Mood:  bright

Because of detox, I didn't get a chance to fill you in on the wines from my final class a few weeks ago...until now. 

Although we tasted many Spanish wines that evening, my favorite was the 2008 Los Dos by Almira.

This wine is grown in the Monte Alto Vineyard, with clay soil. This wine is 85% Garnacha and 15% Syrah. While the varietal Garnache is new to me, it is a synonym of Grenache, which isn't new to me—in fact, it's quite delicious.

It is one of the most widely planted varieties in the world, but conditions are favorable in hot and dry conditions like those in Spain, southern France, and California. Since it tends to lack tannins, acid, and color, it is often blended with Syrah, Carignan and Cinsaut.

Although Grenache is the French term for Garnacha, it was grown in Spain before it made its way to France. So there!

During my research, I saw a website listed this wine as a "midweek" wine that won't break your budget. True, but a little harsh. Later, the website went on to say:

"This is not a wine to ponder in your finest stems but gulp from water glasses with pizza or hamburger."

Umm, someone is a wine snob. While I've learned several things during my years of wine class, one of the most valuable things I've learned is that the price of a bottle of wine does not reflect its taste.

Every bottle of wine* came from a vineyard which was grown by a family that has a story. I've had $9 bottles of wine that surpass in flavor and texture, the juice from a $45 bottle of wine. Everyone's palette is different, people like different wine with different foods. But under NO circumstance would I disrespect a winemaker by drinking wine from a WATER GLASS.

*this statement excludes bottom of the barrel juices such as any Beringer variety, along with Franzia. I will be a snob on those. However I don't drink them from water glasses, I simply don't drink them. 

Oh, and those stemless wine glasses? No, those are merely glorified juice cups. The proper wine glass, with a stem, was made that way for a reason. Ever heard of Form vs. Function? When drinking a cool wine, such as a white, you hold the glass by its stem, to keep the wine cool. Drinking a warmer red? Cup the belly of the glass in your hand.

Done and done. So go ahead "Wine Cast" and drink your Almira from a water glass like a neanderthal. May the wine gods punish you in your second life.  

Anyway, back to the Los Dos. What's interesting about this red, and what makes it an affordable wine, is that it's fermented in stainless steel tanks. The oak barrels is what jacks the price up on most reds. However, this wine resides in the steel in order to preserve it's fruit flavors.

Some of the other wine we tasted that night include the 2008 Legado del Conde Albarino, the 2009 Grinalda Reserva DOC, the 2008 Martinsancho Verdejo, the 2006 Casar de Burbia, the 2003 Dehesa la Granja, the 2007 Toro-Castilla y Leon by Numanthia, Graham's 20 year Twany, and Dow's 2003 Late Bottled Vintage Port. 

Posted by wittywriter7 at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Wednesday, August 4, 2010 6:49 PM CDT

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Mood:  mischievious

For this week's class, we made it to Spain—another wine territory I know very little about. But that will change, I hope. 

Like Italy, Spain has classification systems and definitions for aging. 

DO or DOCa must follow these terms and guidelines:

Vino Joven: red and white, no oak, minimum of one year aging.

Crianza: reds—24 months minimum aging, 6 months minimum in cask, down from the previous one year. Whites and Rosado—12 months minimum aging, 6 months minimum in cask.

Reserva: reds—minimum aging of 36 months, 12 months minimum in cask the remaining time must be in the bottle, not in a tank. Whites and Rosado—24 months in minimum aging, 6 months minimum in cask, remaining time in a bottle.

Grand Reserva: reds—60 months minimum aging, 18 months minimum in cask, the remaining time must be in a bottle. Whites and Rosado—48 months minimum, 6 months minimum in cask, remaining time in the bottle.

As Spain is one of the largest wine territories in Europe, they have many different grape varietals (according to a handout from my teacher), including:

THE WHITES 

Airen—the most widely planted grape in the world, but planted only in the center part of Spain. The million acres of Airen sited in Spain's Meseta amount to far more than all the acres of Cabernet in the world, as well as any other grape you can name. It is generally used for Brandy and for simple whites.

Albarino—depending upon the vintage and the subregion of Rias Baixas, the indigenous variety of Galicia in northwest Spain can be rich and expressive, with peach and apricot notes or tart and bracing, like green apples and lemon peels.

