Cattle on a hot tin roof by Darryl Beeson Wine on a hot tin roof- Controversy in wine used to be something like serving red wine with fish. These days, the big to-do concerns screw caps on higher quality bottles of wine. Sonoma wine making legend Murphy-Goode is among the few wineries aggressively pursuing this new twist in wine. Why the screw cap? To avoid the occasional tainted bottle of wine, that being a problem with one out of fifty or so cork sealed bottles. Not a huge problem, unless you buy a bad bottle that is. Murphy-Goode's Tin Roof label offers a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir Rosé in their twist top collection, this reviewer's fancy is with their Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon blend. This mix is more attune with Australian wine sensibilities, and is rarely seen elsewhere. The marriage of these grapes begat the possibility of great food pairing, like grilled meats, even with sweeter BBQ sauces, spicy foods, burgers, and even pizza. They all work with this tasty red wine. Imagine fresh red fruit flavors in the sip like plum and cassis, augmented with pepper and leather. Who says summer-type dining can't roll over into fall, especially with the no pretense Tin Roof wines from Murphy-Goode, retail priced at around $10? Let's twist again, like we did last summer. Who needs a wine opener anymore? fyi: www.tinroofwines.com Down in Monterey- Take a 700-acre cattle ranch in rustic Carmel Valley. In 1983, Jack Galante shifted some acres to premium wine grape production, still maintaining a working cattle ranch. His family roots go back to his great grandfather, J.F. Devendorf, co-founder of the town of Carmel. Continuing the family’s innovative spirit, he is now recognized as one of the premier Cabernet Sauvignon producers in Monterey County, if not all of California. Galante Vineyards "Rancho Galante" Cabernet Sauvignon (suggested retail of $20) is dark, like ink, in color. The aromas are complex and concentrated with black fruit. The sip explodes on the palate. The winery operates their “Wine Tasting Room and Western Emporium” in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea, located off Dolores between Ocean and Seventh Avenue. “Rancho Galante expresses the wonderful feelings and flavors of the ranch, as we use the fruit from three distinct vineyard parcels to create this wine,” boasts Galante. “It is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged completely in French Oak. Read the bottle’s labeling closely, as cattle guy Galante sometimes shares from his cowboy philosophies. Examples include "Never follow good wine with water...unless you're out of good wine" or another, "Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance." Better yet, "Always drink upstream from the herd." fyi: www.galantevineyards.com Darryl Beeson teaches professional certification for www.internationalsommelier.com. Says writer Roy Blount, Jr., "Wine is tough, but I know Darryl can do it." | 