I often like to grill up some steaks in the middle of the week. Since it doesn’t take too long, I can have dinner on the table quickly, and it’s also a bit of a reward to get me over the hump and into the weekend.  Of course, if I’m going to be tucking into a grilled rib-eye, I’m going to want a nice glass of wine to accompany my steak. My budget for midweek wine runs in the $10 to $15 range. I’m happy to pay that for a bottle of wine on a Tuesday night, but I’m not going to go north of $15 during the week. It’s a simple matter of budget, and I can get great wines at that price point if I keep an eye out.

One of my recent discoveries is 337, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Lodi, California. While Creedence Clearwater Revival may have sung about being stuck in Lodi again, Lodi makes some great wine and is actually a great little town to do some wine tasting should you ever find yourself stuck there.

337 refers to the clone used in the making of this wine. As I discussed last week, clones are basically a subset of a wine grape varietal that is best suited for growing in a particular place. 337 is a Bordeaux clone that does well in the soils and the climate of Lodi’s Clay Station Vineyard because of the similarities between the two places. Essentially, you are getting vines developed for the great Bordeaux wines, planted and grown in Lodi. Now, is this Bordeaux wine? Of course not. But it’s a nice Cabernet made from good stock, and at $15 MSRP, you’re getting a lot of wine for your money.

337 Cabernet Sauvignon shows a lot of cherry and mocha flavors with undertones of blackberry, black pepper, and cassis. While I drank this with a grilled rib-eye and was very satisfied, this could also pair well with lamb chops, sausages, or a hearty stew or chili. At the end of the day, perhaps the best recommendation I can make is that 337 is a wine I’ll be looking for when I’m shopping for weekday wines. If you want a good, flavorful and well-made Cabernet Sauvignon at an attractive price point, 337 is a wine to consider.

Disclosure: I received a sample of this product from Noble Vines for review. No other compensation from Noble Vines was received.