Ed’s Red

Ed’s Red 2012 AD California: Turns out winemakers are a lot like us — they don’t want to spend a mint drinking, either. To fix that problem of high-priced wine, Edwin Richards, one of the owners of Adastra Wines in Napa, developed Ed’s Red, a blend that they joke “pairs well with mammoth or its vegetarian equivalent.” Though the suggested price is $17, it’s on their website now for $15.

Mammoth is key, as the wine is bold and fruity without sinking into a La Brea ooze of overdone-ness. While it’s 50 percent merlot, it’s not just a Bordeaux blend, for it also contains zin, petite sirah, barbera, and syrah. The grapes all come from throughout NorCal, namely the Sierra Foothills, Sonoma, Napa, and Lake County.

It’s perfect for pizza night or to be surreptitiously shared at the Association of Writers & Writing Programs Bookfair in L.A. recently. Thanks, Napa Valley Writers’ Conference!

See edsred.net.