The grapes are from Southern Australia; 90% Langhorn Creek and 10% Limestone Coast.  This tasty blend is full bodied, showing smoky notes of strawberry, blueberry and spice.  The Stickleback red will pair nicely with roasted or grilled meats and heavier sauces.  Just stay away from spicy foods with this wine.  The ‘08 gets a solid 87 points in my book.  You should be able to find it in your local wine shop for under $15.

Beaujolais is always a very light wine, and the Nouveau is typically even lighter.  It is made from the same year’s vintage, and goes through a quick carbonic maceration.  In this process, the grapes are not pressed.  The weight of the grapes clusters pressing down on each other crushes them, leaving a very light wine with minimal extraction.  And they won’t break the bank either, most of them are under $15.

Truthfully, I’m not a big Beaujolais guy.  But the Nouveau always marks a special time of the year for me and my family; a time of celebration, and a time to share special holidays with the ones you love most.  So drink up, people.

This full bodied wine sees 18 months in oak.  Aromas of dark fruits, vanilla and cocoa, tobacco and truffle lead into the flavors of blueberry, currant and stewed bing cherries.  It finishes with a refreshing acidity and spice that goes on and on.  There’s also a minerality on the finish that adds a nice complexity.  I would rate this wine 90 points on my scale, and would highly recommend it at it’s $20 price tag.

I would recommend pairing this wine with grilled or stewed meets.  Also pair with stronger cheeses such as Camembert or Teleggio.

My initial presumptions of this wine were quite wrong.  Coming from South Australia, and with an alcohol content of 14.5%, I assumed this was going to be another flabby New World fruit bomb.  I was pleasantly surprised upon first taste.  Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of fruit in this blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Tempranillo.  But it had wonderful structure and spice to make this wine surprisingly balanced.  You definitely get some heat from the alcohol, but other than that this was a well made wine.  The Shiraz brings some nice blueberry and dark fruit notes.  The Grenache ads a nice smokey, savory complexity.  The Tempranillo spices things up with crushed white and black peppercorns, and a slight touch of tar.

I would give this wine a rating of 86 points.  You can find it for about $20 in a retail shop.

I’m constantly on the hunt for rich, full bodied wines for under $20.  Most just don’t deliver.  The majority of bargain wines are made from bargain grapes.  Flavors are not as concentrated, which means they can not be extracted as much during the wine making process.  The end result: light bodied, fruity wines with little to no character.

I recently picked up a bottle of 2008 Bitch Grenache, from Southern Australia.  While it’s not on the label, most of the fruit in the wine is coming from 25 year old vines (and some vines as old as 70 years) in The Barossa Valley, Riverland, and McClaren Vale.  For $12, this wine is a winner.  Weighing in at a whopping 15.5% alcohol, this thing is a huge wine for the price.  The 2008 vintage saw a massive heat wave around mid-season, which is one of the reasons for the high alcohol and big body. While the alcohol is a little out of whack (you definitely feel the heat), I’d still rate this wine a solid 7 on a 10 point scale.  Which is incredible for a wine this price.  Some might find this wine a little flabby, it could use a little bit more tannic structure.  I’d rate this wine at 84 points.

Tasting notes from the wine maker:  “Brick red, with pink hues. Sweet, boiled lollies, confectionary nose, some cinnamon spice. Good weight and length on finish.”  I get some great bubblegum notes, and a slight smokiness as well.

The Bitch is produced by R Wines, and imported by The Grateful Palate.  R Wines also produces the well-known Marquis Phillips wines.  While I found this bottle for $12 in a local shop, I’ve seen it as cheap as $8 online.  Worth every penny.