I have learned a few important factors while being stuck in the house for the past couple of months.   The most important detail……. the only thing that truly matters, is how to ration your wine to last through the crisis.  Well, to be completely honest, I have failed miserably in this endeavor!   I found that when stuck at home, every day becomes ‘Wine Wednesday’.  As a result, the wine that I did should have lasted me about forty-five days; instead, it lasted just over two and a half weeks. 

I did try changing up my alcohol consumption from wine, to margaritas.  This lasted for a few days but in the end, nothing beats a damn good glass of full-bodied red.   So what did I do, you wonder?  I did what most of you probably did, I found myself in the wine isle at my favorite local grocery store.  If you’re anything like me, you won’t spend over $30 on a bottle you have never tried before, AKA “Mystery Wine”.   As I perused through the mass collection of wines that I have never tried before, I used the trustworthy scientific method of “Eeny meeny, miny, moe” and went for it!   

Of course, I had to purchase six wines; for one- let’s be honest, who goes to the store for just one bottle, and second, who doesn’t like a multi-bottle discount?  Subsequently, out of the six wines, surprisingly four of them stood out to me. The wines that captured my attention,

• 2017 Essential Red  from the Bogle Vineyard
• 2017 Notorious Cabernet Sauvignon from Tobin James
• 2017 Merlot from Chateau Ste Michelle
• 2016 Red Blend Vintner’s Reserve from Kendall-Jackson

To be fair, I have tasted and enjoyed Tobin James, as well as a Kendall-Jackson in the past, but not of these specific blends.  I was pleasantly shocked that I did not pick all fruit bombs and that these four beauties were well balanced, dry full-bodied reds.  For me, when it comes to red wines the dryer the better. Trusted me when I say, these bottle fed more than my consumption, they were hidden gems.

My top pick of the four was the Notorious from Tobin James.  Swirling the wine I put my nose in the glass and picked up notes of dark cherry and vanilla with hints of blackberries, tobacco, cedar, and spices on a the long dry lingering finish

My second wine was the Vintner’s Reserve Red Blend from Kendall-Jackson.  This lovely full-bodied red is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah.  The wine starts off with dark plum and oak on the nose with hints of chocolate, vanilla, blackberry, and caramel on the finish.  

My next pick was the 2017 Essential Red from Bogle Vineyards.  This wine is a blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Old Vine Zinfandel.  I expected rich and bold and that is exactly what I got.  From the nose I picked up aromas of dark fruit such as blackberry, boysenberry, and black cherry with bold hints of coffee, vanilla, tobacco, and blackberry on the finish. 

My last pick was the 2017 Merlot from Chateau Ste. Michelle.  For me this was an easy medium bodied smooth drinking wine that went down too easy.  On the nose I picked up hints of vanilla and chocolate on the nose with deep blackberry and coffee on the finish. 

Each of these wines cost $20 or less, and I must say, for the price they were well worth it!  I recommend venturing out, finding some lonely wines sitting on a grocery store shelf and play a bit of “Eeny meeny, miny, moe’’ …and go for it!  You never know, what you might find