I thought I’d tell you about a couple of killer Cabs for the Summer months. One of these Cabs is not too over the top with oak and tannin, so it will be a great complement to some of the typical summer grilling fare. The first Cab is actually from Italy. It's a wine called Madego from the vineyards of La Cappuccina and is a blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc and Merlot. This is a perfect red with grilled meats or even barbeque. The wine is medium-bodied and full of rich, ripe red fruits.

  Another wine that I had recently with some grilled steaks was a 2007 California Cabernet from Joseph Phelps called Innisfree. This is a full-bodied, bold Cabernet that was a great wine to have with the New York strips topped with grilled slices of tomato and blue cheese. The Innisfree Cab is consistent for the vintage with its ripe, powerful frame wrapped around a long elegant finish. This was a steak lover's dream of a Cabernet. Grab a few bottles of each of these wines and enjoy them this summer and if you have any good summer wines post them on this blog.

Ken Amendola

Wine Supervisor, North Florida