Posts Tagged ‘big house red’
So last night I was fortunate enough to attend a tasting of the Octavin Home Wine Bars in Washington DC. While I have sampled a few of them before, I was able to taste the whole range of wines that they’re offering in this new packaging. The event was hosted by Cork’d and we were able to meet the wine maker of the Big House Red and White – Georgetta Dane.
The first wine I tasted was the Monthaven Chardonnay. I’d had this one before and it was exactly as I remembered – a touch of oakiness on the finish, but a fairly straight forward California Chardonnay that will pair well with chicken and pasta with cream sauce. Next up was the other white I had already sampled, the Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc. It doesn’t feature as much grapefruit as a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, but it’s still crisp and refreshing with good citrus flavors and is great for hot summer days.
Next up was the first wine I hadn’t tried before – the Big House White. A blend of Malvasia Bianca (51%), Muscat Canelli (14%), Viognier (13%), Gruner Veltliner (10%), Pinot Gris (5%), and Riesling (4%) the wine showed the Viognier on the nose with a very floral aroma. Tropical fruits on the palate made it a refreshing wine and one that would definitely pair well with seafood.
Moving over to the reds we started with the Big House Red (which I’m not going to list all the varietals in…there are just too many. You can check out my previous post on it here). A good table wine that would be perfect for a quick glass after a long day of work and for blending in with pasta sauces while cooking, none of the varietals really stand out, making it seem to have a single note, but it’s still a good table wine.
Next up was the one that I was probably looking forward to the most, the Seven. A blended Spanish wine of Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Merlot (25%), Syrah (18%), Petit Verdot (8%), Tempranillo (8%), Grenache (8%), and Graciano (8%), there was a nice berry flavor with good tannins and a robustness that I found enjoyable and certainly made me want to pair it with some grilled red meat.
Finally was the Boho Old Vine Zinfandel. Jammy is the best way to describe this wine, and it lacked the usual spice and pepper that I associated with Zinfandel. That being said, this is a BBQ wine through and through. If you’re making ribs for a summer cook-out, this is a good go-to wine.
All in all I had a great evening, the wines were all enjoyable, the location was spectacular, and the staff was incredibly helpful. I want to thank Cork’d for hosting the event, and Lima Restaurant and Lounge for your amazing service.
I’ve been thinking about writing a piece on boxed wines for a while, but had been having a hard time trying to think of a good argument in favor of boxed wine. Sure, you get a lot of wine in a single package for a better price than the same number of bottles would cost, but you’re often sacrificing quality to save that money, and there are plenty of wines in a bottle out there that are affordable and quality. Then I got some samples of the Octavin Home Wine Bar.
The first thing that I noticed in the Octavin was the packaging. As the name would imply, the boxes are eight-sided, taller than they are wide, with a top of the line twist-to-open spout that prevents leaks and are, most importantly, stylish. Unlike most boxed wine which comes in a simple square or rectangular package, the Octavin Wine Bars are stylish packages that you won’t be ashamed of to put out at a party.
On top of quality packaging, Octavin has come up with a great selection of wines to put in their stylish boxes. Big House Red and White, Monthaven Chardonnay, Pinot Evil Pinot Noir, Boho Vineyards Zinfandel, Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc, and Seven Spanish Red Wine Blend – a wide selection for every occasion and every palate with prices ranging from $22 to $25 each (SRP).
If you’re anything like me you’re always looking for wines that’s great for putting out at parties or you’re just looking to have a single glass of wine. The Octavin Home Wine Bars are perfect for both needs. I sampled the Big House Red, the Monthaven Chardonnay, and the Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc. I’d had Big House Red before, and I found that I actually enjoyed it more in the Octavin Home Wine Bar than in a bottle. Not that I felt it tasted different, but I liked having it available for a single glass as a table wine from the Octavin – something that having a bottle of it didn’t offer. In addition, my in-laws were visiting when I received the samples and my father-in-law loved being able to take just a glass whenever he felt like it without having to open a bottle.
For the same reasons I enjoyed the Monthaven and especially the Silver Birch Sauvignon Blanc. With the temperature continuing to climb here in Virginia, a refreshing glass of wine is always welcome on a hot day when trying to relax on the weekend or for pairing with a quick lunch or dinner.
I’m not saying that boxed wine will ever replace bottled, but the Octavin Home Wine Bar is certainly a great step in the direction and perfect for anybody looking for a quality table wine that’s perfect for parties or just a wine by the glass. If you see this at your local store I would definitely recommend giving it a try.
Varietal: Blended Red (Sangiovese, Syrah, Carignan, Barbera, Zinfandel, Mourvedre, Montepulciano, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Aglianico, Petite Sirah, Nero d’Avola, Grenache)
Region: California – USA
Cost: $7 – $10
Cherry, raspberry, blueberry, cassis, and chocolate flavors all blend together. Pair this wine with chicken, ground beef, pizza.
Recommendations: I’ll be the first to admit, my wife and I first paid attention to this wine because of the bottle. We thought, if nothing else, it would look good over our cabinets (see my previous post if you haven’t already). Having looked over the list of what was in the wine, we decided that the wine would go better with pizza, and so when we ordered a pizza one evening, we opened the bottle.
I wanted to like this wine, I really did. I’m a fan of most of the varietals that they used to blend it, and I’m a firm believer in table wines that aren’t impressive, but aren’t bad. Unfortunately, the Big House Red just left me shrugging. It wasn’t terrible in a pour the bottle out kind of way, but it just didn’t do anything to make me pay attention – good or bad. Read the rest of this entry »
