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Lately I’ve been making a move away from the Australian Wines, seems I was a bit possessed by Yellow Tailed Little Penguin named Wolf Blass. Additionally, trying to keep the cost below the $12/bottle mark.

So I’m taking it back to the roots, but keeping with the cutesy animals names, I got my hands on a bottle of “Big Fat Llama” Merlot (2004) direct for El País Mayor, Chile. Ringing in at $12.42 ( I think) it was a mighty cup. Full & Fruity and good for gulping, with just hint of cinnamon. If you still care about real corks, Big Fat Llama has ‘em. But the best part is the Winemaker’s name is printed right there on the label. So if I wanted to, I could scour the Cachapoal Valley for José Ignacio Cancino, and give him a pat on the back and tell him to “Keep up the good work!” or “Me gusta su viña, me gusta Tú, José”.

I’ve been getting more and more into Californian wines lately, and this is one of the reasons why. For $16 you get a very nice wine, with a lot of fruity undertones. Not in the Strawberry Angel way, but in the way I imagine wine reviewers discuss fruity flavors. The wine hits the mark between sweet and dry. And unlike the overpowering alcohol content of other Syrahs/Shiraz’s, this wine doesn’t burn the hell out of your guts while you’re getting buzzed. I have personally bought 3 bottles of the stuff in 2 weeks. Recommended.

Solanero makes a bunch of shitty wines.

Sola is as complex as it is delicate. It was inspired by “The Sun”. The sun is light.

Contrast this to its brother wine, Nero. Which is as complex as it is robust. It was inspired by “The Moon”. The moon is dark.

Light~Dark, Sun~Moon. Sola~Nero. Get it?

I chose the ‘Sola’ because my lasagna called for a white wine to blanche brocolli with.
Sola tastes like apple juice, which should appeal to the booming underage girl market. It has only the slightest hint of booze, and a double dose of hangover inducing saccharin sweetness. I imagine this would go well with a ‘Cosmo’ and a home pedicure kit, served at room temperature.