Menage a Trois. Enough said.

I dedicate this post to one of my friends who introduced me to this wine.  This past weekend we were celebrating her birthday and she had a new type of wine to try; she kept hearing about it and curiosity peaked her interest - I mean, with the name of Menage a Trois who wouldn’t be interested in finding out more about it?  It is a California red made up of three different types of wine (hence the name): Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The individual wines do not over-power each other and are wonderfully balanced with a hint of blackberry and raspberry flavors.  The wine is not very sweet but also doesn’t have that bitterness that some red wines tend to have; the flavors are in perfect harmony, making Menage a Trois California Red Wine easy and enjoyable to drink.

Alcohol Content: 13.5%

ChocolatRouge…OoOoO LaLa

ChocolatRouge red wine; is it just me or is that a sexy little name for wine?  Even before taking a sip I knew that this wine would be yummy, just because the name made it sound so good.  Keep in mind, the type of ChocolatRouge red wine that I’m talking about is the one that actually looks like red wine and not the type that looks like a creamy chocolate drink (same name, two different types of wine).  However, with that being said, this red wine still packs a ton of chocolate flavor…more so than any other type of wine I have tried yet.  This full-bodied wine blends a delicious medley of berry and chocolate flavors; the initial sip gives off the hint of berries followed by a lasting chocolate taste, which in my opinion, resembles the taste of a tootsie roll!  I absolutely could not get enough of this wine, it is amazing.  If you love red wine and chocolate, then this wine is a must….especially for those hot date nights, sexy wine for a sexy night ;).

Price: $8.99/bottle

Luxuriousness in a bottle

I was looking for a new red wine to try when I spotted a pretty label (anything with pink in it catches my eye) that had “Cashmere” written on it.  Of course, curiosity had set in and I just had to try this wine.  The full name of the red wine is Cline Cashmere and, like the name, it is absolutely divine.  The wine offers just enough sweetness with flavors of cherry, raspberry, and chocolate, yet also has a pleasant kick to it because of a hint (and I mean just a pinch) of black pepper.  I tried the wine slightly chilled (and not because I put it in the fridge, but because my house was so cold!) and the deliciousness was the perfect way to cap off my night.  Overall, the wine is extremely smooth and tastes as luxurious as its name.  One last side note, Cline Cellars donates to various breast cancer foundations, making this wine purchase an even better idea!

Alcohol Content: 14.0%

Price: $12/bottle

Tastes Like a Jelly Doughnut!

Baker’s Dozen Jammy Pinot Noir tastes more like a sweet red wine than a Pinot Noir; it is actually sweeter than some of the sweet red wines that I have tried.  The first sip surprised me because I wasn’t expecting for it to be as sweet as it is, but my taste buds loved it.  Even though I find it to be a little too sweet to have more than a couple of glasses at a time, it is delicious…it literally tastes like the jelly inside of a jelly doughnut; this wine lives up to its Baker’s Dozen Jammy name!  The flavors are of cherry and brown sugar, which leave a bold (yet pleasant) taste after every sip.  With some wines I find that it is hard to actually taste the flavors that are outlined, but there is no mistaking what flavors are in this Pinot Noir.  One thing that I found with this wine is that the longer it sits in the wine glass, the sweeter it gets; you can actually start to see the sugar left behind on the glass if it sits for too long.  If you don’t prefer red wine to be too sweet then make sure to drink up soon after the wine is poured!

Price: $12/bottle

Wine on the Go

Some wine brands offer convenient, and cute, packaging which makes it easier to bring wine along wherever you go.  I was recently told about a wine pouch that could easily be carried anywhere, but when I couldn’t find the pouch I got these adorable Barefoot Pinot Noir small bottles instead; they come in a case of 4 and each bottle contains about 2 glasses worth of wine.  These are great if you’re going to a party, on a picnic, to the beach, anywhere that you don’t feel like bringing a large bottle of wine to.  The small bottles are also great to just have around if you only want to have a couple of glasses of wine and don’t want to open a large bottle, especially when it comes to white wine (I feel as though a bottle of white wine needs to be used the day that it’s opened otherwise it just doesn’t taste right the next day).  Barefoot offers its other types of wine in these small bottles as well, such as the Pinot Grigio, Moscato, Merlot, etc.  I really enjoy Barefoot wine because it is extremely inexpensive and the wines have a great taste. 

