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Happy Hour: 2006 Huge Bear Cabernet Sauvignon

partysugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:50:49 -0700

I'm a huge Zinfandel lover, but earlier this Summer, I decided to give another bold red a chance, and so I've been drinking - and enjoying - a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon. My latest favorite is Huge Bear's 2006 Cab Sav ($55). Although it's pricey, this luscious intense wine is worth the splurge. The grapes are grown in Sonoma and the wine ages for 18 months in new French Oak barrels resulting in a deep purple liquid that's full-bodied with a dark fruit aroma. It's a sophisticated strong wine with a smoky, long finish. I paired it with bacon and clam pizza, but it would work wonderfully with grilled steaks or dark chocolate. Have you tried Huge Bear's wine?

Happy Hour: 2007 Lander-Jenkins Cabernet Sauvignon

YumSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:00:34 -0700

In general, during the warmer months, I prefer white wines, but ever since I attended a wine and chocolate pairing earlier this Summer, I've been prone to winding down with a chunk of chocolate and a glass of big, complex red wine.

My recent favorite? The ridiculously low-priced 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Lander-Jenkins ($14). I've gotten into the habit of pulling out the largest stemware I have, pouring myself a few ounces of this dark Cabernet, and watching Conan O'Brien's monologue before climbing into bed.

I love that it's full-bodied but not overly tannic. A swirl in the glass produces thick tears of liquid, indicating a high alcohol content, yet each sip is incredibly smooth. The wine's plummy, mellow flavor pairs perfectly with a piece (or two) of dark chocolate. Have you ever tried Lander-Jenkins Cabernet? What did you think of it?

Happy Hour: Blackberry and Cabernet Caipirinha

partysugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:00:12 -0700

After being inspired by San Francisco Cocktail Week, I've decided that this Summer, I'm going to experiment with different spirits and mixers. First up is the Brazilian sugarcane rum known as cachaça. The caipirinha is the classic cocktail that features cachaça. Normally it consists of muddled lime and sugar, but this recipe takes a sangria-like approach to the drink and combines the potent rum with red wine, fresh citrus juice, and smashed blackberries.

The final concoction is punchy, flavorful, and wildly fruity. Be careful though: while this caipirinha is perfect for sipping on a warm afternoon, it's a deceptively potent cocktail. Enjoy one too many and you may end up passed out on the couch. The straightforward recipe is ideal for a party because it's easy to double (or triple as I did) the batch. It requires at least one hour of chill time, so mix it well before your event begins. Check out the recipe and read more.

Blackberry and Cabernet Caipirinha
From Duggan McDonnell of Cantina

Ingredients

24 blackberries
4 ounces simple syrup
12 ounces cachaça (potent Brazilian sugarcane spirit)
4 ounces Cabernet Sauvignon
8 ounces fresh orange juice
2 ounces fresh lime juice
Ice
6 lime wheels and 6 orange wheels

Directions

In a pitcher, muddle 12 of the blackberries with the simple syrup.
Add the cachaça, Cabernet, and the orange and lime juices and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
Stir well and strain the drink into ice-filled white wine glasses. Garnish with the remaining 12 blackberries and the lime and orange wheels.

Makes 6 drinks.

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Happy Hour: 2006 Four Wines Cabernet Sauvignon

partysugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:30:00 -0800

Last night while at a benefit for Global Green, one winery asked me to think outside the box. Now I want you to do the same: Allow me to introduce California's premium wine tube. It's not wine in a box, it's wine in a tube! Four Wines has created the first high-quality, alternative-packaged wine. While I was skeptical, the wine's spicy start, nice body, and layered fruity flavors impressed me - it was actually good and delightfully drinkable. Even super-taster FabSugar (whose picky about her wine) enjoyed a glass.

Perfect for entertaining a large crowd, the $40 tube holds 24 glasses of wine (about four bottles) that stays fresh up to four weeks after opening. The grapes are sourced from Paso Robles, Monterey, and Lodi, CA. The elimination of glass, corks, and foils reduce the wine's carbon footprint by 50 percent, making the wine tube an excellent choice for the eco-conscious wine drinker.

So what do you think about this green-friendly wine? Would you drink wine from a tube?

Happy Hour: The Show 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:15:06 -0700

I was first drawn to The Show ($12-15) wines because of their awesome labels. The labels, which were designed by Nashville's Hatch Show Print - one of America's oldest working letterpress print shops, and famous concert poster creator - feature bold colors and eye-catching imagery. Three labels were created, but the winery couldn't decide on one, so they released all three!

Created by Three Thieves, this Cabernet Sauvignon is bold and easy to drink. It has spicy notes of blackberries with a subtly sweet aftertaste. Give it some time to breathe and you'll definitely have a hit at your next party.

