Tasting - Gelisi Antonio Sangue di Guida

Name: Gelisi Antonio Sangue di Guida (Sweet Italian Red: Blood of Judas)

Region/Country: Lombardy, Italy

Year: 2015

Price: $12.95

Winery Review: A blend of 60% Croatina, 30% Barbera, and 10% Uva Rarathe wine shows candied black raspberry and plum fruit mixes with balsamic and cocoa powder accents in this frizzante red, with light tannins, a creamy mousse, and enough acidity for balance. 84 points by Wine Spectator.

My Review: The desert wine is always my favorite! This wine was refreshing and light. It was a sweet wine and I could taste strong hints of raspberry and a little blueberry. I thought the wine was well balanced in its flavors. The after taste made me want a whole glass! I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - Oasis del Cuyo Malbec

Name: Oasis del Cuyo Malbec

Region/Country: Mendoza, Argentina

Year: 2012

Price: $12-- Sale $6.95

Winery Review: Deep ruby color. Appealing red fruit nose with hints of tobacco. Medium bodied with a smooth and lush mouthfeel. Finishes dry with lasting flavors. Excellent choice for a young and fruity everyday wine. Enjoy as an aperitif or with meats and pasta dishes. 

My Review: This wine smelled very alcoholic. The color was very dark and rich, kind of looked bloodish. I tasted a variety of flavors with this wine. At first it tasted slightly sweet, then tart, then finished with an interesting flavor of some type of spice or plant. I did not try this wine with food, but I think food would bring out more flavors. 

Tasting - Terranoble Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Terranoble Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/Country: Central Valley, Chile

Year: 2013

Price: $8.95

Winery Review: This Cabernet Sauvignon offers an intense and deep color and lovely aromas of red fruit, pepper, and tobacco. It has smooth tannins, very freshness, and rich fruit, which gives the wine a good balance. Pair with barbecue beef ribs, frilled sea bass, or spaghetti alla Bolognese. 

My Review: The first thing I noticed was how rich the color of the wine was. This wine was probably one of my least enjoyed wines I've tasted. The finish was smooth but it left my tongue feeling strange. You could tastes of fruit and a rich oaky taste, kind of peppery. Very interesting flavors. I did not have any food with this wine.

Tasting - Terranoble Chardonnay

Name: Terranoble Chardonnay

Region/Country: Central Valley, Chile

Year: 2015

Price: $8.95

Winery Review: This Chardonnay offers a wine with an attractive color and lovely aromas, such as ripe pear and pineapple, mixed with butter and vanilla notes. It is a fresh style of white wine, with a medium persistence in mouth. Ideals as an aperitif. 

My Review: This wine was pretty enjoyable but not one of my favorite whites. The smell of the wine was kind of gross and stale smelling and made me a tad reluctant to try it. The after taste was very good, it tasted flowery and slightly bitter. I could drink this wine outside with a good meal. I did not try this wine with food. 

Tasting - Santola Vinho Verde Loureiro Pederña

Name: Santola Vinho Verde Loureiro Pederña

Region/Country: Vinho Verde, Portugal

Year: N/A

Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Soft and creamy, although with just right Vinho Verde bite, this is a crisp and clean wine, boasting light pear and pink grapefruit flavors. Off dry and very fresh. 

My Review: This wine gave me a surprise because it was super sour to me. I did not like this wine very much, I thought the wine was too acidic and too strong. The finish was very dry and left a tart gross taste in my mouth. I did not have any food with this wine.

Tasting: Lost Viyeards Spumante Italiano Moscato

Name: Lost Viyeards Spumante Italiano Moscato

Region/Country: Piedmont, Italy

Year: N/A

Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Pale color. Confected, fruity aromas of yellow apple, honeysuckle, pear tartlet, and honeydew melon with a satiny, shy, spritzy, moderately sweet light-to-medium body and sleek, fast yellow apple, candied pear, honeycomb, and sweet papaya finish with no tannins and no oak. Simple and approachable with sweet apple, melon, and candied pear on a framework of gentle, delightful bubbles. 

My Review: This wine was one of me favorites that I've tasted all year! It tasted like a mixture between champagne and moscato. Every sip tasted crisp and refreshing. This wine was sweet but not overly sweet, you could tastes hints of apple in every sip. Sparkling wine is now one of my new favorites to drink. I did not have food with this wine. 

