Stick Figure
STICK FIGURE
GRAPES: Red Blend
VINTAGE: 2016
REGION: Central Coast California
ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE: 14.5%
PRICE: $8.99
TASTING NOTES:
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner. Is it me or has this year flown by? In preparation for Thanksgiving, I snagged a few bottles of wine at Trader Joe’s to sip on while we were preparing for the big day. Over the years, my Thanksgiving role has evolved and it’s downright comical. When I was younger, I was in charge of all things desserts. From pumpkin to chocolate pecan pie, you better believe we had a spread. As time progressed, my role in the Thanksgiving feast has evolved from pie maker to wine procurer and side dish extraordinaire. I’d like to believe my culinary skills have developed which is the reason for the change in duties, but perhaps they wanted me to stick with what I know and am enthusiastic about, WINE!
This week’s bottle of wine was one that I grabbed off the shelf for Thanksgiving, but we didn’t get around to enjoying it ( aka - we took too many naps that day). I was drawn to Stick Figure bottle for a couple of reasons. First, the label art. I love that the label has photos depicting different grapevine prunings. Given that I know nothing about the different pruning techniques, my curiosity got the best of me and the bottle went into my cart. Secondly, when I grabbed it off the shelf, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the bottle had some weight which isn’t the norm with bottles at this price point. To say I was a little eager to try this wine is a bit of an understatement. I poured myself a larger glass than normal because, well holidays and Tuesday, and started sipping.
Here were some of my initial observations:
Bright acidity and medium tannins
Deep purple hue; very opaque
Cherry, Oak, and Vanilla on the nose
Medium-Full Bodied wine
Bold flavors yet found the wine to be very smooth in the mouth
Verdict:
As I said in my Instagram stories, this is a DAMN good bottle of wine. If you’ve followed TJ Tuesday for a while, you know I have not been this enthusiastic about a bottle of wine in a while. I love how balanced but fruit-forward the wine is and even more the fact that it can go with absolutely anything. While wine is typically paired with food to accentuate certain flavors or characteristics in that particular dish, there’s nothing wrong with breaking the rules from time to time and doing/drinking exactly what you want. Head to your local Trader Joe’s and grab a bottle or three. Stick Figure is a solid choice.
Until Next Time!
