Product Review Day

I am a sucker for trying new products. I’ve been doing really well at resisting, and there are some things that I just don’t get excited about. But generally, I always enjoy trying something new in the world of chips. Potato chips, corn chips, pretzel mixes. Those are always fun to sample. So yesterday when I saw the display for a new type of Pringle chip, I was lured right in. These were not your average looking Pringle. For one, they were not in the recognizable can. They were in bags. And the label said “Pringles Select”. I had to take notice. What first caught my eye was the Cinnamon Sweet Potato variety. That just sounded so good! Then I continued down the line, finding Parmesan Garlic, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Szechuan Barbecue. I looked at that display for a full minute before a bag of the Parmesan Garlic made it’s way into my cart.

And of course, as soon as I got home, the bag was opened. First of all, while the trademark Pringle shape, these were a smaller bite size, and had some texture to them. I popped one in my mouth and was hit by a burst of flavor. But I have to admit, it didn’t remind me very much of Parmesan or of garlic. Well, maybe some garlic. They are a decent bag of chips, and I would buy them again to accompany a turkey sandwich, but they are not drop-dead good. I still want to try the sweet potato ones to see how they compare to the Terra chips that I enjoy from time to time. The Pringles say right on the bag 0 grams trans fat. Reading the ingredient label, however lists partially hydrogenated soybean oil near the bottom of the list. So while it’s not towards the top, it’s still there, which leads me to believe that a serving of chips (28 of them) is under the 0 gram trans fat mark, but sitting down with a few handfuls will still be unhealthy.

The second product review today is quite delightful. Yesterday while out and about I stopped in to look at some wine. My grocery store has an excellent liquor store and wine department. So many wonderful varieties and options. I was looking at the boxed wines, because I don’t drink enough wine to drink a bottle before it goes bad. The store has two sections of boxed wines. The cheaper section, and the more expensive section (expensive being $15.99 a box for Black Box). I was looking over the expensive boxed wines when one caught my eye because it was something I hadn’t heard of before. A Shiraz-Grenache Blend. I like Shiraz, I really like Australian wine, but what is a Grenache? I’ll let you read the details here if you want an education. I took the box home with me… a few hours later, I had a fantastic glass of wine in my hands.

The wine itself was a gorgeous ruby color- kind of a cross between a blush and a red. It really was pretty. I am one who does enjoy a blush wine from time to time (I was all over White Merlot when it first came out) but I really enjoy reds and whites as well. This one was a perfect blended wine. It didn’t have the oakiness or robustness of a red wine, it didn’t have the sweetness of a blush wine either. Instead it was crisp like a good white, and had a fantastic light, fruity flavor, reminiscent of strawberries and white grapes. It really is an excellent wine. Hardys Shiraz Grenache could very well be a staple around here. It is perfect and delightful enough to please both red and white wine lovers, and will perhaps expand someones palate who leans to the blush. I could easily see myself enjoying a glass of this every evening curled up with a book.