Does anyone NOT like UB40???

I am, indeed, a red wine lover.  White wine just isn’t for me.  Too sweet, too cold, too…yuck.

I’m not sure I even remember my first taste of the alcoholic juice, but I do know that I am completely hooked.  I have some huge book of wine stashed around here somewhere (quite possibly in the trunk of my car along with the rest of my life) that I have yet to read.  But let me just say, red wine can go along with almost every meal (save Mexican and Thai food, which respectfully deserve a good beer).

Tonight I got to cook (yay for sick days!) for my boyfriend and we sat down to a nice candlelit steak dinner (complete with rice pilaf and sautéed asparagus tips that were, IMHO, to die for).  We complete the meal (and a long, much-loved conversation that followed) with a bottle of one of my favorite red wines, Menage a Trois.

The provocatively-named wine is a blend–Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.  It’s great with steak because it’s a heavier wine with lots of tannins (thanks to the Cab) and a bit of peppery-ness (Zinfandel takes the credit for that one).

Why is it such a favorite?  Well, it definitely is a wine that you need to let “open up.”  Upon tasting the first sip from a freshly-opened bottle, you might wrinkle your nose and your throat might quite possibly burn.  But, let it sit open in the bottle and your glass (or even better, a decanter!  I have yet to buy one for myself, both because of the price and lack of storage we have in our tiny apartment) and the change in flavor with amaze you!  I’m no wine connoisseur, but I do taste cherry flavors among the pepper and though the finish is a bit tannic, it goes great with red meats (read: well-seasoned STEAK).

I’ve also found that the wine becomes very drinkable AFTER dinner.  I love to drink wine while I cook but this one definitely has to wait to be downed by me until after I eat.  It’s relaxing, delicious, and perfect for a friday night at home with the S.O. 😀  I’ll post more blogs about my different favorite wines, but for now, go out and buy a bottle of Menage a Trois.  It won’t disappoint!  Promise!

Menage a Trois can be found at (from my own experience): Sam’s Club, Ralph’s, Vons, and Cost Plus (World Market).  In the meantime, you can get another type of red wine fix from Ub40:

Red, red wine
Stay close to me
Don’t let me be alone
It’s tearin’ apart
My blue, blue heart

Happy Friday! 😀