Cool Bottle with a Mysterious Lid.

That's pretty much the reason for this week's selection in my "Cheap Wine with a Pretty Label" series.  

See for yourself.

I'll keep it short but sweet this week.  Bought the wine because I was curious as to how I would get it open.  Screwed off, by the way, and there was also a cork under that silver cap.  Voga Italia is a very tasty Merlot in a cool, sleek, slightly curved bottle.  Loved the wine, loved the modern design, loved the way the half empty bottle looked (the glass is clear instead of the usual tinted red).  Most importantly, loved that it didn't make my face break out into a nasty rash (whew, not allergic to wine after all).

All this and under $10.00.  Told you I'd keep it brief.

We Now Return to Our Regularly Scheduled Program.

Happy to report I had a glass of wine over the weekend with no hideous, rashy side effects.  It was a boring name with an ugly label that I have had countless times before, so I won't post a review.

But next week, don't despair, I'll be back on track with my "Cheap Wine with a Pretty Label" series.

See you then!

"Sisters, Sisters..

....there were never such devoted sisters,

Never had to have a chaperone, no sir,

I'm there to keep my eye on her.

Caring, sharing...."

Sisters are great.  I ought to know as I am lucky enough to have two of them.  And they are the reason I've chosen this week's "Cheap Wine with a Pretty Label".  I'll get to the review in a minute, but first I can't resist sharing an old family photo of the three of us.

I'm the one on the left.  If I'm not mistaken, my mother made us all those matching dresses for Easter Sunday.

Back to the wine...
I have to give credit to my niece for bringing Middle Sister Wines to my attention, she's always scoping out new labels for me.   But, boy, I really had to search for this one--looked for weeks before finally finding it at Target of all places ($10.99 a bottle, by the way).  It was definitely worth the search.  And I know if you have a sister, you'll get a kick out of the website, the clever wording and awesome wine varieties (Rebel Red, Drama Queen and Mischief Maker to name a few).

I had some crazy times with my middle sister growing up.  And I'm sure we would both agree the day we created a circus in the backyard was our most memorable childhood story.  There are two different versions of this legendary tale in our family, both end with my sister losing a mouthful of teeth, a bloody smile, a standing ovation from the neighborhood kids and an emergency trip to the dentist.  Unfortunately, there wasn't a "Trapeze Artist" variety of this wine, so I settled for the label that would get me in the least amount of trouble with my middle sister.  "Forever Cool", a California Merlot, seemed like a safe choice.

I enjoyed the wine and I truly can't wait to try them all.  Come to think of it, I ought to buy a bottle or two for our younger brother while I'm at it.  Poor guy probably deserves it the most for putting up with the three of us his whole life.

A Monster of a Wine.

I confess, I cheated on this week's "Cheap Wine with a Pretty Label". 

1. Didn't really drink it this week, actually drank it awhile ago and saved the bottle.
2. In fact, I drank it so long ago that I no longer remember what it tasted like.  It must have been good.  I would have remembered if I didn't like it (this is really not helping my fantasy of being a world famous wine reviewer).
3. I did not choose this bottle, this one was my husband's choice.  Frankly, I am a little afraid of this label.

So here it is (and I am sure the winemaker is thrilled of my mention so far.  Hopefully, they will never read this post.)

The Big Red Monster is a California Red Wine produced by Bennett Family Vineyards.  My husband bought it somewhere within a 10 mile radius of our house (just can't remember where) for under $10.  Definitely an original, reach out and grab you design.  It would be awesome at a Halloween party or while watching an old horror flick like "Godzilla" or "King Kong".   While I don't remember what I was doing when I drank this, I can guarantee you I was not watching a horror movie (those films absolutely terrify me).

Oh, and don't worry, I did consume wine this weekend.  Went back to my old favorite Pomelo again (can't get enough of that wine).  And also, I was joking about the fantasy wine reviewer thing.  Just not seeing that in my future, especially after this shameful post.

Butt Crack Wine.

I need to offer both sincere praise and a heartfelt apology to the talented illustrator of "The Slammer", this week's "Cheap Wine with a Pretty Label".

