Tasting- Palacio de Bornos Verdejo

Name: Palacio de Bornos Verdejo
Variety: Verdejo
Region: Rueda
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: Regular $12, Sale $5.95

Winery Review: 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.

My Review: This wine would be a good choice to drink on a summer day. The smell threw me off because it was a bit woody, but the flavor was light and fruity with a crisp after taste. This wine was my second favorite from the list this week. I did not have any food with this wine.  

Tasting- Tonnino Grillo

Name: Tonnino Grillo
Variety: Grillo
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: Regular $14, Sale $7.95

Winery Review: 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.

My Review: I thought this wine gave off an apple aroma and was light yellow. I thought this wine tasted very bitter, but I think it was because I had just eaten a piece of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is very sweet so I think it cancelled out all of the sweet fruity flavors. Definitely not making that mistake again. White wines are my favorite, but the chocolate made it quite bitter for me and hard to enjoy. 

Tasting- Codirosso

Name: Codirosso Chianti
Variety: Chianti
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: Regular $13, Sale $7.95

Winery 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.

My Review: This wine first caught my eye from the dark, "plumy red" color. I didn't like the smell because the fumes were very alcoholic smelling. The wine went down very smoothly and I thought it was a rather light red wine which I enjoy. I didn't get a cherry taste but I could taste a hint of spice in the finish. 
I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting- Crane Lake

Name: Crane Lake Gewurtztraminer
Variety: Gewurtztraminer
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95

Winery Review: Slightly high-toned notions of rose petal mingle with lemon on nose and palate of this lightly sweet, richly textured yet balanced Gewürztraminer. 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.

My Review: I first noticed that the color of this wine was very very light, almost more clear than yellow. The wine was lightly sweet and I tasted hints of peach, leaving my mouth feeling refreshed. I ended up purchasing this bottle because it was my favorite of the 5 wines. 
I did not have any food with the wine. 

Tasting- Chardonnay

Name: La Lejania Chardonnay 
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Central Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2015
Price: $6.95 sale price, $10 regular price

Winery 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.

My Review: This wine had a fruity smell of light peach. It was sweet but also bitter to taste, and those two flavors balanced each other nicely for a fresh and light finish. I haven't had much experience with Chardonnay and I really enjoyed it. I sampled this wine by itself without any food pairings.