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Fresh.  Rich. Elegant.  Mumm Napa is one of those steady, eddy producers that delivers delicious, consistent, sparkling wine year in and year out at fair price points.  Take the Mumm Napa Brut Rose...

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With the big game just a week away, Super Bowl party plans are gearing up.  While many bring beer as their beverage of choice, wine lovers have an exceptional opportunity to show off their favorite wine varietals with traditional football pub grub. 

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The 2007 Benziger Cabernet Sauvignon starts with a rush of dark fruit on the nose mixed with some black tea and espresso nuances playing second string.  On the palate, expect another round of black fruit - blackberry, black cherry, plum and a delicious drop of dark chocolate with a fine layer of vanilla and oak-driven spice. 

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Napa Valley's Conn Creek Winery is one of those hidden gems, sequestered along the Silverado Trail.  A place that puts people in touch with the ground, the grape and ultimately the glass through lively wine education via their innovative, hands-on AVA Barrel Blending Seminar.  

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The 2007 Conn Creek Cabernet Sauvignon is a heady blend of bold aromatics including mocha notes, dark berry and a dash of cedar.  On the palate expect big flavors, a second showing of rich, dark fruit, mainly plum and blackberry woven together with dark chocolate and a decent dose of vanilla on the finish.

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The 2009 Carmenere from Concha y Toro is a terrific introduction to the Carmenere grape.  A full body, gorgeous ruby red color and engaging aromatics bring on the fruit and floral medley - expect blackberry, currant and a dash of fresh ground, black pepper spice followed by a decent dose of dark chocolate to round out the nose of this feisty Chilean red. 

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The 21st annual ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) Festival is only three weeks away.  As one of San Francisco's premier wine events, ZAP promises to bring four festive days of all things Zin to the historic Concourse Exhibition Center, complete with tastings, cooking demos and Zinfandel food-pairing tips and tricks.

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The 2009 A to Z Pinot Noir makes for a stellar red wine find. The lighter style and fruit forward profile mingled with engaging Asian spice make for an appealing Pinot Noir from the get-go.

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For whatever reason, wrestling with a Champagne cork holding close to 80 pounds-per-square-inch of pressure can be a touch intimidating.  So we've broken the battle of the cork down into five simple steps: 

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