Oh and if you want to know more about it, The Show wine has a MySpace page. I guess they know their target demographic, no?

Happy Hour: Cab-ulous

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:13:18 -0800

I was at Cost Plus scoping out the after-Christmas-holiday candy, when a certain wine display caught my eye. These wines - named Cab-ulous, Chardon-Yeah!, and Zin-fatuation - looked fun, flirty, and appealing. I assumed you guys would be into them, yet I couldn't help but wonder if it was just a clever, marketing ploy.

To find out, I bought a bottle of the Cab-u-lous and brought it over to my friendly, wine-snob pal. I figured if anyone was going to give me a good opinion, it would be him. The vintage we had was a 2005; it was still pretty young and it showed. The wine barely stained the cork, and the smell was rather fruity, actually make that Kool-Aidy. The initial signs were not good, but we carried on and were pleasantly surprised. It wasn't an amazing wine, but it was only $10 and was smooth and easy to drink. As the wine snob said, "She's everyone's friend. No one is going to really dislike her. They might not have an opinion, but they won't hate her." I couldn't have put it better myself. No one will have a problem drinking this wine. It's nothing amazing, but it does have a clever label and would be a good, inexpensive purchase.

Also, it appears to be distributed by Trinchero Family Estates, however, I could not find it for sale online. If you do see them, don't pay too much, the bottles were $9.99 at Cost Plus.

Happy Hour: Concannon Assemblage Cabernet Sauvignon

partysugar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 14:27:39 -0800

A while back, I found out that some of my Irish relatives were early cultivators of the California wine industry. They founded Concannon Vineyard in the Livermore valley in 1883. Knowing that I wouldn't get out to Livermore to sample the wine, I totally forgot about my heritage as a vitner.

Last Thursday, while at a wine tasting, I took a sip of a smooth, earthy Cab-Sav blend and had to do a double take. The wine was from my family winery, Concannon! The wine has a dark, ruby color, rich finish, and dark fruit flavors. It would be lovely paired with a holiday roast beef or pork with an herb crust.

Source

Happy Hour: Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon

partysugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 14:30:14 -0700

Last Thursday night, I had some friends over for a quick dinner. I forgot to purchase wine and asked Katie, one of my guests, if she could bring a bottle. Always one to oblige her hostess, she showed up with a magnum of Estancia Cabernet Sauvignon. She purchased the super-sized bottle for only $8 at a nearby liquor store, so we were a little worried it was going to be horrible.

Surprisingly, it was a wonderful, light, moderately priced wine excellent for a work night. A food friendly red with soft plum flavors and a smooth, rich finish, this wine paired perfectly with the cheesy butternut squash lasagna I served. The bottle was the ideal amount for five people to have a few glasses each. If you are looking for a budget red to serve at an upcoming party, I highly recommend this bottle.

Source

Happy Hour: Tandem Ars Nova Red Blend

YumSugar — Wed, 09 May 2007 13:58:39 -0700

PartySugar mentioned that we were fortunate enough to meet Michael Chiarello last week - she also mentioned that we got to taste the wines from the Napastyle Wine Club. What she didn't mention was that one of the wines really stood out from the rest. I even had to take a picture of the bottle and remind myself to look it up when we got back. The wine was a 2004 Ars Nova from Tandem winery in Spain's Yerri Valley. It was a smooth rustic red blend consisting of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. According to Napastyle's website the "Fancypants Adjectives" (their wording!) associated with the wine are "dry and lean with cherries, violets and cedar hints." I couldn't have agreed more. It had a nice fruity taste, reminded me a bit of chocolate and was incredibly smooth. And although it could be consumed perfectly on its own, I want to get my hands on a bottle to pair with grilled lamb chops!

Contact your local wine merchant to locate a bottle of your own, or order it online at Oddbins (UK) for £9.49.

Happy Hour: 2003 Peter Franus Cab Sav

partysugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:01:39 -0700

Yesterday afternoon, Yum and I were lucky enough to find ourselves in the company of a bottle of Peter Franus Cabernet Sauvignon. Sadly, we were a bit disappointed at first. With a tinge of harshness the medium bodied wine was good, but had Yum saying, "I'm not going to go run out and buy this bottle." However a mere 15 minutes later - as we moved onto a second glass - our thoughts began to change. The wine had some time to breathe and this glass was smoother, with a deep richness that allowed me to note and embrace the underlying earthy aromas. Paired with a perfectly cooked lamb chop, this wine would be absolutely luscious. Give it a try for yourself - this Cab Sav grows on you in all the right ways. It's on sale now over at this fabulous little website called Radcru. They sell hard to find wines, up-and-coming cult labels, and overall just fun bottles featuring a new one everyday. With a limited amount of each bottle, the wines are quickly snapped up by those in the know.