$6 Shiraz/Cabernet 2006 Black Opal South Eastern Australia Safeway

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This wine has a straightforward nose of coffee and maple. The first sip tastes of bold fruits and has an underlying peppery flavor. A quick, dry finish wraps it up nicely. After a few more sips, the flavors didn't change much... still peppery (and I mean green bell peppers... not ground black pepper) but I think it would make a good table wine with a big dish of spaghetti.

I give this wine a 3 1/2 out 5 stars.

$6 Grenache/Shiraz/Mouvedre Blend "The Contortionist" SideshowAustralia Albertsons

Sideshow wines are perfect party wines when you want to bring a bottle to go with the conversation, not start it. This particular red blend was pretty good. The first taste was quite dark, with a lot of deep chocolate flavors but as I continued, the flavors got a little lighter and a hint of grassiness came through. Normally Sideshow wines are around $9, but I got it on sale...so it still counts as a bargain!

I give this blend a 4 out of 5 stars.

$6 Syrah Storyteller 2005 South Africa Albertsons

The label on this wine was what initially attracted me to it. It starts out with a story on the front, and the end of the story is on the back. As for the wine itself, I was really hoping for a nice full-bodied red, but it didn't quite turn out that way. It was very one-dimensional with little flavor other than the basic syrah. The texture was very watery with very little mouth-feel. I might try it again some other time, but for now I can't say I would recommend it.

I give this lackluster wine 2 1/2 out of 5 stars

$6 Merlot 47 Pound Rooster California Albertsons

This is not the cheapest bargain in the world, but the label was eye-catching and $6 is still a pretty affordable. I sipped on a glass of this with a spaghetti dinner. It had a wonderful balance between strong tannins and a crisp fruitiness. There were also notes of coffee in there somewhere. I had another small pour later in the evening, and it was almost better than the first try. The immediate bite gave way to a softer flavor. Definitely get a bottle of this affordable Merlot.

I give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

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