Wine Dinner with
Chateau St Michelle
Clementines Restaurant
306 Main St
Avon by the Sea
Friday September 24
7-9:30 PM
$85 person/all inclusive
72 slots total
10 gone already

Greetings!

You want the good stuff?  Here you go!!!!   This is the event at the Shore for September.  Chateau St Michelle, a world class organization, with wineries all over the world is coming to the Jersey Shore for a friday night feast that will blow you away.
Clementines in Avon by the Sea, is owned by Bobby Johnson, and the food is New Orleans style.  It is truly fabby.  I have eaten there a few times and it gets better each time.  Well, he crafted a custom menu to fit the wines.  Holy Cow!!!!  Wait till you try this.
I must add.  Clementines has a big following.  They will be closed for 2 weeks in September.  Just before this dinner.  So their customers are anxious to get back to the restaurant.  In fact, in the last 12 hours, they have booked 10 reservations. 
THIS WILL SELL OUT VERY FAST.  I am not kidding.  So if this excites you as much as it does me, pay up pal!!!!!!!!

Chateau St Michelle & Clementines
The September Wine Dinner

On Friday night, September 24 @ 7 PM, representatives from the winery will convene on Clementines and rock you with stories and wine.  The food will just plain knock you out.  So, what are you doing that Friday night that compares.
Here is the lineup

Cocktail Reception

Domaine St Michele Blanc de Blanc Sparkling

1^st Course

Bramito Del Cervo Chardonnay

The wine is of a straw yellow color with golden tinges. It has a fruity aroma with clear varietal characteristics and hints of vanilla and toasty notes. The wine is beautifully structured, elegant, and has a great minerality

Fried oyster Rockefeller Bisque or Seafood Beignets with a Tasso cream sauce

2^nd Course

Erath Dundee Hills Pinot Noir Prince Hill Vineyard

"Indulgent aromas of ripe boysenberry and black cherry are an irresistible invitation to sink into this plush Pinot. A mouthful of mocha, praline and graham take you on a hedonistic journey that ebbs and flows without losing momentum. A beautiful mouthfeel and a gloriously long finish crown this ‘princely’ vintage." 

93 Wine & Spirits…Years best Pinot Noir

Grilled Baby Lamb Chops with wild mushroom pilaf finished with a tomato pesto

Or

Blackened seared Tuna roasted beets and fennel

3^rd Course

Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve

The Walter Clore Private Reserve is a unique blend of traditional Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc) and represents the pinnacle of winemaking mastery at Columbia Crest. Aged in the finest French and American oak barrels and blended to express the terroir of the most premium vineyard sites, the Walter Clore is a wine that is easily worthy of aging for 10+ years. 

92 Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine

Buffalo Filet Medallions with steamed asparagus in panco bread crumbs

Or

Grilled Quail ( sub blackened shrimp) with a candied pecan and pear salad

4^th Course

Erocia Riesling

The wine exudes mandarin orange and sweet lime aromas and flavors with subtle mineral notes. The mouth-watering acidity is beautifully balanced by flavorful Washington Riesling fruit. After a decade we have truly found our ‘Eroica style,’ striving for beautiful bright fruit with crisp acidity and enhanced minerality." 

94 Wine & Spirits

Crème Brule with fresh berries

Or

Poached pears

But wait, we are not done.  You see with the above menu, you get a full pour of wine for each course.  But if that is not enough, we have the following to add to your pleasure.  These trophy wines will be poured in 1 oz sampling as we have very little of these beauties

Uriah

A merlot blend with cab franc, petit verdot and malbec. 

92 Wine Spectator

Antica

Napa Valley cabernet in limited release 

94 Wine Spectator

Pian Delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino

91 Wine Spectator

Cervaro

Umbrian chardonnay prized the world over

Tre Bicchieri….Gambero Rosso

Albis

A cabernet and carmenere blend from Chile  

90 Wine Enthusiast

Col Solare

A cabernet blend from Washington  92 Wine Spectator

Sign Up in Advance

I cannot stress this enough.  You must RSVP and pay in advance to get into this dynamite dinner.  It will sell out and you will then have to listen to all the folks that went and how they raved about the food and wine.  So don’t be that guy who presses his nose to window begging for food!!!!!

