Tasting - Fetzer Gewurztraminer

Fetzer
Gewurztraminer
California
2014
$8.95
Wine Enthusiast: 87 pts. A rainy minerality on the nose of this sweet wine manages to cut through the sugared oranges, honeysuckle and ripe, tropical white fleshed fruit, from peach to cherimoya. The palate is full of honeyed apples, white peach and pineapple, but the decent acidity and chalky element stops it short of treacly.
 Color: Yellow
Smell: Honey, pear
Taste: Light, floral, tingly, pineapple, mango
Personal rating: Good wine. I can taste a lot of fruit flavors which I normally can't do. It is refreshing and delicious.

Tasting - Maipe Malbec

Maipe
Malbec
Mendoza, Argentina
2015
$6.95
Robert Parker: 87 pts. The 2015 Maipe Malbec is another 100% Malbec, with a deep purple color and a style similar to the Lexicon, with chocolatey, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, as well as touches of licorice and earth. It is delicious, soft, and round.
Color: Deep red
Smell: oakey, cherry
Taste: Oakey, dry, little sour
Personal rating: I'm not digging this wine. I didn't find it "soft and round". I found it to be an unappealing wine.

Tasting - Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Nouveau Gamay

Manoir du Carra
Beaujolais Nouveau Gamay
Beaujolais, France
2014
$4.95
Shop review: A pretty, floral wine, with a rose petal note underscoring the rich pomegranate and sweet plum flavors. The fresh acidity is balanced, and a light spice note lingers on the finish.
Color: Light red
Smell: Cherry, ethyl
Taste: Oakey, dry
Personal rating: I like the oakey-ness, however, it overpowers the fruit flavors in this wine.

Tasting - Mapreco Vinho Verde Rose

Mapreco
Vinho Verde Rose
Vinho Verde, Portugal
2015
$7.95
Shop review: The cherry color reveals a slightly fizzy wine that is a very fruitful rose made from the traditional vinho verde white grapes. Adding a splash of red to offer flavors with notes of strawberry, cherry, and berries. A delightful twist on the original.
Color: Peachy
Smell: Peachy, honeysuckle
Taste: Peach, floral
Personal rating: This wine was pretty good! It was sweet and bubbly and refreshing.

Tasting - Mars & Venus Chardonnay

Mars & Venus
Chardonnay
La Mancha, Spain
2014
$5.95
Shop review: A very nice value Chardonnay that comfortably over-delivers vs. its modest price tag. No oak here, just bushels of clean, crisp, Chardonnay apple and stone fruit with a hint of caramelized pineapple. Juicy and clean, this is a midweight white that's just perfect for parties or weeknight sipping.
Color: Yellow
Smell: Pear, citrus
Taste: Sour, dry, hot, apple
Personal rating: Definitely not a favorite. The sour aspect was not appealing.

Tasting - Beringer Chenin Blanc

Beringer
Chenin Blanc
California
2014
$5.95
Shop review: A fresh green-apple aroma and vivid citrus and crisp apple flavors are supported by vibrant acidity in this medium-bodied wine. The texture is smooth but crisp, making lots of good food pairings come to mind, from pre-meal cheese, to salads, seafood and veggie pastas.
Color: slightly yellow
Smell: Cat pee, pear
Taste: Slightly citrusy, sweet, peachy
Personal rating: I wasn't wowed by this wine.

Tasting - Carraia Aglianico

Carraia
Aglianico
Campagna, Italy
2013
$9.95
Shop review: Produced in the Campania region of Italy, this Aglianico has delicious black fruit flavors with hints of licorice, volcanic soil and tar notes. Classic in nature, yet in a lighter, more crowd-pleasing style, the Carraia is made of the ancient Aglianico grape. This black grape originated in Greece and today is widely grown in Basilicata and Campania.
Color: Deep red
Smell: Blackberry, cherry, smokey
Taste: Very woody
Personal rating: The woody taste overpowers all of the other flavors of this wine for me.

