In the world of red wine, Cabernet Sauvignon has long reigned supreme. The dark ruby-colored wine made from arguably the most famous grape variety in the world is the stuff of legend. Wine drinkers covet it and pay big money to invest in the latest offerings from First Growth Bordeaux, like Chateau Mouton Rothschild. But top wines from the new world bring high dollars as well. Check out the prices for a bottle of Screaming Eagle Cab from Napa Valley (you won’t find it for less than $1000). Wines from Napa’s Harlan Estate are not far behind.

 














The Cabernet Sauvignon variety is believed to have originated in France in the 17^th century when some unknown grower crossed Cabernet Franc with Sauvignon Blanc. It was soon discovered that the grape, with its thick skin and large seed, flourished in the climate of the Bordeaux region. Today, it is the primary grape variety in the red wines produced there, particularly in the Médoc sub-region. It is blended with various percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and others to create the legendary wines in the appellations of Margaux, St.-Julien, St.-Estèphe and Pauillac.

From its origins in France, Cabernet Sauvignon spread quickly as new climates suitable for its cultivation were discovered. Today it can be found in nearly every wine grape growing region in the world.

In California, Cabernet Sauvignon is famous for standing alone as a single varietal wine. The full-bodied wines produced there have helped raise the worldwide reputation of places like Napa Valley. The most expensive, and most sought-after, wines produced in California are almost always Cabs. Other US states have also had success with the grape and Cabernet Sauvignon wines can now be found everywhere from Washington state to the Texas Hill Country to the Piedmont of Virginia to New York’s Long Island.

Australia, as well, has become well known for it Cabs. There, particularly in the Coonawarra region, it is used to make a single varietal wine or blended with Shiraz.

Chile and Argentina are more famous for Malbec production but Cabernet Sauvignon production is increasing. The grape is often blended but there have been some outstanding recent single varietal wines from those countries.

The flavors found in a Cab can be greatly affected by the soils of every growing region but common descriptions in tasting notes range from black currant to vanilla to green bell pepper to eucalyptus. Personal styles of winemakers also play a role in flavors but, in general terms, Cabs from France are often described with more earthy terms, while their counterparts from California or Australia usually have more fruity notes. Keep a wine journal when you taste, you’ll be surprised at your notes when you go back and compare.

The grape also does well when aged in oak, and aging wine in barrels of that wood softens the tannins. This mellows the flavor and allows more subtle notes, like mocha or even tobacco, to come forward.

Food & Cabernet Sauvignon Pairing Ideas

Due to the high tannins in Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine can overpower some foods. While not always true, the old adage about drinking red wine with red meat is a safe bet with a big Cab. The proteins in a steak (or any grilled meat, even tuna) help neutralize your taste bud’s perception of the bitter tannins. While pasta itself has no effect on tannins, a hearty red sauce will, so something like spaghetti with meatballs can work well with a Cab.

Perhaps surprisingly, Cabernet Sauvignon can also pair exceptionally well with dark chocolate –but not milk chocolate. The same is true for some cheeses, such as Cheddar. Blue cheese, on the other hand, is too strong and your taste buds will be overwhelmed.

Want to have a fun wine dinner with friends? Compare Cabs from different regions around the world to different foods.  There are so many variations in the wine, you’ll be surprised with the results.  A fruity Cab from Australia might not work with steak while a more earthy example from somewhere like the Western Cape region of South Africa might be perfect. That fruitier wine, however, might be a delicious match for dark chocolate. You don’t have to spend a few hundred dollars on a bottle of Chateau Margaux to enjoy a good Cabernet. Experiment and have fun!

By the way, aerating and decanting a big Cab can really help open it up and bring out the nuances. There are a wide selection of wine aerators to help you experience your wine at its fullest.

And, if you do discover a particularly memorable wine, what better way to remember if than by saving the label in a journal? Try using these Wine Label Removers.

Occasions for wine vary from quiet evenings with one or two glasses on the couch with a movie or elaborate dinner parties. Naturally, for any of these occasions you’d want to enjoy the wine properly.

