Tasting - Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Shiraz

Name: Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Shiraz
Variety: Shiraz
Region: Southeastern Australia
Country: Australia
Year: NV
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: A relatively light, fresh style of sparkling Shiraz, with berries and hints of chocolate picking up just a touch of sweet vanilla on the finish.

My Review: This red wine had a jammy, sweet aroma. Upon tasting however, I found that there was not very much to it (I really was rather bored with it). I did detect something on the finish, but I did not identify it as vanilla.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Tres Ojos Garnacha

Name: Tres Ojos Garnacha
Variety: Garnacha
Region: Calatayud
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: The wine is a brick red color with a bouquet of red raspberries, spice and white pepper. The palate is incredibly concentrated and rich. The modern styles of Garnacha in Spain are continuously being perceived worldwide as wines of extraordinarily good quality. This wine is fruity, juicy and shows a great depth, ripe tannins, length but yet with wonderful elegance and lightness. Enjoy with sausages, roasted meats, ages cheeses, etc.

My Review: The wine is a solid, dark red with an aroma that slightly stings the nostrils. This wine was mostly fruity, but it is balanced out with a nice level of hotness.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Montebuena

Name: Montebuena
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: Ripe cherry and black currant on the nose and in the mouth. Pliant and seamless in texture, with good heft and back-end energy. Finishes smooth and sweet, with fine grained tannins providing shape and grip. Still on the young side but this wine drinks very well with an hour or so of decanting. It's an excellent value for Rioja.

My Review: The strong, buttery smell indicates that this wine has undergone malo-lactic fermentation. It has a small bite, but surprisingly little acid. I did not particularly enjoy the earthy tones in the body.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence

Name: Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence
Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsualt
Region: Provence
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: Bright salmon pink; typical of the fresh but warm Provence style. Refined and complex on the nose, with summer fruit and floral notes, dry and crisp, with a delicate flavor and full texture.

My Review: This wine is orangey-pink in color. It has a slightly floral bouquet. It had no bite and a smooth finish, but it had a little tartness.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Canyon Road Chardonnay

Name: Canyon Road Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: United States of America
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Medium-bodied wine with notes of crisp apple and ripe citrus fruit with a hint of cinnamon spice. Delicious complement to grilled chicken, lighter pasta dishes or mild cheeses.

My Review: This wine is light straw in color and smells of tart apple. It is crisp and light, and I believe it would be incredibly refreshing.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Potluck Sweet Malbec

Name: Potluck Sweet Malbec
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2010
Price: $7.95

Winery Review:Deep red brilliant with violet hints. Complex, fruity, and predominant red fruits. Easy to drink, round with persistent sweetness, very well balanced with sweet tannins.

My Review: This cranberry-red wine had a very prominent sweet smell. However, the flavor was not as sweet as I expected from the aroma. I enjoyed the fact that this sweet wine wasn't absolutely loaded with residual sugars, but it still had a strong fruitiness.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Domaine de Grange de Payan

Name: Domaine de Grange de Payan
Variety: Grenacha
Region: Cotes du Rhone
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: Intensely spicy and precise, with lively red berry flavors and a hint of black pepper. The Grenache, which makes up the majority of the wine, is deeper and more powerful, offering cherry and black raspberry qualities lifted by zesty minerality.

My Review: This was a very dark wine with an almost brown hue to its redness. It had a lovely buttery aroma and a spicy, almost nippy, flavor to it. There was a little bite, but just enough to bring your taste buds to life!

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Tinto Figaro Red

Name: Tinto Figaro
Variety: Garnacha
Region: Calatayud
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Figaro is 100% Garnacha, made from a selection of the best grapes grown in the oldest vineyards. While not truly an "oaked wine", a short stay in oak barrels provides a nice spicy flavor boost. Bright violet. Dark berry and cherry aromas show a jammy aspect. Supple and gently sweet, with good lift to its blackraspberry and boysenberry flavors. Smooth and broad on the finish, leaving behind a hint of spiciness. Extremely easy to drink and an excellent value.

My Review: This deep, berry red wine had a creamy aroma. It has a smooth texture and a gentle tannic structure. I would definitely describe this wine as "accessible."

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Maipe Malbec Rose

Name: Maipe Malbec Rose
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Intense pink color with violet hints. Fresh red fruit bouquet, strawberry and cherry flavors, balanced acidity, dry and lingering finish. Excellent with tuna or green salad, pasta, spicy Asian dishes.

My Review: This wine has a stunning pink-coral color. It was slightly alcoholic in smell and had a small bite on the nose, but I really enjoyed the way it felt in my mouth.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Cortenova Pinot Grigio

  
Name: Cortenova Pinot Grigio
Variety: Pinot Gris
Region: Veneto
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections. Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas. Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste. Pairs well with seafood dishes, risottos with scampi,spaghetti with clams, sole in white wine Perfect also as an aperitif.

My Review: Almost water-like in color, this wine has a soft fruity bouquet and a taste to match. It was easy on the palate, and I imagine it would be quite refreshing if chilled and consumed on a warm summer eve.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Nine Points Pinot Noir

Name: Nine Points Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Napa Valley
Country: United States of America
Year: 2011
Price: $9.95

Winery Review: A lovely bright ruby in color, this wine both smells and tastes of ripe red cherries with faint notes of soil and dried flower petals.  The flavors are bright, with the cherries dominating.  Though not the most complex of wines, it is a truly solid bottle and an excellent example of a California Pinot Noir.