Tasting - Siema Vino Rosso

Siema
Vino Rosso
Piemonte, Italy
$6.95
Shop review: Intense ruby red with soft garnet nuances in the glass, the Rosso is intriguingly fresh, fruity and spicy on the nose. Perfectly round and balanced, the wine is particularly soft and dry. Pair with simple dishes like fresh cheese, ham, salami, or pizza for a divine culinary experience.
Color: Ruby red
Smell: Chocolately, strawberries
Taste: Smokey, cherry, subtle spices
Personal rating: This was good! The smoke wasn't overpowering and I could taste the cherry and spice underneath it.

Tasting - Dom de la Foret Grenache Cinsault Rose de Mediterranee

Dom de la Foret
Grenache Cinsault
Rose de Mediterranee
Provence, France
$8.95
Shop review: A stony, pure style, with a warm paving stone note framing the dried cherry and rose water notes. The long, watermelon rind-inflected finish is finely tuned. Shows length and cut, staying lacy in feel. 50% Cinsault and 50% Grenache.
Color: Pale white
Smell: Floral, ethyl
Taste: Watery, lavendar, light, citrus
Review: It was light and sweet, but it wasn't very impressive.

Tasting - Bricco dei Tati Cortese

Bricco dei Tati
Cortese
Piemonte, Italy
2013
$6.95
The Washington Post review: Great value! Treat this terrific little white like a red: Don't chill it too much, then let it open for a half-hour to develop its enticing tropical fruit flavors. It's dry, but the fruit gives an appealing illusion of sweetness. Great as an aperitif or with light seafood dishes.
Color: Mostly clear
Smell: Citrus, pear, apple
Taste: Citrus, sweet, pear, tropical fruits
Personal review: This wine was very good!

Tasting - Dellatorri Moscato and Cupcake Moscato comparison

Dellatorri
Moscato
2014
$8
Chianti, Italy
Review: Absolutely delicious. Perfect sweetness, peaches, almost honey flavors. Small bubbles, very smooth.
Color: slightly yellow
Smell: pears, honey
Taste: Fizzy, sweet, honey, not very complex, pear, green, light and simple

Cupcake
Moscato D'Asti
2014
$12
Italy
Review: Cupcake Moscato is one of our favorite celebration wines! Vibrant and floral, and bursting with tropical fruit and refreshing sweetness, Cupcake Moscato can be enjoyed as an aperitif as well as a dessert.
Color: Slightly yellow, more bubbly than the Dellatorri
Smell: Apples, citrus
Taste: sweet, bubby, honey, more complex, apply

Personal rating: The Cupcake is more complex and has a wider variety of fruit flavors. In general, the Cupcake tastes much better than the Dellatorri. The Dellatorri is also sweet, but has a very plain and almost watered down taste. It does not have much body to it.

Tasting - Gallo Family Vineyards White Zinfandel

Gallo Family Vineyards
White Zinfandel
$2
California
Review: This White Zinfandel combines energising refreshment with radiant fruit scents of fresh strawberry and traits of white peach. A medium-bodied wine with a gorgeous, jewel-like color, the wine has fruit flavors of dried cranberry, watermelon and fresh cherry.
Color: pink
Smell: Couldn't smell much
Taste: sweet, cranberries, sweet fruit juice
Personal rating: Very good!

Tasting - Gallo Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

Gallo Family Vineyards
Cabernet Sauvignon
$2
California
Review: This full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon demonstrates satisfying flavors of blackberry and black currant. The fruit is well adjusted by just the right amount of oak for a glossy mouth feel. The black fruit and spice complement the robust ambience of roasted and grilled meats or game, bold cheeses, and dark chocolate.
Color: Grape juice color
Smell: Blackberry, cherryish, grapey
Taste: Medium amount of oak flavor, dry, cherryish, smooth
Personal rating: Not one of my favorites.

Tasting - Gallow Family Vineyards Pinot Noir

Gallo Family Vineyards
Pinot Noir
$2
California
Review: This Pinot Noir is a well rounded red with hints of cherries and honeyed fruit. The wine balances flavors of sweet and spicy giving it a velvety but light finish. Since there is a subtle earthy note it pairs very well with more meaty type fish like Salmon, Tuna and Monkfish as well as mushrooms, chicken and pork.
Color: Deep cherry red
Smell: Blackberry, oakey, little spice
Taste: Slightly oakey, hot on end palate, starts with a mixed berry taste
Personal rating: This is a good wine that I would like better if it didn't end with the heat.

