Two Vines Merlot with Cupcakes

The 2004 Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot is a pleasing wine and cheap – $6.99 at my local Trader Joe’s.  A very berry nose with raspberry on the palate giving way to some spice from the cork bits floating in the wine bottle (my bad) and time spent in American and French Oak barrels – international cooperation in this wine!  Good to see American-Franco relations improving.  Nice acid balance to the fruit, with a short burst of pepper on the finish.

Good with beef, Stereolab, and veal, which I don’t eat, but try it with dessert.  This is a cake and candy wine.  Perfect with a cupcake, any kind – store or bakery bought – even Hostess Cupcakes – the yellow ones preferably.   And if you can find a box;  mine was a gift – this Two Vines Merlot pairs perfectly with Russian treats, which I can only describe as soft lemony caramel morsels that bring out the tobacco in the wine, like a good smoke after a meal.

Next time you’re in Moscow, pick yourself up a couple of boxes of the stuff pictured, and on the way home stop by your local Trader Joe’s and stock up on the 2004 Columbia Crest Two Vines Merlot.  Oh, and grab a couple of bottles of the 2005 Shiraz while you’re at it.