Not so spooky night

Tonight after the sun sets and the "trick-or-treating" is all done, a group of 30 will be sipping "blindly" on a few wines from around the world in Austin. My old college friends Shane and Lisa are hosting this gathering for their friends and neighbors and have invited me to lead the night away. Here's the lineup... please play along if you like! Cheers - Ali

Blind Reds:

1. This grape is known for its elegance. This wine exhibits unmistakable characteristics typified by brilliant color, silky texture, delicate mouthfeel, and upfront flavors of framboise, cherries and spice. Burgundy, Oregon, California, New Zealand are leading the way in production of this fine wine. Retail $38

Name the Grape: ___________________________________

2. A wine “Altitude”. The grape was sourced from a 45-acre parcel of 80-year-old vines at an average elevation of 3300 ft. above sea level and aged for 12 months in French oak. Purple-colored, it displays an alluring bouquet of cedar, spice box, violets, and black cherry. Medium-bodied and elegant on the palate, it has plenty of savory fruit, cinnamon and allspice notes, excellent depth and concentration, and a fruit-filled finish. Retail $27

Name the Grape:___________________________________

3. This is a blend of (76% and 24%) 2 grape varietals. This bottle delivers notes of toasty oak and cedar from the oak barrel aging, along with concentrated fruit flavors of strawberry, red cherry, and raspberry. This traditional blend and style shines from Bordueax, California, Chile, and Washington State. Retail $25

Name the Grapes:_________________________________

4. Made by a rising star in the wine world, this is a blend of 2 grapes traditionally found in Bordeaux, France, Australia, California and Washington State. This blend shows the nice structure and aromas of “first varietal” up front, and then the more you drink it, the plump, fruit-packed “ second varietal” flavors come welling up from underneath. The firm grip and structure makes it a perfect match to hearty foods and juicy red meats. Retail $25

Name the Grapes:__________________________________

5. Composed of 70% “name the grape” with the balance equal parts Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit comes from vines planted on chalk and limestone at high altitude. Purple in color, the wine offers aromas of pain grille, damp earth, vanilla, black cherry, and black currant. Thick and chewy on the palate, the wine has excellent depth and concentration leading to a tannic finish. You will only find this main varietal in the heart of Spain. Retail $15

Name the Grapes:_______________________________