Crane Lake, California Cabernet Sauvignon NV ($7)

I recently heard a producer of premium wines say, “A wine under $10 is not wine – it’s just a beverage.” It’s a good quip, but not an accurate one in that the speaker’s palate, like her nose, appears to be irreparably snobbish. The key, instead, is to temper expectations. This Cabernet is a lighter style red, much in the fashion of a Bardolino, that nevertheless has bright cherry fruitiness, good structure, good acidity, although few tannins. It would be a good quaffing wine, a 10 a.m. selection when you are on tour, missed breakfast, and just want a snack and something to sip while recuperating in the shade of an Italian garden.
89 Roger Morris