I may be a big talker, but I’m not a big drinker.
When I do get my drank on, I tend to stick to the sweet or fruity drinks. Drinks like buttery nipples, margaritas, Japanese slippers, peach or raspberry lambics and Three Olives grape and Sprite. Not a mind-blowing selection by any means and that’s ok. My goals for going out are usually to listen to good music, dance and socialize. I’m not there to be the annoying drunk girl who falls down stairs, pukes everywhere, gives random BJs in the parking lot and professes her love for everyone in the bar.
Lately, I’ve been on a sweet red wine kick.
For years I believed that sweet reds didn’t exist. Well, I’ll take that back. I knew about the communion wine that we would pretend to be buzzed on as kids. But when I would go to restaurants and ask for one, servers would look at me like I was touched in the head. So I gave up hope and just stuck with my Moscato d’Asti .
Last month, a friend introduced me to a semi-sweet and a sweet red wine. Those wines were Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz and Debonné Vineyard’s River Rouge. I’m not a wine connoisseur so don’t expect to read about acidity, aromas, structures or textures. I will give you info from the label and my honest opinion.
Chalet Debonné River Rouge
Source: MidAmericanWine.org
Description: SEMI-SWEET RED WINE
Light red with classic grape flavors and aromas from predominately Native American grapes. 3% residual sugar.
I’ve never been to Debonné Vineyards, but I used to hear commercials for it on the old one-oh-seven-three, the waaaave. For those who don’t know, 107.3, aka The Wave, was a smooth jazz and R&B station. When I was in high school, I went through this David Sanborn-Boney James phase and I would listen to the waaaave a lot. They also had a great Brazilian jazz show called Sounds of Brazil that would come on Sundays at midnight…ok, rambling.
Back to the wine.
Anyway, I’ve heard that Debonné Vineyards has nice jazz concerts, so I might check the place out one day. As for the wine, I thought it was pretty darn good. It was smooth and not syrupy sweet. It also went well with the fruit and cheese we munched on that night. It’s only $8.49 on the Debonné website so you won’t break the bank if you decide to try it.
Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz
Source: CapeClassics.com
Description: This fresh, fruity, semi-sweet wine displays aromas and flavors of ripe blueberries, blackberries and raspberries with dark chocolate undertones. Refreshing and approachable with a perfect balance between sweetness and acidity, it pairs equally well with meat dishes, cheeses, and desserts. Best served slightly chilled, Jam Jar offers luscious, fruity goodness in every sip!
Yup, that’s about right.
I guzzled this South African wine down with my Fourth of July feast. It went well with ribs, mac ‘n cheese and my red velvet cupcakes. I was surprised because my first encounter with a Shiraz was not a good one. I remember it being very acidic and bitter. It practically burned a hole through my chest. Jam Jar was sweeter and much better. I’ll definitely be buying more of this one.
Both of these wines can be found at World Market.
In closing, I leave you with this:
Source: YouTube
Stay thirsty my friends. 🙂
devonly randomonium 