I'm a bigger fan of red wines than whites and I have never really been a fan of the super sweet stuff (I.E. Arbor Mist, Wild Vines and even some Rieslings) but I really want to share some of my favorites with you and how they taste to me.
First up - Menage a Trois Red Wine - from the Folie a Deux Winery, California.
This wine is a blend of 3 grapes, hence the Menage a Trois play on words. Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet grapes give this wine enough flavor without over-powering anything that you would eat with it. It is a bit on the sweeter side which makes it go down so easily, but this would be a great starter wine for anyone looking to venture away from the White Zins and into a heavier red wine.
Von Stiehl Red Satin - A wine from the Algoma, Wisconsin winery!
This winery uses a combination of Wisconsin, Californian and Washington fruits to create their wonderful styles. According to the website, its a blend of Midwest grapes and Von Stiehl's most popular wine. This one is very smooth and again on the sweeter side. We finished our night with this wine one night and everyone enjoyed it while relaxing after a cookout. Again, this could be a great starter wine for someone venturing into reds.Folie a Deux Zinfandel - California
I have already mentioned the Folie a Deux winery earlier when talking about the Menage a Trois red blend, but this Zinfandel has a flavor all its own. When my boss said it was a "jammie" wine,
I was unsure but after tasting it - the word makes perfect sense. In the words of my coworker Jacob, its as if you are biting in the fresh fruit with each sip. This is about a $12 bottle but in my eyes its worth every penny! I haven't really paired it yet with a meal but Jacob had it with a steak and I can definitely see that pairing going very well. I hope to pair it with something soon!Brassfield Eruption - This is the most unique blend I have had. According to the website "Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache and Petite Sirah are artfully blended to create a symphonic eruption of aromas and flavors in the glass."
I can't even say I have drank a straight Mouvedre or Grenache to know what those flavors are like independently, but those 4 grapes make for a terrific wine. It definitely lives up to its name with the subtle feeling after swallowing of an additional flavor eruption. This bottle is around $13 and I have paired it with grilled ham steaks and scalloped potatoes and it went perfectly.7 Daughters Red and White Wines - California
These wines are being marketed to book club groups, single ladies nights and cheese pairings. Each wine is a blend of 7 grapes.
The white is a little sweeter but the red is pretty mellow but has enough flavor to satisfy a true red-wine connoisseur. I think these would work for a ladies night and if you aren't sure what your friends would like - a blend is a great option. New Age - White Wine of Argentina
This wine was something that always intrigued me but I'm not a huge fan of whites so I never wanted to spend the $8 - 9 on it. Well then my boss told me about having it at a tasting and actually serving it like a cocktail - over ice with a lemon twist! He said it was bubbly and refreshing and very enjoyable. I then had to try it. It's a screw cap wine which makes it perfect for a picnic and its little bubbly effervescence makes it very pleasing for a summer day. Its sweet but not overly sweet for a white and very unique in flavor again - crisp but not that it will hurt your jaw. I would have it with a nice picnic lunch of grapes, cheese and a ham sandwich and bet it would be great!
So those are just a few off the top of my head that I wanted to share with you, but I hope to update you more in the coming months and hopefully have better pairing options for them. And of course (shameless plug) all of these wines are available at Fox Run Sentry Liquor! Happy Eating (and Drinking)!
Trader Joe's wine seems lame, but they have some great wines made from organic grapes that I have been enjoying a lot. Do you ever buy their wine?
ReplyDeleteI have never been to a Trader Joe's and I don't think I have ever been gifted a bottle of their's either. Being that I work part-time at a liquor store, the majority of my wine comes from there. Occassionally I buy wines from Winery's or other specialty stores but I would never buy something at another store I can get from my own. If you are ever in the Waukesha are, stop at Fox Run Sentry Liquor. We have our employee recommendations all over the wine section to help customers out. Thanks for reading and please follow if you enjoyed this entry.
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