Bogle Essential Red
$10
California
Mix it up.
Blended wines are notoriously approachable.
The practice of blending dates back to times when mixed vineyards served as an insurance policy against the wrath and unpredictability of Mother Nature. Weak vintages and grape yield combined with lackluster production use to be the be-all-end-all for many winegrowers –especially small family operations who relied on a consistent harvest year after year. One bad season could cause any winery or estate to go belly up.
Much like blending whiskey, a well thought out formula, combined with care in aging can produce astonishing layers of taste and quality. Moreover, being able to produce a blended wine at a lower cost thereby offering at a lower price became a winning combination; pun intended.
A ferocious desire for reliability inspired many vineyards and winemakers to adopt this practice. Embracing a blended vino also allows the drinker to expand their horizons to drinking wine from historically unpredictable climates, upstate New York, New England and Northern France to name a few.
With the help of modern technology, winemakers are now able to blend with precision and consistency allowing them to have complete control over the final product.
Bogle’s Essential Red blend, for us, is all of these ideals bottled up into one. A perfect blend of Old Vine Zin, Syrah, Cab and Petite Syrah –Bogle knocks it out of the park with layering of flavors and profile. Dark berry, black plum, cocoa coupled with a hint of oak allows Essential Red to become the epitome of easy drinking.
Traditionally, a red wine is exhaustively advertised to be paired with hearty dishes; red meats and heavy tomato based sauces. A blended red allows for a little more poetic license in challenging this status quo. While dark chocolate, beef, lamb and veal all come to mind, the best pairing I’ve had with Bogle’s Essential Red was a cassoulet of pork sausage, slab bacon and Swiss card with a delectable Alfredo-type sauce. Another suggestion is to pair Essential Red with any sort of taco –yes, taco. Layers kudo layers and you will be hard pressed to find anything that you cannot put in a flour tortilla that will pair well with this vino. Finally, and for a quick weeknight meal, build your own burger anyway you’d like -seriously it’s a win-win(e) for all involved.
Try these two little gems:
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/shrimp-tacos-with-pineapple
and
Everyday_Vino 