It’s also a holiday for drinking.

With both of those in mind, we’re reviewing Jarhead Red wine. Jarhead Red was created by Winegrower and former USMC Captain, Adam Firestone and Vineyard Foreman and former USMC Sergeant, Ruben Dominguez. All net proceeds go to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, a foundation that has honors the service of the Marine Corps by educating their children. Over 24,000 scholarships have been given to deserving students, including 1,405 for this past academic year.

So you can get a nice buzz going while knowing you’re helping some folks out.

Here are the notes from the winemakers: Jarhead Red is a robust, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged in French oak barrels for eight months. It offers flavors of plum, cassis and black currant with fine tannins on the finish. Jarhead Red is available in 750ml (the Rifleman) and 1.5L (the Sergeant). Occassional availability on larger formats including 3.0L (the Sergeant Major) and 5.0L (the Commandant).

COLOR: Like the man says above: “Robust.” The color kicks things off by being tough, rich, and dark.

NOSE: Great dark cherries on the nose with a hit of leather boot. There is also some vanilla coming through.

TASTE: Your mouth is Iwo Jima and this wine is the Marines. This thing is a delicious stomper. The initial onslaught is in the form of those leather bootstraps digging into mud. Then come the cherries (I tried to come up with a good analogy for Marines and cherries, but it just seems insulting no matter how you spin it). Ripe, juicy fruit combined with an insanely big mouthfeel. Reinforcements in the form of tannins come in to pummel your tongue one last time until you have no choice but to surrender. You’re finished and Iwo Jima has been taken.

WITH FOOD: I may be on a no-beef kick right now, but damned if this stuff wouldn’t be delicious with a rare steak. Not a cheese and fruit wine. Serve this with something tough enough to handle it.

WHERE TO BUY: $8.99 at FineWineHouse.com or at your local Henry’s Farmers Market!

WINE WEBSITE: http://jarheadred.com/

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Guest Post by Brian Hedrick!

Cabernet Franc is like the elegant, elder brunette, thin-skinned and wisest of the Cabernet Family, one of the five varietals of Bordeaux. It’s often used in blends to cut at the tartness and tannins of a Shiraz or it’s more popular progeny, the Cab Sauvignon. Interesting fact you probably know: the Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc grapes met on some steamy night and passed along their DNA to the Cab Sauvignon, so we owe the Cab Franc quite a bit. Or so we think.

So in homage to this patriarch/matriarch, we present the 2006 Santa Ines Cabernet Franc (made in the Santa Ynez Valley and, one must deduce, named after the Santa Ines Mission there, not the Santa Ines vineyard in Chile. That was complicated! Whew! It’s made at the Kalyra Winery by the vintner Mike Brown). A pal said (paraphrasing), “this is my go to wine any time I’m heading off to drink other people’s more expensive wine at a party or something, because it’s good enough to make me feel like I’m not being cheap, and almost everybody says ‘huh. Cabernet Franc. That’s different.’”

COLOR: A dark cherry that wouldn’t concede a hint of purple, even if you took a spectroscope to it (that’s not true, but it’s a statement with conviction, so just go with it).

NOSE: All fruit and booze, but nothing overpowering. Blackberry and cherry, and a whisper of vanilla to make you want to wash down that first tri-tip/sauteed zucchini-combo bite. Has a hint of an alcohol kicker on the exhale (more on that).

TASTE: The mild fruity nose deceives, as the alcohol is heavy in the swish and the swallow. Wouldn’t hurt to decant this one to allow the flavors to pop a little and to give it some room to flower. Tannins are pretty light but the peppery texture rides the tongue through the swallow.You’ll enjoy the second glass more.

Gotta say. we’ve had three or four of these now and they’re inconsistent, but 3/4s of them have been worth finishing off so it’s worth a try.Bottom line is it drinks a little better than the nine bucks you spent on it would indicate and like we said earlier, it’s a little more interesting than you average Cab,(Sauvignon or otherwise).

WITH FOOD: This one works with typical appetizer fare or a low-brow steak and veg meal.

WHERE TO BUY: 8.99 at Trader Joe’s. Just about the only place we’ve seen.

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This is one we found while on a journey up north of Los Angeles to the Santa Ynez Valley. We stopped at Buellton and Solvang (made famous by the film Sideways). Normally we do not go for California Sauvignon Blancs in favor of the New Zealand efforts, but we were very surprised by this bottle.

We found it in the Danish village of Solvang, at a wonderful store called The Olive House. The store sells (you guessed it) a wide variety of olives, canned/jarred vegetables, dressings, condiments, oils, vinegars and wines. The special thing about the store is the wine selection. Owner/proprieter Jeff Feeley is a local winemaker and has put together a list of wines from up and down the west coast, including Washington and Oregon. These are wines that are not readily accessible without going to the actual winery or at least the area where the wines are produced. So you are given access to some fantastic wines that you otherwise might not ever know about.

The Trois Imbeciles is actually made by Feeley. While all of the wines we tasted at the Olive House were great, his was the only one we brought back with us.

Color

Clear, silver and metallic. Normally we would say light straw, but this wine just has a look of wet rock.

Nose

A little tight when chilled, but really opens up once a bit warmer. Tart apples, pears, some citrus and faint scents of fresh-cut grass. The grass is unusual for California Sauvignon Blancs. New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs often give that scent.

Taste

One word: More. Once you taste this, you will want another glass and something to eat with it. The wine is not too light and not too heavy. A perfect balance of fruit, minerality and alcohol. Tart green apples, pears, lemons and even some nectarine. The fruit is great on the front-end, with the apples and lemons coming through strong. The mid-palate is amazing with great mineral and wet rock flavors. The best thing about the wine, however, is the finish, which brings out the grass and lingers on the tongue. An absolutely fantastic wine.

With Food

Good on its own, but you will also enjoy it with some mild white fish, lemon chicken or some mild cheese and tart fruits.

About $14, but not available online. You can either call the number below or go visit The Olive House in Solvang, CA:

1661 Mission Drive
Solvang, CA 93463

805-686-5159
888-654-8347

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