The Barefoot Pinot Noir is a light red wine with the slight flavors of cherries and raspberries; I say that it’s a light red wine because it does not have that strong kick to it that some other red wines tend to have.  I have a friend that prefers white wine over red, but even she doesn’t mind drinking Pinot Noir. 

Next time you need some wine on the go, make sure to pick up a case of these small bottles!

Price: $7.50/case of 4 bottles 

Red Velvet - Dessert in a Glass

On my hubby’s last trip to the liquor store, I asked him to surprise me with a type of red wine that I never had before.  When he walked through the door with Red Velvet red wine by Cupcake Vineyards (could the name of this wine be more perfect and enticing?) my eyes lit up; he knows me so well, not only was our wedding cake red velvet, but I just can’t resist anything that is cake flavored.  I was so excited to pour myself a glass of dessert.  The wine has a creamy taste of chocolate and blackberries, with a slight mocha aftertaste.  Although the flavors may sound sweet, this is not a sweet red wine; the wine is a mixture of Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.   While this wine is quite tasty, it is definitely a slow sipping type of wine because of the bold taste and kick it has.  If you are just starting to drink red wine and prefer something that has less of a kick to it, I would recommend starting off with a sweet red wine or Pinot Noir and working your way up to this one.  If you love a stronger tasting red wine, then this is perfect for you.  This is a great wine to have with dinner, especially with spicy food, and it is a match made in heaven when paired with a dessert. 

Alcohol Content: 13.5%

Price: $12 a bottle

What’s the Irony?

This past weekend my husband and I went to York Beach, Maine (our little piece of Heaven) for a day to celebrate his 25th birthday.  For the birthday dinner, we went to a delicious restaurant overlooking a beautiful harbor, Cape Neddick Lobster Pound-Harborside Restaurant (say that name ten times fast!).  Looking through the restaurant’s many wine selections I had a hard decision to make; do I get white or red wine?  The name of one particular red wine caught my eye, Irony.  My decision was made, I got the Irony pinot noir; I had to see what the irony was behind this wine.  Looking at the rich color of the pinot noir I was expecting a heavy, bold flavor.  Ironically to my surprise, the wine was very light and smooth with a hint of cherry and vanilla flavors, followed by a cola aftertaste.  Yes, cola.  This wine was a perfect combination to the spicy buffalo wings we had for an appetizer and then to my yummy seafood entrée.  If you’re one that doesn’t enjoy a strong aftertaste when drinking red wine, then this wine is right for you.  It is so smooth and easy to drink that the Irony pinot noir goes down like water; that could be considered a dangerous thing…or a good thing depending on your mood! 

Alcohol content: 13.5%

Sweet Bliss is Pure Bliss

I figured I should do my first post on my favorite wine, Sweet Bliss, a sweet red wine.  This wine is delicious; it is because of this wine that I started getting into drinking red wine.  Although it is a sweet red wine, it does not have an overwhelming sweet taste to it.  Sweet Bliss is very smooth with the flavors of cherry and chocolate, such an amazing combination!  It was the label that got me while searching for a red wine to try; the cherry dipped in chocolate got me thinking that this wine is probably irresistible, and it is.  I like to drink this wine by itself, but it does pair well with spicy food and especially well with anything chocolate, that’s an obvious, right?  Aside from the amazing taste, this wine is only $10 a bottle!  Talk about a great price for a great wine.  Just one warning, this wine is addicting!

Alcohol content: 12.5%