Swill or Swell: Episode 18

Boom Boom Syrah

watch the episode here

Welcome to Swill or Swell, a weekly series where I taste grocery store wines and let you know if they’re worth the buck or just meant for the drain! 

CAVEAT! As you read this, please keep in mind that wine is subjective! This means that everyone enjoys different things and something I like might not be something you like and vice versa. I’ll be as objective as I can with facts about the wine’s quality, but in the end if your opinion differs from mine...that’s perfectly fine! Wine is only worth drinking if YOU like drinking it!

LET’S INTRODUCE THE WINE

Today I’ll be tasting the Charles Smith Boom Boom Syrah from WA State. I purchased this from Trader Joe’s for $12.99. I’m excited to try this because I am a fan of others Charles Smith wines, and love that this is a wine from Washington!

BOOM BOOM SYRAH FUN FACTS

Let’s start by talking about the Syrah varietal.

• This varietal originated in France.
  
• It used to be blended into Bordeaux to make a richer wine before appellation control.
  
• It’s the most planted grape in Australia (where it’s called Shiraz).
  
• Common tasting notes of Syrah include olive, meat, leather, black pepper and dark fruits.
  

Now let’s talk a little about the producer, Charles Smith

• Charles was a rock’n’roll manager who fell in love with wine!
  
• In 1999, while on a road trip to Walla Walla, WA, Charles met a winemaker who convinced him to start making his own wine.
  
• He was name Wine Enthusiast’s Winemaker of the Year in 2009, and again in 2014.
  
• The artwork on the bottles all have meaning. The concepts hint to wine flavor and pairings, and each original piece of artwork is a collaboration from Charles and his longtime friend, artist Rikke Korff.
  
• This particular wine, Boom Boom, is a tribute to Charles’ first love lost—a woman nicknamed “Boom Boom” O’Brien.

WINE TASTING NOTES

Look: A deep color, sort of a purple/maroon
Smell: Blackberry bramble (a woodsy type of smell), some black pepper jerky, a little olive
Taste: There’s definitely a bitterness to it (the acidity and tannin has a great balance, the bitterness is just the taste), a little nuttiness, high alcohol
Think:
Food Pairing - Any type of game meat (venison, antelope, lamb, etc.)
Occasion - A BBQ, or even a night in with friends
Rating - This was a good, budget friendly wine! However, I personally don’t think I would buy this again. I would give this a swell.

Want to learn more? Check out my Instagram every Thursday at 5PM PST for a new episode of Swill or Swell! Have a wine you’d like me to taste? Write your request in the comments below or send me a message on Instagram!

Cheers!