Shiraz on a shoestring! First installment: Doohickey 2013 California red blend

Last night I was in the mood for wine. I should clarify that I am always am in the mood for wine but concerns for health and work productivity temper my hobby to a couple nights a week. But on this particular evening I saw an older couple enjoying a bottle of white at the thai restaurant my husband and I were at.

I am very susceptible to temptation when I see two people drinking wine. It seems so intimate and shared compared to drinking separate beers. It is also more aspirational: the promise of being transformed to a more decadent and romantic life with the pop of the cork.

So when we got home it was the same old decision, should we open a "good" bottle (in the $10-$20 range) or stick with good ol' 3 buck chuck? With 30 meer months away my standard of living has increased non-commensurately with my postdoc salary. 3 buck chuck (then 2 bucks) was fine in my early 20's but now, I crave complexity. 

I recognize that life is even harder for postdocs trying to raise a family, as opposed to a 14 lb. mutt, but living on a postdoc salary does make things tricky for someone with sommelier tastes. While decent wines can be found in the $10-20 range, too often my husband and I crack open a bottle on Friday only to be overcome with the alcohol after-taste or underwhelmed with watery-ness. 

Thus, the regular feature: Shiraz on a Shoestring. Last night's wine was a proprietary red blend from "Doohickey" made from California grapes, 2013 vintage. Selling for around $14, it has a pleasing deep red color. It's nice nose accurately predicts an oaky and vanilla-filled beginning with mouthfuls of blackberry. It is consistently strong at the start and finish without any alcohol after-taste. I would highly recommend and just in time for the weekend!