Tasting: Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz/ Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz/ Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/Country: Padthaway, Australia

Year: N/A

Price: $19-- Sale $8.95

Winery Review: This red wine is a well above average effort with lots of flavor as well as Australia's so easily obtainable, lush fruit. The 2013 Shiraz/ Cabernet Sauvignon (55% and 45% respectively) exhibits a dark ruby/ purple hue along with a layered, peppery, berry fruit-scented nose revealing licorice and meaty notes. From a much lighter vintage, it is a supple, easygoing red enjoy now and over the next several years. 

My Review: First off I loved the color of this wine, it was a deep deep red with a slight purple mix. I thought this wine had a lot of flavor, and I could taste both fruit and spices. From all the flavors I could taste raspberry the most. I thought this wine was light and could see it being drank with a nice meal during the daytime. I did not have any food with this wine. 

Tasting: Cavit Alta Luna Pinot Noir

Name: Cavit Alta Luna Pinot Noir

Region/Country: Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Italy

Year: 2011

Price: $20-- Sale $9/95

Winery Review: On the nose cherry, plum, and berry aromas mingle with notes of spice and tobacco. On the palate soft, supple tannins, and refreshing acidity are beautifully balanced by ripe cherry fruit flavors on the finish which is dry, harmonious, and elegant. 

My Review: The word I like to use to describe this wine is intriguing. The after taste of this wine was like water. That sounds like the wine is bad, but it was rather refreshing. Normally red wines are bitter at the end, but this tasted like it cleaned my palette. The color was also very pretty, it was similar to the color of blood (I know the sounds gross). I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting: El Cortijillo Verdejo

Name: El Cortijillo Verdejo

Region/Country: La Monacha, Spain

Year: 2014

Price: $5.95

Winery Review: Golden straw color. Bright, attractive, tropical aromas of crème brûlée and fruit tart with a silky, bright, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a smooth, intriguing, snappy lime and apple finish with crunchy, fruit tannins and light oak. A super smooth and pure white sipper. 90 points-- Beverage Testing Institute. 

My Review: The color of the wine was a nice golden yellow. I thought it smelt smokey and alcoholic. I was not a fan of this wine because of how dry it was and the clash of the flavors. The after taste left me cringing; being both bitter and dry was not appealing at all. I did not have food with this wine. 

Tasting: Trattoria Busa Alla Torre Pinot Grigio

Name: Trattoria Busa Alla Torre Pinot Grigio

Region/Country: Veneto, Italy

Year: 2014

Price: $7.95

Winery Review: A Venetian favorite! It is crisp and dry, rich and spicy with hints of peach and honey...perfect with salads, pasta, chicken, and fish! Musaragno is an organic wine estate near Venice, Italy. 

My Review: I thought the wine smelled very alcoholic with a small scent of apple. Normally white wines are my favorite, but I disliked this wine a lot because the after taste was very bitter and it was very strong. I wrote that the bitterness canceled out any other flavor. I did not have this wine with any food.

Tasting- Fetzer Gewürztraminer

Name: Fetzer Gewürztraminer

Region/Country: California, USA

Year: 2014

Price: $12-- Sale $8.95

Winery Review: 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. 

My Review: The dessert wine is normally my favorite of the tastings (shocker), but this wine was far far too sweet. I could smell hints of sweet fruit and peach, but the sweetness over-powered the taste of any fruit for me. I've never found a wine to taste "sugary", but this wine tasted almost like there was some type of syrup in it. Perhaps it was the honeyed apples? Not a fan. I did not taste this wine with food. 

