2008 Meritage   “Bordeaux Blend”   Producer: Dry Creek Vineyard Appellation: Sonoma County Alcohol: 14.5% Suggested Retail: $30   “Meritage is a term created for wines made of one or more of the grapes typically grown in Bordeaux in the southwest of France. Though made from grapes grown in Sonoma County, this wine contains all five of the predominant red varieties native to Bordeaux—Cabernet Sauvignon (33%), Merlot (30%), Cabernet Franc (17%), Malbec (14%) and Petit Verdot (6%). Wines made from blends of more than one grape are perceived by many as being more complex than those vinified from…

  2008 The Vineyard House   Cabernet Sauvignon   Producer: The Vineyard House Appellation: St. Helena (Napa) Alcohol: ? Suggested Retail: $200 “Though this wine is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), the balance of its composition is from Cabernet Franc (6%), Merlot (6%) and Petit Verdot (3%). “The Vineyard House Cabernet is the creation of Jeremy Nickel, son of the late Gil Nickel of Far Niente, Dolce and Nickel & Nickel renown. While $200 might seem a shocking price for such a recent entry to Napa's cult wine derby, The Vineyard House isn't overpriced by the standards of that club, nor…

  2012 Nouveau Rosé of Pinot Noir   Producer: River Road Vineyards Appellation: Russian River Valley Alcohol: 12.5% Suggested Retail: $14.95   “This wine is a riff on a French tradition. Each year at the third week of November, Beaujolais Nouveau is released. It's a red wine made from Gamay grapes that were still on the vine a couple of months earlier. Supposedly an early indicator of quality of the vintage, it's also something of a marketing triumph. The fervor has quieted these days, but plenty of Gallic hype used to go into the race to see which cafes and…