The Sunday Morning Sommelier: Bitch Grenache
Sunday
Aug 8, 2010
Alcohol content: A flammable 15.5%
Price: $9.99
Description per label: Bitch 42x (seriously).
Review:
I’d been having quite a week when I stumbled upon this sweet treat at my local wine mart. Between the stifling heat of a Florida summer, the devastating news that school starts a week later than anticipated, and the fact that my roster of babysitters were all headed off to college within days, I was in need of a wine that matched my mood. This Bitch beckoned and I answered by grabbing a bottle, okay, two and headed to the checkout with an extra spring in my step.
A Grenache, for those not in the know, is a dessert wine known for it’s medium-bodied flavor and potent alcohol content. If not consumed with copious amounts of food, a Grenache can easily burn the belly. Because of this fact, I pulled out my son’s leftover birthday cake and got down to the task at hand – drinking. This ruby-colored wine did not disappoint. It boasts an alluring bouquet of smoke, cherries and strawberries with a smooth and mildly sweet finish. On the SMS scale (1-10) I rate this Bitch a 6.
On a side note, it makes a great gift. I am planning on giving a bottle to my mother-in-law.
Suggested pairings: Chocolate cake and an Ambien.
For more from Lea, visit her at HotandHealthyMom.com
Comments
Sarah Beardsley
August 8th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Definitely sounds like a fun and pretty tasty wine. and seeing as though I am brand new to wine I definitely appreciate all of the extra info.
LWilson
August 8th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
We had lots of this after Katrina because we referred to the Storm as the bitch and the year was 05
Penny
August 8th, 2010 at 10:59 pm
sounds like a great wine…more so because I love the name! where was the wine made??
Carol
August 8th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
OMG !!! finally someone who FINALY GETS US !!!! Thank YOU !!! I send a SALUD PARA TODAS MIS MAMASITAS DE MI CLIQUA Y A TODAS LAS SINGLE MAMASITAS!!!! HOLLA
LA
August 8th, 2010 at 11:48 pm
Not to be a… well, a ‘Bitch’…
but I just wanted to mention a couple of things: The grape variety Grenache is not relegated to dessert wines. For example, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, one of the world’s great dry wines, is predominantly made from Grenache. Second, rather than medium-bodied wines, Grenache invariably makes wines that are full-bodied, high alcohol, and intensely fruited. Even roses from the Rhone Valley (Tavel) are fuller-bodied, richer style in the realms of pink wines.
Dar
August 9th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
I found this wine back in December sitting on the shelf in my local wine store after a particularly tough day, and started laughing out loud as soon as I read the label.
This quickly became a wine of choice in my house, and to share with a very dear friend of mine.
She has since moved (what seems like) halfway across the world, but, I do have a bottle of it reserved in my wine rack for the day she comes back for a visit!
Ofthesea
August 9th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Love love LOVE! Too bad i cannot get it here in Costa Rica
Micheal Kilburn
September 19th, 2010 at 4:24 pm
Just saw your segment on wine library TV… interesting choice of wines. I love Gary’s rating of 54…. I feel like that’s a new low!
On grenache, by the way, it is indeed used for Chateauneuf-du-Pape, not to mention Gigondas, and a whole horde of other awesome wines from the Rhone Valley. There IS a dessert wine made from grenache (called Banyuls, one of the few red dessert wines in the world) also from France, but this is probably not what most “people in the know” would think of when they think about Grenache.
I like your website though! It’s a nice blog atmosphere! I feel like you need more wine knowledge to be considered a critic though…
Momnivore
May 19th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Sadly, I have discovered (after making this wine one of my faves), that this vineyard has gone out of business. If you find this Bitch- snatch her up! There will be no more in the future, and I love her!