#120 - The Skinny on Wine

I like wine. A lot. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy a good craft beer or a good porter from time to time. However, as I get older, I find I am more drawn to the fruit of the grape over beer or hard liquor.

When it comes to wine, I am certainly no expert, but I know what I like. Recently, I had a bottle of something I really liked. Men, you need to be somewhat secure in your manhood to admit you like this particular wine, but I am. And I do.

The wine was the Skinnygirl California Red. The skinny quality comes from the fact that the wine has "just" 100  calories in a five-ounce glass. It is has a bright edge to it, a quality that comes from being a young vintage. The bottle I had was a pre-production 2010 bottle (*), but the 2011 vintage is what is now available on the market.

As I drank it, the Skinnygirl reminded me of a Zinfandel. I have since learned that it is made primarily from Syrah. I like both. In fact, they are probably my favorite red varietals, so it should come as no surprise that I liked the Skinnygirl.

The wine could be described as fruity, I suppose, but it is not sweet, which seems to be the growing trend, even in red wines these days. Nor is it as full or heavy as a Cabernet or even a Merlot. I would definitely drink it again.

Skinnygirl California Red is a little on the pricey side from my vantage point. In our household, wine is a regular accompaniment to meals, as well as a nice beverage to enjoy on a sunny day. It is not something we pull out only on special occasions. That means we look for bargains. Fortunately, we are not wine snobs. I've even enjoyed a few glasses of Charles Shaw. otherwise known as Two-Buck Chuck.

While Skinnygirl makes a very good everyday wine or dinner wine, its price disqualifies it from that status for us. A quick search on the Internet found Skinnygirl California Red for between $13 and $15 a bottle. At that price, it may be a bit out of its league or at least a bit out of mine. If the price comes down to around $10 a bottle, Skinnygirl could be a winner. (There is also a white blend, made primarily from Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.)

* In the interest of full disclosure, I received my bottle of Skinnygirl California Red as a gift.

#102 - Wine for the Active Lifestyle?

Single-serve alcoholic beverages have been around for some time, but you always needed a glass to pour them into. Until now.

Three of the six available varieties, it also comes in
Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, and Riesling.

Copa Di Vino, a company based in Oregon, has come out with a line of single-serve wines bottled and served in their own recyclable plastic glass. 

The wines have a patented foil seal that, according to the website, keep the wines fresh for up to one year. The container is capped off with a plastic lid that snaps of tightly to keep any leftover wine from spilling whilst you are on the move.

As judged by the comments of some co-workers, these 187ml or 6.3 ounce containers would be perfect for picnics, a trip to the park, perhaps an outdoor concert or other performance.

But what about the wines themselves? I'm not a oenophile or any kind of wine expert, but to my uneducated palate, these wines are okay, but not great. While drinking the merlot, I kept getting hints of a smell that seemed slightly chemical in nature, perhaps to do with the foil seal.

I'm not a big fan of chardonnay to begin with, and the Copa Di Vino chardonnay did nothing to change that, although I did find that the wine took on more of a citrusy note as it warmed a bit. The white zinfandel was sweet, as you would expect, and perhaps a slight cut above Sutter Home and the like.

Part of the presentation of these wines on the company's website touts the idea of bottling premium wines right in the glass, in this case, a recyclable one. But is that enough to recommend any of these wines as more than a convenient novelty?

The answer may depend on the price point. If these are priced at $1.99 or perhaps even less, I could see these becoming quite popular with people who lead active lifestyles - hikers, bikers, and such. Imagine hiking to the top of a hill and once there enjoying a glass of wine while also enjoying a panoramic view or perhaps a beautiful sunset.

I can also see these as a popular choice when the urge hits to have a picnic in the park. As long as people remember that they are buying lifestyle and convenience and not great wine, these have the potential to do very well indeed.