The Grapes are Naked.

Hello, stay-at-home-w(h)iners!

I'm sure you've missed seeing the crew in action, so we've decided to appease you and the gods--specifically Dionysus--and give you a new video!

We tried out two Californian wines from The Naked Grape--a name scandalous enough to attract my attention, and a label pretty enough to hold it. And it doesn't hurt that there's a $9 price tag on these babies. So sit back, relax, and enjoy some naked grapes!

Warning: No actual grape nudity. Or nudity of any kind.





The Naked Grape Cabernet Sauvignon

I went into this wine expecting "the cheap wine burn" and some overly excited tannins (that dry feeling in your mouth) and just disappointment--especially since Cab is one of my favorite reds. And, I have to admit, I was very pleasantly surprised by this wine. It's no Rioja, but it was definitely able to stand up on its own, even for me. Even, I should say, for our white-wine-lovers.

Starting with the aroma of the wine, we were not encouraged, by finding very little diversity in the bouquet. The only aromas we could find were grape, some kind of dark fruit, and alcohol. Not very encouraging, indeed.

But once we began tasting the wine, we started to find little complexities. Blackberry was a prominent flavor, along with--strangely enough--an oaky, woody taste that was nowhere near the aromas of this wine. Dirt made an appearance, along with the elusive nutmeg kick and just maybe a hint of a cinnamon finish.

To say we were surprised by this wine would be an understatement, especially since our w(h)iners unanimously agreed it had balance, harmony, and complexity. AND the dry red got a unanimous "Yum" rating from all four of our judges--making it the ONLY dry wine (and, heck, maybe even the first wine total) to be enjoyed by every single member of The W(h)ining Army Wives [present].

We loved the label design, and the price tag (at $9) was another absolute plus.

Bottom line: Would we recommend this cabernet sauvignon? YES. Unanimously. Three of the four w(h)iners said it has mass appeal! That's saying something from those sweet-girls.


The Naked Grape Summer White Blend

Going into the Summer White Blend, I, again, was expecting an overly-sweet, just "yucky" experience for myself. And I shouldn't have gone in so judgmental of a cheap wine. Again.

This wine revealed lots of aromas to us pretty quickly--leaving us with lots of citrus (and specifically pineapple), white grape, and mango, and a nice floral smell--something like honeysuckle or orange blossom. The bouquet was light, airy, and pleasant.

As we began to taste the wine, we found pineapple to be an overwhelming winner for tastes, with just a kick of a spice we were unable to pinpoint. The wine was smooth, sweet (just a little too much so for me, personally--but I like dry wines), and had a sort of tart green apple finish to it.

We unanimously agreed there was a harmony to the flavors of this wine, with two w(h)iners finding it also complex. Three of the four w(h)iners gave it a "Yum" rating this time, with only one giving it a "Meh" for being too sweet as she continued drinking it.

Again, the beautiful label and low price made this wine a clear winner.

Bottom line: Would we recommend this wine? YES. All of our sweet-loving w(h)iners found this to be a very tasty wine! And none of us believed it to really truly be a "cheap" wine. Even I would recommend this baby!


So, there you have it, folks! Two, delicious, low-price wines that were very surprising in their tastes and qualities! Get out there and try these with us! Tell us what you think!