The other day, I gently brushed off a favorite old collection of stories that I hadn’t seen in a while. The spine cracked open as a puff of dust billowed up. It revealed a tale of adventure and thirst. A thirst that could only be quenched by… wine. The name of this tome: my blog, The Wine Student.

If we’re speaking truths here, I haven’t been very motivated to write lately. With everything happening in the world, I’ve really only wanted to curl up under a blanket and not come out ‘til the coast is clear. And since I’m already in my stretchy pants and sweatshirt… also, I’m a little crabby. You might even say, a little curmudgeonly.

The other day, I found myself in the wine section of my local store (one of the few times I venture out) and I found myself just staring off into space for a split second. But what brought me back to earth was some of the label art in front of me. I started to see a theme: the label art was getting kinda dark.

But maybe it was just me…

And yet, the Curmudgeon spoke to me.
From Parlier, California, this Curmudgeon is actually a friendly blend of 42% Zinfandel, 32% Merlot, & 26% Petit Verdot. Fermented in stainless steel, then aged 3 months in Kentucky bourbon barrels, this wine smelled amazing right at the first pour. Wafting scents of vanilla, and caramel was a nice preview of coming attractions. I let it open up a bit to coax out the flavors of stewed blackberry, dark chocolate, caramel and a hint of smoky spice. Because of the high percentage of Zin in the mix, it was very fruit forward, jammy- a little sweet-ish, then settling into a nice dark, leathery chocolate earthiness.
While I didn’t pair it with anything except crackers – because I’m a curmudgeon today- it was a juicy, rich blend to take the chill off a cold day in January.

Price point was about $14.99

The upside lately – I’ve noticed that the days are gradually getting longer. Which is a wonderful sign. We’re headed in the right direction!

And you know what? I refuse to give in to the darkness. Better days are ahead. Even us curmudgeons have our moments of hope.

Cheers!

Copyright, TheWine Student, 2021