The cabernet sauvignon, or “King Cab” as it is sometimes referred to because of its popularity, grape is one of the most drank, desired and abused wines being drank by Americans today. While most would consider any cab a good bet on wine, it is the seasoned drinker of this mass-marketed grape who can taste the difference between a remarkable cabernet and one that should be drank at 2 a.m. when everything else is gone and the only bottle left is the one they got last Christmas from their neighbor.

Avalon Winery of California has produced in their 2003 California Cabernet Sauvignon a wine that is not only delicious and pleasing to the refined palate but also one that will not leave the drinker scrounging for change the next time alcohol is needed.

Avalon specializes in cabernet sauvignon, in fact it’s the only grape it produces and it shows. This is why Avalon can produce a top-quality wine at a cheap cost ($10). The wine’s subtleties and easy drinking allow for even the newest appreciator of wine to enjoy it and talk about it with a date or company.

The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Napa Valley and Sonoma County grapes that experience a large variance in temperature and climate, which creates a grape that is top-notch and that ripens with a good array of flavors. Aged eight months in French and American oak barrels, the winery took their time to produce a cabernet sauvignon that stands miles away from the “Two Buck Chucks” of the world.

The most pronounced flavors to look for are cherry and chocolate, which slide across the tongue because of the wine’s low tannins. Its rich color and somewhat high alcohol content (13.5% by volume) make this the perfect wine to enjoy with steak, chicken or pork. Red fish dishes prepared in a blackening method are also enjoyable with this wine.

The wine is perfect to share amongst even the most finicky wine drinkers or those who enjoy only a small variety of red wines. A merlot drinker would easily find this wine to be comparable to the best merlot they have tasted and a syrah or pinot noir fan could make the switch and become a cabernet drinker for life.

While the 2003 California Cabernet Sauvignon is very enjoyable – the 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a wine drinker’s choice for cabernet. This wine is produced solely from grapes from Napa Valley – the most famous wine region in America. Unlike many varietals of wine that boast their origins from Napa Valley, but leave the drinker thinking they could grow better grapes in their backyard, this wine is actually worth the title. If a few extra dollars are available, the Napa Valley blend is the one to buy.