Hot Dang! A few weeks ago, the folks at Crushpad Wine rounded up 10 wine bloggers to compete in a wine blending competition using their Fusebox wine blending kits. They would award two prizes- 1 for best wine blend, and one for best label.
Swamped with work, I put off my blending until Halloween night, and then chained myself inside with my Fusebox and a ton of candy.
I spent about 4hrs tweaking, scrapping, and then restarting wine blends. In between throngs of trick or treaters, I switched my palate cleansers from bread, to candy, then ice cold beer(s).
I tried using each variety at first- A base of Merlot, a little Cabernet, a touch of Cab Franc, and a drop of Petit Verdot-- But I struggled to get the wine where I wanted to be (too much fruit and too much tannin were the usual results). After a couple of hours (and a ton of candy), I switched to where I should have started- SIMPLE. A classic blend of 86% Cabernet and 14% Merlot. Body, character, rock, acid, and hopefully-- balance.
Without much time to think of labeling, I found a goofy picture of me (taken by Lady Dirty) at the Calistoga Geyser- Llamas (often pronounced yamaz), became "da yamaz", and I threw together some sugar-fueled copy.
The Front and Back Label
The Wines that come in the Fusebox
I got wine everywhere
So- I'm thrilled to have the winning blend. As a prize, I get a case of my wine shipped to me, and the Dirty South Wine "Da Yamaz" wine blend will be available for order by the public (right after the label is approved).
Shout outs go to Fred Swan from Norcal WIne for winning the award for best label, and Erica Green at Purple Teeth Diaries for having a blend so good, they are making her a case too! (I want to try it!!!!)
Here is a list of all of the participating bloggers:
Another Wine Blog (Joe and Amy entering separately)
