Castello d’Avis Wine Blend
Many people (okay, a few) have asked me how I make my wine blend, Castello d’Avis. Since reading the column in The Atlantic about the quality of box wines (reviewer liked the Franzia cabernet sauvignon), I thought I should post my own blend.
The idea behind this blend came from our liking of a Californa blend, Menage a Trois; a tasty wine, but getting more and more expensive: last I looked, it was $11 at CostCo. That’s getting a bit rich for my blood. It’s a blend of cabernet, merlot and zinfandel. I haven’t found a cheap zinfandel in a box, so I am using the shiraz.
7 Parts (350 ml) Almaden Cabernet Sauvignon
5 Parts (250 ml) Carlo Rossi Merlot
3 Parts (150 ml) Black Box Shiraz
Almaden Cabernet Sauvignon: it has a fresh, hearty flavor, with a pleasant bouquet (some overtones of chocolate): unusual in a box wine. I’ve tried all (that are carried by Total Wine), and this is the best. $11 for 5 liters.
Carlo Rossi Merlot: Gives a fruity body to the blend. Best of the big boxes: $15 for 5 liters.
Black Box Shiraz: The spiciest of the boxes. $15 for 3 liters.
That comes to $41 for a total of 13 liters, which is 17.33 bottles at 750 ml each, or $2.37 per bottle. Pretty good price, and a pretty good wine.