Godello—a relatively unknown variety that can express depth and character in Valdeorras, and increasingly more in Ribeiro.

Hondarribi—a cause celebre in some markets, this produces the bracingly tart, txakoli-style white wine of Basque Country.

Parellada—the bulk ingredient of most Cava and a few pleasant table wines. 

Pedro Ximenez—generally speaking, a variety used in the production of sweet Sherry. In Montilla-Moriles, this grape can produce great dessert wines but also a few dry-styled wines.

Verdejo—a delightful and textured grape, with citrus elements covering notes of melon, apple, and stone fruits. Often it is blended with Sauvignon Blanc in Rueda.

Viura—A grape that performs differently in different places. In Penedes, especially in Cava production, it's the fat and friendly part of a blend. But in Rioja or Navarra, you can find partisans who believe it simply requires careful vinification to unlock its character and even longevity.

Xarel-lo—one of the principle constituents of Cava, this surprisingly interesting variety goes into the production of some lovely wines from the slate soils of Alella. It can be the layered and age-worthy part of Cava.

THE REDS

Alicante—sometimes called Garnacha Tintorera, it's one of the few grapes to have not only color in the skins but also colored juice.

Bobal—ironically, better known for its blending attributes than for its stand-alone abilities, but there are now delicious Bobals being made in the Valencia region.

Carinena—known as Carignan in the rest of the world, but its rightful name is Carinena, just like the eastern Spanish town from which is probably originates. It's called Mazuelo in Rioja and doesn't get much respect anywhere except in Priorat and Montsant, where old vines can produce a powerful, notable wine.

Garnacha—known as Grenache in the rest of the world, it ought to be called Garnacha, as it originates in Spain, and traveled to southern France in the eighth and ninth centuries. The rap on the grape is that it is only great when it's powerful and alcoholic. That's not necessarily true, but Grenache does need to grow in a warm spot to display its best character. It's the critical grape in Priorat, and it is often bottled as a rosado elsewhere in Spain. It's the third most planted grape in Spain and the second most planted variety in the world.

Graciano—a very minor player in Rioja but one that has its fans. It can have beautiful aromatics, color, and tannin.

Juan Garcia—grown in Zamora, but is more about potential than reality.

Listan Negro—a grape that offers excellence on the Canary Islands.

Manto Negro—grown on Minorca and Mallorca and offering occasional excellence.

Mencia—some folks think its Cabernet Franc. It's not, but it's easy to understand why. It carries the red-cherry intensity and herbal note often found in Cabernet Franc. Like Cabernet Franc, Mencia can often be underwhelming. Even at its best, it is more structured than lush. 

Monastrell—known in the rest of the world as Mourvedre, it's a grape of Spanish origin. As in France, it is capable of producing truly great wines, but so few people are focused upon that goal. The grape shows the most promise in Jumilla and Yecla.

Moristel—a light and fruity grape in Somontano that almost never makes serious or powerful wine but can be a charming wine nonetheless.

Tempranillo—the reigning indigenous red variety of Spain. Its various clones that are grown in different parts of Spain have very different characteristics: in the south, it ripens early; in Penedes, growers say that it's low in acidity and doesn't age well; in Ribera del Duero, it's an ideal ager with moderate tannins and alcohol; and even in Rioja, growers accuse it of low acidity, yet it ages far better than its structure suggests. The variety has performed exceedingly well in the traditional style of Rioja; the soft, modern style of red wine; and also in powerful, rich, international school-style wines.

The wines we tasted in class include the Paul Cheneau Cava "Lady of Spain" from Penedes, the 2008 Rioja from Monopole, the 2008 Rioja by Rioja Vega, the 2006 DOC Rioja by Lorinon Tinto Crianza, the 2004 Labastida Reserva, and the 2006 DO Cava/DO Penedes by Can Feixes Negre Seleccio. 

Posted by wittywriter7 at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Thursday, July 15, 2010 8:14 AM CDT

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Mood:  suave

In this week's class, we moved out of Italy and into France. Although I've taken this class once before, French wine is something I know very little about. My teacher gave us a handout, "The Concept of Terroir," already something I have never heard of. 

So I did a little research.

