Once Upon a Vine, The Big Bad Red

As everyone knows, I love themes. Theme weeks in seminar, theme parties, theme dinners, and yes, even theme wines. So in honour of Halloween I will have a trick and a treat. Today the trick: a red wine even non-red wine drinkers will drink. Monday will bring the treat! I bought Once Upon a Vine's Big Bad Red because I liked the bottle and though the description of chocolate and red fruits sounded like something I would drink. This California red is a blend of mostly Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and a touch of Zinfandel. My parents and I tasted it with our Thanksgiving meal. It was delicious. Here is the rundown:

A - This is a very smooth drinking red. It tastes very currant-y, and like cranberries. It has a little bit of a cocoa taste as well. It is a touch dry, but not overwhelmingly so. It is a good wine to cook with because it went easily from pre-drink to dinner, and it went well with our turkey dinner. We aerated this wine which helped to smooth it out. It is a stronger grape blend that can stand up to it. This is an excellent fall wine overall.

D - This wine has oak on the nose, and a nice burgundy colour. It is a fairly light red, lighter than you would think from the colour. I can't put my finger on what it tastes like, but it is not grapey. Maybe it is raspberries and cranberries? I think it is the Syrah which makes it taste so smooth. It has very nice body and very good legs.

M - This is a quite nice wine for someone who doesn't normally even drink red wine. I would eat this with beef, like a good roast or a hearty stew, but also think it would work well with pasta. It is quite light and smooth. I could drink the whole bottle. It has a stong immediate taste but it doesn't linger or leave an unpleasant aftertaste.