For as calm and as warm as the water was early in our Outer Banks vacation, it was equivalently rough and cold towards the end of the trip. By day number 4, the water felt like an ice bath, although the waves made it fun and the sun was strong, so I didn’t stay out of the water. After getting tired from a day of playing in the waves, Hubby and I decided to keep dinner low key and order deliver from Pizzazz Pizza. While we waited for the delivery guy, I opened a bottle of the 2007 Steak House Cabernet Sauvignon by The Magnificent Wine Company.

The 2007 Steak House (winery, snooth) is with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The wine had a deep purplish-ruby color with some tartrates that settled at the bottom of my glass. The wine was slightly reduced, but after it had time to breathe, it was much better. On the nose, there were a lot of black fruits— black cherry, blackcurrant, and dark plums—followed by some blackcurrant leaf and a touch of earthiness. In the mouth, there were black fruits, tobacco, and a hint of soil. The wine had a medium body and medium tannins, with good acidity.

Is this worth a glass after work? Sure…you won’t be drinking anything out of the ordinary, but you’ll definitely have a decent, reliable glass of wine. At $11, this wine has a great quality-price ratio. The Magnificent Wine Company says the Steak House, obviously, is ideal for steak, and I agree that would probably be a good pairing, but I also think that it would go well with almost any grilled meat. As for the pizza pairing, while our pepperoni and sausage pizza was just ok, the wine was a good accompaniment. I suspect that if you pair the Steak House with a good NY slice, it would be a match made in heaven.

Overall: 3 Corks