What is the best wine you've ever had?' It's a question I get asked frequently but one I never really know how to answer. There are just too many factors involved; setting, company, food, etc. all play a part in making a wine perfect. Sometimes a simple wine on the deck with my wife does the trick, while other times, an expertly decanted bottle enjoyed at a fine restaurant makes the evening. There is one wine however, that has stood out among the thousands I've tasted over the years. A wine so beautiful, so fragrant, so silken, that I became emotional while drinking it. It was the first time I realized wine could touch my soul the way music or film is able to.

This wine is a disco in your mouth. A novel California co-ferment, it has reignited my desire to explore the depths of our booming natural wine movement here in the USA. Dazzling, fresh and invigorating, it feels like fireworks in your mouth! It's singular and unconventional in the best ways possible. This week's pick is the perfect bottle to chill and celebrate your weekend (or any day of the week!). Expand your palate, open your mind, let the fun commence.

I was a young buck hauling cases for pennies in the cavernous basement cellars of NYC's Balthazar. As supplementary compensation for that grunt-work, the wine director (and my mentor) allowed me to sit in on all tastings. Every day we would taste dozens of French wines, each vying for a spot on the restaurant's coveted list. I was enjoying wine and starting to really understand it, but I had yet to experience that AH-HA moment; the taste that stops time and puts everything in perspective.

The truly great wines of the world take time. They need years and years of bottle age to clearly express their magnificence. While true, these statements neglect the full picture, and today's offer is a shining example of a top-notch wine you can drink TONIGHT. As I've said before, one of my great joys is seeking out the lesser known, the smaller production "secret" wines that over deliver. This may be my best discovery yet.

Keeping an open mind while tasting is something I pride myself on. But in all honestly, old-world wines made from grapes not native to the region continue to rub me the wrong way. Why throw out deeply rooted tradition in favor of market fads? Today's wine proved these preconceived notions completely wrong. Deeply flavored, dark fruited, and distinctly Tuscan, this Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the heart of Chianti Classico was a revelation.

My quest for 'the perfect red' has ended. Seriously. It even says as much on the label, albeit in Portuguese! Maybe it's the summer heat (or my endless desire for ocean waves) that has me crushing on wines from Portugal, but it could also be Portuguese winemakers putting out some of the most intriguing and drinkable wines of the year. This bottle is no exception.

If I lived in France, Lilian Duplessis's wines would never make it to the United States. I would commit myself to consuming his entire production each vintage...THAT'S how much I love the wines of his domaine, Gérard Duplessis. If I need to impress someone, enlighten someone, or enliven a meal, I bring these wines.

As much as I gravitate towards lighter bodied wines of finesse and elegance, sometimes only a rich, muscular and powerful wine will do. When I'm pulling a perfectly cooked rib-eye off the grill, a lighter Beaujolais simply doesn't cut it. There's just something so soul satisfying about drinking a heady, earthy red, especially when paired with an equally robust roast or grilled leg of lamb. In these instances, accept no substitute!

It doesn't make sense, and seems counter-intuitive, but I love Syrah in the summertime. Only certain Syrahs will do, however. I'm talking about the fresh, savory examples that hail from the variety's homeland, the Northern Rhône. People often ask me what I like doing on my off-days. The answer: firing-up the grill and watching my kids play in the backyard, while sipping a cool glass of Éric Texier's 'Brezeme'.

In the right hands, Pineau d'Aunis is fresh, bright and filled with tart red fruits, but it is the underlying savory and peppery quality to these wines that really move me. They manage to transmit the cool, wet Loire Valley in a way I have never experienced. Today's wine is perhaps the greatest example of this fascinating grape I have tasted, and it couldn't have arrived at a better time. Its exuberance and punch allow the wine to show elegance and complexity, while still being refreshing and oh-so-fun to drink. This is my ULTIMATE summer red.

I first tasted today's wine a couple of years ago, at the importer Selection Massale's trade tasting in New York. There were hundreds of wines on display and they were all French, the only exception being this wine. I couldn't believe what I was tasting: a champagne-method sparkling wine made in Southern Germany of all places. I remember the moment like it was yesterday; the flavors, aromas and textures. It was as if I were tasting one of the world's finest Champagnes, only with more vigor and energy, and I quickly deemed the bottle the standout wine of the event.

Sébastien David started his domaine in 1999, working with 15 hectares of old and new vine Cabernet Franc. Organically and biodynamic from the start, he is the leading natural winemaker in this small corner of the Loire Valley. Located just off the river in Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgeil, Sébastien's family has been making wine here since 1634.

One of the biggest compliments I can give a wine is that I'd want to drink it everyday. These are wines that give me repeated pleasure and never become tedious or boring. If you believe wines are made to be drunk and deliver pure joy, then you'll want to pay special attention to today's offer. It's a wine that is bright, fresh, layered and elegant, but perhaps most importantly, it is stone-cold DELICIOUS! The type of wine that disappears before dinner hits the table.

Our constant tastings and research here at Monarch have led me to discover a treasure trove of hidden gems and newfound staples for my wine cooler. This week's pick is one of those wines I will be continuously sipping on as long as it's within reach! Instantly taken by the pronounced aromatics on this, my mouth began to water with anticipation before I even took a sip. Unlike most aromatic whites, the palate here is crisp and taut with thirst-quenching refreshment and cleansing acidity.

When I'm buying wine for myself, I must admit that rosé is not first on my list but this bottle has been the exception; one I have actually found myself craving. Not your typical pink wine, this is something unique, fresh and oh so FUN! From the moment I opened the bottle, I knew this was special. An Argentine rosé perfect for warm sunny days. Packing a ton of personality into a crisp, refreshing frame, this has surely surely stood out amongst the ocean of bland, pale rosés currently flooding the market. A selection for those of you that like to step outside the box and discover something new!

I remember the exact moment that I first tasted a wine from Mt. Etna. It was just before opening Morandi and I had been invited to a tasting at Barbuto to sample the newest releases from Italy. The wines were your usual suspects: current vintage Barolo and Brunello. But by far, the standouts of the event were these new wines from Sicily. I had never tasted anything like them before.

The energy and vibrancy in this wine matches its' winemaker, Alice Anderson, perfectly. You feel and taste the bright and clear California sun in every sip. But make no mistake, this wine is grown and made with as much intent, heart and soul as any Gamay from its heartland, Beaujolais. When Rajat Parr tells you this is one of the best domestic Gamays he has recently tasted, you take note. When that same Gamay is made by two young, smart and wonderful people, one of which is a dear old high school friend, you fall in love with it.