Terroir: (noun). The complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate.

According to the article, wine has changed over time and has become more popular because of technological advances used in the wine making process. The quality of wine has improved, which wine makers appreciate, however they don't want to ignore the original flavor of the grape—which represents the region it was grown in.

"There is a fine line between making necessary refinements to a fundamental process and turning priorities on end. There is little mystery to the crafting of fine wine."

The article names the vineyard as the proper start to great wine, following these two rules: 1. 90% of the ultimate wine is created in the vineyard, and 2. the role of the winemaker is to let the wine make itself.

It refers to the holy trinity of terroir: soil, climate, and grape variety. These elements make each wine unique; the winemaker is present to ensure the wine is its most clear in order to represent is geographical region.

I take it this is wine many French wines are known for their "earthy" flavor—perhaps its winemaker was sure to only enhance the natural qualities of that grape.

I really enjoyed the first wine of the evening, a white, the Domaine du Bagnol. It is a blend of Marsanne, Clairette, and Ugni. This results in a very light, clean flavor—everything I look for in a white wine!

The second wine of the night was a pretty rose, the Domaine du Gour de Chaule. In making this wine, a small amount of the press juice is added back to the skins, which gives it the rose color. It is composed of Cinsault, Grenache, and Mourvedre. It's a sweet, yet refreshing summer wine. 

My favorite red of the class was the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape. It is made up of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, and Mourvedre. Portions of it matures in barrels for 18 months.  

The other wines we tasted this week include the Domaine de Monpertuis, the 2006 Dom. Massiac Minervois, the 2005 Jaboulet Gigondas 'Pierre Aiguille', the 2007 Cotes dy Rhone Rouge, and the 2005 Les Clo de Paulilles.  

Posted by wittywriter7 at 10:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  energetic

For our last class in Italy (we move to France next week), we enjoyed wines from northeast Italy, a region that includes Venice, Padua, and Trieste. 

One of the wine regions in that area is the Trentino-Alto Adige, which was once part of Austria-Hungary. In this region, bread and wine are thought to be fundamental sources of nourishment and growth—hells yeah!

One of my favorite whites of the evening was the Pinot Bianco Alto Adige DOC 2009 from Tiefenbrunner. This wine is from the Trentino-Alto Adige region, with the winery located near Entiklar—right in the heart of the Italian Alps. The wine is made from 100% Pinot Bianco, which creates a medium-bodied dry white wine. 

The best red of the night was the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from Capestrano, in the Abruzzi region. This wine is one of only four wines produced in that area. In an article on intowines.com, it says this:

The Montepulciano grape is quite prolific. The Montepulciano grape grows easily in Abruzzo. It is plump with high amounts of juice. In an area this poor, this has been a boon to farmers wishing to take advantage of high yields. Unlike most other varietals, this grape makes nice wine even when produced in large quantities. The grape has a deep purple and ruby color to its juice. It has lower acidity (especially for an Italian varietal) and mild sweeter tannins...Montepulciano d’Abruzzo can age brilliantly especially in the hands of the right producers.  

According to TLC, the Abruzzo region has the most national parks and forests of any Italian region. But because of the high altitudes, the temperature can change greatly between night and day.  

The other wines we tasted include the 2006 Pinot Grigio delle Venezie IGT Le Rosse, the 2006 Brentino IGT Veneto, the 2007 Cormi Merlot Corvina IGT, the 2008 Valpolicella DOC by Allegrini, the 2006 Palazzo della Torre IGT Veronese by Allegrini, the 2005 Amarone della Volpolicella Classico DOC by Allegrini, and the Prosecco Brut Conegliano DOC. 

Posted by wittywriter7 at 2:56 PM CDT

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Mood:  amorous

My wine class is still stuck in Italy—I know I sound silly complaining about it, but I am realizing just how little I like Italian wine. Don't get me wrong, I'm not picky about my grapes, but I do know what I like and the wines we've been tasting just aren't my thing. 

As much as I hate to admit it, my teacher says I have a palette for California wines—the bigger reds, stronger tannins, and the fruit forward flavors. I do hope one day I can learn to appreciate the dry, aged wines of Italy.

But that day is not today.

By far, my favorite wine of the evening was the Dolci di Dogliani from San Luigi in the Piedmont region.  

