Mulderbosch Rose `09 $10.99 (not TJ's) ****

How to take the edge off a terrible commute? (2 hours on the LIRR due to someone having a much worse day that I)

Arrive just past 10pm to a plate of delicious leftover salmon, pasta with capers, red peppers, garlic and anchovies. To complete the whole picture was a glass of this rose.  It made the long week and terrible commute melt into a distant memory.

I am really loving South African wines and this rose is just adding to my small list of tasty& economical bottles (the Indaba are stand outs as well).  It is a dry Cabernet Sauvignon rose, with a hint of citrus (grapefruit) and a fresh strawberry/fruity finish, not sweet, but bright.  Two glasses went down really well and were a taste treat accompanying the subtle wild sockeye salmon and the savory pasta.

I am going to give this wine four stars. It is a GREAT price point, a great change from typical white summer wine and it has a fun history from a South African Vineyard Mulderbosch, that has been in existence for centuries.

Note on the photography:  The pictures on this blog should be getting better.  I have just inherited a Nikon Digital SLR.  Although the photo above was taken by the chef on his new Olympus, the next post should have a photo from the Nikon, his hand me down to me.  I won't be hastily snapping with my Blackberry anymore. It was at their dinner table that I started traveling the world via wineglass, and Friday night's trip to South Africa proved that there is some great and exotic drinking out there that won't break the bank.