Michael So, now to a new section in the newsletter: Each time, we will examine two wines from a California wine region. We have always enjoyed driving to Napa or Sonoma Valley on weekends and sampling the abundant wine varieties offered there. Since I am not a professional wine taster, it is, of course, possible that my recommendations do not follow the strict guidelines of the professionals. Paula Bosch, who always writes the wine recommendations in the Süddeutsche Zeitung magazine, would surely be outraged by my amateurish efforts, but hey, everyone has to start somewhere! Furthermore, it should be noted in advance that the whole thing is a very, very subjective matter -- but perhaps that's what makes it so appealing. After all, I've never been objective!

A wine that I discovered at "Costco," our mega-supermarket, I consider to be a special bargain: the "Sonoma Creek" Cabernet Sauvignon from 1998. Anyone who has never tried a Californian red wine will be surprised at how robust and developed most of these reds are. I would categorize the "Sonoma Creek" as medium robust, with light but very, very pleasant tannins. In the "nose," there is a highly pleasant fresh oak aroma, making you want to keep your nose in the glass for hours! The taste offers an abundance of fruits, ranging from the Cabernet-typical dark cherries to blackberries, all with a crisp acidity! Pleasant and long-lasting aftertaste! An exceptional find for only 10 dollars. 9 out of 10 points, no kidding.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the second wine that is always presented here, just for fun, is a sorrel. Today: The "Woodbridge" Cabernet Sauvignon from 1997. The "Woodbridge" brand is one of the more well-known ones, and the wine is available almost everywhere. It's the budget brand from Robert Mondavi. Recently, the "Zinfandel" variety (red Zinfandel, not to be confused with the pink stuff that many Americans like to drink) from "Woodbridge" received a high score in the Wine Spectator, and because I forgot which grape variety it was, I bought the 1.5-liter bottle of "Cabernet Sauvignon" for about 13 dollars. What a mistake! The wine tastes a bit like a trash can that hasn't been emptied for three days, with rotting apple peels, and has a strange, slightly bitter aftertaste. Just the smell gives me a headache! 2 out of 10 points. In the desert, I might drink it, but here, where there's a choice, I won't. The bottle is still three-quarters full, so if anyone wants to visit us in San Francisco and finish it, they're welcome to, I'm done with it.

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• More topics you might be interested in:

  	Fitness
  	New TV show "Survivor"
  	The Mobile Phone Plague
  	Foreigners
  	The Lassen National Park
  	Tips for Making Phone Calls
  	Earthquakes