Rich cherry and cinnamon feels on the nose. The palate is a little off with the vanilla oakiness being very separated from the juicy fruit. If they come together over a year in-bottle, then it will jive.

Fuji apple flavors are ripe and offer notes of nutmeg. The snappy finish has buttery accents. Drink now.

Pretty neutral and easy, but very balanced. This cheap and solid bottle is worth a case-or-three-buy for whatever is going on, whenever. Keep a couple in the fridge in the name of spontaneity.

Dried fig and ripe apple flavors blend easily in this spicy version, with buttery accents on the finish. Drink now.

An aromatic white, offering dried chamomile and orange zest notes that give way to lemon meringue and melon flavors, with a fresh thread of acidity. Drink now.

From Kendall-Jackson, this Merlot is warm and toasty, with aromas of popcorn, roasted plum and leather. The palate is a bit more settled, and it's where you'll find dark cherry flavors resting on a bed of rubbery, lively tannins. Finishes with toast, vanilla and char, along with another dose of spiky tannins.

Pear, apple and faint citrus notes are fresh and appealing, finishing on a slightly spicy accent. Drink now.

Stemmy and earthy, this wine is thick in tannin and demure in red fruit, with a simplicity that works well within its medium-bodied context and structure.

Bright red colored, even to a light outer rim. Medium-bodied. Moderate extract; mild oak and tannins. Cherry, berries, vanilla. Crisp vanilla scented aromas lead into a mild fruit palate with a subtle astringent finish.

Dark and intense, with a solid core of tannin, but the plum and wild berry flavors that peek through are appealing. Best to age a little to let this soften somewhat.

Dark and intense, with appealing plum and wild berry flavors that peek through.

Firm and somewhat oaky now, but ripe plum and cherry flavors pick up a spice and anise edge on the finish.

Ripe cherry flavors are the immediate and principal attraction, and they expand on the palate.

Longtime winemaker Van Williamson has crafted a late-harvest style wine, with 16.5% alcohol. The rich berry flavors drink on the sweet side, but the wine is saved from flabbiness by firm acids. Zinfandel from these fog-free ridgetops ripens to high sugars, and the winemaker's challenge is to make the wine balanced.

Actually from Redwood Valley appellation, a bruiser of a wine, with 15.6% alcohol. The lush, ripe berry flavors are delicious and jammy, but drink hot, and there are raisiny notes in the finish. Still, it's a big, bold example of this style, and quintessentially California.

Smells very ripe and fruity. A dark wine that's fairly heavy-bodied. Tastes thick and jammy on the palate, with the flavors and texture of berry marmalade; sweet and full.

A claret style that's somewhat austere, as cedar, sage and tar flavors are more evident than ripe fruit, which peeks through on the finish accompanied by hints of berry. Drinkable now.

Edmeades is a natural for a dessert wine.

From old vines inland in the Redwood Valley, a wine that smells rich in peppery cherry.

A straightforward, one-dimensional, medium-bodied Pinot Noir, the 2008 Monterey displays some spiciness, dark berries, and soil undertones...

Fairly well balanced, with hints of herbs, citrus and melon. Finishes with bright acidity.

Sweet but juicy and flavorful, offering plenty of floral, grape and honeyed apple flavors that linger on the soft, balanced finish.

The 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Tradition comes two-thirds from Lake County and the rest from Sonoma and is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, aged largely in stainless steel while spending four months on its lees. It is crisp, elegant and shows fresh, light and melony notes, a whiff of grapefruit in a clearly zesty aperitif style. Drink it over the next year.

Sweet strawberry fruit runs tart and loose through this wine. The hard brown spices of the tannin attempt to round it up, but in the end, it remains loose.

The wine's tropical fruit is blunted by oak; ripe as white peach, it's darkened by minerals and tree sap to disappear in the end. Place it with a veal stew to occupy the oak, and give the fruit a chance to make a comeback.