Next Up: Ravenswood Cabernet Savignon

Ravenswood Cabernet Savignon

Why Ravenswood?

I'm pretty sure I saw it on one of the NYTimes best under $20 list, but I can't recall. Also, a former boss in Florida (whom I hold in high esteem), wouldn't stop bothering me until I tried it. And he was right - this is good.

A person doesn't have to be a fan of cabs to love this wine. Even a Pinot Noir or Merlot lover will enjoy this tasty wine. The secret, I think, is that it isn't too tanniny (I just made that up... or I heard it somewhere... it means it isn't too bitter). This wine is strong in flavor though, but I wouldn't consider it overwhelming even if paired with a heavily marinated chicken dish. I think it's best with a dark vegetable of some sort. Also goes well with Vermont cheese. If you don't like VT cheese, you might be a communist.

Ravenswood is famous for their strong Zins. In fact, they brag about this on their site so much I found it annoying. I think real wine drinkers don't waste money on Zins, but whatever. Their cab is freaking awesome.

Cost: Less than $15
And cheap. Awesome and cheap. In Florida and New Jersey I believe I paid around $12, and in Oklahoma the cost is $13.99.

Verdict?
If you have a 20 dollar bill to blow on a bottle of red, this is where you blow it.

First Tasting:

Passions, like oceans and ugly shoe fads, ebb and flow. My great passion is history and nearly anything even remotely related to it. However, one of my lesser passions has recently come to the forefront: booze.

My fiance Chris opened a pub. I enjoyed libations before this, but now friends/customers will ask me specifics about beers or wine, and I find myself needing to describe them in a way that is both accessible and appealing (or not appealing... depends on the beverage).

I have many wonderful online friends who share this alcoholic passion with me, and this is for them as well. I hope they will continue to let me know about new beers and interesting wines. After all, such advice from trustworthy sources is invaluable for a pub serving the second largest selection of beer in the state.

My hope is to discuss the price and taste of a wine or beer a couple times each week, and I'd like people to offer suggestions or their own opinions. I'd like to stay away from a typical wine connoisseur's jargon, and lean toward how a person could best describe an excellent $25 wine to his friend. Pretension is fun, but is not my goal here.

So let's get this proverbial show on the road, and remember my fellow imbibers: A true wine lover will swallow and never spit!

First up -

Dom Perignon

I know, someone is thinking, "Well if all the wines will cost over $100, this is a stupid blog." That someone is correct - nearly everything I drink is under $40.

Why Dom Perignon?
Someone asked me what is on my "Bucket List." I didn't know what that was, but learned that it is a list of things one wants to accomplish before kicking the proverbial bucket.

Droll.

Anyway, I had always wanted to try a bottle of Dom. Not the $400 Dom Rose - just a regular bottle.

Chris, darling that he is, bought me one for my first annual 29th birthday, which happened to fall on New Year's eve. I had 80% of the bottle to myself (my deaf friend supplied the glasses, then took his cut... bastard).
After I tried Dom, I had a ton of people asking me what I thought about it.

In the darkened pub, the color was typical of French champagne. It smelled pleasant, in a woodsy sort of way. I sipped it, and was a little surprised. The initial flavor was very wood-like, which I enjoy. The rest was crisp.

Verdict?
I'll be honest - I don't know that I could have told the different between a $50 bottle of champagne, and Dom. Perhaps that's my ignorance of French Champagne talking, but I can't say that I would buy it again (though I'd certainly drink it again!)