Simple as ABC! With all due respect to the Jackson 5, it is that simple. A few years ago ABC was an acronym for Anything But Chardonnay or Anything But Cabernet. Chardonnay and Cabernet are the two most popular white and red respectively wine grapes in the US today.. but people were getting tired of them. Most great red Bordeaux are a blend of up to 5 varieties of grapes and today more winemakers are having fun creating some interesting blends that you would never see in Bordeaux.
A staple in the store for years and exceeds expectations in the 2007 vintage is the CMS from Hedges of Washington state. A tasty blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah/Shiraz, the 2007 is an easy guzzler as well as a nice tasting red dinner wine. The Cabernet gives the wine complex flavors, the Merlot is for smoothness and a pleasing vanilla-cherry flavor and the Syrah/Shiraz gives the wine some weight, smoke and spice flavors. Great with all catsup,covered cuisine. I will use this as a backyard bar-b-que summer wine and serve it with a slight chill. It retails for under $15 a bottle.
SMG is not a new global positioning system, but rather a fantastic red blend from golfer Ernie Els' Guardian Peak label of South Africa. This $25 a bottle red bombshell wine gets the gamey-peppery flavors from the Syrah, mucho smoke from the Mourvedre and extra weight and power from the Grenache. If you get the chance, have lunch at the Guardian Peak winery for a great meal with a better view. Great winter/spring red wine for lamb in all its forms. Too good for the ketchup, but great with a steak, open the bottle a half hour before serving to allows its massive flavors to expand out of the glass.
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