May 2026
Wine Enthusiast's Pacific Northwest reviewer Michael Alberty has been on a Love & Squalor tear — and we are absolutely not complaining. Five wines. Five scores between 90 and 93. One Editor's Choice. One Hidden Gem. All under $32 a bottle. Here's what he found in the glass.
Understanding the scores
| 98–100 | Classic | The pinnacle of quality |
| 94–97 | Superb | A great achievement |
| 90–93 | Excellent | Highly recommended — all five of our wines land here |
| 87–89 | Very Good | Often good value; well recommended |
| 83–86 | Good | Suitable for everyday consumption |
| 80–82 | Acceptable | For casual, less-critical circumstances |
All five wines reviewed scored 90 or above. None cost more than $32.
The reviews
"Love & Squalor's Gamay Noir is consistently one of my favorite wines in all of the Willamette Valley. The whole-cluster fruit went through two weeks of carbonic maceration, then malolactic fermentation, before resting in neutral barriques for 11 months. It is packed with aromas and flavors of raspberries, sweet pea flowers, jasmine tea, and black pepper. The light-bodied wine feels graceful and airy on the palate, as its acidity causes the mouth to water like an automatic sprinkler. This is joyous juice." —M.A.
"Love & Squalor destems fruit from Dion, one of the older vineyards in the Willamette Valley, to make this provocative, extended skin-contact Pinot Gris. The wine smacks you upside the olfactory system with aromas of baked apples, dried strawberries and a bitter note similar to an artichoke amaro. After that, acidity that jitterbugs combines with sandy tannins to escort crunchy pink-grapefruit brulée, tart apricot, thyme, and orange-zest flavors across the finish line. What a roller coaster ride of a wine." —M.A.
"This is the best Pinot Noir in the world named after a record made by The Clash. It is also consistently one of the best wine values in the Willamette Valley. Aromatically, this year's Garageland is a red-raspberry pie flanked by wisps of lemons grilling over a campfire. It is a lighter-bodied wine, with lively acidity, velvety tannins with subtle grip and a crisp texture. The wine's flavors mix blackberries with black tea, and clove." —M.A.
"You asked for something unique. How 'bout an extended skin contact Gewürztraminer? Orange you glad you asked? I fell hard for this wine because of its aromas of tangerine sorbet and apricots, complete with fuzz. The tell-tale lychee flavor gives you a gewürtz hint, while the notes of tart soap berries and earthy and sweet bamboo shoots are a bit out there. Is there anything mainstream about this wine? Frayed knot." —M.A.
"An aromatic one-two punch of petrol and wet cement provides a foundation for additional aromas of lemon peels and a not-quite-ripe Bosc pear. There's more rocks and petrol qualities on the palate, with bursts of pear and honey making appearances. The wine is dry as advertised, with lively acidity and a clean, crisp texture." —M.A.
Five wines. Five scores between 90 and 93. An Editor's Choice. A Hidden Gem. All at $21–$32 a bottle. Alberty has made his position clear — and we're grateful for the kind words. These wines are available now, and we think they speak for themselves.