A fantastic way to enhance the qualities of your wine is to pour it through a Soiree wine decanter. This useful wine gadget fits to the bottle’s opening which means you don’t need two hands — one advantage over the aerators that require you to hold over a wine glass while pouring through it.

The wine pours through the Soiree decanter into a glass, instantly opening the wine up while leaving what remains in the bottle to be enjoyed later. It will elevate your mediocre wines to a higher quality and instantly age your favorite labels.

The Soiree wine decanter is a perfect gift for the oenophiles on your holiday list. The Soiree Gift Set includes the decanter, a drying rack and Stopair stopper / wine preserver all in a charming hard shell traveling case.

Save More, Enjoy More!

The Stopair can be used on anything that spoils to extend the life and flavor.  Simply put it inside the neck of your olive oil, wine, spirits bottle, ports and pump the air out to preserve it’s contents. It’s a one piece bottle stopper and wine preserver.

Another wonderful piece of wine gadgetry is the Tempour wine bottle chiller. This all-in-one tool will preserve the optimum temperature while serving as a wine stopper as well. When you’re ready for another glass, simply pour through the sediment filter and enjoy.




These days there is a wide range of products out there designed to enhance the wine tasting experience. The Soiree wine aerator is a product I have frequently encountered in tasting rooms throughout my wine touring adventures and my experience as well as their high opinion of this must have product makes for an easy decision to offer it to our customers at WineVine Imports.

Quality Wine and Great Tourist Destinations Can Be Found All Across The Old North State

Looking for a fun day trip? Why not visit one of the more than 100 wineries located across the state of North Carolina? No matter where you’re located in the state –or even if you’re in neighboring Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia or Tennessee- chances are you can find a NC winery within easy driving distance.

North Carolina Wine is Booming

In agriculture, North Carolina has long been thought of in terms of its most famous crop historically, tobacco. Now, in many of those fields that once grew the golden leaf you’ll find flourishing rows of grape vines. Those grapes, and the winemakers who use them, have helped turn North Carolina into one of the top-five states for wine tourism.

Grapes can now be found in every corner of the state. Native muscadine grapes, such as Scuppernong, thrive in the warmer climates and sandy soil of eastern North Carolina. Travel west toward the Piedmont and you’ll find wines made with the classic European vinifera varieties, such as Chardonnay and Merlot. Wines from hardy French-American hybrid grapes, like Chambourcin and Seyval Blanc, are common from the Piedmont to the mountains.

Wine has always been famous for having its specific growing areas. Everyone knows places like Bordeaux or Burgundy in France, or Rioja in Spain, primarily because of the quality wine produced there. On this side of the Atlantic, an American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region, which is distinguishable by geographic features and has boundaries defined by agencies of the federal government.

North Carolina has three such areas:

• Haw River Valley AVA
• Swan Creek AVA
• Yadkin Valley AVA

The Yadkin Valley AVA, designated in 2003, is the state’s most well known and nearly 40 wineries operate within its boundaries. As the quantity and quality of wine produced in these regions grows (and it’s growing rapidly), it’s only a matter of time before they become even more well known outside of the state.

NC Wineries

The list on wineries in North Carolina is constant expanding but we thought we cover a few.

 Duplin Winery

Duplin, in Rose Hill, is the largest and oldest winery in the state. Founded in 1975, it is also the world’s leading producer of muscadine wine. Located just off I-40, it is an easy stop for vacationers heading to beaches in the southern part of the state. Most people think of muscadine wine as syrupy sweet but visit Duplin and you’ll be surprised. If you do like your wine sweet, you’ll find it but you’ll also find offerings that run the gamut from dry reds to sparkling whites to spiced Christmas wines. Tours and tasting are free and the winery bistro is a great place to grab lunch or a snack.

