Shiraz vs. Cabernet

Last night my dad and I went to dinner at new place (for me, at least) in town, Indigo Smoke. While I prefer my salmon a bit less well-done, the food was fantastic and I can't wait to return. (On a bit of a snide note, I do hope that they change their menu fairly frequently, as I can see myself growing bored with the options in a month or two). Chazbo (my dad) ordered the Seafood Stew, with a very delicious broth, the perfect balance of creamy and acidic. The menu claimed that the stew came with 5 types of fish, but I am only able to recall 4- calamari, tillapia, shrimp, and mussels. the 5th was some sort of overly rough/hard cornbread hush puppy. He had a glass of sauvignon blanc, which I regrettably did not taste. I guess I made the ignorant decision that I would not enjoy the assumed to be average SB. My dish was fennel crusted salmon, served with grilled onion (my favorite part of the meal), fire roasted grape tomatoes, and a potato pancake (which I found to be not crispy enough and too thick). Okay, so before blabbing on about the wines I had, I will admit that my dish should have been paired with a white wine, perhaps an Italian white or something along the lines of chard or gewurtz. However, I am a red wine freak! So, I first had a glass of Little Boomey shiraz which I did not much care for and then a glass of Benziger Cab Sauv. i didn't like the shiraz because it seemed flat, overly fruity, not nearly tannic enough, and barely contained that subtle spiciness i expect from a shiraz. when i reported that i didn't care for it (in an admittedly overly blunt manner) my dad, as he so often does, shared words of wisdom with me: "....don't let perfect get in the way of good." agreed, but this wine nearly flat lined with its single dimensional makeup of cherry, cherry, and more cherry. Now, on to the can sauv. While I tend to dismiss California reds as being overly big, bold, ripe and fruity, this one was very nice. I could smell additional oaking prior to taking a sip, the toasted oaking I associate with notes of vanilla, tobacco, and berries. the cab was far more structured than the shiraz, having an acidic base rounded out by the plushness of the berries and oak. i would recommend this wine to diners and winos alike.