Last week, hubby and I were looking for a good but cheap (post holiday wallet crunch time) "movie-night" wine and wanted something different. The classy looking label of the Smoking Loon Merlot plus the below $7 price made it the choice du jour. It served its purpose so well that it is the subject of today's post.
You might be saying, "How can it have attitude if it has a classy looking label?' Good question. When we turned the wine around, the label read:
" Besides his bein' kinda crazy, they called him the Smoking Loon 'cause he was so dam efficient," Jake began, stubbing out his cigar. "He'd take care of business an' get in an' out before anybody'd see him comin'... leaving' no trace 'cept the lingerin' sound of his eerie, loon-like cackle. Non one was really sure who he was or who he worked for, but when word got out someone needed his services, the Smoking Loon just appeared on their doorstep, like outta thin air or somethin'"
Wow, I was intrigued - kinda sounded like an old time detective novel. The Smoking Loon had me hooked from day one. Bogie style attitude at its finest.
When we opened it, it was the perfect companion to an old Tom Sellect movie and a simple dinner of homemade soup and sandwiches. It was soft and smooth - no real complexity but whaddaya want for $7? It had a nice perfumey nose, and light huckleberry and jasmine flavors, as well as a rich ruby color and better clarity than one would expect for its price range. Medium bodied, I thought it was wonderful with a homemade soup. From the vintners tasting notes, hints of milk chocolate and sage were also mentioned.
The Smoking Loon label is one of the many labels marketed by Don Sebastiani and Sons - a well known name in the California wine making business. No wonder it was so pleasant, and fully drinkable.
Where to Buy: I have seen this wine at Safeway and Lucky's, or you can buy directly from the vintner here.
Music Pairings: This is a great everyday wine, I see it drinkable with Tom Petty, Bob Dylan or Neil Young.....it has that kinda flair
Food Pairings: RIch, savory homemade soup and grilled cheese sandwiches made with crusty artisan bread fill the bill on a winter's night, and go very well with the medium body yet sage overtones of Smoking Loon.
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