 Biltmore Estate Winery

Biltmore, in Asheville, needs little introduction. Thanks to its location on the grounds of the famous Biltmore Estate, the winery is the most visited in the entire United States, with more than one million visitors annually. The massive winery, which opened in 1985 in the old Biltmore Dairy facility, features 75 fermentation tanks and sells over 50,000 cases per year at that location alone. Due to the amount of wine produced, reportedly over 140,00 cases per year, the winery has to bring in grapes for other states but at least 15% are grown in North Carolina.

 Shelton Vineyards

Shelton Vineyards, located in the heart of the Yadkin Valley AVA, has quickly made a reputation for itself. When brothers Charlie and Ed Shelton decided growing grapes and opening a winery would be an ideal replacement for tobacco, they didn’t do it halfway. The Shelton estate now consists of around 400 acres (200 of them planted in grapes) with a 33,000 square foot winery. But it’s not just about the size facility and the beauty of the landscaped grounds; Shelton’s wines have won numerous medals in competitions up and down the East Coast.

 Childress Vineyards

Childress Vineyards, near Lexington, is the creation of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. Putting the same passion into creating great wine he does into auto racing, Childress has created a true destination spot. Visit the 35,000 square foot winery and you could easily believe you’ve travel to a villa in Tuscany. Inside the stone and stucco building with its red tile roof you’ll find a fountain in the gran entry hall and a lavishly appointed tasting room. The accompanying bistro serves everything from Southern classics like shrimp and grits to flatbread pizzas with prosciutto.

*If you are a NC Winery and would like to be added to this list, please email a description of your winery to info@winevineimports.com.

When it comes to drinking, the term bacchanalian may come to mind. Dionysus is the Greek god of wine also known as Bacchus.  Bacchus, the Roman nicknamed god of festivals and wine (among other things) is one of the few remaining mythological figures consciously celebrated today. While his name is often invoked when it comes to raunchy good times it should also be noted that he was mostly associated with vineyards, liberation, and ultimately wine.

Bacchus god of Wine

Granted, there were Roman cultists who celebrated Bacchus… a bit too enthusiastically, but this wasn’t the common manner of praising the ancient god. He was regarded as a teacher and liberator, sharing his knowledge of vines (and their eventual journey in becoming wine) as well as hosting parties that encouraged people to shed inhibitions and speak truth to one another.

Naturally, over the course of a couple millennia that tradition has warped into compromising footage at during spring break and regrettable ‘drunk dialing’ – all attributed to Bacchus or bacchanalian excess. Of course, along with the more excessive connotations of this god, there is a demand for pieces that feature an image of the infamous god. This is most prevalent in wine accessories.

Wine lovers all over can display their appreciation for the bacchanalian myth with wine stoppers, wine pourers, drip rings, and coasters showcasing a carved face of the bearded god. There’s also the very appropriate wine funnel which decants wine through the mouth of Bacchus as you pour it into your decanter – an excellent way to start a conversation about the origins of Bacchus and how his myth as evolved (or devolved) over the centuries.

That time of year is upon us, yet again, and many of us will be scrambling for gift ideas as we come down the holiday stretch.  While most of us already know, or at least sort of know, what to get those closest to us, there are some folks on our ever-increasing lists of holiday recipients that can be a challenge. For those that are in the business of maintaining relationships, such as clients or partners/associates, choosing an appropriate gift can become distressing.

Corporate Gift Ideas

For some really special clients, a calendar or exotic fruitcake simply won’t do.  WineVine Imports has some wonderful corporate holiday gift ideas that are practical, elegant, and thoughtful.

A great addition for gift baskets is a Champagne Stopper with your company’s logo or a message.  These champagne preservers will be crucial for those upcoming New Year’s parties.

A bottle of wine is fantastic way to show your appreciation to clients.  You can really display that gratitude with a custom Wine Tag imprinted with your company logo or personal message to the recipient.  They’re also great for large gatherings or banquets where more than a few bottles of wine will be served.

Another fantastic option is the versatile Chiller Bottle and Ice Carrier.  It’s perfect for any outdoor event and any beverages that should stay cold.

If you’re not sure what type of wine is appropriate, there’s no need to worry.  We have plenty of wine accessories that you can personalize with messages of gratitude or simply inscribe with your name and logo.

