cabernet

As the holiday season draws nearer, we find ourselves meeting friends and family to drink, be merry, and forget how much money we're spending on Christmas presents.  Whether you're hosting a party or attending one, it's a good bet that sometime this month you'll be faced with that eternal challenge: the wine and cheese pairing.   A wine and cheese...

Last time on the VC blog, we talked about how to pair wine and food.  That got me thinking about the kind of foods I've been craving and cooking this winter: hot soups, hearty braises served over polenta, and rich pear tarts.  The rich comfort foods of winter definitely call for wines that can stand up to deep flavors.  When...

To all you boyfriends and husbands out there: it's that time of year again.  Valentine's Day is fast approaching, which means that you'd better get thinking about what you're going to give the lovely woman in your life.  Sure, there are the old standbys like a dozen roses or a nice dinner out, but the gift that will truly wow...

The Easter Bunny is hopping our way, bringing with him (or is it her?) eggs, chocolates, and of course, a big Easter feast. Whether you view Easter as a meaningful religious event, the day that frees you from your Lenten sacrifice, or simply as a time to get together with family and friends and celebrate springtime, Easter always involves a...

Some VERY old bottles. Let's hope they have what it takes to open up well! Aging a bottle of wine has a very distinct, qualitative effect on the contents. But it's a very unpredictable effect. This leaves wine aficionados in a rough place--you don't want to spend the time and the money aging a nice bottle of wine, only to open...

As the cold weather approaches, my tastes start changing.  After months of craving chilled Rosé or Pinot Grigio, I start to want deeper, richer wines.  I'll start with rich, buttery Chardonnays, turn to Pinot Noirs, and eventually end up wanting only the biggest, boldest reds, like Cabernet Sauvignons. My cooking starts to reflect this change, too.  I begin to shun salads...

We’re often told what wines go well with certain food items, but we rarely discuss which wines and foods don’t mix well.  Here's a few "don'ts" Though a Chardonnay pairs well with chicken, salmon, and creamy sauces, it fails to delight when sipped with hot, spicy foods!   Even a good bottle of Pinot Noir can become offensive when served...

The delicious, first-class 2007 Forefront Cabernet Sauvignon pours out a regal, dark purple.  With a powerful nose consisting of aromas including blueberries, raspberries, slight truffle, leather, and light vegetable notes, this scintillating wine pleases before it is even sipped.  On the tongue, it certainly demands attention, too!  Surprisingly well-balanced for such a young Cabernet, it is mouth-watering, rich, and meaty...

Recently, we recommended serving a Cabernet with steak and butter-rich foods, partly because of the wine’s tannins.  But what are tannins, actually? Tannins are polyphenolic compounds naturally found in plants that bind to proteins and other organic compounds.  In other words,  they are naturally found in the skins, stems, and leaves of grapes, and they are attracted to proteins, like...

I’ve been a big fan of Gnarly Head’s Cabs for many years, and the Gnarly Head Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 is no exception.  This regal, concentrated wine is rich with dark fruit flavor (currants, black cherries, and tart cranberries), and has a velvety “cab” texture that briefly exposes its well-integrated tannins just before a subtle taste of cloves and violets. ...

Dreaming Tree...  That's a song title, right?  Actually, it’s the product of Dave Matthews’ musical mind, along with winemaker Steve Reeder’s wine talents.  When Matthews was performing at Robert Mondavi Winery, Steve Reeder was there and conversing with representatives from Constellation wine brand.  Ideas centering around the perfect union of wine, food, and music were flowing, and someone asked...

Oakiness: you read about this quality on some wine bottles, along with acidity, tannins, and sweetness. How long a wine ferments in oak barrels does impact its taste, nose, and texture, but a lot of winemakers don’t like to discuss this part of the aging process.  In recent years, they've become afraid people will jump to conclusions that their wines...

With Christmas and other holidays fast approaching, stores are packed with last-minute shoppers.  If you are among them, consider giving a loved one something very special this season: a basket of assorted wines.  Unlike socks, ties, and bolder clothing items that can be gambles (and unlike gift cards which, according to recent statistics, are rarely used in full), wine...

Every family seems to have a unique, coveted lemon chicken signature dish.  Perhaps this easy wine and lemon sauce recipe will help liven up your current poultry preparatory practices, or perhaps you’ll be inspired to add additional ingredients to make this sauce truly your own?  Here’s all you’ll need: A photograph of lemons by André Karwath 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup...

So, you want to get your sweetheart a special wine to accompany the heart-shaped box of chocolates you’re giving him or her this Valentine’s Day?  What wine do you select?  Unlike “standard” wine and food pairings, pairing wine with chocolate can be a bit more tricky.  However, if you pair them well, the result is truly divine!  No matter if...

Easter is a time to celebrate with family and friends.  When meals are involved, the focus is often on a roasted ham or a nice leg of lamb.  But what wines go best with these dishes?  After all, hams are often prepared with a variety of glazes, aren't they?  Read on! No matter how sweet your ham’s glaze may be...

If you’ve read our recent post, If You’re Going to Drink, Choose Red!, you may be wondering how to effectively increase your red wine consumption by substituting it for white.  The good news is that there’s a red wine alternative to just about every “traditional" white-wine dish! Though it may take you (and some of your guests) a little time...

Are you new to the world of wine?  Unsure what wines are considered to be “dry?”  Read on! Quite simply, dry wines have the greatest alcohol content; their juice ferments until almost all of the grape’s sugar is utilized.  Thus, dry wines contain little residual sugar and are not “sweet.”  What common wines are considered dry?  Here’s a little list...

Good morning, wine lovers! At Vintage Cellars, we know you love wine, and we're pretty sure you love California, too (we sure do!). There are dozens of fantastic wine events in California--in fact, you could probably go to a different California wine event every day for the rest of the summer if you really wanted to. Unfortunately, if you're anything...

Cabernet Sauvignon is often referred to as the "King of Red Wine Grapes." Though it's grown in nearly ever major wine-producing country, it is most famously cultivated both in the soils of the Left Band of Bordeaux and California's Napa Valley, Cabernet is one of the world's most sought-after wine grapes. Part of what makes Cabernet so special is its...