These days it seems as if every media outlet feels the need for a Wine Column. From the Wall Street Journal and the Self-important New York Times on down to the irrelevant little local free shopping news papers. Without an occasional wine column, yew just ain’t got no class nohow nomore. Now Old War Dogs shall have one too. And Rurik does like wine anyway. So it was a good thing that I brought home a bottle with a new label to taste and to review.

The wine is Jarhead Red California Red Table Wine, which the back label informs us was vinted and bottled by Firestone Vineyards of Los Olivos, California. The back label informs us that

Jarhead Red is made by Marines for Marines. The net proceeds from the sale of this wine benefit the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation who provide educational assistance to the children of fallen marines. Please consider directly supporting the Foundation at www.mcsf.org.

Reuben Dominguez, Sgt USMC ‘79-‘84 & Adam Firestone, Capt USMC ‘84-‘91.

The label does not tell us the type of grape used, but judging by the characteristics of the wine itself, I guess it is Carignane, an inexpensive, and prolific grape not used for premium wines, but much favored for jug and table wines, or for blending with other more prestigious grapes.

In the glass, Jarhead Red has a very deep and dark red color and a fruity grapey aroma. Like any good Jarhead, the wine is simple and straightforward. It is strong, bold, a little crude and short on polish. Sensitive palates may even find it harsh. The flavor is long-lasting and the finish is firm and assertive. This is not a wine to accompany delicate food. It will stand up to spicy and food and can take the heat. It will accompany foods with tomato sauces and might be an ideal choice to go with barbecue. Real Jarheads will tell us this wine may accompany MREs or C-rations. Except for Ham-n-Mammies, a military concoction which goes with nothing except warm canteen water and dire emergency. Jarhead Red is a wine totally without pretensions, but it will do the job.

At about $12 a bottle, this wine may seem a little overpriced since Carignane is not a serious grape. But the label is priceless, and the cause is much more serious than the wine itself. Remembering that this wine honors Jarheads and the proceeds support the MCSF, the wine is actually a remarkable bargain. On the Left Coast, where many of the winery owners are pinker than their Zinfandel Rose’, Jarhead Red deserves special attention. I’ll give it my highest rating and encourage you to buy Jarhead Red for your next picnic.

Semper Fi’

-Rurik

Note: After posting this review, I learned that Jarhead Red was not made from Carignane but from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. So the hardness would imply youthful exeuberance, and suggests that Jarhead Red may have some potential to improve with age.

Contributed by George Mellinger on January 12, 2007 at 09:40 AM in Caring about our troops, Food and Drink, George Mellinger, US Marine Corps | Permalink

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