Charity Wines Tasted

Last week I picked up a table red wine to complement dinner or for the occasional night cap. I saw a strange thing. The wine store had wine with sports celebrities on it. I was shocked, confused, amazed and therefore I had to buy. I picked up a $13 bottle of Jose Reyes CaberReyes (a.k.a. Cabernet Sauvignon) :

After a little research I discovered that this is business venture & charity at the same time. Charity Wines offers under $10 table wines for approximately $13, fronting sports celebrities. I can't complain if the wine is decent, as some of the money will hopefully make it to someone who needs it. Last weekend I cracked it open. Whatever you do, this wine needs to be aired. DO NOT ATTEMPT to drink it straight out of the bottle as you will be assaulted by a chalky, aspirin-like aftertaste. Oh boy do I love sulfites!!!

This bottle needs some good airing out before tasting. Wine aficionados will curl their noses at my next statement, but I have found that it works well. It works especially well on cheap reds. After uncorking, pour (or drink) a little of the wine to create some air space in the bottle. Recork and shake, periodically roating the bottle top/bottom. Do this for approximately 1-2 minutes. Let is settle and serve. I have found this quite effective (& fast) for the airing of cheap wine.