Ok - so if you listen to the show, I missed this week. Oops! But is was for a worthy cause. The taping conflicted with my local Wino Club meeting where we were drinking Grenache. Now, Grenache is one of my favorite varietals and Wino Club is one of my favorite things so I made an executive decision and went out.

Here's the great part - we had a three way tie. Well we had a two way tie really, but I picked a third and since I'm writing, it was a three way!

The first wine of the evening surprised the heck out of me... it was PINK! My friend and hostess was given a bottle of South Coast Winery Grenache Rose from right here in our California Temecula Valley and she thought it would be a good joke on me. That backfired in a really great way because this was no ordinary California Rose. There was no sickly sweet fruit punch. We're talking about a 14% dry crisp fruit and had the most incredible color. The glasses looked like a true Barbie pink. It really was more of a European Rose which I do tend to enjoy. First winner of the evening right out of the bottle. It received 5s all around.

The second wine to receive a unanimous 5star rating (for the third time I may add) was Bitch from Australia. This Grenache wowed us with their 2005 vintage. It was also bought as a gag wine (you just can't judge a bottle by its label I guess). But at our Australian Wino Club, it was the first wine ever to receive unanimous votes as the winner. The 2006 was a little less than perfect but still a stellar wine at a $10 price. So when Sue brought out the 2007 I was so thrilled. The color has that beautiful pinkish ruby red that we've grown to love in our Grenache.

And then I tasted it and was so disappointed.

Then we got to gabbing and I walked away from my wine glass for a few minutes (before you call protective services, please note that I usually don't abandon my wine like that). A good 5 minutes later I realized there was still wine in my glass and after a few good swirls I tasted again. And there it was - beautiful black cherry pie with the slightest bit of nutmeg spice. While still not up to par with the 2005, I'd say that it beats the 2006 if you allow it to breathe a bit. A little young right from the bottle but quintessentially Grenache.

To pick up a bottle of the Bitch click here... Bitch 2007 Grenache - Red Wine.

Now the third wine of the evening is the one I will be tasting on the air in the next couple of weeks. Yes that was a teaser. It was not voted for by everyone. It was not loved by everyone. But this wine was not little and was a bit Zinfandel like in its character... stay tuned for Calories in Wine, the wine tasting segment by me, Stacy the Wino Snob!

Welcome to Calories in Wine, the 10 minute wine segment within the hour long radio show found on www.only2degrees.com.

Today we are tasting Grenache from Spain, one of my favorite grapes right now.

This week's show begins around minute 37, Episode 17 from 05-03-2008. Happy listening!

-Stacy, evidently now known as The Wino Snob