The Wine Commonsewer™

Cabernet Day

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Cabernet Sauvignon, in all of its incarnations, is generally my favorite wine. 

Thanks to modern DNA mapping, the grape's origins were uncovered at UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology. The DNA evidence determined that Cabernet Sauvignon was the offspring of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, which is a white wine grape. WTH? Cabernet Franc, OTOH, is an outstanding grape and imparts a lot of structure when blended in the Bordeaux tradition. In recent years, Cabernet Franc has proven itself as a stand-alone varietal, often producing a stunning wine.

As Always,

TWC

Tip of the glass to Russ & Bonnie

Why TWC Will Not Get Away With Murder

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

I'm pretty sure CSI could pick up a couple of latents off of Saturday night's glass. And what about some Scotch Tape and a frame-up? Lordy.

As Always,

TWC

Stella Black

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

If you have a penchant for black cherry soda, this is definitely your wine. I ain't bein' mean, neither. Stella Rosa's Stella Black is big bubbly and tickles your throat like White Rock black cherry soda did when you was a kid.

I suppose the nanny staters will claim that the target market is high school kids (or sixth graders, depending upon which of them you ask), but the real target market is people who aren't necessarily wine aficionados. The wine is fun and it beats the heck out of stuff like Boone's Farm, which isn't even wine anymore. Tax policy has consequences: Make it more expensive to make cheap wine? Voila! Boone's Farm morphs into a malted beverage. Not sure that's an improvement.  

Stella Black is semi-sweet and smooth. It's from the Piedmont region of Italy. At five percent alcohol, it isn't going to hammer you. On the down side, plenty or residual sugar mean plenty of carburetors (carbs) and calories.

You ought to be able to find this newest release from Stella Rosa for around ten bucks American. I hear they're doing a land office business. If you live in the southland, you can pick some up at San Antonio Winery, which is the only surviving pre-prohibition winery in So Cal.

As Always,

TWC

Drinking Wine Without Pulling The Cork

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Though the concept of leftover wine eludes moi, this device offers some outstanding possibilities. For instance, one could enjoy a flight* of wine without being concerned with spoilage. Or, simply begin with a light fruity wine and appetizers, move on to a big red with the grilled steak, and finish the evening with a cigar and a glass of port, thus allowing one to enjoy several different wines in one evening.

A *flight of wine is a selection of wines offered at a wine tasting event. Although the number can vary, one can expect three to ten different wines to be presented. Unlike traditional wine tasting with which we are all familiar, a tasting flight can take two forms. A horizontal flight is one which compares the same wine produced by several different wineries. A vertical flight is generally a tasting of a wine made by the same winery over a period of several years. For instance, a vertical tasting of a particular winery's Cabernet Sauvignon might include tasting a 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010, hence the use of the term vertical.

As Always,

TWC

Tip of the glass to 100% Cork

Facebook Fan Mail

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Friend of mine posted this on my Facebook page yesterday.

How cool is that? 

As Always,

TWC

Tip of the glass to Larry

At Rodger's House on Balboa