Tasting - Camino del Peregrino Albarino

Camino del Peregrino
Albarino
Spain
2015
$10
Review: 90 points. It has delicate pear fruit flavors, with elements approaching apricot and a wonderfully lemony tension. It is long and dry and lingering. All in all, you'd say on first sip, seared scallops or swordfish that's seen seconds under the grill.
Color: Light yellowish gold
Smell: pear and apple, citrus
Taste: citrus, light, refreshing, buttery at the end
Personal rating: Very good! An easy wine to pick up and drink. It is very light and not very hot.

Tasting - Opici Vino Bianco

Opici
Vino Bianco
 Italy
$15
Review: Opici's Vino Bianco comes in a gorgeous fish shaped bottle, with scale detail and all in teh glass. I'm thoroughly impressed by the packaging at first sight. This wine comes from Italy, made with the Garganega grape with 12.5% alcohol. It is reminiscent of pinot grigio, though it ends up more like green apples, and the green part of the cantaloupe. It reaches the nose with white florals, pineapples and apricots (stone fruit). This wine has overtones of grapefruit that become more prominent as it opens in the glass. While this wine isn't necessarily a knockout, it is absolutely perfect for sitting by the lake in the summer, catching real fish, or just relaxing.
Color: yellow tinge
Smell: grape juicey; pear
Taste: dry, bite/spice, apple, pear, rough
Personal rating: This was definitely not a favorite of mine. This was probably actually meant more as a cooking wine. We bought it for the bottle mostly.

Tasting - Rapidan River Peach

Rapidan River
Peach flavored white wine
$15
Virginia
Review: This viscose attack is slightly sharp with a hint of green apple under the more dominant peach overtones. The cascading midpalate is dominated by baked yellow peaches with a suggestion of apricots and banana. The finish is clean with minor flavors of orange blossoms lingering.
Color: clear, slightly yellow
Smell: peach, pear, little spice, cat pee
Taste: peach, little bite, little pear, smooth
Personal rating: This wine is good. It doesn't last very long before it starts tasting terrible.

Tasting - Famiglia Castellani: Chianti Classico

Famiglia Castellani

Chianti Classico

Tascani, Italy

2010

$20

Rating: 91pts. Intense and characteristic bouquet, earthy, with wild berries and under wood notes. Harmonious, dry, savory, strong, and persistent.

Color: deep red

Smell: sharp, spicey

Taste: strong bite, little smokey

Personal rating: not a huge fan - has that classic red wine taste that I don't really like. Hard to swallow.

Tasting - Gnarly Head Merlot

Gnarly Head
Merlot
California
2013
$10
Winemaker's Notes: This Merlot has lush, velvety tannins and rich fruit, with aromas and flavors of black currant, black cherry, and blackberry with ripe plum, sweet herbs and a hint of spice. Don't be shy, Gnarly Merlot is bold enough to pair with hearty dishes, try with piping hot pizza, pork loin, porterhouse steak and roasted vegetables.
Color: Deep, dark red
Smell: spice, cherry, oak
Taste: Very oaky, spicey, smokey, blackberry, not smooth - has a bite
Personal rating: would be a good dinner wine, really like this one.

Tasting - Once Upon a Vine Lost Slipper Sauvignon Blanc

Once Upon a Vine
Lost Slipper Sauvignon Blanc
2011
California
$11.97
Vivino review: Interesting. Sweet flavours of peach and other stone fruit but still predominantly dry.
Color: silver-yellow tinge
Smell: spice, pear, apple
Taste: bite, apple, smooth, citrus, acidic
Personal rating: This wine was good, but it was not a favorite of mine.

Tasting - Dona Sol Shiraz, Petite Syrah, and Symphony

Dona Sol
Shiraz, Petite Syrah, and Symphony
California, USA
$6.95
Shop review: Shiraz has a unique jammy fruit character that is well represented in the Sweet Red. Both on the nose and on the palate, jammy fruit, like strawberries, cherry pie and red licorice, entices the sense and pair well with cheeses and desserts.
Color: mid-deep red
Smell: mixed berry
Taste: a little oak, very sweet!, mixed berry, blueberry
*Tried with a Chinese donut a few nights later: The sweetness of the donut completely took away the sweetness of the wine and made it dryer and a little more acidic tasting. The tannins came out more with the sweet food.
Personal rating: Very good! Sweet and oakey makes a good combination.

