I'll taste them all so you don't have to!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Winking Owl Merlot 2010, Modesto, CA


So the story behind this wine find is kind of interesting; to start, it was served to me by none other than an eighty year old Baptist preacher.  Go figure.  So this preacher, who goes by Papa, is one of the greatest most respected Baptist pastors in Texas history.  Pretty neat.  And he partakes of the bottle, even neater!  So after an hour or so of talking deeply about God, Papa offered me a glass of his wife's favorite wine, Winking Owl Merlot.  The couple was turned on to it by a liquor store attendant in their hometown of Little Tiny Town, TX.  $3 a shot.  They buy cases.  Not bad.  A little apprehensive.  Don't want to just shoot down his favorite vino.

So I took a modest little sniff.  Little sharp on the nose, though the wine was warmer than it should've been so that may have something to do with that.  Very fruity.  Very, very.  Prunes maybe?  The taste is surprisingly not that bad for $3.  It has a soft berry/date/prune taste that is smooth and light, but with little complexity.  Very easy drinking, but not all that interesting.


Technical Info:

Varietal: 100%  Merlot (I thinnnnk.  Can't find anything on the bottle)
Alcohol: 12% 
Origin: Modesto, CA
Price: ~$3 at Aldi and other discount grocers
Rachel's Grade: B  For $3, you could get a Bud Light at a local bar in Dallas.  A bottle of Winking Owl blows that option out of the water, no question.  I'm not going to be loading up my wine rack with it, but if I were doing a big party, it would be a great idea to grab some of this Merlot.  I hear the Chardonnay isn't bad either, but I'm not running out to find it.  For the vino fiend without the means though, I say go for it!

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