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

Don’t Underestimate Boxed Wine

We’ve all had an encounter with boxed wine; slapping the bag of wine at college parties would have never existed without boxed wine.  I feel as though boxed wine isn’t given enough credit, maybe some wine drinkers can’t picture it outside of the “slap the bag” concept.  Whenever I shop for wine I never give boxed wine a thought, I always purchase bottled wine.  My thoughts on boxed wine have quickly changed this past weekend.  I was at a bridal shower that had Franzia boxed wine.  The first sip I had of the Franzia White Zinfandel got me thinking that I missed out on this wonderful wine all these years by only buying bottled wine.  The wine burst with the flavor of strawberry and had a delightful slight fizz to it; it reminds me of a wine cooler.  This is a refreshing wine that goes hand in hand with a hot summer day while you’re laying outside soaking up the sun. 

The box has a convenient spout for easy pouring and is a great deal at only about $15 for a 5 liter box (equivalent to approximately 6 bottles of wine).  Did I mention that a great feature of boxed wine is that it stays fresh longer after being opened than a bottle of wine?  I was so intrigued with this wine that I looked up all the different types and came across the information that stated it stays fresh for up to 6 weeks after being opened.  The thing that I hate about white wine is that I feel as though it doesn’t stay fresh for very long after it is opened.  If I don’t drink an entire bottle of white wine the day that I open it, I always end up having to pour out the rest of it the next day because it tastes so flat.  I even have the special wine stoppers (they have a pump that’s designed to suck out all the air from the bottle) that are supposed to help keep the wine fresh for longer, but they don’t really make a difference.  I’m excited I finally found a white wine that I can keep in my fridge for weeks without it going flat after the first day.