Yellow Tail Shiraz

This is easily one of my favorite wines for just sitting around and enjoying a glass of wine. The Yellow Tail Shiraz does an excellent job of being a middling wine. While the low tannins won't really appeal to the true wine lover, the same lack of tannins and the nice berry flavors are great for those that are just getting in to wine, and are wonderful for parties, relaxing, or when you and your friends are having a movie night.

Ranging in price from about $9 to $13, there really are few bottles of shiraz that will satisfy your desire for a medium-bodied red wine for this price point. While the Yellow Tail shiraz certainly won't change your world view, if you're in the market for a middle of the road shiraz that you can keep on hand without breaking the bank, this is a good one to go with. I give the Yellow Tail shiraz 2.75 stars out of 5 - it's not great, but you won't regret buying it.

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Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz

Moving to Australia, today I review the Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz from South East Australia. I've become a big fan of wines from Australia, and especially this region, and the Rosemount Diamond Label is no exception. A wine that I've enjoyed in numerous restaraunts (for much more than you can find it at retail for), I was more than happy to purchase this shiraz for $12 (though I've seen it as low as $10 and as high as $15). With a nose featuring hints of spice and intense black fruits, the complex flavors of this red wine will stay with you, but in a good way.

A velvety, soft finish compliments the spices that make this wine so enjoyable. What I've found so enjoyable about shirazes, especially those that come from this region, is their versatility, and the Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz is no exception. Whether you're looking to drink this by itself or with a nice meal, if you haven't tried this wine before, now is the time to go and pick up a bottle. I easily recommend this wine and give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Find a bottle of Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz for under $20

2004 Fisheye Shiraz

This weekend I tried a California Shiraz that I found…interesting. The 2004 Fisheye Shiraz that I purchased wasn’t actually a bottle, but a box of wine. While boxes of wine have certainly carried a stigma for many years, thanks in no small part to Franzia, more and more vineyards are starting to offer their wines in a 3L box that allows for more wine to be purchased without the need to store multiple bottles of wine.The 2004 Fisheye Shiraz that I bought retailed for around $17 at my local grocer, much less expensive than buying 4 bottles of a similar wine, and I paired it with a pigs in the blanket meal that was cooked in au jus and served over cooked pasta. The Fisheye Shiraz did an good job of adding a bit of flavor to the meat that had been slow cooking all day, but when sipped by itself it did nothing to inspire me. While it wasn’t bad by any means, it didn’t do anything to make me sit up and take notice either. It was sort of just…eh.While I would still recommend this wine to somebody looking for a middle of the road Shiraz that they might drink one to two glasses of a night, I can’t help but give the 2004 Fisheye Shiraz 2.5 stars out of 5. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either.

Voga Italia

This week I’m doing two wines, a red and a white, and still coming in under my $20 budget. Voga Italia has introduced a pair of wines that are both affordable and enjoyable…a great match if there ever was one.



Voga Italia Pinot Grigio






I start with the pinot grigio (mostly because I drank it first). Made in northern Italy, I found this wine at my local grocery store, and have seen it at most of your common stores (Giant, Safeway, Kroger, Food Lion, etc.). This wine was a great compliment to a grilled chicken dish. The light, crisp flavors went well with the grilled chicken flavor, complimenting instead of overpowering the light seasoning that I used. I also tried this wine with some mild cheese and crackers as a snack later and it was just as enjoyable as a sipping wine as it was when I enjoyed it with my main course. As I’m a firm believer that price doesn’t make the wine, this wine did an excellent job of proving my point. I’ve found few pinot grigios that I’ve enjoyed more, and none of those rang in at the very reasonable $9.99 that the Voga did. I happily give this wine a 3.75 stars out of 5, and highly recommend it to anybody that enjoys pinot grigio.

Voga Italia Quattro



My second wine is the Voga Italia Quattro, a blending of (as the name implies) 4 different types red: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz, and pinot noir that is made on the Italian island of Sicily. I actually drank this with pasta dish, but feel that I probably would have enjoyed it more with a red meat dish…hindsight is 20/20. The natural tannins of the cabernet and pinot noir were off-set rather well by the somewhat milder merlot and shiraz, and while this was certainly an enjoyable wine, I almost wish they’d made it without the merlot to allow it a bit more bite. If you’re all about your red wine this might not be your exact cup of tea, but if you’re looking for a nice red to help you get into some of the drier reds, this is actually a very good way to go. For the $9.99 price tag it’s certainly one I imagine will end up in my kitchen again, but I can really only give this one 3 stars out of 5. Maybe another year of aging will help this in the future, but it’s hard to say for certain.