Saturday, August 2, 2008

So the dingo ate your baby, huh?

I just couldn't face the stove tonight, so we got take-out from a local Italian place. The food's just okay -- but it's cheap and easy and I didn't have to cook it. As the Big Dubya left to pick up our order, I suggested.... how 'bout I open a bottle of wine -- he accused me of talking dirty and then said he'd be back shortly.

I went to the wine rack and grabbed a bottle of 2005 Jim Jim Shiraz. I know very little about this wine, but it was purchased at a wine shop in the Berkshires which described it as "Big" (there was a sticker on the bottle).

There was no price tag on this bottle.... I know the wine shop specializes in good wines that are less than $15 and these guys have it listed for $10.99, so.... I'll say it's in the $10-$12 range.

I put the bottle on the kitchen table, grabbed some glasses and the corkscrew...... then I noticed the bottle's a screw top. I know screw tops are all the rage these days and that lots of reputable, high-end wines are moving in the screw top direction..... but I'm just not there yet -- I immediately thought "Ugh, we're screwed".

I opened the bottle and waited for dinner to arrive. The big guy thought that the acidity of his marinara conflicted with the wine and accentuated the tannins in a less than complimentary fashion. His feeling was that this wine probably would have been better had it been paired with steak, as he enjoyed his after-dinner glass more than his during-dinner glass.

The Big Dubya and I agreed that we wouldn't have classified it as "Big"..... we were thinking more "Medium". He was able to appreciate the berry flavors at times and he called it subtle whereas I didn't really find it to be very fruity.

I'd be more apt to describe it as mellow and almost a little flat -- there wasn't a ton of flavor which isn't meant to be a criticism..... it almost adds to it's versatility -- this is a wine that might work well with a buffet -- it wouldn't interfere with most foods.

Bottom line -- good, not great -- I'd buy it again if it were on sale.