Tasting - Velvet Crush Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah

Velvet Crush
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah
California, USA
2012
$6.95
Shop review: Velvety smooth texture just like its name. Soft tannins and lush dark fruit character. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah bring backbone and character, while the Merlot balances out the blend for a soft, smooth texture.
Color:  very deep red
Smell: deep cherry, musty, rubbing alcohol, strawberry
Taste: oakey, little vanilla, little bit of spice, bitter
Personal rating: There are no real fruit flavors coming through. Its a very tannin/bitter wine. I'm not a huge fan.

Tasting - Grand Cru Pinot Noir

Grand Cru
Pinot Noir
California, USA
2013
$6.95
Shop review: This ruby-colored wine has aromas of raspberry, cherry and a hint of vanilla. Flavors of cherry and plum lead to a soft velvety finish. This wine can be enjoyed by itself. It is also an excellent accompaniment with Brie, goat cheese and smoked salmon. Lamb shanks and pork tenderloin are a favorite main dishes to pair with this wine.
Color: cherry color
Smell: cherry, blackberry, vanilla
Taste: smokey, blackberry, a little acidic, spice lingers, light
Personal rating: Good for a red wine

Tasting - Prime Brume Garganega

Prime Brume
Garganega
Soave, Italy
2014
$6.95
Tasting.com review - 91 points. Pale color. Fruity, floral minerally inviting aromas of passion fruit, white grapefruit, spice poached pear, and papya with a lean, racy, bone-dry medium body and a smooth, complex, long lemon, passion fruit, raw hazelnut, and wet stones finish with no tannins and light oak. From the tantalizing nose full of exotic fruit, citrus and minerality thru the long, crisp finish, this soave can seamlessly go from cocktail hour thru to vibrantly flavored dishes.
Color: yellow
Smell: very peary with a little bit of citrus
Taste: smooth at first, has a side tongue tinge, little oaky
Personal rating: Very good. I enjoyed this wine

Tasting - Quitas Malgaco Blue Vinho Verde

Quintas Megaco Blue
Vinho Verde
Vinho Verde, Portugal
2013
$5.95
Shop review: Refreshingly crisp white wine from Portugal--Vinho Verde is soft, light and refreshing, and is an uncompromising and ideal wine for everyday pleasure. Its bright color and pineapple aromas are followed by citrus notes. The palate is clean and fresh. Vinho Verde is an excellent accompaniment to fish and shell fish, white meats and salads.
Color: yellow
Smell: citrus, apple
Taste: initially acid, smooths out, apple, citrus
Personal rating: Good. The smooth finish saves this wine for me. The introduction to the smooth apple and citrus after the initial acid rounds it out.

Tasting - Crane Lake White Zinfandel

Crane Lake
White Zinfandel
California
2013
$5.95
Shop review: Light pink wine with floral and tropical aromas: flavors of strawberry, peach and raspberry with a touch of sweetness. This wine is an easy sipping wine that also pairs well with a wide variety of foods ranging from crab cakes or pate to spicy Asian dishes, glazed ham, and grilled sea bass.
Color: dark pink
Smell: peach, honey
Taste: light peach, sweet with a dry finish, a little citrus, honey
Personal rating: well done with a vast mixture of sweet, fruit, and citrus.

Tasting - Vina Galana Alicante Bouchet

Vina Galana
Alicante Bouchet
Spain
2012
$9.95
Shop review: From the rare Alicante Bouchet, one of the few grapes in the world with red flesh, this wine has a plush texture carrying flavors of brandied cherry and chocolate ganache in this round red. Light tannins and gentle acidity impart a lovely, balanced structure.
Color: very deep red
Smell: mossy, cherry, blackberry
Taste: smokey, recently burned wet forest, oakey
Personal rating: A hugely oakey wine. It works, but I couldn't really taste much of the fruit.

