Even down south, the weather is cooling off...yes...all the way to the mid 80s! But, seriously, I have started to notice a wee bit change in the weather down here, and while I'm not ready to pull out my jackets or sweaters, I don't imagine I'll be attending too many hot, steamy cook outs in the near future. I am not a huge white wine fan, but this past summer I have turned to lighter wines such as a Viognier and an occassional Sauvignon Blanc. However, according to this article at OregonLive.com, Labor Day is the beginning of red wine season (yippy!), wine writer Matt Kramer offers some red wine tasting suggestions for us:

Although the autumn equinox isn't until Sept. 23, the unofficial red wine season begins after Labor Day. Call it "taste fatigue," the consequence of a summer's worth of drinking white and rose wines. Reds seem invigorating, even more so when there's a nip of fall in the air.

This is why this week's wines are unrelentingly red. More important yet, they are standout deals.

Evesham Wood "Willamette Valley" Pinot Noir 2005: You'd be hard pressed to find anyone familiar with Oregon wine who would dispute the following statement: Russ Raney, owner-winemaker of Evesham Wood Winery and Vineyard in Salem, is hands-down one of Oregon's finest wine growers.