By request- A Novella you can truly enjoy- Novella Synergy 2005
In a comment posted on January 27th, Budget Vino reader "Joel" recommended I pick up the Novella Synergy 2005 Paso Robles. In his comment, he mentioned that the Novella Synergy was a red wine blend made with the following mix- 45.7% Petite Syrah, 33.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16%
Sangiovese, and 5.2% Petite Verdot. The next day, I commented back that I would go to the store and pick up a bottle that afternoon. That is exactly what I did. Unfortunately, the bottle warmed my wine rack for almost a month until I got around to giving it a try. The combination of working late, and a nasty flu that lasted almost a we
ek had significantly reduced my wine consumption. It's pretty sad.
So after 3 plus weeks of no budget wine, I was really excited to give this bottle a try. I love getting requests from readers, as it is impossible for me to identify all the gems on my own. The world of budget wine is just too big.
As I worked away on a project for my current client, I poured myself a glass of the Novella Synergy, and let it breathe for about 10 minutes (I always recommend doing this for red wine, regardless of it's age). I took my first sip, and was blown away. This wine was fantastic. It was smooth and delicious with an awesome aftertaste. I was genuinely surprised by how good it was (and by how quickly I plowed through 2 big glasses).
The bottle was gone the next day, and I have Joel to thank! From his recommendation, I now have another great budget wine to add to my list. Many thanks Joel.
Do you have any favorite budget wines? Let me know and I'll give them a try.





I just recently tried Yalumba 2006 Y Series Shiraz + Viognier - it was $10. The little bit of viognier is a great idea! It's not a terribly complex wine - out-of-balance on the side of fruit. But it is very pleasant. There is a little bitterness when the wine is freshly poured, but it loosens up as the temperature rises in the glass. Very tasty with dark chocolate because of all the fruit!
I'd like to see what you think!
Posted by: Scott | February 25, 2008 at 10:54 AM
I recently tried this wine over the Easter Holiday weekend and I am Totally in agreement with the author. This is a wonderful wine that has an amazing fruit forward taste that is well balanced. The tannins are well integrated and the wine has a scrumptious after taste on the palate. Great Wine at a Great Price.
Posted by: Chaz Bucklin | March 24, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Glad ya'll enjoyed the suggestion. Cheers!
Posted by: Joel | March 30, 2008 at 07:32 PM
interesting post bookmarked
Posted by: Acai Berry | December 06, 2008 at 08:01 PM