Venturing out in to the real world is quite a bother, unless I am planning on stopping by The Fine Wine Source either to pick up the monthly club selections or to pick up some other wines.  There is just something about always trying a new wine that is enjoyable, I know that some people only buy the same wine, week in, week out, usually at their local grocery store.  That is all fine and dandy, but it won’t work for me, as I like to try new wines both in regions and in varietals.  I remember when I was in high school, I thought it would be cool to try a wine from every country and that was short lived, because back in the dark ages, there were not many wines to select from, even at wine shops, as they played it safe. At the Fine Wine Source there is usually an Old-World Selection and a New World Selection. 

Allegrini La Grola Veronese IGT 2014 represented the Old World in this selection. Allegrini is a family business located in the Valpolicella Classico zone of the Veneto and famed for their Amarone della Valpolicella. They have been in the wine growing business since the 16^th Century, but it was in the 1960’s that they really carved out a reputation for their fine wines.  All of their wines are from their ninety hectares of vineyards and all with southeast-facing slopes.  While they are famed for their Amarone, they also produce wines with the Veronese IGT that stray from the rigid rules of Valpolicella.  La Grola is a premium single vineyard cuvee that is ninety percent Corvina Veronese and ten percent Oseleta.  Initial fermentation is done in Stainless Steel, Malolactic fermentation in barriques and then aged for sixteen months in oak, then blended for another two months, followed by ten-month aging in the bottle.  I have had this wine before and it has a big presence for an affordable wine, there was plenty of dark fruit and a touch of vanilla that I noticed.  I will have no problem finding a red meat dinner for this wine.

Kenwood Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino County/Sonoma County 2017 represented the New World this time out. Kenwood Vineyards was established in 1970 in Sonoma.  It was founded by the Lee family when they purchased the estate and winery of the Pagani Brothers that began in 1906 and were successful until Prohibition.  In 1999 the winery was bought by F. Korbel and Bros. and in 2014 Kenwood was bought by the international beverage concern of Pernod Ricard.  Kenwood Vineyards has twenty-two acres of estate vineyards and also sources fruit from dozens of other growers in Sonoma.  The winery has been known for years for some of their Single-Vineyard wines, as well as some of their other collections.  The first time that I ever had a wine from Kenwood Vineyards was their famed Jack London Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1992. This wine is pure Cabernet Sauvignon and the fruit is fifty-one percent Mendocino County and the balance is Sonoma County.  The tasting notes for this wine list black fruit flavors along with licorice and nutmeg.  I think this wine will work with almost any red meat dish, and probably the simpler, the better.