Tasting - Tonnino Syrah

Tonnino
Syrah
Sicily, Italy
2013
$7.95
Shop review: An intense red color. Aromas of violet and blackcurrant enriched by hints of liquorice and black pepper. In the mouth it is full, round, slightly tannic and with a spicy note on the finish.
Color: deep red
Smell: chocolate cherries, blackberry, spice
Taste: oakey, cherry, earthy
Personal rating: Good. Complex and has a nice oakey flavor.

Tasting - Riebeek Cellars Viognier

Riebeek Cellers
Viognier
Swartland, South Africa
2015
$7.95
Washington Post: This is a luscious viognier, featuring a deep yellow color, that explodes with juicy peach and honeysuckle flavors. Viognier can easily become flabby, but this one manages to keep its figure within bounds. I recommend this for immediate, lip-smacking enjoyment.
Color: clear
Smell: mango, rose
Taste: watery, tropical fruit, peachy, sweet
Personal rating: It was good, but it seemed to be lacking a little bit of the umpf of most of the wines we have tried so far, giving it a watery kind of taste.

Tasting - Dom Michel Thomas Sancerre Rose

 

Dom Michel Thomas
Sancerre Rose
Loire, France
2013
$8.95
Stephen Tanzer: 90 points. Bright orange-pink. Lively, mineral-tinged aromas of fresh red berries, orange peel, and honeysuckle, with a hint of anise building in the glass. Dry and nervy in the mouth, offering vibrant strawberry and orange pith flavors and a suggestion of rose pastille. The floral element comes back on the finish, which lingers with very good spicy persistence.
Color: pink/peachish
Smell: rose, citrus
Taste: citrus/grapefruit, slightly sweet
Personal rating: Good, simple

Tasting - Crane Lake Gewurtztraminer

Crane Lake
Gewurtztraminer
California
2013
$5.95
Shop review: Slightly high-toned notions of rose petal mingle with lemon on nose and palate of this lightly sweet, richly textured yet balanced Gewurztraminer. This is not as heady as you may expect and will be a treat with spicy Asian dishes. Lychee and rose petal make another very fetching appearance on the finish.
Color: light, yellowish
Smell: honey, citrus, apricot
Taste: very sweet, apricot, smooth, honey
Personal rating: This could almost be a dessert wine it is so sweet! I like it, and the honey taste rounds out all of the flavors. When you first taste it, it hits you as smooth and sweet, and finishes with a bit more complexity.

Tasting - Codirosso Chianti

Codirosso
Chianti
Tuscany, Italy
2014
$7.95
Shop review: Ruby red color with purple reflections. Intense vinous bouquet with hints of violets and dark cherry fruit. The flavor is full of ripe fruit and a hint of spice. It is well balanced and dry. The finish is persistent and satisfying.
Color: medium red
Smell: spice, berries
Taste: oakey, berries, peppery
Personal rating: This is the second Chianti I have tried and I don't think this will ever be my favorite varietal. The peppery aspect is not an appealing taste to me. In general, they are a bit too harsh. This specific wine had a stiff peppery taste, but had a fruitier taste than the first I tried.

Tasting - Indwe Pinotage

Indwe
Pinotage
South Africa
2013
$5.95
Robert Parker: A disclaimer: I have never cared much for Pinotage, the indigenous South African grape variety, but this 2013 Pinotage from Indwe, named after the country's national bird, the blue crane, comes across like a light Pinot Noir. Subtle notes of cherries, spice and forest floor are followed by a round, light to medium-bodied, pure, seductive, well-crafted wine. Drink now-2016
Color: deep red
Smell: cherry, blackberry
Taste: oakey, cherry, a bit of vanilla
Personal rating - Great! I'm a big fan of oakey, vanilla wines. This one was well-rounded in that sense.

Tasting - Palacio de Bornos Verdejo

Palacio de Bornos
Verdejo
Rueda, Spain
2013
$5.95
Wine Enthusiast: 89. Zesty and clean, with pure grapefruit and passion fruit aromas. It's charged up but perfectly balanced, with bright, focused citrus and pineapple flavors. Lemony acidity keeps the finish rolling, then throw in some chive and fresh greens and you have a spot-on Verdejo.
Color: slightly yellow
Smell: spicy, apple
Taste: acidic, has a bite, watery flavors
Personal rating: Not amazing. This wine has too much acidity to it and not enough fruity.

