Clos Mimi's Petite Rousse Syrah, 2005

"Appellation" Paso Robles, CA; a Clos Mimi Syrah. It's got a charming dusty grape juice colour, and I've always found the packaging irresistibly cute.

Otherwise not a very serious wine, and it certainly doesn't hold a candle to the Paso Creek 2005 Merlot.

I'd compare it to candy. It's got this tangy Twizzler kick, and a sharp artificial blueberry tang. A little beefy on the rear though.

Even the smell seems manufactured by a rogue Oompa-Loompa. It's not that it's bad; it just lends the sense that Petite Rousse is not a natural-born creature.

Strange Carafes

Wine glasses that mimic the veins beneath your skin, courtesy of artist Etienne Meneau. Dubbed Petit Coeur ("Little Heart"). Each 20-cm Pyrex wonder will set you back about EU1500, plus shipping.

What a steal. Lovely though.

Beaujolais Nouveau Goes Plastic ... for the Environment?

Srsly.

Altos de Luzon, 2005

I'm partial to Spanish wines because so many of them taste carnal: close to the earth, close to the flesh.

The Altos de Luzon 2005, which hails from Jumilla, Spain, is no different. It has a striking fresh-pepper smell but tastes surprisingly dark and smooth, bringing to mind both warm chocolate and cool clay.

A good bottle to have around: it's cheap and doesn't take itself too seriously. (That is, it won't go straight to your head.)

Sober and unassuming, there's wit beneath the surface.

Churchill's Finest Reserve Porto

This port, with its fleshy garnet finish and rich rotted-fruit taste, has become one of my favourite treats, especially after consuming a rich meal like duck à l'orange.

I harbor a suspicion that the woman who sold me this bottle is often drunk at work. If your job is to recommend a good spirit, maybe that's not so terrible. 

In any case, she told me Churchill's Finest Reserve Porto distinguishes itself from 20-year tawnies, the ports I used to favor, because it isn't aged in wood.

And the sharp fruity tang goes straight to your head.

When not at home, I generally still prefer to order a Taylor Fladgate 20-year tawny. There's something soothing about that honeyed maple-syrup taste. Churchill's Finest lacks that comfort-food feel.

Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2005

After over a year pining over it, I finally got to try my first Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine, a Beaucastel 2005. I had it over a steak dinner last week at a restaurant in New York.

It was depressing in the degree of disappointment. The crimson was not so crimson, and while the smell rose up as a lively licorice -- and maybe some fruit leather? -- the taste was watery and flat. I downed the glass for its numbing value and did not have another.

The winemaker's notes on Wine.com state Chateau de Beaucastel 2005 needs about 7-10 years of aging. "I can't see it being close to drinkable before 2014 and lasting up to 30 or more years," said Robert Parker in The Wine Advocate.

Well, I certainly wish I'd known that. I could've put Beaucastel on hold and had another. A nice safe chianti, for example. (Not a fan.)

Project Vino Uses Twitter for Wine Tasting

I'm all up in Twitter's grill right now, but for good reason. Every day I learn about something new -- and all without opening my suddenly-too-cumbersome feed reader.

Today I discovered the Project Vino Twitter Wine Tasting. Project Vino is a community-driven Australian wine site. (Think Wine Commune but less sales-oriented.)

Today it's using Twitter to drive a wine tasting event. Three bottles of Kirrihill wine were sent to 12 prominent Aussie-based Twitter users. At a certain time, they were asked to log onto Twitter and share their thoughts with followers.

Australia's wine leaves something to be desired. But from a promotional perspective, they're always on top.

TechCrunch has screenshots from a live stream of the tasting. If this piques your interest in Project Vino, you can follow 'em here.

Image credit: bookworm. I've been using Compfight to find illustrations on flickr; it's awesome.