My Review: The color and smell of this wine were both very appealing. It had a great sense of terrior and enough complexity to make it enjoyable without being inaccessible.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Project Happiness Syrah

Name: Project Happiness Syrah
Variety: Syrah
Region: California
Country: United States of America
Year: 2009
Price: $10.99

Winery Review: Vibrant violet-like colors quickly please the eye as a burst of tropical fruit flavors rain down on the tongue. The finish is reminiscent of dark arabica beans with an earthy truffle underdone. Vineyard characteristics shine through bright as a raven's eye.

My Review: As a fan of Australian Shiraz's, I was excited to try this wine. I am pleased to say it did not disappoint. While a little spicier in the finish than what I was expecting, it was not unpleasant. I am very interested in experiencing this wine with food.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Charles Shaw Chardonnay

Name: Charles Shaw Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: United States of America
Year: 2011
Price: $3.29

Distilled Opinion Review: It’s not downright offensive, really, but besides a musty fruit and alcohol slurry, it lacks character and taste.  It’s not very fun to drink and neither does it have that buttery flavor typical of most cheap Chardonnay.

My Review: In contradiction to the review above, I found this light colored Chardonnay enjoyable to drink. Its body was not overly pronounced as crisp or full, but my palate agreed with the somewhat in-between profile.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Paul Masson Rose Wine

Name: Paul Masson Rose Wine
Variety: Malbec
Region: California
Country: United States of America
Year: NV
Price: $9.29

Winery Review: From its rich color to its complex fruit character, the Paul Masson California Rose is an exceptional wine. The aromas of red cherry and cotton candy are balanced with a mild floral bougeut and spice nuances. This Rose has good length and body. Serve this delicately sweet, fruity wine chilled. Great by itself or with white mean, poultry, seafood and lightly flavored dishes.

My Review: What this Rose lacked in tannic complexity, it made up for with a delightful display of fruit flavors. It was slightly darker than Roses I have tried in the past, and I found it to be the most enjoyable.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Birds & Bees Sweet Red

 Name: Birds & Bees Sweet Red
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: NV
Price: $9.95

Winery Review: Ripe and red fruit flirts with captivating aromas of honeysuckle and orange blossom, creating and enchanting wine that's both gorgeous on its own and mingles well in a crowd.

My Review: While the aroma of this red is rather pleasant, it has an expected lack of complexity and terrior. I also found this wine hit my palate with an overpoweringly sweet nose and left my mouth feeling coated in sugar. I wonder if chilling this wine would cut the sweetness and make it more pleasing to my palate.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Monte Aman

Name: Monte Aman

Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Arlanza
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $5.95

Winery Review: Fermentation of selected grapes in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature. Aging in American oak casks for 5 months followed by 3 months in the bottle before being released in the market. Inky ruby. Ripe cherry and plum on the nose. Smooth and fleshy, with a deep dark fruit flavors complicated by bitter chocolate and anise. A spicy quality adds ligt and focus to the weighty fruit. Offers an appealing mix of power and energy and drinks very well right now.

My Review: This wine offers a fruity, yet alcoholic smell with just a hint of spice. It was very smooth on my tongue, with a great complexity that had me wishing for another taste.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Cortenova Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Name: Cortenova Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Variety: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Region: Abruzzo
Country: Italy
Year: 2010
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Deep ruby red color with violet highlights and a pleasant and fruity bouquet. Full bodied, soft tannins and good acidity. Excellent with pasta dishes and red meats.

My Review: The creamy buttery smell of this wine really intrigued me, and I was not disappointed. The tannins were not overpowering, almost gentle on my palate.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Maipe Chardonnay

Name: Maipe Chardonnay

Variety: 85% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2012
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: 30% malolactic fermentation, 30% was aged in French oak barrels. Brilliant yellow golden color with green hints. The wine is crisp and filled with white peach, pear, green apples flavors, toasty vanilla. Elegant and luscious wine, well balanced. Crisp and long finish. Pairs well with creamy soups, pork, veal, vegetables.

My Review: This light yellow wine exuded gentle fruit smells that caressed my nasal passageways like a whispering breeze in late spring. It had a slightly tart flavor with a fruity finish.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Villa d'Orvieto

Name: Villa d'Orvieto

Variety: Grechetto, Procanico, Malvasia
Region: Orvieto
Country: Italy
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Fresh and crisp, it has a beautiful, floral bouquet. It is wonderful with appetizers, fish, chicken, and salads.

My Review: Very slightly tinted yellow, with a pronounced alcoholic scent. The flavor of this wine did not impress me, I found it be somewhat boring.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Dibon Cava Brut Reserve

Name: Dibon Vaca Brut Reserve

Variety: 45% Macebo, 25% Xarel-lo, 30% Parellada
Region: Penedes
Country: Spain
Year: NV
Price: $9.95

Winery Review: Light gold with plenty of bubbles, this wine has aromas of apples and pears with pleasant floral notes. Crisp and light-bodied on the palate, stone fruit flavors are accompanied by a mild minerality and balanced acidity. A delicious sparkler for a great price.

My Review: This nearly clear wine has bubbles to spare! The aromas were not to special, just slightly acidic. On the palate, this wine is taken over by the massive amount of fizz it packs. There was only room for muted fruit flavors on the back end.

I tasted this wine on its own, without food.