Red Red Wine, You Make Me Feel So Fine

Author: Nepoleanita

While I did grow up in California, it wasn't until I went off to college in Santa Barbara that I really gained any experience with wine. It was sort of like a natural phenomenon if you lived there for longer than a month. Wine knowledge just starts to accumulate in your brain instead of important shit you need to remember for midterms. Or maybe it was just me? Anyway, my point is, I don't know that much about wine, really. I don't know any of the fancy terms. Most of my bottle purchasing decision is based on whether or not I like the label. I have a general idea what types of wines I enjoy, but there's no way I can tell you the difference between a Pinot Noir and a Cabernet Savignon. If I really like a wine, then I'll make an effort to remember what it is, or more often take a picture of the label for later reference.

Even though my mind is a sieve and I can barely remember to put on pants before leaving the house most days, there is one wine that I never have to make an effort to remember because it is, simply put, The Best.

What is it, you ask?

Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin. If you've had it, you know. 

If you haven't had it for some crazy reason, let me tell you why you should pick up a bottle at your earliest convenience. Don't worry, I'm not going to say things like "the subtle taste of blackberries is offset by a cinnamon finish" because I have no idea what the hell that means. Do you? Awesome for you. 

Basically, it tastes fantastic. It's a medium intensity red wine. It's not too sweet and it doesn't leave your mouth feeling sort of puckered. It's not too spicy but it's got a little bite to it. There's a lot of different things going on, flavor-wise, and all of them are good. It's got layers, is what I'm saying. 

It's good with red meat and with chicken dishes, or all by itself (which is how I like it best). And at around eight dollars a bottle, it's a steal. It's certainly better tasting than some pricier wines I've tried. I always have at least one bottle around, and it's my go-to wine to bring over for a dinner party. 

Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin gets eight out of eight tentacles for deliciousness and affordability. 


Rating: 8/8 tentacles