Hello team, Joan here. I would just like to take a moment to point out (not that it hasn't been mentioned by every other bastard in the twenty something pages you went through to get here) it is the last issue for 2025. With that comes some sad goodbyes, particularly Miss Boss Lady, Nina Brown. Nina's favourite tipple is allegedly Jam Shed, a rather pleasant Shiraz offering out of Oz, the second best wine producing country on the planet.
As far as reds go, it is definitely much less abrasive than the more standard merlots and pinots. It pairs pretty well with just about anything, particularly the pasta bake that my flat had for dinner. On the nose it presents as a lot less acidic than a pinot (probably due to the “tannins” or whatever) but wine science is far better to be undertaken by a middle-aged French person than my BA-taking ass.
Despite being called Jam Shed, actual jamminess is a bit lacking & . Not even a little seed or two to hold up the illusion – a little disappointing, but to be expected. From what I’ve gathered from reading the bottle, it seems to be a wine of mixed origin; a bit of a blend to achieve the exact taste profile that the bottler wants, and that is an idea I can get behind. It’s also 13.5%, which is like half a percent off being taxed as a fortified wine. Pretty fucking impressive for what’s just a bunch of rotten grapes grown in the place they filmed Mad Max.
In all seriousness though, if you whipped the label off this and had me blind taste a bunch of reds, Jam Shed would win all week and twice on Sunday. It’s a stellar offering, warms you pretty well for the cold Dunedin nights that are (largely) over, and doesn't give the feeling of that horrific Pinot Noir spider that runs up the back of your throat in Maharajas after you smash back the bottle before your main even comes out. Not a bad drop at all.
Tasting notes: Warm peppery nips enveloping an unexpectedly light yet full body
Scullability: 4/10 out of bottle, 8/10 out of pint glass
Pairs well with: Grinding out an essay at pres, dinner with the in-laws
Hangover Rating: 8/10