The Buccaneer Back From the Dead Red 2013 Wine Review

A red wig, a buccaneer costume and a bottle of wine!  With Halloween just around the corner, it struck me as the perfect costume/theme for a party, at least for the host or hostess anyway.  I was browsing the wine shop looking for a fun Halloween wine ( of course it would have to be a new world wine because the novelty of the name is part of the party fun) when I saw the 2013 Back From the Dead Red and knew I’d found my wine. This one was plucked from the shelf solely on the merits of its label design.

The label briefly tells the story of Jacquotte Delahaye. My curiosity caused me to dig a little deeper. Jacquotte Delahaye was born in what is now Haiti the daughter of a French father and Haitian mother in the 17^th century. Her mother died giving birth to her younger brother who suffered from mental retardation. After the murder of her father, her brother was left in her care. According to legend she became a pirate - a buccaneer in order to support her brother. It is believed she faked her own death, living as a man for several years to escape her enemies. It worked for a while, but eventually her signature red hair gave her away and she became known as “back from the dead red”.  What became of Jacquotte is uncertain. Some believe she died in a shootout. What we do know is that now there is a wine named in her honor.

This offering from The Buccaneer (A label created for Plata Wines to be sold exclusively by BevMo) is a California red blend with grapes sourced from throughout CA. It’s gotta be a red wine for Halloween, right?  A bold red with great legs at that! 15.5% Alc. by Vol.

On the nose were notes of blackberry, cassis, cedar, spice and leather. After time, as it opened up, there was a subtle pleasing hint of caramel. On the palate it was fruit forward, slightly jammy with bold tannins.

As for pairing, after all, it’s Halloween so here are my candy pairings.  Try it with Twix, Snickers, 100 Grand or Rolo. It loves chocolate and the addition of caramel in the candy could really play up the subtle caramel in the wine. For a cheese pairing, it was wonderful with the Smoked Gouda with Bacon cheese I just so happened to have in the fridge.

So, put on a red wig (unless you’re so fortunate as to be a natural red head), a buccaneer costume and pour “Back From the Dead Red”.  Your Halloween 2015 will be off to a great start. 

For a food pairing at your party ( you may have to double or multiply the recipe or serve as sliders) click the link below.

Chipotle Chili Sloppy Joes

Curious Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Wine Review

Today’s Wine Wednesday feature is the 2014 Curious Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc.  I know what some of you are thinking, kiwi fruit must be listed among the tasting notes right?  Actually, it’s not.  In this case, kiwi is a reference to the bird, a national symbol for New Zealand. So important is the bird to New Zealand that New Zealanders have become known internationally as kiwi. The winemakers’ description on the bottle reads, “The curious kiwi loves sticking his beak into an aromatic glass of wine instead of burrowing and digging.”  You see a kiwi is a flightless bird and also the only bird to have nostrils on the end of its beak. They have a keen sense of smell and poke their beaks in the ground sniffing for food.

Well, here’s what my “beak” detected in this Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region. I’m a big fan of Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs and this one is among the finest I’ve tried. On the “beak” or rather the nose, was that wonderful citrus note signature to the Sauvignon Blancs from this region but also subtle apricot or white peach and a grassy or herbal note that I found quite intriguing setting this one apart from some of the others. On the palate a burst of citrus but yet a slightly rounder mouth feel than what I’m accustomed to making it seem a touch more centered than some - a well balanced wine.

The wine store I visited was offering a special on this particular wine, buy one and get the second for 5 cents. Of course I was skeptical that they were for some reason trying to unload a bunch of it.  However, I went for it and I’m excited to say it was a GREAT deal! The wine was $17.99 and the second bottle just 5 cents.

I now see what they were up to, reel me in with the deal and keep me coming back for a great wine.

For food pairing, try with Tempura Fish Tacos or Grilled Swordfish with Lime Crema. To print or save the recipes, click the links below. 

Tempura Fish Tacos

Grilled Swordfish with Lime Crema