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.

Tasting - Be. Bright Pinot Grigio

Be. Bright
Pinot Grigio
California, U.S.
2013
$5.95
Shop review: This effortless Pinot Grigio keeps things light, with sun-ripened citrus flavors and a crisp, fresh finish. An instant taste of optimism, perfect for setting a carefree mood at any occasion. Serve chilled for total deliciousness.
Color: very pale and mostly clear
Smell: acidic, apples, has a more alcohol scent than the Sauvignon Blanc
Taste: no kick, light/watery, apply
Personal rating: It didn't have a rounded out taste. It seemed to be lacking a little bit. The apple flavor was good.

Tasting - Dynamite Sauvignon Blanc

Dynamite
Sauvignon Blanc
Lake County, California
$5.95
Shop review: Melon, green apple and citrus flavors are lively and refreshing, with a spicy, floral nuance.
Color: Clear with a pale yellow tinge
Smell: pear, citrus
Taste: has a kick, smooth taste, acidic, sweet
Personal review: Good flavor, round taste, would try again