Tasting - Tonnino Grillo

Tonnino
Grillo
Sicily, Italy
2014
$7.95
Wine Spectator: Fruit-forward and tangy, this light-bodied, snappy white offers flavors of guava, apricot, candied grapefruit zest and stone. Drink now. 20,000 cases made.
Color: slight yellowish tinge
Smell: pears, citrus
Taste: acidic, smooth, apricots
Personal rating: This wine was okay. It wasn't a favorite, but it was well developed and full.

Dinner - Homemade American Cuisine

Homemade American cuisine dinner: Brie and seasoned mushrooms wrapped in puff pastry, savory chicken with brussel sprouts topped with honey, custard topped with blueberry and peach compote

The wines: Bastide Miraflors Syrah, Voss Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, El Maestro Sierra Pedro Ximenez Sherry

Appetizer: Brie with seasoned mushrooms wrapped in puff pastry
Domaine Lafage Bastide Miraflors Vieilles Vignes
Syrah Grenache Blend
Languedoc Roussillon
France
2013
$12.99
Robert Parker review: I have loved the wines from Domaine Lafage in the past, and this 2013 Bastide Miraflors Cotes Catalanes is one of the greatest red wine values I have tasted in the last year or so. A custom cuvee put together by Eric Solomon and Jean-Marc Lafage, it is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache that spent one year in 80% concrete tank (Grenache) and 500-liter  demi-muids (Syrah). From a Roussillon vineyard dominated by gallets roules that resembles many Chateaneuf de Pape vineyards, the wine undergoes a long maceration of six weeks. The result is an inky/blue/purple-colored wine offering a big, sweet bouquet of blueberries, blackberries, acacia flowers, pepper and spice. This full-bodied, opulent, majestic dry red unleashes tremendous ripeness, richness and intensity. One would normally think such a superb, remarkable wine would cost over $50 a bottle, but this beauty is available for an astonishing $14 a bottle. You'll have to taste it to believe it! It should drink well for 2-5 years. 93 points
Color: deep red/purple
Smell: blackberry, spice
Taste: blackberry, spice, sweet mid-palate, dry
With food: The brie brings out the spice in the wine while the mushrooms and pastry soak up the sweet, fruity flavors. The two work very well together in this aspect.
Personal review: Great wine that goes well with the dish.

Main course: Chicken with poultry seasoning with garlic and baked in the wine of this dish as well as brussel sprouts coated in honey
Voss Vineyards
Sauvignon Blanc
Napa Valley, California
2013
$19
Richard Jennings review: Light green-tinged yellow color with lots of tiny bubbles resting on the glass; aromatic, reduction, tart lime, ripe grapefruit, light gunpowder nose; tight, ripe citrus, ripe lime, mineral palate; medium-plus finish. 90 points
Color: slightly yellow tinge
Smell: pear
Taste: pear
With food: The food brings out the acidity of the wine. The sweetness of the wine is washed away when tasted with the food. The other flavors may overwhelm the sweet taste of the wine. Maybe not the best pairing because the food seems to reduce the wine.
Personal review: Great wine, but does not go as well with the dish.

Dessert: Custard topped with peach and blueberry compote
El Maestro Sierra
Pedro Ximenez Sherry
Spain
2015
$18
The wine advocate review: Another step up is the non-vintage Pedro Ximenez from 15-year-old solera. It is brown amber in color with aromas of orange peel and English toffee. It is thick and rich on the palate and very long. 92 points
Color: sweet tea color - brown with reddish tinge along the outside
Smell: dates and honey
Taste: dates/figs and caramel, very rich and sweet
With food: Flavors match, but wine is a bit overpoweringly sweet. If the compote was not there and the plain custard was paired with the wine, it would be excellent.
Personal review: Amazing wine! With some modifications, this would be an excellent pairing.

Tasting - Peter Mertes Platinum Riesling

Peter Mertes Platinum
Riesling
Germany
2014
$9.95
Shop review: Light-bodied slightly sweet white wine; medium pale slightly greenish yellow. Inviting fresh white peach aroma and flavors. Easy to drink and not complicated, but what's there is very pleasant, and flavors develop in the glass.
Color: clear
Smell: pear and apple
Taste: very sweet, pear and apple
Personal rating: Good. Easy to drink. Kind of watered down tasting, a little empty in the flavors.

