1/2
Ah, the 2020 Aristotle Petit Sirah from Monterey County—because nothing screams “deep philosophical contemplation” like slapping a quote from a dead Greek guy on a bottle of wine. “Excellence is never an accident,” said Aristotle…probably while sipping on a strong red and wondering if it would pair well with mystery meat dumplings. (Spoiler: it does.) I give them credit though—the label was refreshingly fluff-free. Just a touch of sustainability flex, a quote, and a nod to the fact that this vineyard isn’t trying to kill the planet. Look, I love the planet too, especially when it keeps giving us wine. I didn’t exactly feel wiser after reading the bottle, but I appreciated the effort. Thanks, Aristotle. And the farmers, too.
Now, the wine. Oh, it’s jammy. Like, berry harvest jammy, but not in that overly sweet, dessert-wine kind of way. No, this one packs a good pucker too—solid tannins that go straight for the moisture in your cheeks. I had one sip and immediately reached for some water, which I ignored and went back for more wine. It’s a medium-to-heavy hitter with a little grit to it—like the wine version of someone who works construction but still reads poetry.
At 13.5% ABV, it wasn’t knocking me off my chair, but it certainly wasn’t shy. I paired it with some pork dumplings with spicy sauce because that’s what was in my freezer. And you know what? It worked. Not sure what flavor profile either one was actually bringing to the table—because I definitely wasn’t analyzing terpenes and umami balance—but it all went down just fine. We can call it fusion cuisine, and no one can stop us.
By the end of the night, I was into it. This wine didn’t try to seduce me with poetry or fake sophistication. It just showed up, jammed hard, dried out my mouth a bit, and went surprisingly well with the “was it really just pork” creatures stuffed inside the dumplings. Sometimes, that’s all I ask.
Price-wise, it was either $5.99 or $6.99—I’ve since lost the receipt…again. Either way, it felt like a bargain. I’d definitely buy it again, and maybe next time I’ll pair it with food that doesn’t make me guess the animal. Or maybe not. As Aristotle probably didn’t say: “Great wine pairs with whatever the hell you want if you drink enough of it.”
Types of Grapes: Petit Sirah
ABV % / Fun Juice Level: 13.5%
Origin: Monterey County, CA
Grocery Outlet Price: $5.99 or $6.99…lost the receipt
