3 Cabernets For Everyday And A Nice Splurge

Last week was National Red Wine Day. On its heels was Cabernet Day. The latter occurs each September 1st which fell on Sunday this year. I think it is more than appropriate to tout the virtues of this stunning grape a few days later. So, here are 3 cabernets for everyday and a nice splurge too.

If you are like me, you don't celebrate special occasions for one day only but all week long. Just ask my friends and family about birthdays. A grape like cabernet sauvignon certainly deserves the recognition and Wine Wednesday is an ideal time to do so.

Cabernet sauvignon is one of the most popular, one of the most revered grapes in the world. It is grown on almost every continent, bottled solo and as a backbone to award-winning blends.

Wine made from cabernet sauvignon can taste quite different depending on a host of factors. However, the fruit is famous for having characteristics of cherries and berries. Aged in oak, add vanilla and chocolate flavors in for a rich touch.

Sometimes it can have herbal and vegetal qualities. Cab also tends to have more tannins than many other grapes. They add texture and are often described as bitter, grippy, or drying. Put all of these factors together and you have a wine that is great with all kinds of food.

Cabernets can be pricey. It gets more and more challenging to find affordable selections from Napa Valley, which is legendary for its cab. However, Napa is not the only California region doing good things with this grape.

Chronic Cellars is a fun winery in Paso Robles. They like to play. They winery has a lawn with cornhole boards and in the cellar, they like to play with blends. Then there are the labels and clever names. This whole line is perfect for your Halloween celebrations and they taste good too.

I love the premise behind the TEXTBOOK Winery. They wanted to take the powerful fruit produced in California and apply some of the subtle restraints found in wine production in France to come up with textbook wines. They started with Cabernet which I recently tried again.

Saddleback Cellars is from Nils Venge. Considered to be one of the pioneers of Napa Valley wine, he is often referred to as the King of Cab. In 1985 he produced the first cabernet to ever get a perfect score of 100-points from Robert Parker, Jr. It was the 1985 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon. Venge continues to make killer cabs and great wine in general.

Please note that prices may vary. Those listed here are either SRP, from the winery, or an average.

*Drink responsibly

For Wine Wednesday we are discovering wines from Sardinia in Southwest Florida. I have just returned from a week on the Italian island doing lots of food and wine research. If you are looking to try something new, these wines are for you.

While there are a lot of vineyards on the island, not many of the wines make it to the United States. I visited the country's biggest producer, Surrau. The winery and vineyards are in Sardinia's beautiful Costa Smeralda. About 20% of their wine gets exported and Florida is on the list.

As a matter of fact, the bottles pictured below, with one exception, are the labels to look for in the United States.

Sardinia grows a variety of grapes but the flagships are vermentino for white wine and cannanou for red. Vermentino is grown all over the world but the grapes grown here are a little different due to the climate and the soil.

The wines tend to have more minerals and even have a bit of salinity to them. They are perfect with seafood and a lot of the cheeses found here.

As for the cannanou, it is the Sardinian name for grenache. The grapes here are said to have more antioxidants than any other. Sardinia is a so-called Blue Zone afterall. Blue Zones are areas where people live longer, are generally in better health than the rest of the world.

Vermintino is Surrau's specialty, but they also produce some lovely cannanou and even use those grapes for rose, sparkling wine and sweet passito. Check out this quick video from my winery visit and tasting.

If you make it to Sardinia and Costa Smeralda, book a tasting and tour at this winery. The facility is immaculate and high tech. The tasting room has a superb view, and the wines are a great discovery.

We tasted some of the dessert wines, a rose and sparkling wine too. They are not exported to the United States, but you can buy them at the winery and either ship or pack.

Surrau's winery and tasting room is modern and beautiful. The grounds are full of flowers and art.

The wines from left to right. 1. Limizzani Vermentino de Gallura DOCG is dry and tropical but still round with lots of minerality. 2. Branu Vermentino de Gallura is a DOCG wine. It also lots of minerals but with some juicy pear notes. 3. Sciala Vermentino de Gallura DOCG has fresh layers of flavors, a slightly floral and effervescent feel.

Concrete eggs are used at Surrau's winery for aging the white wines. The concrete is easy to clean and reuse as well.

Aging wine in amphora's is centuries old. It is done at Surrau in Sardinia as well. One of the ways the white wines are vinified.

At Surrau Winery in Sardinia, the vermentino grapes are still ripening on the vines. Harvest wont be for another month or so depending on the weather.

Winery founders are committed to supporting art and local artists. The hallways are set up like a gallery and so is one of the vineyard walkways. This is part of a competition. Winery visitors can vote on their favorite at Surrau in Sardinia.

Surrau uses a variety of barrels for aging its red wines at the winery in Sardinia.

Wines left to right. 1.lIsola dei Nuraghi IGE is a lighter style with mixed berry and herbs 2. Naraou Cannonau de Sardegna DOC is more chalky and dry with lots of red fruit 3. Sincaru Cannonau de Sardegna DOC is full, with dark berries and layers of flavor

Surrau makes a sparkling wine from cannonau that does not get distributed in Florida. But it fit nicely in my suitcase. It is elegantly bold with nice red fruit characteristics.

Winery founders are committed to supporting art and local artists. The hallways are set up like a gallery and so is one of the vineyard walkways. This is part of a competition. Winery visitors can vote on their favorite at Surrau in Sardinia.

Check out the floor in this barrel room. It is full of rocks. They are said to be helpful to maintain proper humidity in the cellar as the wines age in the barrels.