The Piedmont wine region is located in northwest Italy, sitting at the base of the Alps and Apennines. There are white grapes that grow here, but red is the pride and joy of this area (hallelujah!).

Piedmont reds include Barbera, Nebbiolo, and Dolcetto—the one I really liked. Dolcetto is distinctly dry (I'm so proud of myself for liking a dry wine) and light bodied. It is known for its easy drinking ability, but has more tannin (aha).

According to an article I found from TLC, "How the Piedmont Wine Region Works," Piedmont has the most DOC and DOCG wines of any region in Italy. It is also the place where the "slow food" movement began, an idea which focuses on preserving agriculture and maintaining local traditions.  

Because of its proximity to the mountains, Piedmont grapes grow in cold, snowy winters and dry, hot summers. Vineyards are usually planted only on hills, which is one of the reasons for such a small wine production—there aren't enough grapes growing to make it an area of mass production.

Since Italians serve Dolcetto (meaning "little sweet one") as the first wine of the evening, it pairs well with a number of foods. It fits well with game meats and pork, prosciutto and salami. It also is nice served with roasted game hen, pasta with red sauce, asparagus, mushrooms, blue cheese, and pears. 

Posted by wittywriter7 at 4:24 PM CDT

Updated: Friday, June 25, 2010 9:12 AM CDT

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Mood:  cheeky

For last week's class, we stayed in Italy, but moved toward the central region—including Latium (where Rome is), Marches, and Tuscany (where Florence is). Marches is located along the Adriatic Coast, known for its white Verdicchio and its reds of Montepulciano, Pinot Nero, and Sangiovese. Tuscany and Latium are located along the Tyrrhenian Coast, known for whites of Chardonnay, Malvasia, Trebbiano, Vermentino, and Vernaccia, and reds of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Savignon, Merlot (love), Sagrantino, and Sangiovese. 

One of my favorite whites of the evening was the Vigna Di Gino by Fattoria San Lorenzo. This grape was grown in Marches, in a vineyard in Castelli di Jesi which is near Montecarotto.

After a little bit of research, I found out more on the Marches region. With its relation to the Adriatic sea, grapes are offered a temperate climate. The clay soil tends to grow grapes which are intense and sometimes spicy in flavor. Marches is one of Italy's most important wine growing regions. Marches produces nearly equal amounts of red and white wine.

The white I mentioned above was a Verdicchio, which is the main regional white from Marches. It is known for being characteristically dry, which is why I'm surprised I'm listing it as a favorite of the night. The Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is the most famous and historically noted DOC wine of the Marches, which as I learned from last week, DOC means it's registered by the government, and its label must state its zone of origin and meet certain production standards.

My favorite red, and all-time favorite of the evening was the BelnerO Sangiovese from the Castelli Banfi vineyard, from the southern hills of Montalcino in the Tuscany region.

According to my research finds (nerd alert), the Sangiovese red grape is thought to be named from "the blood of Jupiter."This grape originated in Tuscany, where it remains number one today. Generally, Sangiovese wines are high in tannins and acid, although it depends on many factors such as the yield, location, and the subvariety. Sangiovese wines are known for their orange tint and their lack of ability to age—they won't last any longer than ten years.

The BalnerO Sangiovese was grown in clay soil, abundant with rounded stone. According to its website, this soil adds complexity to the grape. 

The other wines we tasted during class include Frascati Superior by Regillo, the Ferentano IGT Lazio 2008, the 2006 Salice Salentino Rosso Riserva 50th Vendemmia DOC, the Rosso Toscano by Castello Di Meleto, the 2007 Chianti Classico DOCG, and the 2008 Rosso di Montalcino DOC (2008 and 2003).  

Posted by wittywriter7 at 12:01 AM CDT

Updated: Friday, June 18, 2010 12:59 PM CDT

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Mood:  mischievious

This week, I started my Mediterranean wine class—once a week for seven weeks. Each class involves tasting 7-9 different wines, learning about the region they're from, and a few will be paired with food. This is the fourth wine class I've taken—this being the second time I've taken the Mediterranean class. 

