Installment #2 in the ‘Thinking Inside the Box’ series: my quest for a decent, everyday table wine that is accessible and drinkable, without opening a new bottle every time.

The wine:  SEVEN (7) a Red Table Wine from Bodegas Osborne, made from seven grape types, including international varieties, and produced in SPAIN. $18.99

DAY 1

Simply, ruby purple color, aromas are forward, fruity and ripe. Grenache comes thru.

Wine is medium bodied with ripe, sweet fruit and a soft, spicy Grenache base. A good flavor and a nice likable wine.

Not complex, but tastes Spanish, which is a good thing! Nice party idea, let’s see how it handles time.

 DAY 3

A slightly less aromatic nose, but still nice aromas and flavors, slight cedar and spicy Grenache appeal, as tasty as when I opened it, nice, and so far, I would buy it again!

 DAY 5

Pretty much the same as above…..seems the no-air claim is working! Not a blockbuster of a wine, but has enough flair to keep it interesting, and more importantly, makes the perfect wine for the void I was trying to fill….something affordable to have when I want it, simply so I don’t have to think about it, something I can drink, and something to keep me away from my good bottles so I don’t open them only because I don’t have anything simple around!

 DAY 7 and 9

The nose is slightly less apparent but it keeps the fruity flavor going! Grenache aromas and flavors seem to dominate, but who’s complaining? It is still very drinkable!

 DAY 11:

More subtle Grenache fruit at this point, light and simple. Still fruity, dryish and starting to give up on the finish. Still, for an everyday red, simple and pleasing, to wash down pretty much anything besides peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I am still enjoying  this one!

 DAY 23: Starting to fade, yet still has a mild pleasant fruitiness, but short and a bit green once the fruit has faded enough to notice. Still holding on, but I think it really showed its best in the first 2 weeks. Still, at $19, it has a nice flavor and holds up, albeit at a less intense and less qualitative level, than most of the delicious Spanish Grenache under $10 a bottle. I will give it one more try in 2 days!

 DAY 25: Has lost most of its fruit and appeal, but not oxidized a bit, so still can be enjoyed. Very one dimensional at this point, simple and slightly austere, but it lasted very well!

Shayne Hebert, Central Florida Wine Supervisor