Chocovine: Wine Review
Let me say upfront that I'm a big fan of Baileys. Sure, it's not the kind of thing you want to drink all the time since it's approximately 83% fat-ass. But there are times when nothing is quite as nice as a glass of Baileys. Actually, Baileys sells more liqueur than any other company in the world. That means is there are now about 100 different Baileys Irish Cream clones on the market to choose from. ChocoVine is the latest contender for Baileys' melted-alcoholic-ice-cream-in-a-bottle crown.
Chocovine tries to avoid the downfall of every other liqueur that simply tries to recreate Baileys taste and undercut its price. Here's the thing: the taste of Baileys isn't exactly nuanced and the irish cream recipe isn't rocket science anyway. But by changing the base spirit from Irish Whiskey to Red Wine, Chocovine has taken the taste of Baileys into the wine market. Chocovine's strength then is that its classified as a Dessert Wine rather than just another liqueur trying to steal some of Baileys' market share. That distinction is advantageous for two reasons: first, Chocovine will not be sold on the same shelf as Baileys and, second, it's classified by stores and in people's minds as a wine. When you're going to a dinner party with friends you don't bring Baileys, you bring wine.
Regardless of what's in it, any cream-based alcoholic beverage is going to be measured by the Baileys standard. So here's how they differ:
"For one thing, Baileys is significantly more homicidal."
The first thing you'll notice is the color difference. As you might have guessed Chocovine has a much deeper, reddish hue to it versus Baileys off beige color (mm...creamy beige). Second is the viscosity. Baileys is a fairly thick beverage but Chocovine is actually a bit thicker. Now, I think both drinks are looking to mask their alcoholic content as much as possible. Even Baileys with its high price tag (which would suggest a quality Irish whisky is used in its production) is not very forward with the booze flavor. Chocovine's alcohol content is even more subdued but you can still tell that the base is definitely something other than whisky (even though I don't detect any red wine flavor either). The biggest difference between the two is flavor and, for me, this is where Chocovine stands out. It tastes like a melted chocolate shake with just the tiniest bit of alcohol. It's as if a slightly disgruntled Wendy's employee decided to spike your Frosty.
None of that matters. Baileys has nothing to fear from Chocovine. (Put the knife down, man. Everything's cool.) Baileys' brand recognition is unassailable at this point. It is an icon of the liqueur world and it will not be dethroned so easily. The thing is, I think the makers of Chocovine realized this. That's why they positioned themselves not to pick up some of Baileys' table scraps but to take a piece of the market that Baileys currently can't touch. Classified as a Dessert Wine, Chocovine will be considered in situations where Baileys is not. As for my own conclusion: if I'm choosing a cream-based alcoholic beverage based solely on taste, from now on I'm choosing Chocovine.
The bottom line: In terms of both price and taste Chocovine is the closest you can get to Baileys without getting your eyeballs wet.
Our Rating: **** (Highly Recommended) $10-15 www.chocovine.com
Reviews: Satellite Sauvignon Blanc 2010
The Satellite Savignon Blanc is an Un-Oaked wine. Instead of being aged in oak barrels, Satellite is aged "on the lees." The Lees are the dead and residual yeast used to ferment the wine. This kind of aging is called "Sur Lie" (on lees) can impart a toasty hazelnut or "bready" flavor to some Chardonnays and can help blunt the influence of oak. Since Satellite isn't aged in oak, it keeps all of the fresh and lively flavor of the grape.
Here's what you can expect: A very fresh tasting wine without the influence of oak. The taste is a sweet mandarin orange and grapefruit along with some strong floral notes of elderflower. It's a pretty light wine that is great as a before dinner drink, but I'm afraid it will be a little too easily overwhelmed by full meals. On its own or with some lite appetizers it will be great, especially for the price (around $13). The only warning I would give is to drink it within one or two days of opening as the flavor seemed to escape my bottle rather quickly; even with attempts at preservation.
Our Rating: *** 1/2 (Recommended) Price: $13 www.spyvalleywine.co.nz
Reviews: Paraduxx 2007
According to the bottle, Paraduxx is the kind of blend you can enjoy with a lot of different foods. I opened it on Teriyaki Stir Fry Night:
Even though the bottle calls Paraduxx " a natural complement to a wide array of foods" I was a little bit afraid I might have made a mistake. I was wrong. The wine both stood up to the spicy-sweetness of the food and complimented it like a glove. It was just plain enjoyable. With some exceptions, I think if it's a great wine it doesn't matter what you enjoy it with; the wine will elevate the meal no matter what you're eating.
I spent some quiet time alone with Paraduxx over the next few days as well. It definitely gets better with the aid of some air to open it up. The main flavors I got were raspberries and black currants as well as black cherry. The oak flavor is a bit heavy for my taste (aged 15 months - 40% American, 60% French oak) but that may just be me. The only other thing I would say is the alcohol has a bit too much presence right now, so I think this wine would benefit from some mellowing/developing time in your personal cellar. At $48 this is a pricey one, but when compared to a cheaper ($10) red blend it was definitely a lot better. Wether it's $30+ better is something only you can decide.
Our Grade: **** (Highly Recommended) Price: $48 www.paraduxx.com
Reviews: Lucky Duck – Chardonnay
Lucky Duck is a new line of wines you can find at Wal-Mart. You might even say they were diabolically engineered by Wal-Mart. It seems The Wal decided they needed something young, something hip, something the "OF-AGE" kiddies would like, and so they hired a marketing firm (Dragon Rouge) to make pretty labels that would entice the "OF-AGE" kiddies to buy said corporate-engineered wine.
"I'm with it."
Believe it or not, I have nothing against Wal-Mart. Really. People LOVE to hate Wal-Mart these days. But the way I see it with great power comes great responsibility...and the consumer has ALL the power. What I mean to say is, if we, as a people, didn't LOVE buying cheap goods made by people over-seas, Wal-Mart wouldn't sell that stuff. But we do. So they do. So it is. So it shall be until people start voting with their dollars for something different. Uhg. I hate to rant. (That's a lie.)
Lucky Duck is aimed at young drinkers who are looking for an entry-level, "fun" wine (so says MicroLiquor) so I didn't go in expecting too much from this $4 wine. WELL...I guess I should have lowered my expectations more, because I really didn't like this wine at all. Listen, I love a cheap booze. I am ecstatic when I am able to find something like Gran Gala that can replace Gran Marnier in cocktails for half the price. But this is just scrapping the bottom of the barrel and for no reason.
The Nose (what it sniffs like) is bland - white grape with a bit of oak. The Palet (how it tastes and feels in the mouth) is mostly watery, more bitter than sweet, with a bit of...raisin? The Finish (aftertaste) - is the only redeeming quality I can find in this otherwise disappointing ducky-wine. A bit more of the oak comes through and almost makes you forget about the unpleasant experience you had while it was in your mouth.
Our Grade: (2/5 Stars - Not Recommended) Price: $3-$5