Wine Tasting - California Roots Sangria

 Name: California Roots Sangria        

Grapes: 42% Zinfandel; 21% Merlot; 15% Syrah; 12% Muscat; 10% Barbera             

Region: California                                                                                         

Country: USA                                                                                   

Vintage: not listed                                                                                                   

Price: $5.00

Wine critic review: "The deep red color reflects a rich berry flavor, which reminded me in turns of raspberries and strawberries. It’s also aggressively sweet and floral, like breathing in all the fragrances in a rose garden at once. I wouldn’t dream of drinking California Roots without at least two ice cubes. At the same time, this sangria is easy to drink, despite its sweetness. It is, as I suspected, light, refreshing, and slightly tart. " - Elisabeth Sherman, The Kitchn

My Review: I picked up this wine on one of my trips to Target; it was priced well and I love sangria, so I thought I'd give it a try. It smelled sweet, particularly like plums. It was less opaque and more purple in color than traditional red wine. It had a sweet taste, but was also balanced well with acidity. The back of my mouth tingled from the acid, but it wasn't overpowering. There were notes of orange and citris. It was very light and refreshing. I would describe it as a medium-body wine that is more sweet than acidic. Overall I think it's great for summer and I would definitley have it again!

Wine Folly: For the connection to Wine Folly, I'll focus on the two most prominent grapes: Zinfandel and Merlot. Zinfandel is described as fruit-forward, bold, and with "fruit-jam" like flavors (page 302). I thought this was pretty acurate with the sangria; while it wasn't all Zinfandel, I definitley agree with it having fruit-jam like flavors. It's described as having notes of peach, blackberry, and strawberry. Switching over to Merlot - it is known for its black cherry and plum flavors (page 208). It also has high levels of tannins. I could clearly taste the plum flavor in the sangria.