Everyone laughs when I say that. And I get it. Yeah, it sounds like I have an alcohol problem. And maybe I do. The last Mediterranean wine class I took was two years ago, so I figured I've learned a few things since then. Also, although the region remains the same, the wines change for each class, so I'm still learning something new.

For the first class, our teacher gave us a handout on Italian Wine Laws (Italian Wine Laws by Sharron McCarthy). It says that recently, the laws have been changed to promote experimentation with untraditional grape varieties along with technique. The four categories are:

1. Vino de Tavola (VDT): table wines that have no varietal name/vintage date.

2. Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC): These are registered by the government. Labels must have zone of origin and wines must meet certain standards. The product is up for government review at any time.

3.  Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT): This law falls between the first two—the government wants to upgrade a majority of the table wines. These wines have to list their specific region, but are not required to list vintage or varietal type. 

4. Denominazione di Origine Controlleata e Garantita (DOCG): This is the most strict law; it encompasses all of the DOC rules, plus there is a producer that controls and guarantees all of the claims on the wine label.

A few of my favorite wines of the evening include:

The Costamolino Vermintino di Sardegna DOC 2009 made by Argiolas—this is a wine I enjoyed before, because of its refreshing flavor and feel. This wine is very acidic, which supports a bold fruit flavor of pineapple.

The Ciro Rosso Classico Reserva 2006 made by Librandi. This wine had one of the oldest vintage dates of the evening, 1952. It was probably one of the less dry reds we had also. Typically, I think of complex reds being stored in barrels, however this one is aged and fermented in stainless steel tanks.   

The Primitivo: Salento Indicazione Geografica Tipica by Cantele. This is a red zinfandel, one of my favorite types of wine (NOT to be confused with white zinfandel) because of it's full-bodied nature. Yum!

Some of the other wines of the evening include the Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Bianco 2009 by Mastroberardino, the Costera IGT Isola Nuraghi 2007 by Argiolas, the Aglianico Campania by Mastroberardino, the Rapitala "Campo Reale" Nero d'Avola 2008, and the Rapitala 'Nadir' Syrah IGT 2006.  

Posted by wittywriter7 at 12:01 AM CDT

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Mood:  lazy

Saturday night, I ventured out to enjoy a night of charity. And by charity I mean drinking. 

That evening, my beautiful friend and pageant queen Liz Dunn had arranged a night at local business Corks N' Canvas. The idea of Corks N' Canvas might be one of the smartest things you've ever heard of and frankly, I'm a little pissed off I didn't think of it myself.

CNC is basically a room with tables and stools set up, you make a reservation, pay a hefty fee, and an "artist" shows you how to paint the assigned painting. The "cork" part of the night is...you're allowed to bring a bottle of vino. Or, for the ladies sitting next to us, a 2-liter of club soda, and a jug of V8, and grape cocktail. Yeah...

A majority of the paintings they create look complicated, but are broken down for the artistic-impaired, or the drunk. The painting we did that night was a "Louisiana Trilogy"—a Fleur de lis made up of a red fish, crawfish, and a shrimp all in front of an ocean water scene.

Honestly, I was so hung up on what to paint and where that I forgot to relax and enjoy the wine (that I brought from home, of course). Despite my concentration, my painting still ended up looking like shit, but it's all about the experience and I really did have a good time out with my friends.

Liz had arranged the evening as part of a fundraising event for the Children's Miracle Network. As a pageant queen on the Miss America track, Liz raised nearly $400 for the national charity: Children's Miracle Network. The evening went hand-in-hand with Liz's platform: visiting Louisiana, with the painting along with supporting a Louisiana business.  

All in all, it was a fun night and now I have a lovely painting to hang somewhere where no one will ever see it. Those of you following me on Twitter might remember that I invited my boyfriend's sister to come along with me to indulge in some bonding time. She ignored my efforts, probably because I'm fat.  

Posted by wittywriter7 at 10:34 AM CST

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Mood:  special

In our last wine class of the semester, we covered German wines. Our teacher gave us "A Brief Guide to the Wines of Germany," which I'll whittle down for you, here. 

As you may have learned by now, location and climate have much to do with how the grapes grow, when they are ready for harvesting, and how the wine is going to taste. Well, Germany has a cool northern climate, which makes it very difficult for the grapes to reach full-ripeness. So, German wine makers have created a ripeness-based quality scale. In general, the riper the grape, the richer and more complex the wine. However, the scale fails to recognize the quality of the vineyard or maker, so by the label alone, different varieties of wine from different vineyards could be the same on the ripeness scale.