Chateau St Michelle & Clementines
The September Wine Dinner

On Friday night, September 24 @ 7 PM, representatives from the winery will convene on Clementines and rock you with stories and wine.  The food will just plain knock you out.  So, what are you doing that Friday night that compares.
Here is the lineup

Cocktail Reception

Domaine St Michele Blanc de Blanc Sparkling

1^st Course

Bramito Del Cervo Chardonnay

The wine is of a straw yellow color with golden tinges. It has a fruity aroma with clear varietal characteristics and hints of vanilla and toasty notes. The wine is beautifully structured, elegant, and has a great minerality

Fried oyster Rockefeller Bisque or Seafood Beignets with a Tasso cream sauce

2^nd Course

Erath Dundee Hills Pinot Noir Prince Hill Vineyard

"Indulgent aromas of ripe boysenberry and black cherry are an irresistible invitation to sink into this plush Pinot. A mouthful of mocha, praline and graham take you on a hedonistic journey that ebbs and flows without losing momentum. A beautiful mouthfeel and a gloriously long finish crown this ‘princely’ vintage." 

93 Wine & Spirits…Years best Pinot Noir

Grilled Baby Lamb Chops with wild mushroom pilaf finished with a tomato pesto

Or

Blackened seared Tuna roasted beets and fennel

3^rd Course

Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve

The Walter Clore Private Reserve is a unique blend of traditional Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc) and represents the pinnacle of winemaking mastery at Columbia Crest. Aged in the finest French and American oak barrels and blended to express the terroir of the most premium vineyard sites, the Walter Clore is a wine that is easily worthy of aging for 10+ years. 

92 Connoisseurs Guide to California Wine

Buffalo Filet Medallions with steamed asparagus in panco bread crumbs

Or

Grilled Quail ( sub blackened shrimp) with a candied pecan and pear salad

4^th Course

Erocia Riesling

The wine exudes mandarin orange and sweet lime aromas and flavors with subtle mineral notes. The mouth-watering acidity is beautifully balanced by flavorful Washington Riesling fruit. After a decade we have truly found our ‘Eroica style,’ striving for beautiful bright fruit with crisp acidity and enhanced minerality." 

94 Wine & Spirits

Crème Brule with fresh berries

Or

Poached pears

But wait, we are not done.  You see with the above menu, you get a full pour of wine for each course.  But if that is not enough, we have the following to add to your pleasure.  These trophy wines will be poured in 1 oz sampling as we have very little of these beauties

Uriah

A merlot blend with cab franc, petit verdot and malbec. 

92 Wine Spectator

Antica

Napa Valley cabernet in limited release 

94 Wine Spectator

Pian Delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino

91 Wine Spectator

Cervaro

Umbrian chardonnay prized the world over

Tre Bicchieri….Gambero Rosso

Albis

A cabernet and carmenere blend from Chile  

90 Wine Enthusiast

Col Solare

A cabernet blend from Washington  92 Wine Spectator

Chateau Beauchene-Premier Terroir-Cotes Du Rhone-Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre-2007-$12.23-A nose of dark fruit and spice, dark amber in color.  A medium to full bodied blend, raspberry, currant, cherry, earth and pepper, a good value.              NR                  CR-4                Good with chicken, cheese, pasta.

Three Wine Company-Petite Sirah-Contra Costa County-California-2008-$19.00-A nose of dark fruit and spice, black purple in color.  A full bodied big red, smooth,  blackberry, blueberry, spice, a good mouth feel, long finish.                    NR                 CR-4-4.5                 Good with meats, chicken, pasta.

During the past decade, Daniel Holzman has cooked at top restaurants all along the West Coast—from the San Francisco osteria SPQR to the Los Angeles locavore heaven Axe—but for his New York City eatery, The Meatball Shop, he has focused his considerable skills on the red-sauce favorite. If you’re in the mood for old-school comfort food, prepare to be awed.

Ingredients
Preparation

2 lb ground beef chuck

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, gently mix all the ingredients with your hands until thoroughly combined. Roll the mixture into tight golf-ball-size spheres, about 2 tablespoons each. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan or an ovenproof skillet, add the meatballs, and roast without turning until just cooked through, about 15 minutes.

