Wine: 2004 Cinque Vino Rosso - Texas Hills Vineyards.

The Texas Hills Winery in Johnson City Texas describes their 2004 Cinque Vino Rosso blend as "five red wines, an artistic blend of red wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Ruby Cabernet, Sangiovese, and Syrah".

I found this wine to be relatively gentle and straightforward with a long lasting finish. At first taste there was a slightly pronouced acidity which quickly balanced out with gentle swirling. This wine shows a nice balance of fruit, first more cherry-like then softly fading to the richness of ripe blackberry as the stonger Cabernet flavor starts to dominate, then ending with a hint of ripe currents from the Syrah component. The finish is marked with moderate to soft tannins that fade quickly and a noticable spicy dimension not unlike the peppery quality of mid-harvest extra virgin Spanish olive oil.

For the sheer enjoyment of this wine's full flavor spectrum try paring it with fresh strawberries or blackberries drizzled with well aged balsalmic vinegar. Being more fruity than sweet, this flexible wine would fare well when paired with firm cheeses such as a well aged Chesire chedder or with savory items like bruschetta and crostini or even perhaps grillled pork. I do not feel it would stand up as well when served with heavier beef dishes; but there are so many other great possibilites, why try?

Many will find this wine more difficult to understand because no single component really dominates its flavor spectrum and will have some confusion when deciding how best to serve it. Tasters should remember that true to its name, Texas Hills Vineyard Cinque Vino Rosso, is a blend of five different grape personalites combined so as to be enjoyed for the harmony of it's five red grape flavors. For the same reason this wine has broad compatability across a whole range of savory foods and is widely accepted by red wine lovers. Still, it remains under-recognized for it's merits because it's not a varietal. I think Texas Hills Vineyards certainly accomplished their goal of creating an excellent red table wine with Cinque Vino Rosso.

One should be able to buy the 2004 vintage of this wine for $11-$12 making Cinque Vino Rosso an excellent choice for restaurateurs to pour by the glass and for consumers to buy by the case for less formal gathrings and the cherished family dinner table.

News Flash: Severe drought, frost and harvest rains cut the Austrailian grape 2007 crop by a third. The conditions have become so bad in some areas that 2008 will be even worse. Particularly hard hit is the Murray Darling area of Southeastern Australia which produces 65% of all Australian wine grapes and is home to many of Australia's largest exporters. According to the Wine Grape Growers of Australia as much as 10% of the 7500 Australian grape growers could go out of business. What this means to USA consumers is there will be an increase in the price and availbility of premium and specialty Austrailian wines.