From 1974 to 1990, he was at the helm at Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma County, crafting wines that would lay the groundwork for decades of success at that establishment. Nearing the end of his tenure there, Dick and his wife Alis founded Arrowood Winery in 1986, making wines in a cozy setting in the foothills of Sonoma County.

They dedicated their time to producing wines that carried Dick Arrowood’s personal touch, soft textures, intense flavors, and supple finish. Each sip a mouthful; each glass a banquet.

Arrowood remained with that enterprise until June 2010 when he left the winemaking at his eponymous winery to Heidi von der Mehden and began another venture. This time, like the previous two, it is in Sonoma County and is called Amapola Creek, after the creek that runs through the property.

  The vineyards are on Mayacamas Mountains and are farmed organically by famed vineyard manager Phil Coturri. True to his roots, Arrowood specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon, a sumptuous wine that is hard to put down. But in a nod to his wife and constant partner, he’s created another bottling called Cuvée Alis, a blend of syrah and grenache. They also produce Zinfandel from the Monte Rosso vineyard, a site that has long been extolled by wine lovers for the depth and concentration of the wines it yields.

I haven’t tasted the Syrah, Zinfandel, or Cuvée Alis, but I recently had the opportunity to taste the Amapola Creek 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. I have to say I wasn’t stunned – but that’s because I’ve come to expect so much from Dick Arrowood. And, once again, he has lived up to the Olympian standards he set when he first set foot in Sonoma County. Stunned, surprised? No. Infatuated? Yes.

Notes: Amapola Creek 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($70). Ebulliently fruity and forward, yet elegant and refined. Flavors tend toward black cherries and plums, with hints of tobacco and cassis. A vein of toast and roasted coffee bean threads through the palate, wrapped in velvety smooth textures.

Well, maybe some of it is, and that’s the reason this reasoning has gotten traction. But so many quality Merlots are left out of the conversation. Beringer’s Merlots have been stupendous for years, especially the Bancroft Ranch. Pahlmeyer and Pride have Merlots that easily stand above the crowd. Etude’s bottlings are age-worthy, and Shafer Merlots – earlier to mature – provide instant gratification. I’d push any Pinot Noir off the table to make way for a Château St. Jean Merlot, and Joe Cafaro still makes Merlots that sing.

Then there’s Duckhorn, Havens, Keenan, St. Francis, Château Ste. Michelle, and Matanzas Creek. In fact, during an extensive tasting of Merlots for a cover story in Wine News a few years back, I concluded that almost any Merlot from the cooler climes of Carneros would be a special treat.

Through the years, Merlot styles have changed and, after the initial boom-years in the 1990s, better terroir has been chosen for plantings. Below are a few recent tasting notes that might offer a primer on the grape.

  Beringer 2008 (Napa Valley, $21). A rich ruby red, with coffee and licorice aromas hosting hints on dark berries and milk chocolate, forward flavors and nicely balanced. Score: 87

Beringer 2006 Howell Mountain Bancroft Ranch (Napa Valley, $75) Up-front aromas of coffee and dark chocolate, with latent dark berry aromas, soft tannins, sumptuous red fruit, and wonderfully balanced. Score: 93

Charles Krug 2008 (Napa Valley, $24). Deep and dense in color and aroma, black cherry and petrol like Pomerol, hefty body, rich textured and dense fruit flavors. Score: 91

Castello di Gabbiano 2007 Alleanza (Tuscany, $35). Soft red fruit, rich body, tangy acidity, dry impression but fruity finish. Score: 90

Columbia Crest 2007 Reserve (Columbia Valley $30). Delicate aromas but pungent flavors. Score: 88

http://www.pridewines.com/content/default1421.html

Kenny’s latest batch of wines is another example of his consistent quality.  All of them come from fruit grown on a 100 acre hillside vineyard in Alexander Valley, which is covered with blue stones and serpentine boulders.  He bottles the wines at three quality levels.  The entry level Baby Blue is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc, Syrah, Merlot, and Malbec.  It is truly a wine for everyone; a special occasion bottle for those on a budget or a daily drinker for the collector-types.  It has that soft richness to it that is commonly found in ultra-premium Napa Cabernets that have cellared for 10 or so years.

Kenny’s flagship Cabernets are good candidates for such cellaring.  The elegance of these complex and powerful reds needs time to emerge.  I brought the 2008 and 2009 to a dinner party full of wine-savvy friends and they were a big hit, though one person expressed regret that I was not able to bring vintages from earlier in the decade so that he could get a real sense of the wine’s potential.   I reminded him that with wine, good things come to those who wait.

