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The Cabernet Sauvignon grape makes fabulous red wine. Over the years, it has become the signature red grape of California. Its rich, deep garnet color, dark currant flavor with notes of toasted oak, and firm tannic texture make Cabernet wine the perfect choice with all beef cuts, as well as venison and duck breast, this time of year. Ghost Pines by the Louis Martini Winery in Sonoma County, California is one of my favorites for both taste and value. They start by selecting grapes from three wine regions in California: Napa, Sonoma, and Lake Counties. This allows for fine blending of the Cabernet grapes for the best characteristic flavor, along with a spicy mix of wood smoke, cured tobacco leaf, and bittersweet chocolate, and a tannic structure in the finished wine. My recent tasting of this 2022 vintage showed big aromas of dark cherry fruit, cola, and vanilla. A full-bodied texture of soft to medium tannin added to the weight of the wine. It finished with a nice balance of acidity and bold, appealing fruit taste. It pairs perfectly with grilled steak, as well as an aromatic, steamy stew or simple, meaty pizza. A few weeks back, it was ideal with my wife, Bonnie’s, meatloaf. Ghost Pines Cabernet will age well with time and will only get better in the next six to nine years.

Surdyk's Price

Spanish red wine from the Rioja region has always been popular at Surdyk’s. One of our best is from Hacienda Lopez de Haro. It’s a great, robust take on premium wine at a bargain price. I’ve personally been drinking this Rioja for years. It is a rounded, full palate of flavors with a core full of spice and a smooth, long finish. The Tempranillo grape is its signature, with some Graciano added for color and body. The flavors are bold with plum, cranberry, and raspberry fruit expressions. You’ll find a bright acidity that balances a medium/firm tannin that adds good structure to this red wine. Deep in the middle is a spice rainbow of vanilla, crushed tobacco leaf, and a touch of balsamic. This carries a “Reserva” classification, which in Spain means the wine spent one year in oak cask and two more years in the bottle before being released for sale. Here’s classic Rioja flavor just waiting for you to set your table to serve up hamburgers all the way to a nice steak. Grilling that steak over charcoal would make this a smoky wonder.

Surdyk's Price

With summer grilling season in full swing, my red wine favorite is California Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s the perfect pairing with everything beefy on your barbecue menu. This Sonoma County Cab is an expression of Dry Creek and Alexander Valley grapes. The Prati name means “meadow” in Italian and nods to the old world roots of the Louis Martini family. This particular wine is 85% Cabernet and 6% Petite Sirah with small amounts of other varietals. It’s ripe in style, light in body structure and has velvety tannins. Rich, smooth, and packed with plummy fruit flavors of cherry and boysenberry. Oak barrel aging gives it some sweet toast and caramel on the finish. This Cabernet is easy to like and ideal for everybody’s picnic - well-balanced with solid acidic structure that features lots of fruit notes. Louis Martini goes way back to the early days of California winemaking with over 90 years of Italian mastery of Cabernet Sauvignon production.