January 19, 2017

Sheep Thrills Red Blend

I totally bought this bottle for the label.  I DID wait for it to go on sale, the shelf price was $15.  I got it on sale for $10, which seems to be the average price online.  But seriously, the label is worth it. 

I should probably point out that I collect bottles with fun labels.  I’ve found some nice wines this way, and I’ve found some of the worst tasting swill I’ve ever experience that way, too.  Generally speaking, I don’t spend more than $10-12 on a neat label unless it’s from a winery I know and like.  I like Michael David Winery well enough that I’d spend almost any price on their bottles and they’re all fun labels. 

But Michael David Winery this is not.

Sheep Thrills is a red blend from Italy.  That’s all I can tell you about it.  I don’t know the area of Italy nor the grape. 

The wine snob in me is shuddering.  I should know this.  That I don’t warns me “blend” is the operative word in this bottle.

The nose isn’t half bad.  It smells smoky sweet to me; much like some of the less developed local wines of Georgia.  There’s a bit of dark cherry and chocolate.  Again, not a terrible nose.  At least it doesn’t smell like sheep.

(Having grown up on a farm, yes, I know what that smells like.  When I find a wine that smells like wet wool, I’ll let you know.)

The flavor is better than I thought it would be.  It’s got that chocolate/cherry flavor I caught on the nose, but it’s also lighter than I expected.  There’s only a touch of sweetness and no smoke at all. 

I like it!

(I fully expected to hate this.  Parachuting sheep on the label or not.)

This turns out to be a nice sipping red wine.  It’s light enough you’d probably enjoy it in the winter or the summer.  I don’t think it has enough body to serve with pizza or anything heavy, but I can see myself drinking it on the patio on May evening.

Give this one a go.  I bought it at the local big name grocery store.  It shouldn’t be difficult to fine.