First Blush Merlot Juice

It is nearly impossible to dislike grape juice. In the USA, Concord grapes reign supreme as the common source of the sweet juice. First Blush, however, has added a wrinkle, rather than using vitis labrusca, the species of the Concord grape, they've chosen to use traditional wine-making grape varieties from vitis vinifera, including cabernet, chardonnay, syrah, and, the grape juice under scrutiny now, merlot.

I'm a bit nervous about whether or not this will work. Though, it seems to be popular enough. First Blush has a lot of magazine clips, mostly in women's health and wine periodicals. They definitely push the anti-oxidant angle, as most grape juice makers are likely to do.

I bought bottles for $3.19 a piece. They contain 11.5 oz of pure grape juice each.

Presentation/Appearance - 8/10 The bottles are colorful, with each variety sporting its own hue. They're slender, I think to appeal to women. They would fit into a bag fairly easily, though this is good for men, too. These would pose no problem for a briefcase. The bottles are plastic, PETE code 1 recyclable. The only problem I have is the tiny size, but we'll see why that isn't a big deal in a minute.

Smell/Odor/Aroma - 6/10 This is an aggressive odor for a grape juice. The website mentions cherries and plums. I'm getting cherries for sure, but they smell sour. I'm thinking that this will be one tart grape juice. Frankly, I'm almost dreading this. I give it slightly above average because it doesn't smell like sugar and it has its own character.

Taste/Flavor - 8/10 Excellent! Nothing like what I thought the nose portended. This is a silky

smooth juice. It's naturally sweet with dark fruit flavors dominating in the middle of the mouthful. If anything, it might be a tad too sweet. That is the reason they don't bother adding any sugar. I would've scored it higher had

there been even a hint of tannins or dryness.

Finish/Satisfaction - 7/10 This is a fine grape juice. With such strong flavors and powerful sweetness, I've concluded that 11.5 oz might be too much juice. A six oz glass was refreshing and tasty. This is a nice treat, not meant to be guzzled.

Overall - 7.4/10 A very good grape juice. Try it if you're curious what wine tastes like before fermentation. This would pair quite well with dessert. Makes me want to dip a piece of sponge cake into the glass.

First Blush has some interesting recipes on the website, including the simple First Blush Sparkler, which I will make and review at some future date. I am also interested in turning a bottle of this into a syrup. That would work with the sponge cake even better.