A unique and incredibly useful idea is a Savino Wine Decanter.  Anyone who drinks wine will appreciate this ingenious piece that preserves wine from spoiling for days after it’s been opened.

Another charming idea is the Corkcicle Wine Chiller.  These useful items maintain the perfect temperature for your wine, whether you’re looking to keep whites chilled or maintain slightly below room temperature for your reds.  They’re customized with your logo, a wonderful way to market your company while saying thanks.

And there’s the Vineyard Leather Wine Case. This elegant case, produced with cowhide, is an elegant solution for those like to bring wine on excursions.  It can hold two bottles safely and feature your logo embroidered on the face.

Along with gifts, holidays mean parties and gatherings.  Whether you’re hosting an office event or throwing a ‘thank you’ Christmas get-together for your roster of clients there are some elegant and savvy marketing options.  A set of GoVino glassware imprinted with your logo is a subtle, yet impressionable way to bring exposure to your brand.  These elegant pieces are perfect for large gatherings where breakable glass may not be practical.  They’re stemless, unbreakable, reusable, and carefully designed to create the same wine tasting experience more conventional wine glasses are known for.

WineVine Imports offers plenty of corporate gift ideas that will impress clients and keep your brand fresh in their minds, eliminating the need to resort to fruit baskets, calendars, or even the pressure to think of something unique and thoughtful.

When some people open a bottle of wine they’re determined to finish it, for one reason or another, no matter what. For some, including me, it’s because there isn’t any suitable way to preserve the wine in its bottle overnight. Believe me, I’ve tried. No matter how much I’ve wedged in that cork or how expensive the stopper, nothing works. By the next evening the wine’s taste has already begun deteriorating. Not mention that I have to pull it out of the fridge in time to come close to room temperature.

Then I came across this ingenious concept from Scott Tavenner that solved this aggravating problem. The Savino, a carafe with a lid, is an all in one solution to preventing wine from spoiling without the hassle of transferring wine from one container to another over and over again all for the sake of preserving it.

Simply pour the remainder of the bottle into the carafe, fasten the lid, and it’ll stay for up to seven days. The Savino employs a floater that provides a seal between the wine and air which prevents the oxidation that ultimately spoils wine. When you’re ready for more just pour from it as you would from any bottle. The floater tilts enough to allow for easy pouring and settles back to provide that seal from oxygen.

Perhaps equally important is that the Savino is an elegant piece of glassware, resembling the shape of the original bottle. It’s slender, classy and not all intrusive should you leave it on the table during your meal.

Frankly, there are many methods and dare I say procedures that have been marketed toward wine preservation. Some of which require advanced degrees in chemistry or engineering to actually implement or at least an unhealthy obsession with wine. Whether it’s a balloon devised to push the oxygen from the container or using another gas to replace the oxygen — I’m not interested in any of these complicated solutions to this particular problem. And that’s why I’m so delighted with the Savino because of its simplicity, elegance, and best of all – it works. I’m not alone either. This product is praised by critics in the Chicago Tribune and Huffington Post, to name a couple, and numerous customers are standing by with pre-orders now that I’ve added the Savino to my inventory of wine accessories.

I got this friend.  Perhaps we all have this one friend.  Despite all attempts to ‘civilize’ him it just doesn’t take.  For starters, he buys his wine by the jug at twelve dollars per gallon.  Seriously.  And he pours it into a water glass. Now, I didn’t take too much issue with that considering what he was pouring into that water glass, but the wine enthusiast in me still cringed.  Then there was the Christmas present I got for him.  During my wine tasting adventures through California’s Napa Valley I brought home a case of Opolo Mountain Zinfandel and gave him a bottle. When I saw him pour that wine into a water glass that was it. I was on a mission.

I sought to instruct my friend on the nuances of wine; from tasting to knowing what meals to pair with certain wines. I think I made a dent.  However, he refused to drink from a stemmed glass. His outrage at the idea ranged from accusations that it is too effeminate to general clumsiness. On this, he wouldn’t budge. While the solution is easy enough, there are plenty of quality wine glasses out there without stems, it did get me thinking.