1/4 cup finely chopped prosciutto

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 to 1 1/2 tsp hot red-pepper flakes

1 tablespoon ground fennel seed

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup fresh or boxed bread crumbs

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

A splash of olive oil

Wine suggestion-Zinfandel or any Italian Red

Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp “Shiskies”

It would be blasphemous to not break out the barbecue and garnish your weekend with grilled goodness. These killer kabobs are a favorite at California’s Santa Margarita Ranch—home to Ancient Peaks Winery—where barbeque builder and sixth-generation Central Coast native Phil Reader serves them to cattle drivers and railroad engineers alike.  As the story goes, Reader, amidst mealtime malaise, awoke from an afternoon nap with a vision of this recipe, sent his wife shopping, and voila!  And it’s been improving ever since.  For a more social serving style, Reader suggests preparing the ingredients separately and setting up a “make-it-yourself” kabob bar.  These scrumptious shiskies are best cooked on Reader’s Santa Maria-style “Cowboy Hibachi” grills or his unusually favorite cooktop: the back-head of a steam locomotive boiler.

Prep Time: Approx. 2 hours
Requires: BBQ grill, sharp knife, bamboo kabob sticks, basting brush
Ingredients:
1.5 c Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce
1.5 lb top loin, chilled to firmess
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chilled to firmness
12 medium prawns
12 slices bacon, thin
1 yellow bell pepper
1 yellow onion
1 firm, ripe pineapple
1/2 c Kikkoman’s Teriyaki Baste and Glaze Honey and Pineapple
Soak bamboo kabob sticks overnight in water.  Cube the beef and chicken into 1” cubes.  Place in Yoshida’s and let set in refrigerator for at least 1 hour (over night works well).  Carefully, trim skin, top and bottom off of pineapple. Slice meat in quarters and remove core.  Take remaining pineapple and cut into 1” cubes.  Shell and de-vein prawns.  Wrap each prawn in a U-shape with the bacon. Quarter onion and quarter and core bell pepper and cut into 1” sections.   Plan a sample kabob pattern by alternating items, finishing end with a wrapped prawn.  Repeat pattern for all 12 kabobs. Place kabobs on grill over medium flame until evenly cooked through.  Brush each with glazing sauce and cook until just singed.  Remove from grill and plate with steamed rice and a King’s Hawaiian Roll.  Serves 4.

Wine Suggestion-Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc

Bamba’s Burgers
with Gratin Dauphinois

If you’re looking for more beyond average barbeque, these two recipes from Chef Bamba Seydou at New York’s Lina Frey may fit the grill.  While Gotham isn’t often associated with outdoor cooking, this lower east side bistro boats a 20-foot retractable roof and a kitchen that knows how it’s done.  Consider Gratin Dauphinois in place of ordinary potato salad beside a spread of zesty Bamba’s Burgers—among the restaurant’s top sellers.
For the Burgers:
1 tsp each: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 lbs. 80% ground beef
Grill to temperature and serve with a soft bun, lettuce, tomato and a thick slice of red onion.

For the Gratin Dauphinois:
Cook a few sweet onions until golden brown.  Add few tablespoons each of honey, parmesan cheese, a diced shallot – and a couple tablespoons of butter, cream and salt and pepper to taste.  Layer potato discs in large baking dish, alternately dousing the potato layers with this onion and cream mixture.  Cook in oven at about 400 degrees for roughly 45 minutes until tender and sweet.  Serve both warm or at room temperature.

Wine Suggestion-Pinot Noir 

MommyLou’s Key Lime Cheesecake

Old-fashioned cheesecake is a dessert as American as apple pie, without actually being it.  Chef Jamie Reilly of MommyLou’s Cheesecake has concocted countless reinventions of the classic dessert, ranging from pineapple swirl and cookies and cream to seasonal specials like pumpkin and eggnog—yet this smooth, less complex recipe reigns among his most popular. Simple yet elegant, this velvety take on the classic, infused with zingy summer flavor, is a fitting end to your feast.  Reilly’s sinfully luscious indulgences are served at several Hamptons restaurants including Bridgehampton’s Copa Wine Bar and Southampton’s 75 Main.

Prepare the crust:
1 box of graham crackers (crushed)
1 stick of butter (softened)
.5 tsp. cinnamon
Mix ingredients well.  If too moist, add more graham crackers.  Preheat oven to 335 degrees.  Spray 10" spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray and press crust on sides and bottom of pan.  Set aside.

