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Cabernet has a reputation of both excellence and deep flavor. |
Featured Articles... Cabernet has a reputation of both excellence and deep flavor. It is full bodied and intense, sometimes with herbal or fruit flavors. Its fruity flavors have been described as cherry, black cherry, black currant (cassis) and raspberry. Other flavor descriptors include minty, cedar, bell pepper and tobacco. Younger Cabernets go very well with rich and flavorful foods, such as lamb and beef stew. It is also a fitting partner to lamb chops, lentils and braised beef. Fruitier Cabernets are very comfortable with duck dishes. Duck with berries or grilled steaks with cracked peppercorns make for a delicious combination. Fruity Cabernets also compliment chocolate very well. Older Cabernets are best enjoyed with turkey and lamb. But, let me bring you up to date on some gold medals and where we are with Cabernet Sauvignon in California. To be fair, you should note that Cabernet does have a reputation for excellence and there is a popularity boom around the world. It is the primary grape of the top vineyards in France and heavy planting continues in the United States, in Chile, Australia and Eastern Europe. Inroads are being made in Spain and Italy. The annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition is fast approaching and I will share with you the results of the judging, which have just been released. For your information, more than 1900 California wines were evaluated. Over 450 wineries participated and 1545 wines were awarded medals. The Red Wine Sweepstakes Winner is Navarro Vineyards 2000 Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvee (Anderson Valley, Mendocino County). The White Wine Sweepstakes Winner is the 2000 White Meritage from St. Supery Vineyards in Napa County. Here are the Cabernet results in three flights, listed by price. In the Less Than $15.99 Category, the Gold Best of Class was won by Blackstone Winery 1999 ($11.00), Sonoma County. In the $16.00-$24.99 Category, the Gold Best of Class was awarded to Indian Springs Vineyards 1999 ($18.00), Nevada County. In the $25.00 and Over Category, the Gold Best of Class went to Foley Estate Vineyard and Winery 1999 ($35.00), Santa Ynez Valley. Further, 10 gold medals were awarded for Cabernets in the first category, 4 in the second and 31 in the third with these prices ranging from $25.00 to $80.00. I hope this gives you a bit of a refresher about Cabernet Sauvignon. I urge you to try this variety if you have not already done so. We call it "Hail a Cab" here in Sonoma. In closing, let me elaborate that according to a recent editorial in the British medical journal, Cabernet Sauvignon may be one of the best varietals for a healthy heart. The grapes used to create the wine are rich in resveratrol, a component that increases HDL "good" cholesterol and limits the production of artery blocking LDL cholesterol. The highest concentrations of resveratrol are found in red wines, particularly in Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. That's good enough for me, I'm outa here, Hail me a Cab! Hope to see you all at the conference. Any questions, or need a tip on where to go or what to buy? Email me: superg@northbay.com. |
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