If You See Kay 2014
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Kay smells amazing; she’s soft, creamy, juicy, rich, and powerful all at the same time. A dark and brooding wine, hints of imminent danger, ripe with confidence and purpose; on a mission. She’s more than a mouthful, but never wasteful – like handfuls of juicy ripe blackberries dripping from your hands, so perfectly ripe that you have to go back again and again for another taste.
Having created a host of successful brands such as Hundred Acre, Cherry Pie and Layer Cake wines, they saw the opportunity to develop a sexy, provocative wine outside the boundaries of traditional wine styles, themes and packaging. Selecting fruit from top vineyards in Lazio, Italy, if you see kay is a luscious Cabernet Sauvignon blend that boldly illustrates the team's winemaking philosophy: "Risk everything."
If You See Kay is a culmination of outstanding winemaking and the image of a strong woman, Kay, who embodies the principles of living life to the fullest. The graphic image of Kay as a tattooed woman on a motorcycle perfectly captures the "wide open-throttle" approach to winemaking and was an apt representation of the new brand.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
Known as the ancient homeland of the Latins, today there is a vigorus wine industry beyond the city limits of modern, bustling Rome. The Cesanese grape, full of red berry, spice and rose, is responsible for Lazio’s only true local reds. Lazio’s most famous white wine, called Frascati, is based on the local Malvasia del Lazio and Trebbiano Toscana. A sweet version, called Cannellino di Frascati, is also made.