Varietal:  Petite Sirah; Tempranillo; Syrah; Grenache; Malbec; Mourvedre; Nebeillo; Tannat; Souzao; Aglianico; Barbera; Zinfandel; Petite Verdot; Cabernet Franc; Charbano; Nero d’Avola; Sanviovese; Sagrantino
Region:  California – USA
Cost:  $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes:  This Big House Red lives up to that old Fruit Bomb moniker that you’ve come to expect. It starts with a nose full of blackberries and raspberries, with hints of leather and spices. The palate is clean, exhibiting flavors of cranberries, roses, and a touch of rhubarb. This finish lingers, with flavors of vanilla and a touch of dark cherries in the finish. Pairs well with all grilled meats, lasagna Bolognese, grilled vegetables, or even sashimi grade Ahi tuna.

My Review:  The previous version of this wine was one of those that I was torn on. I liked what they were trying to do by creating a table wine with a little bit of everything that could then go with a little bit of everything, but I felt that the attempt created a wine that just fell flat. This vintage was different.

Now, to preface, I’m not saying that the 2010 Big House Red is some revolutionary wine, but I did like it better than the previous years bottles I had tried. They’ve changed the mixture some and I think it’s for the best. On the nose I got mostly raspberry with a touch of spice and in the mouth I got dark cherry and some cranberry with a juiciness that made me feel like the Zinfandel as much as anything was coming through.

With a dinner of pizza after a trip the grocery store to stock up after the Thanksgiving holiday, a simple bottle of inexpensive red was a welcome sight and I continue to be a proponent of what Big House is doing – making nice affordable wines that might not set the world on fire, but are certainly welcome after a long day at work.

Related posts:

1. Big House Red 2008
2. Big House Cardinal Zin 2009
3. Big House “The Usual Suspect” Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (50% Nero d’Avola; 50% Merlot)
Region: Italy – Sicily
Cost: $14

Intense red colors with hints of purple featuring aromas of cherry, sweet spices and tobacco with balanced tannins on the palate.  Pairs well with pasta with meat sauce, braised beef, juicy steak.

Recommendations: When this wine showed up for me I instantly started thinking of what to pair it with.  The bottle itself recommends pasta with meat sauce, and given my love of Italian-style food, I was quick to agree.  More purple than red in the glass, with a good tannic structure, the high alcohol content (14%) does demand that you pair the wine with something to help take the edge off.

That being said, allowing the wine to open up (either by decanting or just letting the bottle sit for a bit) takes the edge off the wine and makes it a very enjoyable sipping wine, especially with the flavors of crushed fruit that came through for me after it opened up.

While I’ve never been shy about making it clear that I’m not a Merlot drinker, I would recommend this wine for anybody looking for a good red wine to pair with either an Italian-style meal or red meat.  It’s a great value and certainly meets my criteria of being good with and without food.

Special thanks to The Wine Chateau for supplying the Vignali Roccamora ‘Carlo Alfano’ Nero d’Avola Merlot for this review.

Related posts:

1. Ingleside Vineyards Chesapeake Cabernet Merlot
2. Tisdale Merlot
3. Monte Antico Toscana