Toad Hollow Erik's the Red

There was a Far Side cartoon that showed a group of generals sitting around a table, and one guy says, "What if we had a war and everybody came?" That's kind of the idea behind Toad Hollow's Erik's the Red, which is a blend of 15 red grapes from Paso Robles in California. From the site:

The majority of the blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, and Rofosco with a small amount of Syrah, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Merlot, Zinfandel, Dolcetto, Cabernet Franc and Petit Sirah only to be polished at the end with Grenache, Mouvedre, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Wow. I'm surprised they didn't throw in a splash of Pinot Noir just for the hell of it.

It's a firm wine--smooth beginning and tannic finish. A fun wine to drink (and it would be hilarious to take one to a blind tasting), but I don't know what food I'd match it with. Every sip tastes a little different, as you pick up different elements from the various grapes. No one grape stands out. It's non-vintage, but tasted pretty fresh. With all those tiny grapes like Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it could age well, but I wouldn't go to the trouble. $13.