McManis Gets It Right!
While wandering the aisles of a local retailer in search of the Holy Grail – an affordable, yet tasty red wine – I gradually became frustrated with all of the shelf talkers and claims made by wine critics. This Syrah at 88 points is “surprisingly refined,” while this Sangiovese at 89 points offers flavors of “licorice and vivid black fruits.” In each case we‘re talking about wines that retail for $12.99 and that’s a darn good price under almost any circumstances.
Of course, with all of the flowery language, and lofty scores, making a decision on what to buy can be downright overwhelming. Since this particular retailer tends to place wines in rows, with the cheapest occupying the area closest to the floor, I was able to whittle down my selections over time, but not without straining my back bending over repeatedly.
There was one label that caught my eye, not so much for reasons of good design, but because I had seen the same label on the opposite aisle while crouching to take stock of the cheap stuff. Then it happened, here was a bottle of Petite Sirah and another, a Zinfandel, the two varietals I was looking for, and the price was right on target. With the decision finally made I grabbed two bottles each of the 2008 McManis Family Vineyards Zin and Petite Sirah.
Having never had any of the McManis wines I was prepared for the bare minimum in both quality and value. Just for fun, I decided to present the Petite Sirah to my test subject, Julie, my fairly critical (when it comes to wine) wife. She was in the midst of a Dr. Who marathon on BBC America, which means she was already in a good mood, but when she took a moment to go through the motions of taking that initial taste of this unknown juice, she wasted very little time proclaiming this wine a hit!
That was good enough for me, so we threw a couple of Trader Joe’s pizzas in the oven and proceeded to enjoy a $10 Petite Sirah from a producer that we have both come to respect for their ability to offer wines of substance and quality at prices that are seldom seen in today’s market. Just for the record, this is Petite Sirah that is a deep inky purple with a nose of blackberry and boysenberry. Those same berry scents populate the flavor profile and lead to a lingering finish that is quite satisfying (grade B+).
We have since spent some time enjoying the McManis Zinfandel with similar results – excellent blend of cherry and raspberry backed up by smooth tannins that leave you looking forward to the next sip (grade B+).
I am pleased to report that genuine bargains do exist in today’s retail market. McManis Family Vineyards has done an outstanding job to bring these all-around delicious wines to the consumer.
photos and text © 2010 craig allyn rose
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I’ve always liked this wine, always. I’ll make you a deal, you bring the wine and I’ll make the pizza. No more frozen pizzas!
Done deal, Jeff!