First the praise:  Slammer Illustrator, You Rock!  What a cool, awesome label design.  I love, love, love this label.  I had such a great time checking it out, hunting down all the little details you thought up.  So clever.  I love the lock on the top of the screw top, the keys around the top of the lip.  Such a clever idea to put the year and wine scrawled into the wall like graffiti (it's a 2006 Central Coast Syrah, by the way).  And your copyrighter?  Well, let them know they rock too.  The little wine blurb on the back about being criminally rich?  Well done.

But you didn't stop at the front of the label.  The back illustration?  That rocks, too.  So smart that the inmate's name is the name of the wine, Syrah.  This part of the illustration, however, is where my apology comes in.  It's the butt crack.  Love it, don't get me wrong.  But at this point, I apologize, the juvenile humor in me takes over and I can't think about anything but the butt crack.  Great idea coming up with a name like The Slammer, and I'm sure you labored over that decision, but I'll be referring to this one as Butt Crack Wine.  And giggling a little bit when I say it.

Final details.  Let's see, distributed by Big House Wine Co.  (the website is worth checking out, complete with a note from the warden and a map of the cell block).  Good wine, very fruity, almost grape juice like.  The bottle was $9.99, and I enjoyed a glass while watching "The Green Mile".  Would have gone equally well with "Shawshank Redemption" (if you haven't seen this movie, you need to).

Still cracking up about the butt crack...

Dinner and Ménage À Trois.

Went to a wonderful dinner party last night.  And I'm not usually a fan of these kinds of nights.  But this one was spent dining under the stars in a truly beautiful garden.  Good food, new friends and out of this world cookies.  The hosts are heavily involved in the historic town we live in and it was interesting to hear them talk about the history of the homes and people in the area.  A very nice way to spend the evening.

And, of course, there was wine.

Ménage À Trois by Folie À Deux  has been on a long list of wines to review for my "Cheap Wine with a Pretty Label" series.  So I was thrilled to see a guest bring it to the party.  The label isn't all that interesting, but I still wish I had taken the picture earlier in the night (the caption under this image should read "hurry and take the photo before my hand catches on fire").  The name is catchy and led to dinner conversations about things I had no idea were happening in my neck of the woods.

The wine?  Frankly, I was surprised by how much I liked it.   Actually, everyone at the party mentioned how much they enjoyed it.   Very, very good.  And as my husband said, "wine always tastes better when you share it with a group of friends".

Another Anniversary of My 29th Birthday.

Just celebrated yet another anniversary of my 29th birthday.  That was the year I stopped saying my age out loud, the year we added the question mark candles onto my birthday cake, the year I really started to hate birthdays and getting older.

But year after year, they keep coming around.  My father tries to tell me it's a good thing I am around to celebrate another year.  And I know he's right. 

The boys, however, love to celebrate my day.  They picked out a birthday cake for me, surprised me with flowers and played "Happy Birthday" for me on the piano.  Friends and family emailed and called to wish me a nice day as well.  I have to admit, it was a good day.

Wine made it even better.   

In honor of my birthday, my husband chose this week's "Cheap Wine with a Pretty Label".

Cupcake is a very nice Merlot bottled by Cupcake Vineyards.  It falls under my $10.00 maximum by one cent at $9.99.  I love the label--pretty and girly and swirly.  I love the website as well, fresh and clean.  But most of all, I love their tagline: "Live Deliciously".  And I think that's the way I am going to enter this next year of my life--by living deliciously.  

I'll let you know how that works out.

 

Back to School Wine for Back to School Week.

Since the beginning of August, I've planned on dedicating this entire week to back to school blog posts.  And I couldn't have found a more perfect bottle of wine to start the week off.  

A salute to teachers for the latest in my "Cheap Wine with Pretty Labels" series:

Teacher's Pet is a Chardonnay bottled by JZ Vintners in Sonoma County, California.  And it is one of the most clever labels I've seen in a long time.  The details in the illustration alone are worth the $9.99 I paid for the bottle.   I love how the wine name is printed in a typical text book font and printed on handwriting paper.  I love the big apple, the teacher hiding behind the desk, the chalkboard in the background.   And if you look closely, there's a decorative alphabet border above the name of the wine.  I couldn't help but notice both the letter "d" and "p" are printed in Greek letters.  I'm betting that's a sorority reference.

