When I hear the name Dave Matthews I most certainly do not think of wine.  In fact that name takes me back to high school and more specifically, the summer I turned 16.  After getting my license, the first time I got to go out

When it comes to wine, I don’t think you have to spend a fortune to find a great wine.  So when I find an inexpensive wine that I really enjoy I get really excited about it.  The Leese-Fitch wines are a good example of this.

I have noticed this B-Side Cabernet at my local grocery store multiple times over the last year and it has caught my eye on may occasions, but I have never tried it.  So tonight I finally did and boy and I glad!

Lately I’ve been on a Pinot Noir quick and haven’t been drinking much Cabernet.  I don’t know if it’s my sabbatical from Cabernet that made this such a nice find or it’s really just that good; pretty sure it’s just THAT good.

This wine is made by Don Sebastiani and Sons.  They have quite a collection of wines.  But this is the best one I’ve have.

I like that they’ve called this wine the B-Side because as they describe it, it represents the flip side of Napa Valley.  This smooth wine is a mix of Cabernet grapes grown in two separate vineyards in Rutherford and the Stags Leap District.  It is 90% Cabernet and 10% Malbec.

The small hint of Malbec gives this wine a nice spice but without making it a heavy wine. And the color of this wine is absolutely beautiful!

Apparently the 2010 vintage received a score of 92 points, so I am not the only who enjoys this wine.  I believe it runs right around $20. If you come across this wine I definitely recommend giving it a try!

I was on the hunt for a particular wine, but was not successful in finding it. On a positive not, at least I know what next week’s wine will be. . .however in my search I did stumble upon an unexpected treasure. Recently two liquor stores opened just minutes from my house; I decided to check out Majestic because I hadn’t stopped in yet and they normally have a great wine selection. Since they didn’t have the wine I was looking for I walked up and down each aisle to see what I could find and stumbled upon the 2007 3 Girls Cabernet Sauvignon.

Because it’s made by 3 girls I decided it would be fun to get 3 girls’ opinions of it. I should preface the opinions with, none of us claim to be expert wine tasters we all just love wine.

First Girl: my sister Beth
When I asked her what she thought of the wine she said it was smooth and sweet, but not too sweet. She followed that up with, “I don’t know I just like to drink wine.”

Second Girl: Lacee
While she also described this wine as smooth, she thought it was light and had a hint of dried cranberry, but finished her description with, “I LOVE it!”

Third Girl: me
I have to agree with all that Beth and Lacee’s said about the wine. I loved it as well. It had a subtle fruity flavor that made it refreshing which is unusual to me for a Cabernet. As I drank it I actually thought, I bet this would be amazing cold; I know blasphemous.

I even tried pouring it through my new fancy aerator that I picked up last week at Bastille on Bishop and even though the effect was to make the wine seem more heavy it didn’t affect my opinion of the wine.
Wish I had picked more than just the one bottle. . .at under $12 I am impressed!

Unfortunately there isn’t much information available about “3 Girls” so if you know anything about them please send the information my way.

Tonight I did something a little different for today’s post, but it is one of my favorite things to do. I ordered a flight of wine. I met my friend Amber for dinner; we hadn’t hung out in quite a while so it was time to catch up. We met up at Houlihans, and they have so many fun drink options because not only can you order a flight of wine, but you can order a flight of martinis if you prefer.

I opted for a flight of Cabernets, and you get to pick any three of the wines that are available by the glass for only $9.00. Here were my options:

Trinchero Family Cabernet – Coastal Valley, CA
I really wasn’t a huge fan of this cab, it was way too bitter for me. This is the second time I’ve tried this one and the second time I haven’t liked a wine from this vineyard. I should have gone with the Louis M. Martini Napa Valley, but I wanted to branch out.

Frei Brothers Reserve Cabernet – Alexander Valley, CA
This glass was actually very nice. I really enjoyed it and since I’m not a real wine critic, just an armature, I don’t know what else to say but try it, you’ll like it. I have never really paid attention to this bottle in the store and have no idea what this bottle runs in the retail environment.

