Napa Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Fact: The buzz surrounding the 2007 vintage in Napa Valley should have Cabernet Sauvignon lovers as excited as they were about the 1997 vintage. Many will also be looking for bargains, which this wine is at $26 a bottle.

The year was perfect for producing grapes with intense fruit flavors and soft tannins. The blend of Cabernet grapes used in the wine includes fruit from Rutherford, adding a subtle violet quality, as well as nearby Oakville.

Aromas of blackberry, black currant and dark red fruit mingle with a touch of violet and cocoa. Let it open a little in your glass and let notes of oak and vanilla come into play. The dark fruit notes carry over to the taste, which is also marked by hints of cedar. A full, rich finish lingers after each sip.

Feeling: I likes me some smooth Cab, and this one fills the bill nicely. It’s soft yet full-bodied on the tongue, which makes it enjoyable by itself. The alcohol content isn’t too far gone at 14 percent, so pair it with a big ol’ hunk of red meat, anything from lamb to a beefy Irish stew.

Mac and Ernie’s Roadside Eatery has moved.

The lauded restaurant in Tarpley is now at 11804 FM 470, according to the restaurant’s website: “Our original shack has become the entrance of our new building – now you’ll be able to order inside!”

Mac and Ernie’s has gained a reputation statewide for chef Naylene Dillingham-Stolzer’s cooking, which mixes haute cuisine with some down-home magic. The results are dishes like pork tenderloin kebabs with chipotle cream, ancho chile-honey basted quail, lamb with salsa verde and salmon with herb butter as well as her famous cabrito burgers, which are available at lunch.

The restaurant is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays. Call (830) 562-3727 or click here for information.

In other restaurant news, Chunky’s Burgers, 4602 Callaghan Road, was featured on NPR recently for its use of the fiery Indian chile, bhut jolokia, on its 4-Horseman Burger.

The story was in response to a BBC report that India was working on a stun grenade using the chiles.

“I can easily see that,” owner Joey Prado said. “It’s a dangerous pepper.”

For the full story, click here.