Wine -- St. Francis "Red" 2004

I've been meaning to try a bottle of "Red" because I've often enjoyed other offerings from St. Francis Winery. My Uncle Marc, who is the person most responsible for my appreciation of wine, first turned me on to St. Francis several years ago. Most of the St. Francis wines I've tasted have been very good, and the bottle of Anthem that I tried was simply sublime (it was the type of wine you'd stick a shiv in your neighbor's back for...seriously, it was that good. And frankly, I don't care about my neighbor all that much either). A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit the winery on a visit to Sonoma and it was spectacular. Needless to say my hopes were high when I first spotted this wine staring at me from it's perch atop a shelf at Trader Joe's, especially since most of their wines go for considerably more coin ($20-$50+) than this $10 bottle.

I was taken with this wine before I even opened the bottle. The label could only be described as "fun" with the word "RED" emblazoned on a gold background of red splotches (there are several different labels but they all play on the same general theme). It was a severe change from the more staid labels that St Francis typically employs. The bottle informed me that I would be imbibing a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Zinfandel. Already I was excited...Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite grape (Zinfandel's pretty high on he list too) and I am developing an appreciation for Cabernet Franc. I was dizzy with excitement before had even poured the first glass.

The Cultured lost out to The Hooligan and I could wait no longer. Out came the synthetic cork and in it went into my glass. I was immediately taken by it's garnet hue, very much in the middle of the wine spectrum. Initial sniffs detect aromas of green pepper and healthy amount of spice (is the pepper from the Cab Franc?). I kept thinking "oh please let this wine taste good." After a long day chauffering my grandmother I didn't just want this wine to taste good, I needed this wine to taste good.

And we had...success! The wine was a bit dry on the palate, with a bit of an acidic finish. It definitely had a substantial mouthfeel -- somewhere between medium and full-bodied. There was a good amount of fruit in the wine too, with blueberry being the dominant flavor. Also present was some green pepper, violet and I swear I tasted chicory. Or was that licorice?

This wine simply does not have the refinement of St. Francis' stable of very good wines but Red clearly shows its pedigree. This would be very good with Italian dishes (pasta bolognese, sausage pizza, etc.) or beef (though perhaps not steak). This is definitely a wine I will buy again.

Value: 8/10
Taste: 7/10

Wine - 2004 Feudo Zirtari Rosso Sicilia $3.99 (Trader Joe's)

So tonight The Cultured Hooligan (that'd just be CH for short) polishing off a bottle of 2004 Feudo Zirtari Rosso Sicilia that was purchased at Trader Joe's for the incredible price of $3.99. Now before we get into the review, given that this is the first vino-related post, it's important to first define ye olde hooligan's approach to wine...

Now the CH doesn't claim to be an oenophile (despite the fact that it's a phenomenal word), after all he's just a hooligan (albeit a cultured one). Typically CH drinks wines that are either somewhere in the range of good - very good (and priced accordingly) OR he drinks cheap wines. Why the disparity? Well if you guessed that it's better to drink good wine when someone else is paying for it, you're not far off. But that's not really it (well maybe just a little). Anyone can pick-up the latest issue of Wine Spectator, read about some great juice and then head to the local wine shop, plunk down $30-$50 and have a nice bottle. But isn't there more to it than that? Where's the sense of mystery, of daring? The Cultured Hooligan likes to cut his own path. He chooses the road less-traveled, blindly strolling through the aisles of Sam's or (more often) Trader Joe's, boldly selecting a bottle guided only by his wits and a rudimentary knowledge of varietals. There he quietly lurks until he pounces upon his prey: a pretty bottle with a low sticker price.

Experience has taught The Hooligan that price gives only the faintest indication of a wine's character. So take it from a Hooligan, spend a few bucks on a cheap bottle that you're going to drink with home-cooked meal and if it doesn't meet your linking, smash said bottle over the head of a supporter of a rival club. You're guaranteed to get your money's worth either way.

It's important to set expectations when opening a bottle of wine. Let me remind you that The Hooligan received change back from a Lincoln (Honest, Abe, I did), so the bar was not set terribly high. According to the website, the wine is a blend of 4 grape varietals: Nero d'Avola, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine itself was a light mish-mosh of flavors, no one grape stood out. The wine was somewhat dry and too tannic, with an unpleasantly astringent finish. However, when paired with food (a chicken and tomato paella), the wine seemed to improve considerably.

A great wine? No. A good wine? Err...no. A decent wine - yes, and for the price it's worthwhile, but perhaps not something to seek out.

Value: 8/10

Taste: 3/10