What does being barefoot make you think of? I think of being on a sailboat in the middle of the Caribbean islands with a tiller in my hand and my sail full of wind.
That’s rather more poetic that the Barefoot wines really deserve, but there is nothing wrong with the dream. The Barefoot PR people contacted me and asked me if I would like some wines to taste. Since I had never heard of Barefoot I of course said yes.
The moment I told my coworkers about them there was this glassy eyed response of those recalled effervescent moments in college. You know the ones I am talking about. Those moments where you and a couple older friends of yours go to the liquor store and buy whatever looks most reasonable. Usually you get the cheapest of the cheap stuff in the jug or box and bring it back home, but there are those rare moments when you want to go up that one level and bring home a glass bottle. Something that says, “yeah, I spent that extra $1.”
A while ago I wrote about how I could not believe the things that the people in the US drink, especially for just a few dollars more when they can get some quality wine. After tasting these Barefoot wines I kind of get it. Not really though, I promise.
The first thing I noticed about the Barefoot wines was that there was no year on the bottle. Anywhere. The only notice on it was a sticker that let you know that three years ago the wine won some award in some competition. It was a gold medal, eh... sticker.
I had the Barefoot Sparking, Pinot Grigio, and Zinfandel in front of me. I could not tell you what they tasted like. All of them were pleasant, actually very easy and enjoyable to drink. Drink, but not taste. They had no taste or at least nothing I could point out and say, “Yes, that is a taste.” But that is their point. They are not supposed to blow away a filet of salmon or an orange glazed duck. Theses are wines that are not supposed to be thought about. The Barefoot wines are the absolute frustration to a wine geek and the love of someone who just wants a glass of something in their hands while sitting on the beach. It does not matter what the something is, the wine is just to complete the picture that was in the person’s head when they were sitting at their desk at work wishing they were on the beach.
I need to figure out when my next sailing trip is.
