Unfiltered, Unfined

It may seem odd to recommend high-end Cabernet Sauvignon during the dog days of August. As I said last week, tannic beasts (i.e., most Cab Sauvs) aren’t always the best bottles for summer sipping. After all, who wants a mouthful of heavy, bitter wine when the sun is beating down like a white-hot jackhammer?

Last week I detailed the first half of my wine tasting adventure in Northern California (see Napa Wines in Napa). This time it’s Sonoma’s turn. Sonoma is quite a bit larger and much less tamed than its cousin to the east. Therefore I invited my friend Steve along, gaining the benefit of his palate while sharing driving, navigational, photographic and food-spotting duties.