In sports, acting and business, timing is everything, so we were surprised when recently introduced to Bandit-branded boxed wines in the middle of winter.
Whether you live in Missouri or Florida, winter is a time to naturally slow down and take it easy. It also is the time when most sporting events (except hockey and skiing) have ended and, with them, the great American activities of tailgating, beach going, boating and picnicking. With the cessation of these activities, who really looks for a simple, portable wine in an unbreakable container? A smart consumer, that’s who.
The Bandit wines come in two sizes, the 1-liter refrigerator pack at $9 and the 500-milliliter portable at $5; for the price, they are very good wines. The great thing about the 500-milliliter box is it can be used in the preparation of a meal and can then also accompany that meal with no leftover wine to save and perhaps go bad.
Bandit Cabernet Savignon This is a friendly incarnation of a usually stiff and often austere wine. It retains all of the charm and depth one seeks in a cabernet savignon without the usually high price tag.
The aroma of this wine is heavy with cherries, pomegranates, cranberries and an unmistakable undertone of spice. The flavor is broad and layered, accenting the aroma but with a noticeable addition of a summer wild berry component.
Bandit MerlotThe often overlooked merlot takes on a new glow in this offering from Bandit. No, it is not a wine that will make you pass out in ecstasy at the first sip, but it is a wine that presents all of the beauties of a merlot without the price tag or disappointment of many of its peers.
Here is a wine that has the brilliant amethyst color of a classical merlot and presents a bold blackberry and raspberry flavor with cherry and plum in the background followed by a long and fruity finish. It is a charming wine that is the perfect accompaniment to red meats or Spanish and Italian dishes.
If you have grown tired of merlot, here is one that can wake up your taste buds.
Bandit Pinot GrigioThis is an almost universal wine that can go well with many foods. Meals with sharp or spicy dressings are just made to be accompanied by a pinot grigio.
The wine displays the aromas of lemon and green tea with a flavor that is true to the variety’s reputation: crisp green apple with a mineral-laced lemon background.
Bandit ChardonnayThis chard is tropical in nature and exhibits a melding of apple, pear and pineapple, all helping to balance the natural fruit acids with the flavor.
This variety, too, is one that in recent years has fallen from popularity because of the proliferation of mediocre chards in the marketplace. Do not restrict this wine to the usual fare, as it is enjoyable and can accompany a broad spectrum of foods.
Bandit Red BlendTo create Bandit Red Blend, the winemakers used three grape varieties not normally blended together - merlot, syrah and zinfandel - and created a fascinating full-fruit wine that retain a slight sweetness to further enhance the enjoyment.
This wine displays the flavors and aromas of raspberries, cranberries and plum backed up by fresh spice.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.[[In-content Ad]]