Tasting- Name: Maipe Malbec

Name: Maipe Malbec

Region/Country: Mendoza, Argentina

Year: 2015

Price: $12-- Sale $6.95

Winery Review: "The 2015 Maipe Malbac is another 100% Malbec, with a deep purple color and a style similar to the Lexicon, with chocolaty, blackcurrant, and blackberry fruit, as well as touches of licorice and earth. It is delicious, soft, and round." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (March 2016), 87 points-- Excellent Wine Values for Under $25

My Review: I didn't have a very good impression of this wine because I thought the smell was awful. Despite the smell, the wine had a very rich color that reminded me of a deep purple you would see in the fall. The taste was very interesting. There were so many different flavors going on that I wasn't sure what I was exactly tasting. I could taste some type of spices, some rich fruits, and even an oak taste. The combination threw me off, but it wasn't horrible. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting- Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Nouveau Gamay

Name: Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Nouveau Gamay

Region/Country: Beaujolais, France

Year: 2014

Price: $12-- Sale $4.95

Winery Review: A pretty, floral wine, with a rose petal notes underscoring the rich pomegranate and sweet plum flavors. The fresh acidity is balanced, and a light spice note lingers on the finish.

My Review: I normally dislike all red wines, but I would choose to drink this wine for enjoyment. I particularly dislike red wines for its over powering bitter taste, but I thought this wine had the perfect balance between bitter and tangy. The two flavors balanced each other out and left my mouth refreshed and wanting more. The after taste gave off hints of spice and a light sweet fruit. I did not pair this wine with food.

Tasting- Mapreco Vinho Verde Rosé

Name: Mapreco Vinho Verde Rosé

Region/Country: Vinho Verde, Portugal

Year: 2015

Price: $10-- Sale $7.95

Winery Review: The cherry color reveals a slightly fizzy wine that is a very fruitful rosé 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. 

My Review: This wine was nothing like I had ever tried at the vintage cellar before. It honestly tasted bubbly like champagne. It was a little bit sweet, light, and very refreshing. It reminded me of Andre champagne but even better because it didn't have a burning alcohol taste. I ended up purchasing this wine. I did not pair with food.

Tasting- Mars & Venus Chardonnay

Name: Mars & Venus Chardonnay

Region/Country: La Mancha, Spain

Year: 2014

Price: $5.95

Winery 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 mid-weight white that's just perfect for parties or weeknight sipping.

My Review: When I smelled the wine I got scents of apple. I thought the taste was very alcoholic which I do not like, but I also tasted a tart apple flavor which was interesting. If the wine didn't taste so strong I would like it a lot better; it really over powers the fruit flavor. I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting- Bricco dei Tati Cortese

Name: Bricco dei Tati Cortese
Variety: 100% Cortese
Region: Piemonte
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $6.95 (on sale)

Winery Review: The Washington Post“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.”

My Review: This wine smelled fruity and sweet. The wine was a bit too dry for my likings and was very acidic. After I tried the wine I got a burning sensation down my throat because of the acidity, which I do not like. I would have to have a glass of this with food to enjoy it. 

Tasting- Domaine de la Foret Grenache-Cinsault Rose de Mediterranée

Name: Domaine de la Foret Grenache-Cinsault Rose de Mediterranée
Variety: 50% Cinsault, 50% Grenache
Region: Provence
Country: France
Year: 2015
Price: $8.95 (on sale)

Winery 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.


My Review: I thought this wine had a really cool bottle, which is always a plus. The color looked 'champagny'. I could taste hints of fruit but could not specify which one. This wine was rather refreshing and light and would be very good in the spring. I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting- Siema Vino Rosso

Name: Siema Vino Rosso
Variety: Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo
Region: Piemonte
Country: Italy
Year: Non-vintage
Price: $6.95 (on sale)

Winery 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.

My Review: This wine was very interesting because it gave off an aroma filled with spices, and its color was rather bold and bright. This wine was quite dry but gave off a balanced finish. Not a big red wine fan but this wine was pretty good. I did not have food with this wine.
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Tasting- Carraia Aglianico

Name: Carraia Aglianico
Variety: 100% Aglianico
Region: Campagna
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $9.95 (on sale)

Winery 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.

My Review: This wine smelled fruity and had a pretty color. The taste was different, almost earthy. I could taste hints of cherry and I thought it had a horrible after taste. I think this wine would be better if paired with food, which I did not have any with it.

Tasting- Beringer Chenin Blanc

Name: Beringer Chenin Blanc
Variety: 100% Chenin Blanc
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $5.95 (on sale)

Winery 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.

My Review: I thought this wine went down smoothly and I didn't get an overwhelming bitter after taste. I tasted hints of peach and pear, but not any sweet taste. Would be good to drink on a nice day outside. I did not have food with this wine.