Beringer - Cabernet Sauvignon @@@ (3 corks)

Retails: $7.99 ($11.99/1.5 Litre -- Publix)

Beringer's Cabernet Sauvignon has an earthy, seductive quality. The flavors drift from your palate up unto your nostrils inducing a gorgeous, tranquil haze. As each second passes, the aromas shift from earth to tart cherries to leather and back to earth---quite the metaphor for the month of August, I'd call it the perfect glass for the season.

I wake up early every morning to walk the dog, stealing a luxurious ten minutes to myself while my fiance and the kids bang out the usual morning routine, get-up-get-dressed-eat-brush-teeth-make-beds-tie-shoes. There's a scent in the air this time of year that even the dog can smell. It's hidden behind cloaks of warm, humid weather, but still present---a delicate strand of crisp, cool air, indicative that fall is near. Those who claim that Florida is a season-less state fail to notice the beautiful subtleties of our changing seasons.

August has always held a certain air of melancholy. Summers of my childhood were spent squeezing every last drop of summertime we could in Maine's too short season. No meal was spent inside unless weather forbade, days were spent by the pool or beach. Nights were spent avoiding mosquito bites, taking long drives down winding roads with the windows down, and the smell of the sea wafting in. You see, a Maine summer is always a summer lover --- there for a season and gone as soon as August rolled around. Our seasons end abruptly, and winter is unforgiving and especially long by comparison.

August always carried with it a certain amount of tragedy. This past August was no different, but to appreciate the eclipse from one season to the next, paying attention to the subtle cues around you help bring perspective to the time that lies ahead. For me, it's (step)motherhood, for you it's...

(a decent glass of wine?)

Beringer - Pinot Noir @@@ (3 corks)

Retails: $6.49 (Total Wine)

After the succcess of Beringer's Merlot at our Girls Night wine tasting, when I came across the Pinot I HAD to give it a shot.

At the same time, I've just recently acquired a Sam's Club through my work, which if you happen to have an employer who offers this as a benefit, you should absolutely take them up on it. I did a little bit of research while I was there today, mostly loading up on bulk toiletries, and the wine/liquor section's prices are IDENTICAL to Total Wine! Although Sam's Club offers awesome discount on most bulk items, if you happen to have a Total Wine nearby you'll save just about the same amount off of normal retail prices (without the cost of a membership!)

Beringer's Pinot Noir is quite good, it definitely requires some breathing time after uncorking. The flavor tends to rest in the middle of your palette, be sure to give it a good swish in your mouth to really get a full sense of the flavors. Tons of beautiful cherry notes with good deal of dry, tannin flavor in the finish. For the price, not a bad wine in the slightest.

Beringer - Merlot @@@ (3 corks!)---- GIRLS' NIGHT PART 3

Retails: $9.99

To Recap: The panelists are: myself, Mrs. Almighty, Sunshine, Pineapple, and S. Breezey (Fo Sheezey)

Aside from Mrs. Almighty---note: I only call her this because we call my boss "Ben Almighty," --- I was in a sea of white wine drinkers at Girls' Night. She shares my passion for dry wines, therefore I LOVE her. :)

This selection comes from S. Breezey and I consider it a total win in that Sunshine, an avid Mike n' Ikes consumer and wine neophyte who currently enjoys sweet whites, actually said: "For a red...I actually like this! The aftertaste is good!" SCORE!

Pineapple found it a little too strong for her liking but she DID say it's the best red wine she's had, so proceed with caution with strict white wine drinkers.

Beringer Merlot had a smooth, oakey flavor with a buttery after taste that was slightly dry. It's very drinkable and as far as reds go, it's quite low in tannin flavor so I can understand why infrequent red wine drinkers would find it palatable. I can say that I was completely shocked at how good this Beringer was. Apparently, S. Breezey used to work in a restaurant where this was the house red. It was such a hit with myself and Mrs. Almighty that we finished off the last two glasses in the bottle. Yum!

Beringer - Moscato @@@@ (4 corks)

Retails : $8.99 (Total wine)

If you have a serious sweet tooth, this is the wine for you. Muscats are to wine as chocolate cake is to food---a decadent treat. Perfect as an aperitif or complimented by a simple assortment of cheese and fruit, Moscatos/Muscats are what I imagine the gods refer to when they talk of "ambrosia."

Like Riesling, muscat is an easy wine to acquire a taste for. It's a distincitive taste: a syrupy consistency, sweet honey, fruit or floral accents and just a hint of acidity. There is absolutely no dryness in this kind of wine.

For my personal tastes, this isn't the kind of wine that I could handle a lot of--say the entire bottle. One glass is plenty as the sweetness can be overpowering. The Beringer Moscato is an excellent choice when confronted with Muscats -- which can be expensive and come in tiny bottles. The initial taste is like an explosion in your mouth: sweet and flavorful, plenty of honey and apricot flavors. The aftertaste is a little too acidic for me, but for most habitual white wine drinkers, this won't come as a surprise. I wouldn't pair this (or any) muscat with a main course, it's much too sweet to work well with most meals. But, as a compliment to, or alone, as a dessert, it's perfect.

Final Words: Muscats are a MUST for people just starting to get their feet wet in the wine world. This is an excellent (and highly affordable) choice in this series.