This food-friendly Cabernet Sauvignon is a dinner party go-to
One of the first waves of Napa pioneers to introduce a value conscious brand, Hess continues to make excellent budget-friendly wines.
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Hess “Select” Cabernet Sauvignon, California
$17.79
13.5% alcohol
PLCB Item #6993
Sale price through June 2; regularly $19.79
Changes in the wine world are changing wines we thought we knew at a rapid pace. As production costs continue to ratchet up, wineries who don’t want to price themselves out of their tier have to make tough choices. Luckily, some are practiced enough at their craft to find creative ways to manage fruit costs so they can continue delivering satisfying wine experiences to their loyal customers.
For example, Hess Select has been a reliable value-oriented staple in Pennsylvania stores for decades. This wine was among the first wave of modestly priced options made by Napa Valley’s winemaking pioneers. Swiss-born vintner Donald Hess had been an early proponent of establishing hillside vineyards for Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, and his widely available “Hess Select” bottlings were a savvy extension of the company’s more luxurious and collectable “Hess Collection” wines. At first, the necessary grapes were sourced from grower partners in neighboring parts of the North Coast wine region, areas that share many of Napa Valley’s climate conditions. However, as prices for all wine grapes have continued to climb in price, the Hess Select cabernet sauvignon recently transitioned to a simpler California appellation to allow for sourcing some of its fruit from warmer inland areas. Having two decades of experience at the helm, winemaker Dave Guffy was able to reinvent this wine in a way that would continue to please its fan base. By adding a healthy dollop of petite sirah to the wine’s blend, he was able to craft a wine whose rich color, velvety tannins, and flavors of black cherries and blueberries do not disappoint, while maintaining the food-friendliness and charm of the original.
Also available at:
Total Wine & More in Wilmington and Claymont, Del., $12.97
Berkley Fine Wine & Spirits in Clarksboro, $14.99
Total Wine & More in Cherry Hill, $15.07