What
in the world is going on? First, they went from glass bottles
to plastic bottles, and as if that wasn't enough, then they
went from corks made from real cork wood to plastic corks,
and then they committed the ultimate sin by going from plastic
corks to screw down caps. Who am I talking about? Those good
folks who grow grapes and then turn them into wine, that's
who. And now, I fear those folks have completely lost it because
now they are putting their wine in bags inside boxes!
Well,
actually all of this has been going on for quite some time
now; it's just that I have never tasted wine from a bag in
a box before. However, I have tasted wine from plastic bottles
and wine from bottles with all sorts of different closures,
and actually I don't think any of those factors have played
heavily with the taste of the wine. Good wine was still good
and bad wine was still bad. By the by, that bag in that box
is actually an airtight pouch that should keep this sangria
fresh longer, up to 6 weeks.
This
Beso Del Sol (which translates to kissed
by the sun) Red Sangria hails from Spain,
and just to complicate matters, it comes in bottles, boxes
and something that looks like a pregnant toothpaste tube.
Now, I'm sure these containers won't dramatically affect the
flavor of the sangria, or at least I hope that's the case,
but as always the proof is in the tasting, so let's get to
it.
First
off, this sangria is made from medium-bodied Spanish Tempranillo
wine and mixed with fruit and sugar. The box is quite bold
and colorful, and I am sure will appeal to a younger demographic.
It is 8.5% alcohol by volume, which means you can enjoy several
glasses without getting falling down drunk. It is a rich royal
purple color and the nose has a sweet earthy aroma with citrus
and pear and apple notes. On the palate, the fruity profile
changes ever so slightly featuring plums and cherries and
a touch of citrus. It tends to want to wander in the direction
of the sweetness but is pulled gently back by a bit of tartness
that balances the palate nicely. And, of course, there's that
wine flavor lurking in the background that is mild and yet
just flavorful enough to fit in perfectly. The finish is short
and sweet and smooth leaving a pleasant sweet, tart and citrusy
mouth taste.
All
in all, this is a pretty darn good sangria in a box. It could
give that traditional summer drink of gin and tonic a run
for its money. It is sweet without being overly sweet and
the other fruit and wine flavors balance the taste out nicely.
You could even add some fresh fruit to spice this baby up
a bit more, and adding a few ice cubes wouldn't hurt it either.
Beso
Del Sol Red Sangria is available for around $20.00
per box which is the equivalent of four 750ml bottles and
that my friends is one heck of a deal. It is 8.5% ABV or 17
proof.
By George Brozowski
For
more Rants & Raves click
here.
http://www.besodelsolsangria.com/