Budget Vino

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 week 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.

Even a bad commute can't save this wine- Trellis 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

As commuting goes, this week has been terrible. The company I am consulting for is located only 38 miles from my home in San Francisco, but since Tuesday, my average evening commute has lasted over 2 hours. On Tuesday, the main freeway from Silicon Valley to San Francisco was closed due to a tanker truck accident. Wednesday they were still cleaning up, and Thursday night we were blasted by a huge rain storm. I took it all in stride the first 2 days, but Thursday night put me over the edge. The drive is normally long enough at 1 hour 20 minutes. Add on an extra 40 minutes, and I am not a happy camper.

So, after over 2 hours of commuting on Thursday night, my mind was clearly focused on one thing- getting a glass of wine in my hands as fast as possible.   Luckily, I had bought a couple budget bottles last weekend, and I was yet to give either a try. I grabbed the first bottle I saw- the Trellis 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. With great optimism, I opened the bottle and poured myself a hefty glass. In fact, I could hardly call it “a glass.” Using international serving guidelines, it would probably classify as 3 glasses.

The first sip was not good at all. It was rough, too sharp, and lacked any pleasant aftertaste. I contemplated dumping the glass, but then changed my mind- determined to get through this big glass. The wine improved marginally as I kept drinking, but I think it was more a case of me just accepting that I was drinking bad wine, rather than the wine actually getting better.

Knowing that tonight I’ll be going out for dinner and drinks, last night I vacuum sealed the Trellis and put it in my fridge. Who knows, after a big meal and a bunch of beverages, I might just numb my taste buds enough to make this wine a winner!!

Recommendation: Don’t buy it