An explosion of grapes, I was intrigued by the 8 dollar bottle of Joe Blow in its bright packaging placed among the California Zinfandels.  Without paying too much attention to the label, I threw it in the cart.  Initial searching on the internet was positive – one female reviewer praised Joe Blow as a fantastic wine while disparaging another (Gnarly Head) that I’ve been wanting to try.  I made a mental note to push Gnarly Head off my to-try list, but after drinking Joe Blow, it’s firmly back on.

There are two ways I can describe this wine that I think would be accurate:  1) it is a wine that (most) girls would like due to its overly fruity character and 2) it’s a wine most white wine drinkers would like due to its overly fruity character.  I’ve never had a more fruity wine, white or red.  Merlot, Petite Sirah, Syran, Zinfandel and Cabernet grapes blend to have a drink that’s almost more grape juice than wine, though admittedly it does grow on you.  The initial shock is mostly from tasting something completely unlike any other you’ve ever experienced, but near the end of your first glass, you’re ready to pour another.  I would disagree with the bottle, which claims that this is a “serious” wine, in spite of the name.  This wine is bright and happy, trying to make you smile rather than reflect, enjoy rather than examine.

Edit: Let this one breathe for a couple of days (with vac-u-vin, of course) and it gets *much* better. Not only drinkable, but actually rather good.  Seeing as how this isn’t really my preferred method of wine drinking, I’m not changing the score, but just noting for those who purchase.

Score: 83