Last Friday, when I was presented with the opportunity to go out to
dinner with a good friend and no children, I pounced. I love my family,
but it isn't often that I get to leave the children behind, so I take
advantage of these rare moments whenever they present themselves. One
thing I always splurge on when out without the family in tow is an
alcoholic beverage. Last week was no exception.
It was decided that this "Mom's Night Out" would take place in
Springboro so we could enjoy the summer's "First Friday" event and taste
the foods of
Heather's Coffee & Cafe. It was immediately decided that the wine of the evening would be a bottle of "
Bitch 2008".
Bitch is a grenache wine from the Barossa Valley of South Australia.
(The Grateful Palate Imports) A grenache wine is red wine that is
characteristically low in tannins with a dark, fruity flavor that pairs
well with most foods. (Wikipedia) I am not a wine expert, so I will not
even try to go into the details that the professionals do. I know what I
like and don't like and can tell you why.
Most people will probably grab a bottle of Bitch when they see it as a
gag gift for a woman in their life. I am no exception. I find humor in
silly things like oddly inappropriate names. Just as I chose a bottle of
Fat Bastard merlot earlier this year, I also chose Bitch. I can
honestly say that I was not let down with either of my choices. Those
amusing names sometimes lead us to discover great things.
Upon opening the bottle, I was immediately struck by the beautiful
deep red color of the wine and the scent of berries with a touch of
cinnamon. The taste of this wine was pleasant-fruity and sweet. I could
taste the flavor of strawberry and a light earthiness. Unlike other
red
wines I have tried, Bitch was not dry, in fact I found it quite smooth. I
sipped on my glass while waiting for our food to arrive and found
myself getting lightheaded much faster than I anticipated. Come to find
out, Bitch has an alcohol content of 15.5%, which is at the high end of
the scale for wines. Sip slowly and be sure you have food on your
stomach! Everything I have read about grenache wines says that they are
quite versatile when pairing with food and Bitch is certainly that. I
nibbled on creamy spinach and artichoke dip, tangy white pizza and salty
chicken, bacon and cheese quesadillas and the wine never once clashed
with the flavors of my food. This is definitely a wine I can see myself
purchasing again, for myself and for gift giving.
The folks at Betty Crocker are known for sharing some of the yummiest recipes on the web. I highly 
