As I was scanning the sea of alcohol at the local store this week for a different but affordable wine, a bright red label with a white floral border caught my eye.

I’m not going to lie, I’m a sucker for nice packaging, but this Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet Wine beat any previous expectations I had for wine when I first saw the bottle.

When poured into the glass, the wine resembled a slightly watered down blackberry juice, with a hint of red. The rich maroon liquid had a high viscosity, making it almost completely opaque. From bottle to glass, the wine poured thick, leading me to believe it would taste rich and heavy.

My favorite part of this wine is the aroma, which is thick and true to the name of the wine. The first smells that hit me were blueberry, raspberry and vanilla, followed by the rich scents of caramel and chocolate. The strong aroma reminded me of chocolate cake with sweet raspberry reduction.

The taste proved to be similar to the smell, with blackberry and bittersweet chocolate being the prominent flavors. Strawberry, blueberry, and vanilla tastes overpowered an initial light tannic note, and the overall taste of the wine resembled something close to an alcoholic cherry cola.

The complex flavors of this wine can be explained by its equally as complete blend: Zinfandel, Merlot, and Petite Sirah wines all contribute their own different flavor to the Cupcake Vineyards Red Velvet Wine.

Once the different varieties are blended, the wine is aged in oak barrels, which creates a final earthy taste. This also contributes to the rich, velvety texture.

Just like the aroma, the wine leaves you with a creamy chocolate and caramel aftertaste. An additional hint of pomegranate gave my taste buds a nice surprise just before the taste dissolved.

While the name of this wine would suggest that it is a dessert wine, this is not quite the case. The beverage is definitely on the sweeter side and showcases flavors we generally associate with dessert, but it is not quite sweet enough to cross into the realm of dessert wine.

Personally, this is one of my favorite wines I have had in this price range. The wine sells for 10 dollars a bottle and is 13.5 percent alcohol.

I also highly recommend a handful of chocolate chips alongside the sweet and fruity liquid.

Published on October 13, 2016 at 12:46 am