Costco has your wine for the apocalypse – under $10!

It’s hard to not notice the apocalyptic art on this bottle. But don’t let that scare you away.

Fast facts:

• 2016 Rabble Red Wine, Paso Robles, CA  ($9.89 @Costco; California – Item # 922592)

I’ve seen this wine elsewhere for $17.  So the current Costco price of $9.89 is that much more appealing. That at least caused me to reach for the bottle and give it a try.  I was glad I did.

So often wines below $10, especially red wines, exhibit certain signs that they were manufactured (I use the word deliberately) using no small amount of additives to make them taste better.  That they do, but they often taste “fake” to me.  I rarely bother to review such wines.

Thus, one of the things I really like about this Rabble Red is that it tastes like the real deal. I has nice structure provided by real oak barrels no doubt, as opposed to saw dust or even liquid smoke.

It also exhibited the types of flavors that come from making wine the old fashioned way, versus from gallons of grape concentrate.

The Paso Robles appellation has become especially well known for its red wines.  and this blend of 90% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petite Sirah showcases how the region not only produces really good red wines but really good values for your money.

This is a really nice versatile food wine. It is medium-bodied and nicely balanced with a nose of dark berries, hillside brush and flavors of plum, red and blackberries.  There is just enough oak to give the wine some structure, but the restraint shown in the oak regimen is what makes this a really good wine for pairing with food.  The first time we tasted it we paired it with a ground turkey meatloaf, the second time with gnocchi and a sauce of wild mushrooms.  It would pair really well with a wide variety of foods including grilled meats and vegetables, burgers and all things Italian.

Cheers!