It’s hard to give up on summer, even when Mother Nature threatens another plague or two before nightfall.

In the spirit of summer, before we forsake the patio for the eat-in kitchen, let’s toast the best days and shake our fist at the skies. And I can think of no better wine than the spicy, spirited flavors of a hearty red Zinfandel.

Forget the stories of its origins in southern Italy, or its sojourn in Croatia and Hungary. Zinfandel is as American as apple pie and the stars and bars. Don’t let the summer fade without pulling the cork from a bottle or two. Here are some suggestions.

  Grgich Hills 2008 Zinfandel (NapaValley, $35). Scented with coffee and tobacco leaf, rich succulent flavors and light spice, even a slightly fruity finish. A simply superb wine.

Paul Dolan 2009 Zinfandel (Mendocino County, $25). A standard-bearer for ol’ time Zinfandel, with flavors of raspberry and chocolate accented with pepper and brown spice.

Plungerhead 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel (Lodi, $16). Deep red color, pungent with full-blown fruit, dark cherry and raspberry, a touch of white pepper on finish.

Seghesio 2009 Zinfandel (Sonoma County, $24). Deep black cherry and blackberry aromas, chewy and highly structured, layers of ripe red fruit and polished tannins, hint of coffee on finish. A perennially superb wine.

Seghesio 2009 Zinfandel Home Ranch (Alexander Valley, $38). Scents of plums and black currants, followed by flavors of black cherry, plums, and sweet tobacco, with lively tannins but soft finish.

Sledgehammer 2008 Zinfandel (North Coast, $15). Red fruit aromas and flavors, medium body, tart finish.

We had reached Atlas Peak, the mountain but also the former name of a winery. Founded originally by a partnership between Marchese Piero Antinori, Bollinger, and Whitbread, Atlas Peak Winery was host to newly planted Italian varietals as well as the first ever Sangiovese Symposium in 1997.

The Italian grapes struggled to survive and, now, the new enterprise called Antica has returned to Napa Valley’s preeminent grapes: Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, though some Sangiovese is still vinified by winemaker Nate Weis on the property.

Antinori’s style shows through in the wines, the estate, and the layout of the vineyards, green lines of lush vines that cascade down the slopes from this aerie. Hidden from Napa’s busy commerce on Route 29 and surrounded by lazy hills and cultured vineyards, the landscape below us seemed snatched from a photographer’s rendering of the bucolic beauty of Tuscany. So it is no surprise that the wines should show elegance, respect for tradition, and bountiful flavors. 

The 2009 Chardonnay ($35) has scents of pear and apple, with luscious textures and layered flavors, interwoven with a racy thread of minerality. It would be a perfect pair for trout almondine. The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon ($55) shows black cherry fruit and, while still a little closed, seems to be coming out of hibernation.

So most of us have huddled inside our homes where the air conditioner groans under loads that violate manufacturers’ specs and wait for deliverance. As the perceptibly cooler air wafts about and slowly curbs the rising body temperature, thoughts turn to red wine.

What else? I’ve always said that A/C was invented to make it possible to drink red wine in summertime.

It seemed like a perfect time to test the reports of a superior vintage coming from California in 2007. Vintage scores in the high-90s by many wine publications suggest that there’s much to look forward to.

But why wait for the next anniversary or the hoped-for kid’s scholarship? With temperatures holding steady at Underworld levels, we need to take care of ourselves – - now.

Souverain 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, $17). Scents of wet earth and oak, black cherry, plums on nose, currants, black cherry, soft textures, full body.

Dry Creek Vineyard 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Dry Creek Valley, $25). First impression is tobacco smoke and oak, with deep long lasting dark fruit aromas and flavors.

Ferrari-Carano 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, $30). Black cherry, cassis and plums on the nose, same impression on the palate, dense cherry flavors, intense, long finish.

Rodney Strong 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Alexander Valley, $45). Rich, dark fruit and licorice accents on the nose, followed by cranberry, plums, and cassis on the palate, with licorice and mint accents.

Sbragia Family Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte RossoVineyard (Sonoma Valley, $50). Black cherry, cola, and plums on nose and palate, soft approach, incredibly deep and textured, a magnificent wine.

Ferrari-Carano 2007 Tresor (Alexander Valley, $58). Rich vibrant aromas of dark fruit and earth notes, mocha and cassis dominates the flavor profile, layers of black cherry and boisenberry, soft silky finish.