GERMANY'S LEVELS OF WINE QUALITY

Qualitatswein/QbA: German for "quality wine." This wine comes from one of Germany's 13 designated wine regions. It is an estates basic wine and can be very good. 

Qualitatswein mit Pradikat/QmP: Literally means "predicate." These wines have a certain level of quality, which is one of six: Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenaulese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese. These are the finest German wines. 

Kabinett: The lightest, most delicate style. Made from ripe grapes picked early in the harvest. 

Spatlese: "Late harvest." This wine is richer and has more body than Kabinett because the grapes have ripened for an extra week or so. 

Auslese: "Selected from the harvest." This is the overripe, late-harvested grapes that are selected cluster by cluster. These wines are often made fruity with residual sweetness. It is considered, by most winemakers, to be their finest achievement. 

GoldKapsel: "Gold kapsel." This distinguishes a special wine from the other collection. 

Beerenauslese/BA: "Berry selection." These are rare dessert wines, made from overripe wines which have been affected by botrytis mold. These grapes are selected one at a time. 

Eiswein: "Ice wine." A rare dessert wine, made from overripe grapes which have frozen solid on the vine. 

Trockenbeerenauslese/TBA: Germany's greatest and rarest dessert wine.  

Surprisingly, my favorite wine of the night was the 2007 Desiree Chocolate Dessert Wine from Rosenblum Cellars. I have never, ever had a sweet, dense wine that I enjoyed. However, this one had a nice texture along with flavors of chocolate and raspberry.  

The other wines we tasted are: Aveleda's 2007 Grinalda Reserva DOC from Portugal, the 2008 Legado del Conde Albarino by Roberto Regal Lopez, the 2008 Vina Gormaz Tempranillo by Jose Carlos Garcia, the 2004 Reserva El Coto de Rioja, and the 2004 Bodegas Nieto Senetiner Bornarda.  

Posted by wittywriter7 at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Tuesday, December 8, 2009 7:11 AM CST

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Mood:  cool

As I've mentioned before, most people think all wine is made for aging. And as I've said before, no it's not. Honestly, there is no exact perfect time to drink any wine since it's all made differently. Some of it has already been aged a bit before it arrives at your home, while others are freshly picked. 

A wine that ages well has great balance and structure along with plenty of tannins (which come from grape skin, wood, and seeds) to withstand the time—such as Cabernet Sauvignon. The best way to figure out what year or age you like your Cab is to buy a case of a brand you already know you enjoy. Store it properly—at an angle, bottle nose down, label up. Keep it in a place that has a steady cool temperature and doesn't see much light. Try a bottle each year or so, and you'll figure out what time is doing to the wine. 

Within two to three years of the harvest, the wine will have bursting flavors of fresh fruit such as black cherries, plums, or berries. It will probably taste acidic from the tannins. 

In the five to eight years after the harvest, the fruit flavors will still be present but not as dominant. The wine will have more complexity and more of a finish than before. The tannins won't appear as strong, although the wine will still have great structure.

Ten to fifteen years after the harvest, the fruit flavors will taste ripe. Earthy flavors such as tobacco or leather will begin to appear. The tannins will have subsided at this point, but the wine will have much structure and layering.

After fifteen years, it's rare for a cab to keep developing although not unheard of. The flavors will be very delicate here.

Often, wine drinkers will run their young wine through a decanter or attempt to pump air into the bottle to create age. Although it does change the flavor of the wine some, aerating never replaces the aging process.  

The wines we tasted in class were: the 2006 Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla Valley, the 2002 Moulin de Duhart from Pauillac France, Sebatiani's 2006 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 Catena Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina, Vinos Los Vascos' 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, R Wines' 2008 Marquis Philips Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2007 Silver Label Cabernet Sauvignon from B.R. Cohn Winery, the 2006 North by Northwest Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and Groth Vineyards & Winery's 2006 Cabert Sauvignon from Oakville, Napa Valley.   

Posted by wittywriter7 at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Monday, November 30, 2009 6:45 AM CST

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