A Good Value Red Wine That’s Going to Make You Smile

The Columbia Valley is a wine region on the eastern side of Washington state. It’s also Washington’s biggest AVA. It’s a region known for ripe, fruit-forward, good-value red wine. And I have one to recommend this week that I think is a real crowd-pleaser.

Although Washington has a reputation for cold and rain, the eastern side of the state is actually a sunny place. In fact, it gets as much as 300 days of sunshine annually. That is a remarkable amount of sunshine! This means that the growing season also a very consistent one, making a great environment for producing bold reds from grapes including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.

My review of MV Columbia Winery Composition Red Blend, Columbia Valley

This good-value red wine is a multi-vintage blend heavy on Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. There’s also a bit of Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot in the blend. It’s a medium-bodied red with a true ruby color. It has compelling blackberry, cranberry and black plum aromas and bright, vibrant red fruit flavors. Wonderfully biting acidity and soft tannins make it an approachable drink.

It’s a great “food wine.” Want some serving suggestions? Try this red blend with a variety of barbecue and party foods, including burgers, white pizza or maybe steak sandwiches.

This is a fun wine with approachable, jammy flavors and a smooth finish. It really is one of the best-value, American red wines you’ll find for $12 or less. I would be happy to drink it again and would definitely consider it as a viable choice for a casual party like a beach barbecue.

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Amy Reiley

Eat Something Sexy's Creator & Editor-in-Chief Amy Reiley is the award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks. She has her Master of Arts in Gastronomy, awarded by Le Cordon Bleu and The University of Adelaide. She is also a Certified Nutrition Coach awarded by the International Sports Sciences Association and she is a California Certified Massage Therapist.

Amy is considered a leading authority on aphrodisiacs. Her work in aphrodisiacs is quoted in publications including National Geographic, The New York Times, Epicurious, Wine Enthusiast, Health and Playboy magazines. She speaks internationally on aphrodisiac foods and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac history and science to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. She is a frequent guest on relationship and lifestyle radio and podcast shows and has been interviewed by BBC and NPR radio, Cosmopolitan radio and popular podcasts including My Dad Wrote a Porno.

Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health researcher and writer as well as a wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is an MSN content provider. And she is also a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine.

Fun fact: Amy was the creator of the first ever comprehensive food and wine apps, Amy Reiley's Pocket Gourmet and Amy Reiley's Pocket Vineyard for Palm.

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