Even the writing on the back of the bottle is thought through.  Here's the touching dedication of the wine proprietor to his mother: "I especially dedicate this wine to my mother, who after raising four kids at home, went on to educate many more in and out of the classroom."

I enjoyed a glass while watching "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".  And if you happen to be in the mood for a good back to school flick, here's a link to Entertainment Weekly's 50 Best High School Movies. 

So back to school week begins.  And if the calendar wasn't proof enough that summer is coming to an end, I spotted my first fall leaf of the season yesterday.  

Oh, and Ferris Bueller, by the way?  Number 10.

Shopping with Boys and Wooloomooloo.

Yesterday was day 68 of summer vacation for the boys.  For 67 days, we have had a wonderful time hanging at the pool, relaxing, eating our body weight in ice cream.  Good times.  That was until we went school shopping.  

And everything fell apart.

Let me give you a brief synopsis of school shopping with 3 boys (and a husband).

Why do we have to go?  Because I need your foot with me in order to buy you shoes.  Can’t you just trace my foot instead? You’re going.  Stand up straight so we can measure your feet. These shoes are too tight.  They hurt. (My children have been in flip flops or barefoot the entire summer.  Socks feel tight at this point).  Walk around and see if they fit.  I said walk.  Stop running.  Get back here now.  Stop touching your brother.  Stop touching your brother.  Are you touching your brother?  Leave your brother alone.  Yes, you have to try the pants on.  Stop touching your brother.  Stop licking the mirror.  Stop touching your brother.  Are you kidding me, no, I will not buy you candy.  How many more stores are we going to?  He’s touching me.  It takes a lot longer when you horse around.  Oh, Dear Lord, are you seriously touching your brother.  I have to go to the bathroom again.  How many more stores are we going to?  I swear if you don’t stop touching your brother.  You can ask me as many times as you want, but I’m still not buying you candy.  Get away from your brother.  Look, Mom, my leg is bleeding in my shoe!  You can't possibly have to go to the bathroom again.  For the last time, get your hands off of your brother!  This is the worst afternoon of my life.

And as much fun as that sounds, the day ended with us getting stuck in rush hour traffic for a solid hour.  I’ll let you imagine how enjoyable that was after an exciting shopping excursion.

 

All of this led to a bonus “Cheap Wine with Pretty Labels” post.

Wooloomooloo is a Red Blend from South Eastern Australia.  The wine was good.  Quite honestly, this probably wasn’t the best day to have me pay attention to the taste of wine. You could have given me a glass of swill and I would’ve been thrilled.

So here’s my review.  Cool label, good (much needed) wine.  Cheap ($7.99).  As for the name?  I am positive it’s a swear word that means school shopping sucks.

I Don't Know What I'm Drinking, But It Sure Is Tasty.

I confess, I broke several of my self imposed rules for this week's "Cheap Wine with Pretty Labels" series.

1. The label is okay, but it doesn't really scream out at me.  I like a label that makes me need to buy it.  This one is artsy, but not all that interesting.
2. I've promised to keep the price range at $10.00 or under.  This bottle went over my budget by 99 cents.
3. I like to write about wines I've never sampled before for this series.  Busted.  Second time I've tried this one.

So here's the rule breaking wine.

Pomelo is a Sauvignon Blanc bottled by Mason Cellars.  And it's delicious.  I mentioned before that this is not the first time I've tried it.  I was originally introduced to Pomelo by one of my closest wine snob friends.  This guy really knows his stuff and was so impressed with the unique flavor.  The wine sold out quickly around here, and I've had to wait for the bar to get a new shipment in before I could try it again.  I won't lie, it felt a little like Christmas when my husband came home with the bottle on Saturday night.

Pomelo is a "giant citrus fruit native to Malaysia and thought to be ancestor to the grapefruit".  That's what the bottle says, anyways.  I've never heard of a pomelo before (note to self: pay more attention in the produce section).  But the wine definitely has a slight citrus flavor to it.  Somewhat lemony, definitely a grapefruit like after taste.  I just love it.  