Rodney Strong 2007 Rockaway Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, $75). Brewed coffee aromas, with concentrated black cherry flavors, dense and chewy, soft tannins, hint of chocolate on finish.

Sbragia Family Vineyards 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Rancho del Oso (Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, $75). Superb balance, richly textured dense and concentrated, reminiscent of black fruit, herbs, and subtle earth tones, this is a keeper.

Chateau St. Jean 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cepages (Sonoma County, $75). Packed with black plum and black cherry aromas, dense and chewy, black plum flavors accented by roasted coffee bean, slight hints of mocha on finish.

The wines from this country have made a similar impression on Americans, and the bonus is we don’t have to travel to Mendoza to enjoy them. Malbec, a somewhat innocuous wine when grown in France, hit its stride when planted in Argentina, bottled as a deep red, spicy wine that hungers for the style of food made in that country.

So, how do we marry the two here in the U.S.? Wines are imported and, with a little help from friends, we can learn to make the Argentine food to go with them.

That help comes from an accomplished source. Nicolas Catena established his eponymous winery in Argentina with the solid intention of creating the country’s finest wine – - in fact, Nicolas steered the enterprise toward making some of the finest wine in the world, and his wines prove that he has accomplished that.

Laura Catena, his daughter and the founder of another family winery called Luca, studied his methods but relied more on the passion for excellence that is in the Catena bloodline. Her wines are deeply textured, fragrant, and full-bodied, expressing concentrated fruit and long lingering flavors.

Laura’s Malbec pairs beautifully with the grilled meats (asado) and spicy dishes, but my favorite is Carbonada, a meat and vegetable stew that begins with flank steak, but relies on the accents of onions, red peppers, garlic, and tomatoes for accent. She has recently published a book, appropriately titled Vino Argentino, that describes her family’s roots in the business, the history of wine in Argentina, and a handful of her family’s recipes, including Carbonada.

The book is published by Chronicle Books and is available on Amazon.com and other sources.

Luca 2008 Malbec (Uco Valley, Mendoza, $32). Fragrant and full, with black cherry, plums, and a hint of cocoa on the nose; dark red fruit, highly textured, beautiful balance.

“It was the 2005 Broadley Vineyards Shea Pinot Noir that did it. The perfect balance of smooth, earthy, spicy and fruitiness to go along with the hand-picked wild mushroom tart. The complexity of this Pinot is what is most memorable – it continued to give more as the meal progressed. First, subtle tannins, forest floor, herbal and spice aromas with cherry flavors. For its second act, still smooth and even more aromatic with floral and vanilla perfumes, hearty roast and rich blackberry flavors – which played nicely with the beef stroganoff and the filet mignon with porcini mushroom demi-glace.

“Broadley Vineyards is a family-run vineyard and winery in the Yamhill-Carlton district producing some of the best Pinot from Oregon. The winemaker’s talents clearly shine through in this wine.”

About Heidi:

Heidi Butzine, CWX is the author of the Wineopolis® Wine-travel Guidebook series, curriculum author and Program Director for the Certified Wine Expert® Training and Certification Program. She is also a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and the Society of Wine Educators. Heidi is a native Californian and she loves wine (but couldn’t grow grapes if her life depended on it). In addition to writing and helping others learn about wine, she dabbles in photography, loves to cook when inspired, plays on the drums once in a while and occasionally speaks French.

Love it or hate it, winter is the season when big bowls of spicy chili are the perfect meal. It’s one of those recipes that invites everyone’s variation, from Emeril Lagasse to mom and pop.

Chadwick’s (3205 K Street, NW, 202-333-2565) serves their Black Bean Chili with a homemade jalapeño corn muffin and a ramekin of sour cream. Spicy, dense, and heart-warming, this dish blocks the winter wind and restores the body heat. It’s so restorative that you should be able to count it against your health insurance deductible.

At times, a spicy dish calls for a wine that is cool and lightly sweet. But that answer is best applied in summer when too much heat and spice can be off-putting. In winter, more spice is right, so Chadwick’s pairs this rendition of the classic dish with Lopez Noceti Malbec.

In France, Malbec makes an innocuous wine, simple, undistinguished. But transplanted to Argentina, where Lopez Noceti is made, the grape is transformed into one of the world’s most exciting wines. Look for a long list of Malbecs in local stores or sample the Lopez Noceti at Chadwick’s.