Red Blends

Red Blends

Blending is done to bring qualities of different varieties together in a marriage of textures and flavors. If a particular grape is thin skinned and lacks tannin structure, blending in some wine made from a more tannic grape variety will round it out. Have a flabby...
North Coast Cabernet

North Coast Cabernet

I know our group never tires of cabernet sauvignon from the Napa Valley, but did you realize there are great cabs to be had just outside of Napa? Don’t believe it? Join us on Saturday, Aug. 8 for a tour of the cabs from the North Coast. The grapes for this...
Dry Rieslings

Dry Rieslings

Riesling is a versatile grape now grown all over the world. Its color can range from a light straw to deep yellow. It usually has intense aromas of fruits that rise from the glass and the flavors can range from lemon/lime to pineapple and apricot as it goes from less...
Central Italy

Central Italy

The wines of Central Italy. When you think of Italian wine regions, the central regions of Toscana, Umbria, Abruzzo and Lazio, among others, comes to mind. Gentle sun-kissed hills lined with row after row of verdant vines filling the landscapes. And the wines are...
Napa Cab Again

Napa Cab Again

If the last couple years of AWS tastings haven’t already told you, we just can’t get enough of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. There simply is no getting tired of it. Cabernet Sauvignon, the offspring of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, is a classic...
Petit Verdot

Petit Verdot

Petit Verdot (“peh-tee vur-doe”), named after its small black berries, has long been used as a blending grape in Bordeaux, France. It used to be difficult to find varietal wines made from this grape. However, as the plantings of this full bodied, dark and tannic grape...