Make the cheesecake:
1.5lbs. room temp. cream cheese (Philadelphia works best)
1 cup sugar
4 whole eggs   
3 tbsp. Key Lime Juice (add 1 at a time)
Blend on med. speed for 30 to 35 min. or until smooth and creamy.  Pour mixture into pan.  Bake for 35 to 45 min. or until outer edges start to crack lightly.  Cool on counter.  Refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours until firm.
Add the whipped topping:
16 oz. thick sour cream   
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. lime zest

Mix sour cream and sugar at med-high speed for 3 min. or until stiff peaks form.  Stir in 1 tbsp. lime zest.  Pour evenly over cheesecake.  Sprinkle 2nd tbsp. lime zest evenly over topping.  Bake for 8 min. in 425 degree oven, cool and refrigerate overnight.
Must be made 1 day ahead of time needed.

Wine Suggestion-Port

Longevity

The news about wine keeps getting better. Dutch researchers say that a half-glass of wine per day might help you live longer–five years longer, in fact. (Remember, though, excessive drinking can lead to health problems that may shorten your life.) Though the researchers note that more study is needed, the theory is that light alcohol consumption–and especially red wine–may contribute to longevity because the "polyphenolic compounds contained in wine have been seen in animals to stop the build up of fatty tissue in the arteries that can result in stroke or heart attack."

Improves Heart Health

Japanese researchers believe that light to moderate drinking paired with socialization (enter happy hour) can significantly reduce your risk for heart disease. While the researchers mostly looked at men, it’s easy to see why the findings could be true for women too. Most health experts are fine with light drinking–one glass per day (but not every day) for women. And aren’t we all happier when we’re spending time with friends?

Reduces Inflammation

Those who drink were found to have a significantly reduced risk of developing several arthritic conditions including Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Osteoarthritis (OA), reactive arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and spondylarthropathy, according to Dutch researchers. Researchers aren’t exactly certain why alcohol consumption (note, no guidelines were given as to which type of alcohol and how much, but we can safely assume that the scientists are talking about moderate drinking here), but they speculate that alcohol may have inflammation-reducing effects

Aids Weight Loss

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston who studied the alcohol consumption of more than 19,000 women over 13 years found that women who drank a "light to moderate amount of alcohol" (defined by no more than two servings a day of wine, beer or liquor–I’ll add that some studies have found that any more than one drink per day for females to be excessive, so just file that away) tended to gain less weight than women who didn’t drink. The study was recently published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

An explanation, please? "Women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol tend to eat less food, particularly carbohydrates," said cardiologist Lu Wang, lead researcher on the study and an instructor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who spoke to USA Today.

Fights Osteoporosis

A new study reports that beer is a significant source of dietary silicon. Dietary what? It’s an ingredient believed to increase bone mineral density, and researchers from the Department of Food Science & Technology at the University of California, Davis, say that beer is loaded with it.

They studied commercial beer production and found that most commercial beer–especially hoppy beer–is a rich source of dietary silicon. Based on these findings, the scientists suggest that moderate beer consumption may actually help fight osteoporosis.

OVER 700 WINES & GOURMET FOODS

Once again we’ve assembled a stunning selection of highly rated wines and stunning sleepers from around the world. Hundreds and hundreds of highly rated wines from Robert Parker, Wine Spectator, Stephen Tanzer, and other top name critics will be available to try! This is the evening no wine lover can miss! In the elegant setting of The Manor, taste hundreds of wines and feast on an outstanding array of fine foods and dessert! Tickets will sell out as they do every year, so don’t miss out!

A portion of the proceeds from the Monday night tasting benefit the The Children’s IBD Center at Mount Sinai, www.ibdkids.org and a portion of the proceeds from the Tuesday night tasting benefit the Juvenille Diabetes Research Foundation, www.jdrf.org

Monday and Tuesday, October 11^th and 12^th

5:30-9:30 pm

When calling, please specify which date you would like to attend.
Both dates will feature the same wine selection.

The Manor

111 Prospect Ave in West Orange, NJ

VIP tickets are available for $125

MONDAY NIGHT ONLY

VIP Tickets allow access to the entire tasting at 4:30 PM, a full hour before the crowd enters the tasting. VIP tickets are limited. Check for availability.

Regular Tickets are $95 each

Select the desired ticket date(s) below and proceed to checkout
…or to place a phone order dial 888.980.WINE (9463)

TICKETS WILL BE MAILED TO YOU AFTER PURCHASE.
TICKETS WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THIS EVENT.

TICKETS SELL OUT EVERY YEAR.
GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

Robbi Pengelly/Index-Tribune Grower Ned Hill shows off some of the syrah grapes that were destroyed during last weeks heat wave.

