These days it's almost cliché to talk or write about Northern California red wines, especially the cabernet sauvignons of Napa Valley and Sonoma. Over the last three decades, prices of California's most notable red wines have steadily increased to near-absurd levels. The top-tier wines, moreover, have achieved prices that would exclude
99 percent of wine buyers.

Am I saying we need to start an Occupy Napa movement? Of course not.

Not least because most grape farmers carry firearms, and no bottle of wine is worth getting shot over -- not even Screaming Eagle. But, we do have to keep in mind that the reason California wines have reached such international critical acclaim is because of the region's consistent weather conditions, which naturally help produce great wines, especially reds.

These ideal weather conditions are influenced in part by the San Pablo Bay, which cools down vineyards every morning and heats them in the afternoon to allow grapes to ripen evenly. Beneath this region is a variety of soils that adds its own distinctive mark, giving wines unmistakable and memorable flavors.

On valley floors in regions such as Rutherford, Alexander Valley, Stags Leap District and Oakville, grapes are grown in deeper, plusher soils, giving wines from these areas an unrivaled polished elegance.

The vines grown along the sides of the Mayacamas Mountains, in places such as Mount Veeder, Spring Mountain District and Howell Mountain, produce wines with rugged individuality and character.

The most common vintages found in the Santa Fe area are in the 2006-08 range. Wines in this range are all distinct in taste, with the '06s showing upfront fruits, the '07s being a perfect year for classic flavors, and '08s having well-balanced, full-flavored notes.The seven featured bottles that are priced between $25 and $50, which should help to avoid serious sticker shock.

Roth Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Alexander Valley in Sonoma, Calif.
Year: 2008

This first wine hails from Sonoma. It has a heavy, ruby color that surrounds the glass as it swirled for the first sniff. The nose belies plump black cherries, cassis (we'll find lots of that today) and gun smoke. It's full in the mouth and is moderately tannic with a medium finish of firm cherries and blood oranges. It's a perfect wine for gourmet burgers made on a George Foreman grill.

Steltzner, Claret
Region: Stags Leap District in Napa Valley, Calif.
Year: 2008

Steltzner borrows from the old English moniker to describe this cabernet blend. It has a dark purple color that holds true to the edge of the glass. It has aromas of black figs, dried plums and deer hide. It's richly complex in the mouth with dark fruits and has a meatiness that lingers for some time. This wine begs for prime rib slathered in horseradish sauce.

Conn Creek, Herrick Red
Region: Napa Valley, Calif.
Year: 2008

Here we have an almost blackish colored wine that has hints of garnet at its edges. It takes time to discover the wine's aromas of black-cherry compote, fresh-cracked pepper and English plum pudding. The wine has a rich, smooth and slightly tannic mouthfeel, and the persistent flavors of plum pudding linger for quite some time. I feel a compulsion to grill something large with this wine even in the middle of February.

Chappellet, Mountain Cuvee
Region: Napa Valley, Calif.
Year: 2008

This wine has a lighter garnet color with a lavender rim. The nose explodes with bramble berries, vanilla ice cream and toasted oak. It has an austere mouthfeel with fruits, fennel root and pumpkin spices, and it's a bit more astringent on the finish. This wine calls for steak frites and a flank steak -- rare please!

Hollywood and Vine, 'Short Ends' Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Napa Valley, Calif.
Year: 2008

This wine is completely opaque with just the slightest hints of mauve. It has a massive nose of concentrated black cherry, currant juice and vanilla extract with so much heat it almost burns the nose. It's the fullest-flavored wine of the day with gripping tannins and dense fruits. The finish persists with the dark fruits and spices, which makes me want to gnaw on a piece of meat with a bone intact.

Spring Mountain, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Napa Valley, Calif.
Year: 2007

This mountainside vineyard represents everything special about the perfect vintage. The color is a flashy dark garnet color that fades into salmon pink. It shows off classic aromas of blackberries, currants and dark chocolate. It's a mouth full with dusty tannins and spicy black plums and licorice. It has a tightly wound finish -- please decant a few hours before serving; hopefully with roasted meats that just pull apart with a fork.

Heitz Cellars, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Napa Valley, Calif.
Year: 2006

We finish up this subject with one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in California. I am somewhat torn to see this wine sold at Sam's Club for just about $42 -- what a steal. This wine has a ruby-red color with a touch of tawny on the rim. The nose is complex with aromas of ripe blackberries, cola, baking spices and mint chocolate. There's much of the same in the mouth with notes of black fruits, fresh mint and ground nutmeg. It's a classic wine calling for a classic filet mignon wrapped in Wright Brand bacon and smothered in sauce béarnaise.