*** I received this wine as a sample. ***

There is something about a short workweek that makes it so much slower than a regular workweek.  That was particularly true for me during the first week of January.  I had to work on New Year’s Eve, but had New Year’s Day off.  Then, I was back in the office Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  The problem is, I was one of the few people working.  I sent emails and tried to set up all the meetings necessary to starting the New Year off right, but I mostly received “out of office” replies in response.  Not only that, there were only a couple of people in my office, so there wasn’t even anyone around to gossip with.  So, the week was quiet and slow.  I thought Friday was never going to come, but when 5 o’clock finally arrived, I was out the door and ready to sink into a glass of a nice, big red wine.

The 2010 HandCraft Petite Sirah (winery, Amazon) is a blend of 82% Petite Sirah, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Sangiovese, 3% Syrah, and 3% Zinfandel grapes.  The wine is made in California and was a deep, vibrant purple with flecks of ruby throughout.  On the nose, there was IHOP Boysenberry syrup and plums mixed with nutmeg and black pepper.  In the mouth, there were boysenberries, blueberries, and hints of dark plums and black pepper.  The wine had big tannins, high acidity, and a fully body.

Is this worth a glass after work? Definitely!  If you see this wine in the store, grab it; you won’t be disappointed. At an SRP of $12, the quality-price ratio on this wine is almost impossible to beat.  Was it quite as elegant as the Clarksburg Wine Co’s Petite Sirah I’d opened a couple of nights early?  No, but at half the price (and with a little aeration both by using an aerator and letting the wine sit in my glass), the HandCraft was still very enjoyable.  It was a big, bold, jammy red that I could just sink myself into.  It was perfect for the first Friday night of 2013.

Hubby made a lemon pepper chicken with a cucumber salad and olive oil dressing for dinner on that Friday night, which was an ok pairing for the wine.  It’s definitely food-friendly, I just think I didn’t do the best job pairing it.  Admittedly, I enjoyed the wine best on it’s own while relaxing with Hubby, my knitting, and re-runs of Love-It-Or-List-It.  In fact, I actually enjoyed the wine over two nights.  Not only did it hold up really well over the two days, but I actually enjoyed it slightly more on day two.

If enjoying good wine at an affordable price isn’t enough of a reason for you to grab a bottle of HandCraft Petite Sirah, maybe the fact that the proprietor, Cheryl Indelicato, donates a percentage of the sales proceeds is.  According to their website, Cheryl donated $100,000 to breast cancer research and prevention.  As many of you know, not only do I have a family history of breast cancer, but also one of my Wine Ladies was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2011.  Thankfully, she has been cancer-free for more than 6 months, but being able to buy a good wine that helps an important cause and share that wine with this amazing group of women…well, it means this wine will likely become a regular attendee at wine night.  How could it not?

Suggested Retail Price: $12
Received as a sample.
Overall: 4 Corks