Jeff - Wine Specialist, Sherman Oaks
While I love a big and fancy wine as much as anyone, I often crave something simple and easy, a versatile and affordable "daily drinker" that I can enjoy room temp or cold, and that will go with whatever I might be having to eat.
I found exactly what I was looking for in Les Petites Jamelles Rouge, a wine from the Southern, Mediterranean region of France, known as Languedoc. Les Petites Jamelles Rouge is a light-bodied, fresh and fruity red, made from Grenache and Caladoc (a Grenache-Malbec hybrid). The wine shows fresh cherry and pomegranate aromas and flavors, with great juiciness and finish. There is also a bit of cranberry tartness and earthiness, which I quite like and is distinct from many "chillable reds" that often showcase the fresh and fruity without the tart and/or earthy counterpoint.
I had the wine chilled, with some cold, leftover BBQ and a few pieces of chocolate for dessert on one of these "dog days" of summer. I would just as easily pair the wine with a cheese and charcuterie plate ("girl dinner"), some pizza or pasta, or herbed chicken.
Easy, versatile, and affordable. A perfect daily-drinker red for the warmer months.
