Cline Red Truck Red, 2002 vintage

price: $11-$12

suggested food pairings: Italian foods involving tomato sauce, simply prepared red meats, medium bodied cheeses

Everything about this wine is fun and whimsical-its name, packaging, how it's blended, the color, the flavor profile... even the price is fun when you consider the quality.

The grandson of the man who invented the Jacuzzi (another fun thing from this family), Fred Cline began making wine in Oakley, Calif., in the early 1980s. A decade later Cline moved to a 350-acre site in Carneros. They now vinify 20-plus different bottlings, including a Jacuzzi Family Vineyards label. Cline has been a big winery for a while now, so we can say with certainty that they are big and good.

The wine itself is purple with deep red highlights. It's a blend of primarily mourvedre and syrah, with pinot noir and merlot being part of the menagerie loaded on the red truck. You just don't see varietals from France's Rhone, Bordeaux and Burgundy regions being blended together. Then again, this isn't France....thank God. This old truck started and ran on the first sip. The nose aromas of bramble, cherries, blueberries and cocoa powder all translate into flavors on the tongue. Just the right kiss of oak and cherried spice from the syrah give this silk textured blend interesting structure and mouthfeel. This is definitely a winner of my coveted "buy at least two bottles" award. In fact, I bought a case.