J Lohr Hilltop Cabernet – Pasa Robles, CA
I really enjoyed this wine, very smooth. It might even be the cabernet I had last night at dinner. And apparently the price in the store isn’t really all that high. This is definitely another bottle I recommend.

I think flights of wine are always a good idea because you can try a new kind of wine without being committed to an entire bottle and not be disappointed in a bad investment.

Keep sending me suggestions, I’m always on the look out for new wines to try.

About a year I go I was heading out to Napa and my friend Jenn gave me a few suggestions on wineries to visit. My favorite recommendation she made was B. R. Cohn.

Bruce Cohn, proprietor, is the manager of The Doobie Brothers. He started the winery in 1984, both he and his dog Moose can often be found in the tasting room greeting visitors. I really enjoyed the variety of wines they offered and the prices at which they were available, and decided to join their wine club.

When I was back out in Napa this past August I made sure we stopped by; I mean who wouldn’t want to enjoy a free tasting, right? This is a perk I can enjoy as a wine club member, and boy did we enjoy it! Our pourer was so nice, she let us try and re-try. We stayed a little too long after closing but actually got to meet Bruce and get our picture taken with him. (When I find this picture I’ll put it up here. . .Matt, Lacee, Mere?).

Okay. . .enough about the winery. . .let’s get to the real dirt, the wine!

The Silver Label Cabernet is a nice bottle to have around the house to either enjoy it alone or share it with friends. It typically runs about $20 or less at any store.

It was on this trip to the winery that I discovered their wine blends, even though I’m not a white person I really enjoyed their “Woody White.” Unfortunately for me they sold out of this one and I wasn’t able to buy any in my last wine club order, but this time I ordered the “Roadster Red” and fell in love with it too! Both of these wines can only be purchased from the winery and are $15 a bottle.

Now, don’t get me wrong I enjoy even the higher end wines that they offer. In fact I’ve got a 2005 Olive Hill Estate Cab in my wine fridge that I haven’t quite found the right reason to open it. Any ideas?

So, if you are out in the Napa area, be sure to stop by and visit. . .you’ll enjoy it!

So many places to start. . .which one do I pick?

Preference – red, all kinds of reds. . .every once in a while I will drink a white, but that is very rare!

I guess, I will start off on an easy one. . .Cabernet Sauvignon, who doesn’t love a good cab sauv?  Very rarely have I found a cab I don’t like.  I am going to offer my suggestion of cabs from three different price ranges.   I am not advocating that these are the best cabs in these price ranges, but they are wines that my friends and I like to drink.

Cellar No. 8 – Under $10

I can normally find this one for about $8.99.  It is a good Cabernet to have around the house that goes with everything and it’s also a good wine to have around to take to a party.

Toasted Head – Under $20

My friend Mai brought this over to my house once and it didn’t last very long, and since then I have bought it several times.  Right now I can name four friends who either have a bottle in their house or just finished a bottle.  A few weeks ago we stumbled upon an amazing sale and were able to pick this bottle up for $4.99, but normally this one is around $14.99.

Under $30 – There was no way for me to pick between the Charles Krug Yountville Cab and the Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cab.

Charles Krug (Yountville)

I had never even heard of this winery until my trip to Napa this past August.  My friend Lacee’s boss highly recommended it.  I don’t think any of us left the winery without making a purchase. Typically this wine can be purchased for around $23.99.

Louis M. Martini (Napa Valley)

We went to this winery in August because Matt heard they had many different cabs.  When it was time for lunch we stumbled upon a quiet, tree covered patio at Louis M Martini.  As we set up our makeshift picnic, Matt went inside and bought this bottle for us to enjoy with our food.  We were all instantly hooked.

Ever heard of these, if so let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts.  Do you have an alternate option in any of the price ranges, please let me know.  I am always willing try a new wine!