I enjoyed a glass while watching a preseason football game and wrapping my son's birthday gifts.  Snacked on salt and vinegar chips, which was a combination I highly discourage.  Just plain nasty together.  

Oh, and one last thing--it's a screw top.  I mentioned before, I don't have anything against a wine bottle with a screw top.  I wasn't lying.  Tried this one twice, and I'll definitely be buying it again.

My New Favorite Wine and My Favorite Old Movie.

"Tango", "Cha Cha" and "Rhumba".  You'd think I was writing a post about a dance lesson, wouldn't you?

Truth is, I'm actually writing about a nifty trio of wines I've just discovered.  It was hard to choose between the three, but I decided on  "Tango" by Dancing Coyote Wines as this week's selection in my "Cheap Wine with a Pretty Label" series.  This label was so awesome, it stopped me in my tracks walking by the wine section at the grocery store.  Wasn't even shopping for wine, but couldn't resist grabbing a bottle it was so darn cool.

Just look at that fun coyote cutting a rug (and note he's on the cork as well).   I found "Tango" on sale for $9.99 and couldn't resist trying it out.  And I'll tell you what, I really liked it.  The label says it is "50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Tempranillo, 25% Cabernet Franc".  It was a very nice mix.  Smooth, not too dry.  A bit fruity.  Awesome.  I loved this Bordeaux as much as I loved the label.  And I will definitely be adding "Cha Cha" and "Rhumba" on my list to try in the future.

The wine went wonderfully with "Sixteen Candles" (enjoying a John Hughes marathon this week).  Remember the school dance scene?  Just seemed to fit with the Dancing Coyote.  It also seemed fitting to enjoy a slice of this with the wine:

"Make a wish, Samantha."  "It already came true."

Ahhh, that's the reason I love that movie--she got the guy AND she got cake.  

Oh, and please don't send birthday wishes for me.  This was just an excuse to eat cake.  And yes, my son and I actually lit 16 candles.  Go ahead, count them.

Cheap Wine with a Pretty Label

Here's what I know about wine:  

1. I like wine.  
   
2. Wine is good.  
   

And that's pretty much it.   

Wine aficionado's are going to hate me for this, but I judge wine based solely on two criteria.  

1. It's gotta be cheap (around $10 or under) 
2. It's gotta have an eye catching label.

And I have nothing against a bottle with a screw top.

So what do I plan to do with my extensive wine knowledge?  Create a weekly blog post feature of course.  More for my own records than anything else (I can never remember the ones I like).  And if you have a recommendation that fits within my criteria I'll happily try it out. 

So here we go, the first wine in my highly acclaimed series.  I purchased "Red Bicyclette" , a French Rose´ at my local wine distributor (a.k.a. Walmart Supercenter) for around $9.00.  I don't know if I had the Tour De France on my brain at the time, but that adorable red bicycle really caught my eye.  It's a simple, classic design, but it works.  I just want to put this pretty bottle of wine into the basket of my fictional bike and have a cheese picnic in the countryside.  Or enjoy it while watching an old cycling movie like "Breaking Away" or "Quiksilver".  In reality, I drank a glass while sitting on the couch watching "Stepbrothers" with my husband.  The wine paired nicely with an ice cream sandwich, a pretzel rod and a handful of trail mix.   I'll give it extra points for versatility.

As far as taste, it's a Rose´.  I loved the deep pink color, but as my husband pointed out "You know this is a Rose´.  You don't like Rose´".  And as it turns out, I don't.  I drank and enjoyed it, don't get me wrong.  But I would have preferred a glass of Chardonnay or Merlot.  I will definitely try out one of those Red Bicyclette wines in the future.

I know you're on the edge of your seat in anticipation of my next review, so here's my plan.  Shop for wine on Friday, try it out Saturday and write my post on Sunday.  I've already had a few suggestions I can't wait to sample, I hope you'll comment with your own recommendations.  I'd love to hear them!

(On a sidenote, I wasn't sure if wine varieties ought to be capitalized.  I googled looking for an answer and was surprised to learn there is a real division on this subject and no apparent answer.  I went with capitals.  Don't hate me for it.)