Next month, Jacob’s Creek is launching a brand new Double Barrel Shiraz, a wine that has been aged in whisky barrels as opposed to normal American and/or French oak barrels. While this may sound like a marketing gimmick, let me assure you that this wine is a true representation of Jacob’s Creek’s innovation and commitment to making good wine.

Jacob’s Creek winemakers noticed a spike in scotch consumption, especially among fine wine drinkers who wandered into whisky territory out of curiosity. They began to ask themselves, how could they make a wine that would satisfy the inquiring palate but remain in the premium red category? So Jacob’s Creek brought the whisky to the wine by transferring Shiraz into scotch whisky barrels for the final 12 weeks of the aging process. The results are both distinctive and delicious.

The product has the vanilla, dark fruit and spice of a typical Shiraz with the texture and mouthfeel of whisky. This red is smooth and round, with softer tannins and wood sugars than its whisky-less counterpart. You can smell the scotch, ever so slightly, on the nose before it coats your mouth and gives you that final lift characteristic of a quality scotch.

The winemaker recommends that this wine is consumed pre-dinner rather than with a meal and I agree. This wine has a lot of body and character, and may overpower any tastes and textures on your plate. Personally, I plan on picking up a bottle or two in time Thanksgiving when the leaves start to change and the air feels crisp. I can picture the big wooly sweater I will wear as I sip this delicious red wine at 4 o’clock on a Saturday.

Until then, I’m going to put on my bikini, grab a Jacob’s Creek Moscato and bask in this beautiful summer sun!

Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Shiraz will be available at the LCBO in August 2015 for $19.95.

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