The first sniff of the bouquet is spicy, with berry fruit that smells just a little baked (which can happen with warm-climate grapes). Simple, spicy. With time in the glass that blows off for the most part, leaving spicy black cherry and jammy blackberry.

On the palate, it’s a rich and heavy red that’s lifted and balanced by almost enough acidity and more than enough pepper. The fruit flavors taste ripe and sweet enough to work wonderfully with anything off the grill (but don’t think the wine is sweet – it’s a dry/no residual sugar red). While the finish may not break any distance records, it lasts way longer than that of most $5 wines.

Delicato is located in the California city of Manteca, which in Spanish means “lard” (even if we misguided Californians pronounce the city’s name with a hard “E”). That seems rather appropriate for this shiraz, as it’s fat, cheap and can be bought in bulk.

While that last comment may do it about as many favors as the store clerk who puts it next to the box of Almaden, trust me that this is a wine worthy of your next outdoor party.

Cheers,
TSW

* - Unemployment Wine is a WoW designation given to bottles that cost $5 or less, yet taste like you spent a good deal more (or at least a bit more). These aren't Chimp Wines, but they'll keep you in palatable vino until the economy recovers.

** - WoW's Party Wine denotation is given to a bottle that you can bring to a party, and it'll make you look good, but isn’t so amazing that you’ll be devastated if you end up not getting any.

Hats (and corks) off to Delicato for making good, cheap wine, and taking a lot of chances with packaging.

This shiraz very often sells for under $5 – cheap enough to be a WoW Unemployment Wine. But, even at full retail ($6.99), it’s a definite Party Wine. At either price, picking up a couple bottles (or one big-ass box) is a smart move.

OK, about that packaging: Delicato sells this wine in the standard, 750ml bottle; in a magnum that invariably gets placed next to the other inexpensive, big bottles of wine, making it look guilty by association of being crappy wine (since most big bottles anywhere near as cheap are absolute rot-gut); and now it’s available in a 3-liter, are-friends-coming-over -or-should-we- call-Betty-Ford “Bota Box.”

If you thought the magnum was poorly positioned, the box is a real credibility torpedo. It also happens to be one of the best ways to preserve an open wine for a good long while.

Whichever receptacle you choose, you may not need to worry about keeping it for too long. This is a tasty, easy-drinking red that will be the belle of the barbeque.

The color is a deep garnet with purple overtones (or are they undertones… I can never remember).