Yet Another Jammy Red-HandCraft

HandCraft Dark Red 2015 | California
I bought this one last weekend for $8.99 at the Vineyard’s weekend tasting. I thought it worthy of Cheap Wine Bastard status. I opened it tonight as I was the designated hunter-gather for dinner. I decided to try the $5 rotisserie chicken from Earth Fare and pair it up with a spinach salad and some nice cheeses we’ve accumulated in the fridge.
So, from my cheap perspective I did pretty good. The chicken was the usual juicy slightly greasy bird that all stores have. All of them, whether it’s the $5 bird at Costco or the $6.99 at Publix. They are all kinda greasy but at least this one has no antibiotics and were probably raised listening to Yanni or Pat Matheny and thought they were going to a spa when their heads got lopped off.
I digress. Jammy. Cherries. Dark. Faux oak flavors…… I doubt there is any oak but this is so dark that it seems to have some oak and I see the label mentions vanilla so maybe that’s what’s on my palate. Mrs. Dan liked it. She said the nose has cherries and alcohol. I’ve been told that a sophisticated wine will never have alcohol on the nose. But since I’m not sophisticated I can live with that. She also adds it has lots of fruit. Now she doesn’t mean it’s sweet but there’s not a hint of dryness on this lush wine.
Their website makes no mention of this wine. The label says it is part of their Artisan Collection.
Our HandCraft Dark Red Wine is reminiscent of the traditional Italian, vineyard-to-barrel field selections that found their place at my family’s dinner table growing up. This delectable blend delivers rich and complex dark berry and cherry fruit flavors with a hint of light vanilla and spice. —Cheryl Indelicato, Proprietor.
Pairs well with spaghetti bolognese, pizza and grilled rib eye.
I think this is just one more in a line of wines that have emerged over the past few years that try and see if push that limit without having to put a Smucker’s label on the bottle. I think this is one of the better under $10 bottles. It tasted pretty good with the chicken and with the cheese we had. It is jammy but not so over the top that I can’t drink it by itself. But I have to admit that a glass or two at the most is good. Beyond that it is like eating a whole bag of potato chips real fast… tasted good until you realized you went 1 chip too far.
I think I might have to purchase a few before Roger runs out. Now is it better than the Apothic Inferno that Roger had at the same tasting? No. But that wine is more expensive. Can’t afford to buy too much of that. And I would say the same with that wine. One or two glasses max at one siting. Hmmm. At $8.99 a bottle this wine is still more expense than the 3 bottles worth I get out of a BotaBox. Oh, what the hell. Live a little.
P.S. Their website has a Share a Message of Love page. If you share a message they will donate $5 to breast cancer research (up to $10,000).
Cost: $8.99 at Vineyard Wine Market