Tasting - Crane Lake Riesling

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

Winery Review:
The trademark German red varietal Dornfelder has a lovely purity of soft red berry fruit. Integrated soft tannins combined with forward fruit flavors make for a perfectly balanced everyday sipping wine. Great with grilled red meat, sausage and chicken. Best serves slightly chilled.

My Review:
This wine was super see through and did not really have a color. Also there was not a heavy smell to it, it smelled kind of like a penny - maybe some copper tones? But the main smell was the sweetness. When tasted, it tasted like sugar water and did not have a lot of dimensions. There were definitely pear undertones but nothing underneath. This wine was very one dimensional which made it taste somewhat good, but disappointing. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Crane Lake Shiraz

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

Winery Review:
Beautiful ruby appearance, with blackberry and pepper notes. Tannins and fruit marry well for a soft finish. This wine pairs well with sharp cheddar cheese and hazelnuts. Also try it along with roast lamb at Easter time, veal marsala, or grilled salmon.

My Review:
This wine hit you in the nose with the bitter smell. It also smelled strongly of tobacco with a hint of cherry. I really disliked the smell of this wine. After the initial taste, it is super bitter and sour and unenjoyable. There were small undertones of rotten cherry but overall the extreme bitterness of this wine really turned me away from it. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Georges Duboeuf Nouveau

Name: Georges Duboeuf
Variety: Nouveau
Region: Beaujolais
Country: France
Year: 2015
Price: $12 (Sale $5.95)

Winery Review:
Georges Duboeuf is THE king of Beaujolais. His wines are full of pop, charm and great flavor and his Beaujolais Nouveau is no exception. A cornucopia of expressive fruit wrapped in an almost-bubblegum-like frame; it is the flagship Nouveau.

My Review:
This was smelled just like butterscotch candies to me - specifically the ones that come in a gold wrapper! There was no heat on the smell and when I closed my eyes, it had a very velvet smell to it, meaning that it smelled smooth. When tasted, it was sweet at the beginning of the taste but sour on the back pallet. This wine was not really fruity but had a full presence and flavor that I appreciated - which is a lot because I normally favor white wines. This wine was tasted without food.

Tasting - Maipe Torrontes

Name: Maipe
Variety: Torrontes
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2014
Price: $14 (Sale $7.95)

Winery Review:
The wine has a spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well-balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish.

My Review:
This wine was very sweet smelling but not sugary. It smelled almost like an over ripe apple with a touch of banana which was more fruit then I was expecting. When tasted, the wine was very dry with a very strong taste, unlike the other white wine sampled during this tasting. The wine itself as pretty tart and heat was felt when swallowed. There were no fruit flavors that stood out and it tasted almost like when you lick the outside of a sour patch kid. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Tonnino Pinot Grigio

Name: Tonnino
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $14 (Sale $7.95)

Winery Review:
Tonnino's exotic example of Pinot Grigio has a straw to pale gold color. It is fresh and clean on the nose with fruity notes of pear, green apple and white peaches. The palate is true to the nose with a fresh acidity, coriander and lime notes followed by a crisp finish. This wine pairs well with youthful aperitifs, clams or mussels, pastas and risotto dishes.

My Review:
This wine had a very potent smell; it smelled of grapefruit, and pears. The most striking thing was that it tasted very soft and like it was freshly cut from the steam. When tasted, it was a very dry wine with a touch of heat at the end of the taste. The flavor was almost a watered down grapefruit flavor. It seems like it would pair well with fish and salads since it was so dry. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Dona Sol Shiraz, Petite Syrah, and Symphony

Name: Dona Sol
Variety: Shiraz, Petite  Syrah, and Symphony
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: Unknown
Price: $6.95

Winery 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 senses and pair well with cheeses and desserts.

My Review:
This wine smelled really of melons and was not citrusy but tangy. It almost smelled like brown sugar, and you couldn't smell the heat. When tasted, it was really sweet and tasted diluted with sugar. If I was drinking it with my eyes closed, I think it would have been white wine. The only flavor is sweet with hints of strawberry but nothing stands out. This was not really a full bodied tasting wine with no heat at the beginning or end. There was a definite brown sugar aftertaste. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Velvet Crush Blend

Name: Velvet Crush
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $18 (Sale $6.95)

Winery Review:
Velvety smooth texture just like its name. Soft tannins and lush dark fruit character. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah bring back backbone and character, while the Merlot balances out the blend for a soft, smooth texture

My Review:
This wine kind of smelled like welch's grape juice that is starting to expire. But there was also a little bit of chocolate and coffee smell. There was maybe a hint of cranberry at the beginning smell, but obviously it wasn't that powerful. When tasted, there was a sweet beginning taste ending with bitter and not overwhelming heat. There was nothing unique about this wine; if you had an idea of a general red wine in your head, this is what it would taste like. There were not enough layers to this wine. And there was no aftertaste - so when it's gone, it's gone. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Grand Cru Pinot Noir

Name: Grand Cru
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $6.95

Winery 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.

My Review:
The smell of this wine was of tobacco but for once, it wasn't overpowering. There were also hints of dark fruit like cranberry and blackberry under the smell, and you could get a sense of the heat through the smell. It smelled full body, but not like trying to smack you in the face. When tasted, you tasted the heat on the beginning and it was smooth through the end. The wine was not as bitter was I expected, but it almost tasted like when you take chew out of our mouth. There was not fruity tones except for a little fruit on your back pallet. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Prime Brume Garganega

Name: Prime Brume
Variety: Garganega
Region: Soave
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $11 (Sale $6.95)

Tastings.com Review:
Pale color. Fruity, floral minerally inviting aromas of passion fruit, white grapefruit, spice poached pear, and papaya 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 to the long, crisp finish, this soave can seamlessly go from cocktail hour thru to vibrantly flavored dishes.

My Review:
This more yellow wine smelled exactly like super bubble gum! If I had to be even more specific it was like the bubble tape that I grew up eating which was completely unexpected. There was also a little banana flavor on the smell. When tasted, this wine was a huge let down. There was no flavor practically and it tasted very watered down. It is smooth but too tart to have a flavor. There is a little bit of banana in the aftertaste, but overall not strong flavor. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Quintas Melgaco Blue Vinho Verde

Name: Quintas Melgaco Blue
Variety: Vinho Verde
Region: Vinho Verde
Country: Portugal
Year: 2013
Price: $10 (Sale $5.95)

Winery 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.

My Review:
This very white wine looked a lot like water. It smelled like pear, and potpourri mainly. This wine was very fragrant but not fruity - the only fruit smell was possibly a water melon smell. The taste was tart, a little spritzy but not overly carbonated. This wine did not have a lot of heat, and was not quite sour but well on its way. There was a sweet aftertaste. This wine was tasted without food.