The Weinberg's Wine Notes Tasting Jury gathered a few weeks ago to sample "dead-of-winter" wines. Appropriately enough, the snow that night was falling at least as fast as the outside temperature, yet an aura of cheer surrounded our group as we huddled around the table with two cases of wine.

Normally I include wines across multiple spectrums of density, color, sweetness and depth for the wine jury and for my recommendations. However, because of the frigid season and an excess of cabernet sauvignon samples, I decided to list mostly big reds this week, with two notable exceptions.

We didn't taste that many white wines, so I wasn't prepared to like the French Maid Sauvignon Blanc out of the Pays D'Oc in France. I usually hate gimmicky labels, but this wine surprised me with its notes of honey and lemon zest, followed by spicy lime and a medium finish. Very well done and varietally correct, which is unusual in this price range.

In addition, I was taken with the Wakefield Riesling from the Clare Valley in Australia. Bone-chillingly dry, redolent of slate and lime peel, this serious white exhibits a saline nose and tropical fruits on the palate, with intriguing mineral accents throughout. A tremendous effort at a terrific price, and I highly recommend it.

And now for the reds.

Blackstone Winery in Sonoma is famous for reasonably priced wines that offer good value. They also produce a Reserve lineup that definitely amps up the juice yet is still affordable. Try the well-balanced Rubric Sonoma Reserve, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, syrah, cabernet franc and petite sirah, crammed with cranberry and tinged with white pepper, brown sugar and black plums.

Another wine that impresses me is the Forlorn Hope Petit Verdot Gascony Cadets from the Suisun Valley in California, with its orange peel nose and lemon zest, cranberry and turbinado sugar finish. The Suisun (pronounced sa-SOON) Valley is a two-hour drive southeast of the Napa Valley. Many California- labeled wines are grown there, and producers in that area are starting to market their own appellation-specific bottles.

Of course, when I think of winter wines I always end up with that cold-weather classic, cabernet sauvignon. Densely chewy yet fruity, cabernet has become much more expensive in recent years because of the increasing cost of the oak barrels that are necessary for the proper vinification of this thick-skinned, tannic varietal. So the challenge is always to find bottles that deliver without breaking the bank.

Try the Dancing Bull Cabernet Sauvignon from California, chock-full of classic red plum, currant and cassis. As inexpensive as this is, you can afford more than one.

Another terrific choice is the peppery Hahn Cabernet Sauvignon from the central coast of California. This plush wine, overflowing with ripe blueberries and blackberries, has enough depth to satisfy most cabernet drinkers.

Cabernet also does well in blends, so seek out the Wakefield Shiraz-Cabernet Promised Land from South Australia. This lush wine exhibits loads of ripe strawberry and black licorice, followed by a whiff of sweet, mellow prunes and cinnamon.

benweinberg@mywinenation.com

Recommended

WHITE

* French Maid Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Pays D'Oc, France) $9

* Wakefield Riesling 2007 (Clare Valley, Australia) $17

RED

* Blackstone Reserve Rubric 2006 (Sonoma Valley, California) $17

* Forlorn Hope Petit Verdot Gascony Cadets 2005 (Suisun Valley, California) $39

* Dancing Bull Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (California, U.S.) $10

* Hahn Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (Central Coast, California) $12

* Wakefield Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon Promised Land 2006 (South Australia, Australia) $12