Sebastiani is the best for everyday collection (among other things)

December 1, 12:32 AMBoston Wine ExaminerJulia Timakhovich

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Taking risks with unfamiliar and untried is part of loving food and wine. The first time you try oysters, or blue cheese, or sushi, or a wine from an obscure region, you are taking a (reasonably safe) risk. The worst that can happen is you don’t like it and you waste money. The best is exploration of nature’s bounty that provides the most basic of pleasures—whether it becomes love at first sight, or an acquired taste in something.

Let’s talk about a case when your vinous expeditions don’t provide a return on investment, and about the winery that can always mend the mood and meet expectations 100% of the time.

I am fair game when it comes to wine. I don’t discriminate. I am generally open to trying anything that sounds good, is reasonably priced, or is a good recommendation from a reputable source. The other day, I picked up a bottle of wine solely by recommendation from a wine store. It was an Australian Cabernet blend. Anticipating bright powerful fruit, I opened it only to find disappointment. Too much alcohol, too much acid. Too many potentially good elements not balancing together. Well, it’s a loss of $18. Could be worse.

Not willing to waste an evening, I reached for the one sure thing in my everyday collection: a Sebastiani. Tonight’s choice was Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon, vintage 2005, $14. As so many times before, the wine opened up with black cherry and vanilla-like oak aromas and coated the mouth with unctuous goodness. I drank a glass on its own, for pure enjoyment.

It could have been Sebastiani Merlot or Chardonnay, or their higher-end blends. Does not matter. Pretty much everything this Sonoma county winery produces is good. It’s honest in flavor. It makes for a magnificent representation of whatever grape variety is in the bottle. And the winemakers are as far from pretentious as it gets.

Sebastiani is one of the oldest wineries in Sonoma valley, dating back to 1825. They have been successful as pretty much any venture they undertook. The wines never disappoint, often tasting much better than their retail price might indicate.

You can generally find basic Sebastiani wines in wine stores for under $20, frequently under $15. They are well worth it to buy by cases. Definitely the wine to keep in your everyday collection—especially for the occasions where other choices fail you for whatever reason.