Odd Pair: Jell-o and Shiraz

Jell-O in and of itself is somewhat odd. It's simply a mound of gelatinous sugar that jiggles when poked. From time to time, I'll get a craving for it and decide to make some. While I usually stick to basics with this treat, last week I felt experimental and decided to add some fresh rosemary to my cranberry Jell-o. It was a delightful combination that was bursting with holiday cheer. To celebrate my accomplishment, I opened a bottle of Chocolate Box 2007 Shiraz.

Oftentimes the bottles with the best labels tend to have the worst contents. Don't judge a book by its cover is the phrase that comes to mind when wine shopping. This is not the case with the Chocolate Box wines. Each variety sports a label of a beautiful pinup girl sexily enticing you to purchase her product. The labels are retro-inspired, simple, and sensual. Luckily, the wine is also amazing.

This particular Shiraz is highly rated by multiple respectable wine sources, and I for one was a huge fan of its velvety smoothness. Made from 100 percent Shiraz grapes, the wine had bold notes of chocolate, coffee and vanilla, with a spicy finish. And the robustness of the wine was good match for the delicate Jell-o. The combination was a winner.