Pilot Mountain - Sweet Red Muscadine Wine @@@@ (4 corks)

Retails: $7.99 (Total Wine)

First off, Pilot Mountain's Sweet Red Muscadine Wine is the most beautiful light red color. My fiance mentioned that it would be the perfect Valentine's Day wine; it just glows within the glass. As I've previously blogged, I'm a fan of muscadine wines but my father is an even bigger fan. He says it reminds him of his childhood in Georgia, picking muscadines off the vine. I always stock up on muscadine wines from San Sebastian and Lakerdige Winery (both local to Florida) when he's in town, this one may have to make the list.

This sweet muscadine wine is beautiful on its own as a dessert wine. I wouldn't recommend trying to pair it with food except for maybe some brie. It's a delightful find, even if I'm typically true to my red wine affinities, I'm not opposed to the occasional "dessert" glass (yum!) If you know somebody who has a giant sweet-tooth and may not be the biggest wine drinker, I'm sure they would approve of this varietal (here's lookin' at you, Missy Midden).

Bully Hill - Old Barnyard Red Wine @@@ (3 corks)

Retails: $7.99 (Total Wine)

I've been admiring this bottle for a year now. It has a cute color pencil sketch on the front of the bottle featuring the wine maker and his "bully animals." In a sea of drab, pretentious labels, it's a breath of fresh air. The way the local Total Wine merchandises its store puts the Northeastern wines right near the rums (where I buy my fiance's bottles of Captain Morgan...yes, bottles). Produced in Hammondsport, New York, Bully Hill's slogan is "rural life is fertile and very lively." Judging by the label, and the contents within, I would have to agree.

I came across an interesting factoid while researching this winery. Apparently, the artist who created the labels was the original wine maker himself, Walter S. Taylor. A number of the bottles feature sketches of the space shuttle --- what does this have to do with wines? Mr. Taylor was commissioned by the government to paint it and you can find the originals at the Air & Space Museum in Washington (yeah, THAT Washington). It could be just urban legend, but I think it's pretty cool.

Curious, however, they do not list on their bottle or on their website what grape varietals are used in this blend. My best guess would be muscadine with a mix of je ne sais quoi. It's a sweet red, much to sweet for what I normally consume, but it would be an absolute crowd pleaser with non-wine drinkers. Sweet, with just a hint of tartness and a tiny bit of dryness, this is a total departure from your typical red experience. It reminds me of Lakeridge Winery's Southern Red (yeah, I still need to blog about that one). Just know, it's a good one!