By Emily Charrier-Botts/INDEX-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Valley wine grape growers were initially excited about last week’s heat spell, hoping the warm weather would help develop the grapes’ flavor after an unusually mild summer. That was until the 110 degree temperatures set in on Tuesday, Aug. 24.

"Everybody got hammered," said Ned Hill, who oversees 13 vineyards with his vineyard management company, including his own Parmelee-Hill Vineyard. "The industry as a whole they say lost 10 percent, and that’s an average of people who lost more like 30 percent and those that didn’t lose anything."

Hill said a perfect storm of events collided to cause the massive, widespread damage in the fields. The wet spring and cool summer months meant the berries were not used to the heat. Plus, in order to fight moisture-based fungus and mildew from the wet, foggy months, many growers cut back the leafy coverings over the grape bunches to allow wind to move through and dry out the fruit, leaving the grapes exposed to the intense sunrays. Additionally, the berries are bigger than average this year, meaning the skin is spread thinner over the grapes and is more susceptible to drying out.

"The berries got cooked, they actually got cooked," Hill said. "Nothing was acclimated to it (the heat) so they just dried up."

Hill said Monday’s temperatures of 104 degrees were not too hard on the grape, but when the thermometer shot up to 110 and 111 degrees on Tuesday, he knew he was in for trouble.

"I manage 13 ranches and I only have 3 ranches I can’t find sunburn on," he said, adding that some vineyards lost up to 30 percent of the crop.

What to do next is a question growers are still grappling with.

"This is intense. No one can remember this happening before," Hill said. "We (growers) are all talking a lot. The big question is what to do about it."

For now, Hill said most growers are waiting to see what happens to the grapes in the next few days. If the grapes shrivel up like raisins, they can likely still be harvested.

"They won’t mess up the processing, they’ll get kicked out just like the stems," he said.

But, if they remain a mushy ball of partially cooked grapes, the fruit may have to be dropped from the vines so that it does not impact the healthy grapes. "If we take off too much, we harvest nothing," Hill said. "It’s just pretty depressing."

Hill said this latest upset is the cherry on top of what has been an unusually complicated growing season. The late spring rains and the foggy, moist summer meant the growers have been battling mildew and botrytis all season. Those efforts were necessary, but ultimately left many grapes vulnerable to the summer’s only significant heat wave.

"It’s been a very difficult farming year," Hill said. "Last year was a very easy farming year until the harvest when we got rain. But last year was a piece of cake compared to this year."

Artwork by Julie Goonan

Goldeneye Presents:
Pickin’ On Pinot – Bluegrass in the Vineyard

Saturday, September 25th 2010
$40 per person – Buy Tickets or RSVP by email!
Club members receive VIP access!
Proceeds to benefit the Monroe Nye Benefit Fund
11am-4pm

Goldeneye Winery
9200 Highway 128
Philo, CA 95466
Performers:

• The David Thom Band
• Blue & Lonesome
• The Knuckle Knockers
• The Bluegrass Revolution
• David Dart, Luthier & Musician
• Diane Hering (emcee) from KZYX&Z Radio

Cuisine provided by:

• Boontberry Farm
• Boonville General Store
• Mosswood Cafe
• Table 128, the Restaurant at the Boonville Hotel

A one-day celebration of bluegrass in the vineyard.  Join us for a perfect pairing of Goldeneye Pinot Noir and foot-stompin’ acoustic music amidst the remarkable setting of Goldeneye Winery in Anderson Valley.  Your contribution will provide you access to some fantastic music, which will be performed throughout the day, along with delicious local dishes and our portfolio of site-specific, small-production Pinots.

This year’s event is in honor of Bob Nye, our longtime employee, who passed away tragically in 2009 and is survived by his wife Carrie and son Monroe.   In Bob’s memory, his family has established the Monroe Nye Benefit Fund to ensure Monroe’s future college education.  Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit this Fund.

Bob’s enthusiasm for people, the environment and the Anderson Valley community touched all of us.  One of Bob’s indelible contributions was in teaching us how a responsible Company can best partner with the community in which it does business.  We hope this event, in some small way, helps strengthen our sense of community and build on the foundation Bob helped create.

