2010 Apothic Red, California

Today's post is a throw back to the days when A and I drank all our wines together...or at least a majority of them. Hope you enjoy!

Tonight we had a dinner party and drank two wines, a white and a red. The eclectic dinner party consisted of chicken tacos with homemade Pico de Gallo and avocado cream served with corn bread, stuffed jalapenos, Caesar salad, pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese icing, and of course wine! We will deal with the white later, but the red was a delightfully packaged red from California called Apothic Red. This 2010 blend is described as “a truly unique wine experience,” and it uses “The brambly spice of Zinfandel, dark fruit flavors of Syrah, the bold notes of Cabernet Sauvignon and the smooth elegance of Merlot to create this captivating red blend.” Our friend P picked this at the LCBO. Through a friend’s recommendation and encouragement, he has just begun drinking red wine. He picked this one because of its gorgeous label and a description that can only be described as rather flowery. It is available at the LCBO for $15.95 a bottle and opinions were… mixed but complex, like the wine itself.

M – A REAL mouthful! This red has a sort of woodsy flavour. When I drink it, I imagine a library filled with leather-bound tomes and well-aged club chairs, filled with sophisticated men with grey touched temples sipping this blend. The induction of Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot make a complex taste that will leave you trying to put your finger on just what exactly is going on. This would not be my first suggestion for a wine-newby but definitely worth giving a sip if you’re looking for something more complicated than your average house red.

L – You do get the tastes of chocolate and Vanilla that the bottle tells you you will. I’d pair it with something strong and savoury, either salty or sweet, but not an astringent-type flavour. Nothing with an acrid or bitter detergent type flavours would go well with it.

A – This was a very purpley wine. I thought it tastes like vanilla and brandy. I’d say it has a carmely nose (aka in non-wine speak it smells like caramel). It was a little smokey or toasty to me, which I liked. Our guests all thought that it went well with the cornbread.

Cusumano Syrah IGT, 2012

When my mom is away, my dad and I like to sneak in the chance to drink red wines. My mom doesn't like them usually, so for a dinner wine, a white is more likely to please. On this day, she went out for dinner (and saw the Mayor, but did not give him a piece of her mind, alas), so my dad and I made a simple supper and opened one of my dad's LCBO finds. Described as typical for its region, this Syrah comes to us from Italy, and was bought because it was on sale, but even at full price it's $10.95 price tag is far from shocking. We drank it with chicken and mushroom sausages and roasted broccoli with cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. However, Truth Time. My Dad is an electrician and all around handyman. I am a grad student, with all the critical thinking skills that entails, and we were at first stumped by the cork. Because it isn't a cork...

It is a tiny glass stopper! Thank god we noticed before taking a cork screw to it! The stopper was neat, and the plastic grooves on it allowed us to seal it back up when we were done very easily and pretty securely. A strange compromise between cork, fake cork, and screwtop!

A - This one was both a little dry and a little soft all at once, with a bit of woodiness, but not at all as strong as in the Baco or an oaked white. It is very grapey tasting, but not fruity, just grapey, like eating red grapes, not grape juice. It is sweet-ish but not really sweet. Eating it with slightly spicy food brings out its fruitiness and kicks up the smoothness. It is a very good straight forward table wine. It is good with food and for sipping while cooking. It is not the most exciting wine I've ever had, but it is different and good. It is not as bold as a Shiraz but still a big bodied red. I quite like it for a change in wines. It is very easy to drink and gets fruitier with breathing. The food recommendation suggests that this was meant for eating with a heartier meal, but I felt it went well with plainer fair.

D - This is a very different taste, both from Canadian reds and Australian ones. I like that it tastes entirely different from any wine I've had. It has no real alcoholy taste and is very smooth. It is full-bodied and would work well with beef and spicy food. I quite like it as a red table wine, especially for a casual supper. My wife may even like it because it is not too dry and not too smokey, things she doesn't usually like in wines. For the price, this was a good wine to have with dinner . It is a bit unusual, but not weird, and a nice change.

2011 White House Wine Co. Vidal Moscato

Tonight we had an eclectic dinner party. On the menu was chicken tacos, homemade Pico de Gallo and avocado cream along with cornbread, stuffed jalapenos, Cesar salad, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese icing and more wine! A and M felt a pre-dinner glass of wine was well-earned after a day of hard work and cooking along with our roommates. The wine we chose was from A’s selection and was from the LCBO when it was on sale back in September. A 2011 Vidal Moscato from the White House Wine Company from St. Catherine's, it had only 9.5% alcohol, which is lower than our usual choices. At 10.45, it was a great deal, but usually rings in at a still-reasonable 12.95 when not on sale.

M - The first swill has hints of dandelion and reminds me of fresh cut grass. It is light tasting with a stronger finish but doesn't overwhelm. It was a good wine to pair with lighter tasting foods, sort of like the alcohol equivalent of mineral water. This wine was overall a winner for me. I like my wines on the crispier side usually but I don’t find this one too sweet and could see it going down easily. Perhaps too easily?

A – This wine had a sharp nose. It tastes to me like sparkling grapefruit juice. It was almost a little too sweet for me. I would say it is good for a couple of glasses with food, but not something I could drink a whole bottle of without waking up feeling like I’d drunk champagne… which as of late has not been a positive feeling. Sometimes wines are meant to be shared though, and I would say this is a great one for that. I think it would be good paired with tomato sauces due to the citrusy flavours.

One of our guests P agreed with the grapefruity taste, and liked that the wine was quite creamy, with a thick texture.

Final verdict: A tasty pleaser that is good for sharing, especially over dinner.