Tasting - Crane Lake Petite Sirah

Crane Lake
Petite Sirah
Lodi, California
2013
$5.95
Shop review: This wine is ruby-purple colored; notes of blackberry, plums and spice predominate the nose and flavors. The tannins give a soft, full mouth feel.
Color: deep red
Smell: cherry, blackberry
Taste: oak/tannin, blackberry
Personal rating: Good. Has that smooth oak taste with a berry sweetness.

Tasting - El Cortijillo Tempranillo

El Cortijillo
Tempranillo
La Mancha, Spain
2014
$5.95
Shop review - Bright purple. High-pitched red berry and floral scents display good clarity and a hint of cracked pepper. Shows a touch of jamminess to its pliant black raspberry and cherry compote flavors, with a spicy quality adding vibrancy. Finishes with good focus and no obvious tannins, leaving a sweet berry note behind.
Color: cherry red
Smell: blackberry, spice
Taste: little bit of spice, dry, light, slightly fruity
Personal rating: good

Tasting - Les Clos Francs Vouvray Chenin Blanc

Les Clos Francs
Vouvray Chenin Blanc
Loire Valley, France
2013
$7.95
Shop review: The cool climate in the Vouvray appellation area insures good acidity, which is balanced by the distinctly fruity character of the Chenin Blanc and the mineral qualities imparted by the soil. Thanks to these natural elements this Vouvray combines elegance and vigor with honey dipped pears and an inherent freshness.
Color: slight yellow tinge
Smell: smells like rubbing alcohol
Taste: light, earthy, very little bite
Personal rating; okay, definitely not a favorite

Tasting - La Lejania Chardonnay

La Lejania

Chardonnay

Central Valley, Chile

2015

$6.95

Shop review: A refined and suave style, with a rich array of white fruit and cream flavors, featuring a plush texture. Ripe citrus and pear notes fill the smooth finish.

Color: clear

Smell: spicy, pears, citrus

Taste: spice, smooth at the end, pears

Personal rating: good

Tasting - Yellow Tail Red Moscato Bubbles

Yellow Tail
Red Moscato Bubbles
Australia
$5.95
Shop review: With a gorgeous deep pink hue, this is a wine that offers scrumptious aromas of lifted tropical fruits, ripe fresh strawberries with black currant and raspberry texture. Its flavor is a vibrant Moscato, with fresh forest fruits and strawberries and a nice does of sweetness.
Color: Orangey-red
Smell: peach, little spice, strawberry
Taste: sweet, bubbly, strawberry/tropical fruit
Personal rating: This was excellent! It tasted very fruity. It was like a bubbly juice. It had a full taste and didn't have the overpowering spice of most red wines. I liked this one enough that I bought a bottle. Favorite out of the tastings of this week. Great wine for beginning drinkers who want something light and fruity.

Tasting - Beringer Smooth Red Blend

Beringer
Smooth Red Blend
California, U.S.
2012
$5.95
Shop review: A blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah. Without a doubt, very smooth and uniquely balanced. Not too dry but not too sweet. Has a foundation of raspberry and blackberry that lingers in the finish. A slight hint at vanilla and some spice when it touches your tongue.
Color: Medium-deep red
Smell: spicy, oaky
Taste: blackberry, oak, spice
Personal rating: This was pretty good. It was a bit dryer than the Cabernet Merlot tried before this one. It wouldn't be a first choice for me, but it was good.

Tasting - Yellow Tail Cabernet Merlot

Yellow Tail
Cabernet Merlot
Australia
2014
$4.95
Shop review: A classic blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium-bodied and very approachable with soft tannins. Fruit-forward flavors of plum, cherry and blackberry are accented by notes of spice with more juicy berries on the finish.
Color: Cherry red, bright
Smell: spice, berries, cherry
Taste: spice, light, semi-sweet, cherry/berry
Personal rating: This was a pretty good red wine (I don't normally like red wines). It wasn't too dry and it had a full taste to it. It still had that red wine bite to it, but not as much as some red wines I've had in the past.