Special thanks to KZYX&Z – Mendocino County Public Broadcasting for their support.
RSVP

Buy Tickets
Call 707-967-2031
or email RSVP@goldeneyewinery.com

Online Wine Tasting Expected to be Largest to Date

#Cabernet Day on Social Media Sites September 2nd

More than 50 wineries, 600 wine drinkers and 100 restaurants on four continents are getting ready to taste and talk about Cabernet this Thursday in what is likely to be the largest online wine tasting held to date. Anyone can follow the conversation online using the #Cabernet hashtag in search engines and social network sites.

#Cabernet Day honors the Cabernet grape and how social media is used in the world of wine. For event details, see http://cabernet.eventbrite.com.

The event marks an evolution that started about a year ago with some of the first “tweet-ups” held on the west coast. There have been more than two dozen and bloggers have picked up on the concept, holding their own such tastings. The events are fun to participate in though mostly involved bloggers and employees of wineries. For #Cabernet Day, there has been more effort to specifically engage consumers.

These events can be very valuable for wineries that put effort into it,  St. Supéry Vineyards social media manager Rick Bakas  told winebusiness.com “You get out of it what you put into it.”

Cabernet Day went viral soon after Bakas proposed it, with wineries, retailers, bloggers, and others in the wine community jumping on board.

Cabernet Day will run all day Thursday, from midnight to midnight. Australia will set the tone while the U.S. is still sleeping and the conversation will then move across Europe. Previous "tweet-ups" were held for just a couple hours at a time.

Participating wineries have been advertising the event to their customers. Some have put out special offers on Cabernet Sauvignon they’ve been selling ahead of the tasting. Wineries have also encouraged customers to come up for the day, which no doubt can spur DTC sales. A Chateau in Loire Valley is holding a special dinner. Wine Library and Cork’d are holding a special tasting at the Roger Smith Hotel in Manhattan.

Measuring sales that come as a direct result of these online tastings is difficult, if not impossible but Bakas knows of wineries that obtained distribution, and of others that sold out of specific varietals or wines. “Sales are important, but you have to look at the big picture,” he said. “We know they lead to sales, it’s just not in a linear path.”

How many will participate Thursday is hard to say. A Chardonnay tasting in May included about 800 twitter participants and 6,000 tweets. Bakas thinks the Cabernet event is shaping up to be perhaps ten times that size.

By searching for what people said about Cabernet, wineries, will find people to connect with and to start conversations with. Many online conversations translate into personal conversations.

To participate online, join the conversations about Cabernet by posting on social media sites by adding "#Cabernet" to your post, update, photo, tag or blog comment. To taste Cabernets with fellow wine aficionados, there are also more than 50 meetups organized by individuals on http://meetup.com/cabernet or one can organize their own. Cabernet day will also not be limited to twitter. The #Cabernet hastag will allow for searching any Facebook post, foursquare check-in, tweet, youtube video or flickr photo tagged #Cabernet.

Many wineries that are active on twitter have become involved, As Kristen Murphy of Wine Library put it, “It’s a good time for them to be able to expand and reach out to new wine drinkers. … It’s going to be really fun.’

Robert Talbott Vineyards-Logan-Chardonnay-Monterey County-California-2007-$14.98-A nose of citrus fruit, bright yellow in color.  A smooth full bodied Chard, apple, lemon, pineapple with creamy oak, good acidity.                     WS-89                 WE-84                  CR-4-4.5             Good with seafood, chicken, salads.

Quixote Winery-Cabernet Sauvignon-Stag’s Leap Ranch-Napa Valley-California-2001-$35.00-A nose of dark fruit and spice, dark purple in color.  A smooth, rich Cab, blackberry, currants,  some dusty earth, spice, a bit past it’s peak but a very good wine.                 WS-89               CR-4.5              Good with steak, chicken, pasta.

R Wines-Marquis-Philips-Cabernet Sauvignon-McLaren Vale-Australia-2008-$11.21-A nose of sweet dark fruit, dark purple in color.  A full bodied tasty red, black currants, blackberry, licorice and spice, a very good value.                  RP-90                CR-4-4.5                Good with meats, chicken, pasta.

Peirano Estate Vineyards-Six Clones-Merlot-The Heritage Collection-Lodi-California-2007-$10.99-A nose of rustic dark fruit, dark black in color.  A bit rough, full bodied, blackberry, cherry, some chocolate, usually better QPR for this winery.                   WS-79             WE-84               CR-3.5               Good with ribs, chicken, pasta.