Vinazos: Blog De Vino
Chianti Classico seal showing a black rooster on gold, ringed in red with the words "Dal 1716"
  • by Greg Martellotto

El Gallo Negro de Chianti: Leyendas y Hechos

Chianti es una de las regiones más famosas de toda Italia gracias a sus paisajes...

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Wine Tips & Trends
Rows of leafy green vines running to a flat vineyard under a partly cloudy sky
  • by Greg Martellotto

Alsace Wines: Surviving In A War Zone

When talking about the wines of Alsace, is important to notice that these are wines...

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Puros Vinazos: Blog De Vino
Rolling green hills with a hilltop farmhouse ringed by cypress trees in morning haze
  • by Greg Martellotto

Vino Orgánico de Italia: Tendencias y Desafíos

La semana pasada, se llevó a cabo un seminario web patrocinado por FederBio y AssoBio...

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Puros Vinazos: Blog De Vino
waiter serving red wine for female customer at restaurant
  • by Greg Martellotto

Vinos Artesanales en la Industria Restaurantera

"El momento mágico en el que el Sommelier se convierte en contador de historias" Ese...

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Wine 101: The Basics
waiter serving red wine for female customer at restaurant
  • by Greg Martellotto

Artisanal Wines in the Restaurant Industry

"The magic moment when the Sommelier becomes a storyteller" That is precisely the moment when...

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Puros Vinazos: Blog De Vino
Aisle of exhibitor stands in a trade fair hall with Sud-Ouest signs and a hanging section B marker
  • by Greg Martellotto

PROWEIN: Todo Lo Que Necesitas Saber de la Feria de Vinos Más Importante Del Mundo

La semana pasada, el equipo de One Vine Wines y Big Hammer Wines tuvimos la oportunidad...

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Wine Tips & Trends
Vineyard rows at sunrise, low sun flaring over the vines and a grass track beside them
  • by Greg Martellotto

The 2019 "Hedonistic" Burgundy Vintage

2019 Burgundy, Perhaps the Best Vintage Since 1865 Summer 2019 in Burgundy was hot and...

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Wine Tips & Trends
Bottle of Ao Yun red wine beside the Ao Yun name and gold crest logo on a white and black background
  • by Greg Martellotto

Is 2018 Ao Yun the Best Chinese Wine Ever?

Louis Vuitton Moët Hennesy is the world's largest luxury goods conglomerate, and is best known...

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Sustainable Wine
Graphic reading "BHW Real Wine Club" above a row of twelve wine bottles on a vineyard background
  • by Greg Martellotto

Why Our Real Wine Club is Important for a Sustainable Future?

What’s our Real Wine Club, and why is it important to us? Big Hammer Wine’s...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Difference Between European and US Wine Labels
  • by Greg Martellotto

Difference Between European and US Wine Labels

European and domestic wine have a lot in common, but there are some key differences...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Couple in a wine shop reading the label on a bottle beside shelves stacked with wine
  • by Greg Martellotto

How to Read a Wine Label, Explained by OUR Wine Experts

There is a lot of information that can be learned from a wine label, unfortunately,...

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Occasions
New Year, New Wines, Selected by OUR Expert Sommeliers
  • by Greg Martellotto

New Year, New Wines, Selected by OUR Expert Sommeliers

The beginning of the year brings with it new opportunities, new purposes to fulfill, new...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Everything You Wanted to Know About Aging Wine
  • by Greg Martellotto

Everything You Wanted to Know About Aging Wine

There is a trope around wine that the older a bottle of wine is, the better...

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Wine 101: The Basics
New Year’s Resolution: Come for More Adventures
  • by Greg Martellotto

New Year’s Resolution: Come for More Adventures

Are you ready for a New Year filled with new wine adventures? We know we...

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Sustainable Wine
A Case for Organics, Why Buy Organic? Is it Worthwhile?
  • by Greg Martellotto

A Case for Organics, Why Buy Organic? What are the Pros?

Cava recently set a staggering precedence in wine-growing laws, by setting a deadline for producers...

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Sustainable Wine
Old Vines, Bush Vines, Dry Farmed, Why Are Vineyard Management Terms on My Wine Bottle?
  • by Greg Martellotto

Old Vines, Bush Vines, Dry Farmed, Why Are Vineyard Management Terms on My Wine Bottle?

There are thousands of wine producers in the world, each making a handful of labels,...

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Occasions
champagne big hammer wines
  • by Greg Martellotto

12 Perfect Sparkling Wines to Open on New Year's Eve

Sparkling wine is happiness in a glass, and while I truly advocate for sparkling to...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Red wine poured from a bottle into a glass beside flutes and glasses of sparkling, rose and white wine
  • by Greg Martellotto

Common Wine Myths Debunked

The world of wine is vast, there is wine in every corner of the planet...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Black Friday Wines
  • by Greg Martellotto

Screw the Rules, Black Friday Starts Now! You Don't Want to Miss This

We always affirm that "There has never been a better time to be a wine...

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Wine Guides
Aged Wine How to Buy
  • by Greg Martellotto

Aged Wine and Fine: What to Know and How to Buy Aged Wine

Whether you are new to wine or have been drinking wine for decades, you are...

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

Looking for Your Ideal Wine Club? Big Hammer Wines Has the Perfect Option for Every Wine Need

Tasting and sharing wine is one of life’s greatest pleasures. A good glass of wine...

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Sustainable Wine
Terraced vineyards on steep hillsides above a river winding through a hazy valley
  • by Greg Martellotto

Portugal Towards Sustainability, Explained by Wine Experts

From its geography to the shape of its vineyards, everything in Portugal has a hint...

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Wine 101: The Basics
Big Hammer Wines
  • by Craig Headding

Do You Have the Courage to Explore New Wines?

The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, once said, “you’ll always miss 100 percent of the shots...

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