Sometimes I Don’t Follow My Own Advice

Hello Friends,

It was only a few weeks ago that I encouraged a lady who frowned down on wines priced under $10¸ to give the two inexpensive wines being poured a try. After all, we were at a wine tasting, it was free, and you do have the option to spit. The point I was trying to convey to the lady was not to judge a wine by its price tag. Instead, look at the wine, sniff it, swish it around your mouth, and either swallow it or spit it out, and then decide whether you like it or not. As a matter of fact, I often times encourage people, especially those who label themselves a red wine or white wine person, to come from out of their comfort zone and try new things. You may just find a new favorite, right? Oddly enough, at a recent tasting, I found myself in a similar situation. This time, a lady was encouraging me to try a *wine* that I skipped over. To say I actually skipped over a wine, you would first have to consider ‘chocolate wine’ a wine.

Chocolate Wine: Are You a Fan?

Just recently, I’ve noticed more ‘chocolate wine’ on wine shop shelves and they are more popular than I thought -- especially among new wine drinkers. So what exactly is chocolate wine? I’ve seen two types: the kind that looks like a regular red wine and something else that resembles a Wendy’s Chocolate Frosty. The first example is usually a base red wine infused with some type of chocolate flavoring and the latter adds cream and artificial color to the mix. On a positive note, if chocolate wine is your thing, wine shops like Total Wine carry up to three labels (e.g. ChocoVine, Brown Cow, and Red Decadence) that are all under $10. The lady who tried to encourage me to try the Brown Cow Chocolate Wine said it was her favorite new wine. Virginia is riding the growing popularity of this product too. There are at least three Virginia producers that make a ‘chocolate wine’ and I always hear glowing comments about these sweet treats. In the end, there are two types of wine – those you like and those you don’t like. Some people like chocolate and wine and others prefer chocolate in their wine. In my humble opinion, the latter should probably be called an adult beverage. That said, I do appreciate cocoa nuances that can be found in some red wines as a result of maturation in new oak barrels. Keeping an open mind and an open palate, before leaving the store, I revisited the tasting bar and did a sip and a spit to confirm my thoughts about the chocolate wine. I was correct; it tasted like a sweet White Russian milkshake, and while ‘wine’ sounds good for marketing purposes – adult beverage is more appropriate. Not being a wine-snob by any stretch, but for my taste, complex, balanced, and naturally made dessert wines are my preference, and if inclined, I’ll pair it with chocolate. Cheers!

Have a question about this post, friends? Feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail at myvinespot@yahoo.com, and as always, Happy Sipping! Stay tuned ...more to come!

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