* please excuse my ugly harvest hands/nails.
The wine: Foggy Veil Hillside Selection 2017
The place: Trader Joe’s
The price: $12.99
This wine is a Rhône-style blend from Santa Barbara County. The 2017 vintage saw a wine with 78% Syrah and 22% Grenache (two quintessential Rhône grapes). This wine was green and floral on the nose with tons of red fruit (strawberry, cherry) on the mouth, with smooth and velvety tannins as well. This wine was light but full-bodied – and developed even more after decanting for about 30 minutes to an even more velvety and round mouth feel. Regardless of decanting, this wine carried through to a smooth finish and has bright acidity that balances the fruitiness. For its price, this wine is almost everything you should be looking for in a Rhône varietal blend, and seems to be the perfect harmony of these two icons of the valley. I’ve had Syrah blends from Santa Barbara for $70+, and this wine is comparable with those and is worth every penny. For pairing – A perfect thanksgiving dinner wine and would melt the turkey in your mouth. This wine also goes well with poultry and sautéed veggies.
Affordability: 10
Presentability: 7
Aroma: 6
Balance: 10
The Younger Wine 