Hallo-Wine

• Posted on 26 October 2021
• Posted in alicante bouschet, barbera, Bulgaria, California, merlot, petit sirah, Portugal, Syrah, zinfandel
• 0

“I was working in the City Vino wine shop, late one night,
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight.
For my wine bottles from their shelves, began to rise,
And suddenly to my surprise,

They did the wine bottle mash!

(The wine bottle mash) It was a graveyard smash!
(They did the mash) It caught on in a flash!
(They did the mash) They did the wine bottle mash!”

Darkness lingers longer, these days. There is a crispness in the air. The dead leaves fall off the trees and swirl in the wind, before they hit the ground. The moon lights the sky, and is blocked by passing clouds. There is a howl, a creak, the sounds of chains rattling, a creepy whispering voice beckoning you to follow it in the dark. It is again time for Hallo-Wine. 

For Hallo-Wine 2021, City Vino invites you to come see us, if you dare, to try some blood-red wines this weekend, Friday, October 29, and Saturday, October 30. Our haunting selections have labels or names that conjure up mischief, mystery, and ghoulish intrigue.

“I saw werewolf with a wine tasting menu in his hand,
Walking through the streets of Fredericksburg looking quite intense.
He was looking for the place called “City Vino,”
For to get a bottle of Omen, Volteface, Krum, 6^th Sense.

Ah-hoo...
Werewolves of Fredericksburg!
Ah-hoo...”

Hopefully our first wine on our spooky adventure is an omen of things to come as it is the 2017 Omen Red Blend, from the Sierra Foothills, in California. This wine is a blend of 50 percent Zinfandel, 25 percent Barbera, 15 percent Syrah, and 10 percent Petite Sirah. It has aromas and flavors of blackberry jam and dark chocolate, with shocking spicy hints of licorice and clove at the end. Pair it with a bacon cheeseburger, with its smokey richness that makes for a devilish duo.

The elaborate mask on the label of the 2017 Volteface Tinto Reserva, from the Alentejo region, in Portugal catches my eyes. I stare at the mask, and it mesmerizes me. Did I see the eyes shift from side to side? I must be imaging things. Back to our tasting: the Volteface is 75 percent Alicante Bouschet and 25 percent Syrah. Alicante Bouschet is one of the rare grapes that has colored flesh, so its juice runs red like blood. It is deep and dark in your glass, with flavors of red fruit, jam and mysterious spice. Pairs well with bloody rare steaks, rich fish dishes, foie gras, and fatty cheeses.

A hand holds a glass shaped like an open topped skull on the label of our next selection, which comes from the Struma Valley, in Bulgaria, and is the 2014 Drum Merlot. The intense ruby-red color drips out of the neck of the bottle into your glass as you pour it. Aromas of black plum, blueberries, and violets fill your nose. Flavors of blackberry, ripe dark currants, and licorice engulf your palate. Drink it if you dare, paired with barbequed or grilled meats and hard cheeses.

Our final dig into blood-red wines takes us to Lodi, California, and the 2018 Michael David Winery 6th Sense Syrah. The sixth sense is our power of perception or a keen intuition. I perceive this wine to have dark fruit aromas and flavors with spice on the end as it is a blend of 80 percent Syrah and 20 percent Petit Sirah. The pigment from the deep dark grapes will leave your fangs appearing dark. This wine pairs with big chew, off-the-bone meats, as well as comfort food, like meatloaf.

“If there's wine you need,
In your neighborhood,
Who you gonna call?
City Vino!

If there's a pairing question,
And the wine you have don't look good,
Who you gonna call?
City Vino!

We ain't 'fraid of no pairing.

We ain't 'fraid of no pairing”

May your Hallo-wine be boo-tifully filled with good food, dark red wine, and friends.