Fiat Vino

Beaulieu Vineyard Reserve Tapestry Red Wine Napa Valley 2007 Cost: $32 Meritage / Blend Complex and well layered yet very approachable given its youth, smooth and very appealing to a wide crowd. Cab dominant but well rounded with other varietals. No arguments with its high rating. Very mild, easy drinking, nice flavor. Ate with: filet mignon, potatoes & spinach. *WS: 93 points, best from 2011-2020.

Vitaluce Cellars Syrah Paso Robles 2004 Cost: $14 Nice nose, fruity as would be expected from CA syrah, but has mellowed with age. Smooth on the pallet. Long, lingering finish, at least a minute. Chewy like Chewbacca. Drink now - age appropriate. We drank straight from the bottle - no time to decant properly, but we did cheat a bit with the help of our Vinturi. A nice third bottle of the night, drank post-meal, would be best with food. At this price, the 2004 is a good deal. *WS: unrated

This dry Spanish white has a complex floral note that is first and foremost on the nose. There are some tropical fruits that come through because there isn't too much oak. Notes of pineapple and mango and just a little effervescence to tingle the tongue. I dig.

This Italian white comes from Nuragus grapes, which I've never heard of. It is pretty big and bold for a European white which tend to me more restrained and approachable. There is a big yeasty/bready component which I like. This was a grab at Wine Steals.

This Cabernet Sauvignon from the Santa Ynez Valley breaks all the rules. First: it is bold and jammy and has none of the vegetative notes typical in Central Coast Cabs. Second: it has very little oak which allows the fruit to come through. Lastly: it is reasonably priced, less than $20 if I remember, and is a great value for an amazing botique Cab from California. Classic Rock is superb like 30 Rock is funny. http://papawow.com

Holy macaroni Batman, this was one of our loot from our 2004 trip to Tuscany. This DOCG has all the components of a great Italian wine: fruit, dirt, sun, leather, and Vespas. We paired this with an amazing ragu that had the depth and body to hold its own. There was heaps of Bacon and parsley, n dill in the salad to balance the fruit and earth of the wine. Check them out at www.salcheto.it

Got this at Vons, discounted from $10th down to $6 and it tastes just like a $6 bottle of wine, so I'm happy. The dominant flavor is oak, and although there is some acidity, no fruit comes through at all. What are you going to do about it?