Hot Tub Red Wine Review

Hot Tub Red Wine originates from grapes grown in the Puglia area of Italy.

According to the tasting notes, the fruit for this wine is grown in stony soils that produce low yields in order to achieve “extra ripeness.”

The grapes are picked by hand and aging occurs in both American and French oak for six months.

The blend is 60% Negroamaro, 25% Primitivo / Zinfandel and 15% Malvasia Nera.  A very interesting combination!

Hot Tub Red Wine Tasting

I shared the 2011 vintage of this red wine blend with a friend of mine who has an excellent palate for wine tasting.

Appearance

In appearance, this wine is blood red in color.  Very little light shines through.  Looking closely you do see some cranberry reflections, however.

Legs are variable in size, slow to fall and evenly spaced.

Overall this is a very leggy wine.

Aroma

My friend and I both agreed that the primary aroma is Bing cherry.  We also noticed a bit of muskiness in there as well.

Neither one of us noticed much of an alcohol burn in the nose.

Hot Tub Red Wine alcohol content 13.0% by volume, per the bottle.  A bit higher than we were expecting, but not totally surprising, given that the wine is a blend.

Taste

We both agreed the flavor continues the Bing cherry theme from the nose.

I felt the wine was very fruit forward, but not over powering.

Additionally, I sensed some cocoa or mocha, however my friend didn’t agree.

In general, the wine’s flavor is very straightforward and non-complex.  Though not complex, we both agreed the flavor was quite enjoyable.

Mouthfeel and Tannins

Mouthfeel is lush with chunky tannins that do not overwhelm your palate.

My friend felt the tannins were a bit more biting then I did.

He noticed them along the edges of his tongue.  For me it was, all over the palate.

Finish

Hot Tub Red Wine is long finishing and lingers nicely.

Being the analytical people we are, my friend counted 9 seconds of noticeable finish.  I counted 12 seconds until the lingering finish gave way to the tannins.

Overall Opinion

Overall, we both loved the flavor of this wine.

Sometimes it’s great to just relax and enjoy a wine that is simple, yet satisfying.  This is one of those wines.

Hot Tub Red Wine price $11.99.

From the bottle:  “After a long day sometimes you just want to relax your weary bones in a hot tub and sip a glass of wine.  Whether you’re on the couch, at the kitchen table or in a hot tub know that Hot Tub Red will deliver dark, juicy aromas of blackberry and plum, layered with flavors of mocha and smoky oak, with velvety tannins on the finish.  Pairs perfectly with roasted meats, hearty pasta, or simply a bowl of chocolate dipped strawberries.  Enjoy!”

Recommend!

Suggested Food Pairing

After we concluded our formal tasting we had this wine with bread dipped in olive oil and ground Italian herbs.  We both felt this wine went just fine with that.

My friend thought the wine could also go great with a chocolate raspberry cheese cake.

My suggested pairing is to outdoor grill some inch thick ribeye steaks that have been coated with light olive oil and rubbed with plenty of garlic and a little pepper.

Combine that with Russet potatoes coated with coarse salt that are oven baked.

Admittedly a “guy’s meal” but I think it would go perfectly with this wine.

Cheers!