Carl Jung Red Wine

My Experience:  I've long believe if something has to say "Premium" on the label, it's not all that Premium.  We'll find out with Carl Jung Red Wine.

We had it with with bacon and eggs.  Good legs, deep maroon in color, we had it just slightly chilled.

The scent made me thing of figs or dark berries like cherry.  It's dry, but not bitter, though a touch bitter in the aftertaste, leaving my mouth feeling mat.  Strong tannins, and mildly acidic.  the finish brings out a little bit of the fruity taste and also some astringency.

It was acidic enough to cut through the greasy bacon and eggs, and worked well with it.  Just below room temperature seemed a good place for it.  It's much more drinkable than some of the Chardonays I've had so far, but it's not as approachable as some of the White Zinfandels I've had.  It's got a weighty mouthfeel.

I'm still not used to how dry some of these are compared to my Juice-trained tongue.  The more I try I'm realizing either I'm not used to it yet, or I simply prefer sweeter drinks.

Interestingly enough, it was very slightly carbonated, after the fact.  It's listed in the ingredients.

5 out of 10

Works as a Wine Alternative: Yes
Did I Like it: I did, paired correctly with something that needs something strong to cut through it.  My wife nearly spat it out.
Would I Recommend it: Not a bad first red to try, I suppose.

Who Might Like it: Those looking for dry alternatives.

Sparkling Water Round Up

After trying the Ariel Brut, I couldn't help but think "I wonder if I could simply use sparkling water to mimic this taste." So, I bought a bunch of sparkling waters to test the theory!

Big K Lemon Lime

Tastes like bitter sugarless 7-Up. Big bubbles, soda-like texture.

Perrier Lime

Much less fizzy, smaller bubbles, smoother to drink, not as harsh on the tongue, not as bitter and a little more lemony.

S. Pellegrino

Not as bitter as the first two. Much more watery, i.e. very lightly carbonated, and tiny tiny bubles. I prefer the taste and feel of this one.

The Perrier is ok on its own, but if you want to add sparkle to a drink, I'd grab the most strongly carbonated club soda you can find, because the other two are simply too weak to combine with something else and not simply water it down.

I thought the lime / lemon taste would be good with mexican food but it's not. Neither my wife nor I really like any of these.

When I tried the Ariel Brut, it had me wondering just how close it was to just a glass of sparkling water, and I can confidently say it's very, very different. These sparkling waters, flavored or not, are not substitutes for the complexities, taste, and craft of the Bruts.