Wine culture is broadening. Wine tastings are no longer restricted to posh condos among professionals/intellectuals.  In fact, where I live in North Carolina there’s a gas station/bait shop that hosts a wine tasting every week.  There are people like my friend, who enjoy wine and want to learn more about fully appreciating it.  However, he detests the stemmed wine glass.  At certain events it’s just not practical to showcase your prized crystal sets.  As the face of wine culture shifts to younger and trendier folks who are combining backyard/rooftop cookouts with wine tastings it seems inevitable that the rise in stemless ware would follow.

The folks at GoVino have embraced this change and taken it even further.  Not only do they offer unique, award-winning designs, but their stemless is shatterproof and reusable. They’re produced from a food safe, BPA-free polymer that possesses the same characteristics as crystal; ideal for reflecting and bringing out the flavors of your wine.

These elegant glasses are available in boxed sets of four and can go up to thirty-six or even seventy-two. The larger sets are a great solution for personalized corporate logo gifts, corporate outings, weddings, or other reception-type events with the option to add a logo to each glass, adding a personalized touch or a crafty bit of marketing – depending on the event. Wine glasses aren’t all that they offer either. They’re selection expands to decanters and champagne flutes and I hear a beer glass is on the way as well.

A key part of the wine drinking experience is the quality of not only what’s in the glass, but the glass itself. Think about it- who wants to drink a big Cab out of a cheap plastic cup? Sure, it would hold the wine just fine and transport it from the bottle to your lips, but the enjoyment of the event would most definitely be diminished.

A few hundred years ago, in the Italian city of Verona, an osteria –a restaurant know for wine and simple food- opened. It went through many changes over the years and by the late 1800s that restaurant became known as Bottega del Vino. In 1986, passionate wine lover Severino Barzan purchased Bottega del Vino. He began to expand the wine cellar and soon turned his restaurant into one of Italy’s great destinations for wine lovers. Mr. Barzan next focused his attention on wine glasses. He wanted an option to lead crystal, which, while beautiful, traditionally had thick walls which made it heavy. If made thinner, lead crystal became extremely fragile- not an option in a restaurant. After researching and consulting with glass producers in the area, Mr. Barzan developed a new technique and in 1996, Bottega del Vino became the first company in the world to produce wineglasses using crystal made without lead. And, in true Old World craftsman style, each stem was mouth blown and hand finished.

These new wine glasses were durable enough for restaurant use, yet still beautiful and with that all-important hand-feel. Customers, enamored with this new glassware, began to ask for examples to take home. Realizing there was a need in the wine community for this type of glassware, Bottega del Vino soon began to make their now-famous glasses available to customers all over the world.

Bottega’s del Vino’s red wine glasses are specifically designed to bring out the best in each type of wine. The Rosso Giovane is perfect for young wines like Beaujolais Nouveau or basic Chiantis, while the Rosso Amarone suits medium bodies wines like Shiraz and Merlot. Want to present big reds like Bordeaux, Pinot Noir, and Barolo in style? The 35 oz. Rosso Burgunder is perfect for the occasion. Bottega del Vino didn’t forget the white wines, either, with its all-purpose Chardonnay glass. And, of course, what better way to finish off a wine dinner than with a glass of port or sherry served in Bottega del Vino’s Porto glass?

And while we’ve been talking about the virtues of crystal glassware in relation to wine, the same principals apply to other beverages. Johnson’s Whisky Tot from Bottega del Vino was created for those who enjoy sipping a nice single malt Scotch. Featuring two hand-cut measuring marks (1 oz. and 5 oz.) and designed to fit the hand perfectly, these glasses make the perfect addition to any home bar.

We appreciate that the ubiquitous red Solo cup has its role in the beverage world but when it comes to wine, it’s worth splurging on quality glassware. Still not sure? Do a comparison sometime. We know you’ll be surprised!