| In an article entitled "A bang for your $7.45 - | | | | tasted it. Then I went to the wine store cited |
| Fuzion fires a frenzy at the LCBO," Rod Phillips, | | | | above and purchased five other bottles for this |
| wine writer for the the Ottawa Citizen recently | | | | series. I asked the guy at the information desk |
| wrote: "A colleague told me last week he'd been | | | | for his opinion. His answer, "What do you expect |
| in a "near-riot" at the main LCBO store at Rideau | | | | for $7.45." And now for my thoughts. |
| and King Edward. Noticing a commotion in one of | | | | The first meal was a Middle-Eastern specialty, |
| the aisles, he found customers jostling to get their | | | | ground meat in ground bulgar and semolina |
| hands on bottles of Fuzion, the Argentinian | | | | jackets with a somewhat spicy tomato sauce. |
| shiraz-malbec blend recently added to the LCBO's | | | | The fuZion was very pedestrian and quite short. I |
| list. He managed to grab two bottles." We'll see if | | | | did taste some cherries. The smell bordered on |
| this wine is worth fighting for. | | | | the unpleasant. I tried it with homemade apple |
| OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY - All wines that we | | | | cake. In response the wine became flat. The |
| taste and review are purchased at the full retail | | | | finishing touch was a rather tasty fruit juice candy |
| price. | | | | that simply overpowered this liquid. So far so bad. |
| Wine ReviewedfuZion Shiraz-Malbec 2007 | | | | I do have the idea that by letting the wine |
| Argentina 13.5% alcohol about $7 | | | | breathe it might improve. |
| Usually I start an article by quoting the Liquor | | | | The second meal should have been a fine pairing. |
| Board's marketing materials. Interestingly enough, | | | | It consisted of Pot Roast to which I added |
| here there aren't any. So I'll quote the back label, | | | | Harissa, a Tunisian fiery pepper sauce and soft |
| my own translation from the French. [I think this | | | | wheat kernels with carrots. I poured the wine into |
| wine was so popular that the Ontario commission | | | | a wide glass well before consuming it. This was |
| brought in bottles from neighboring Quebec, hence | | | | not a very successful pairing. The wine remained |
| the French.] | | | | short and harsh. It wasn't at all round and didn't |
| Origin: Mendoza, Argentina. | | | | have much taste. It definitely wasn't worth a near |
| Food Pairing Suggestions: Barbecued meat, pasta, | | | | riot. |
| and sharp cheeses. | | | | I tasted this wine with two local cheeses; a yellow |
| Tasting Notes: Intense violet color. Prune and black | | | | Cheddar and a white Munster. With the first |
| cherry aromas. Silky wine, moderately full-bodied, | | | | cheese the wine had a pale taste. It was sort of |
| fairly concentrated with a long finish. | | | | grapey. The fuZion actually perked up with the |
| The label then goes on to tell you about the | | | | Munster. It wasn't bad. So maybe this wine could |
| producers, the Zuccardi family in Argentina. | | | | be served at a wine and cheese party, especially |
| As per our quoted introduction, this wine really | | | | one on a low budget with low expectations. I |
| created a sensation in our neck of the woods. A | | | | snuck in a final tasting with a cherry strudel. For |
| major wine writer compared it favorably to $20 | | | | the first time the wine took on some acidity but |
| bottles and for a while you couldn't find it. I made | | | | it was weak. Just in case you don't know my |
| sure not to read the reviews so as not to be | | | | policy, I never blame a wine for weird food |
| influenced. To get my hands on a bottle I had to | | | | pairings that don't work, like this last trial. But I do |
| go to a never before visited outlet. I asked the | | | | blame it for food pairings that should have |
| cashier what she thought of it but she hadn't | | | | worked. |