I will admit I have a certain affinity for wine. I usually stick with the reds, because I’ve found that the white varieties contain far too much sugar for my liking. They also give me a bad headache the next day. My favorite red wine has to be Barefoot Shiraz by the Barefoot Wine Company. Reach for it if you like a dry red wine.
Initially, I will admit, it was the lovely barefoot orange label that had me reaching for it. As I held the bottle, I conjured up images of summer and walking barefoot in tall grasses, sipping this wine, without a care in the world; much like the French do. As I write this, I am overtaken with images of a good friend of mine spending a week, floating down the river in rural France. She was happily inebriated on wine the entire week.
The lavender aroma of this wine grabbed me immediately. It wasn’t until I actually took a sip that I became smitten. Tangy blueberry, cherry and blackberry flavors burst in my mouth followed by a velvety chocolate sweet finish. It had a very rich yet fruity, full bodied flavor. Though it does lack a bit in mouth feel; sommeliers would probably not be impressed.
With that being said, I have many memories of enjoying this wine with good friends in Wyoming. This was our go-to wine, because it was cheap (the liquor and wine prices in Wyoming are astronomical) and tasted good. I can recall some red wines being passed around that I just could not tolerate because there was no sweetness to them and my gag reflex would appear. We would drink a bottle of Barefoot Shiraz, however, giggling and getting gigglier the more the bottle was passed around. I remember it left a slightly spicy, then distinct vanilla taste in my mouth. It was lovely.
Given the fact that it’s cheap (I picked up a 1.5L bottle for $9.99) it doesn’t have much complexity to its taste; though it’s definitely a quality wine given the low price. If you just need a good wine that’s a bit of a step up from table wine, reach for this. This wine is dry, remember, so it pairs well with a red meat or chicken based dish or pizza. Then again, with its berry flavors, a tangy platter of salsa and chips would go well with this wine too. This also pairs well with sharp cheeses and hearty pasta meals—a very universal wine, indeed.