Hardliner winemakers are typically adamant: “We let the fruit do the talking!” In other words, they believe in not messing with Mother Nature, letting the fruit and terrior express itself without manipulation. At Carpe Vino, we agree wholeheartedly with this core philosophy.
At the same time, however, we really love blends . . .for one simple reason: They taste freakin’ great. Winemakers can sit down with beakers full of tasty juice and concoct something very, very special. Or they can simply take a bunch of barrel ends and see what results. Either way, these table wines are usually priced competitively and are true crowd pleasers.
A no-brainer from Jeff Runquist: Just-released non-vintage “1448,” a blend of 43% Petite Sirah, 40% Syrah, 9% Barbera and 8% Zinfandel, all with a California designation. Just for the record, Jeff is one of the most talented winemakers in the state, with two Golden Bear trophies collecting dust in his tasting room in Amador County for twice winning Best Red Wine at the California State Fair. He doesn’t grow any grapes; he focuses purely on making wine.
 And this one is fun, with no pretension. The “1448” represents the altitude of the winery near Plymouth in the Sierra foothills. Jeff calls this wine “a virtual ‘kitchen sink’ of our award-winning vineyard designated ‘left-overs’, blended to make one seriously good wine for everyday drinking.”
As far as we know, this is the least costly wine ever produced by Runquist. . .just $15.99 per bottle, and even less if you purchase through our online shopping cart. This is the kind of wine that if you buy just a few bottles, you’re gonna kick yourself in the ass for not getting a case. It’s going to go fast, and then that’s it friends. No Mas!
I twisted the cap off of a bottle (another first for Runquist) when this was delivered to the shop and everyone at the bar wanted a taste. . .”BACK YOU ANIMALS, BACK!” A friendly fruit bowl of red cherries, ensuring a pleasant trip across your impatient, little tongue, with plenty on the end. Daddy says get yours now, or don’t whine when it’s gone!
 Here’s a complex Bordeaux Blend that delivers. . .for peanuts: I found this wine on my recent trip toLake County, the 2007 Six Sigma Cuvée Pique-Nique (Lake County), a mouth-puckering blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petite Verdot. Huge Cab flavors smolder after being doused with Merlot; the Cab Franc adds a layer of intensity; the Petite Verdot pumps up the color. I brought a bottle back to open with Drew and his reaction was “This is a winner.”
Six Sigma’s other two reds—a Cab and Tempranillo—are both price at $42 per bottle. So, when I was told the Cuvée was just $18, I had to stifle myself. Eighteen Bucks? That’s Nuts! We ordered ten cases to start. Buy six or more and the price goes down to just $15. Carpe Vinians. . . YOU WIN!
Superlatives fail to adequately impart the value of this wine: The 2008 Clayhouse “Adobe Red” Wine  (Central Coast) has a little bit of everything. From the winery: “To create this lip-smacking, juicy red we blended grape varieties grown throughout California’s Central Coast. Much of the fruit came from our estate Red Cedar Vineyard, just east of the town of Paso Robles. Adobe Red is a fun and tasty Zinfandel-based blend, and the finished wine is 44% Zinfandel, 32% Petite Sirah, 16% Syrah, 5% Malbec, 4% Grenache and 2% Mourvedre.”
If you want a tasty bottle of wine to serve with any meal, something that doesn’t cost too much but delivers like a turbocharger when you mash the pedal to the metal, then this is for you. Just $15 per; $11.99 when you do the smart thing and buy six or more.
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