One of the few good reasons for using corks to close wines was when Reds had pictures of famous Bolsheviks on its corks. I still have some Lenin and Trotsky corks in a drawer somewhere.

Reds (about $9, available at Central Market) is a screw top these days, but the wine remains true to its mission –- a cheap, quality red wine blend that’s food friendly. It’s a little more fruit forward and raspberry jammy than it used to be, but it’s still a well-made wine that offers considerable value and deserves $10 Hall of Fame consideration. I drank it with roast chicken, and it would also do well with hamburgers, grilled sausages and spaghetti and meatballs.

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More wine news:

• GrapeFest People’s Choice awards: One reason I enjoy this event so much is because ordinary wine drinkers get to be completely honest about what they like. And this year, they liked mead -– more specifically, mead from Purple Possum Winery in Navasota. The cranberry and habanero meads won their categories. And you know what? I have never been able to figure out what people like about mead. The complete list is here, and includes accolades for Dallas’ Inwood Estates.

• State Fair wine: The fair’s Wine 101 classes, which proved such a big hit last year, will return when the fair begins on Sept. 26. Look for the Wine Garden, in back of the Food and Fiber building. And, yes, that will be me holding classes, rotating with well-known wine types John Bratcher and Dan Peabody. Stop by and say hello.