Tasting - Crane Lake White Zinfandel

Name: Crane Lake White Zinfaldel
Variety: White Zinfandel
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95

Winery 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.

My Review:
This wine was a really pink and orange color. The smell was fruity and sweet - kind of like an old chapstick that I used to have growing up. The taste was surprising because it was a full body wine for a white wine. There was a little bit of a licorice after tasted, with the heat at the beginning of the sip. The finish was smoother however, and it did not have too much sweetness. A good way to describe this wine would be to say it tasted like strawberry juice in water - diluted. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Vina Galana Alicante Bouchet

Name: Vina Galana Alicante Bouchet
Variety: Alicante Bouchet
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $15 (Sale $9.95)

Winery 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.

My Review:
This wine had a very interesting smell; like tobacco and stale cigarettes. The best way to describe the smell would be to say it smelled like the floor of a bar - most likely Hokie House or Tots. When tasted, the tobacco flavor was entirely overwhelming and made my face physically constrict and contort. This was the worst wine I have ever tasted and I felt literally dirty after drinking it. This was wine was eaten without food.

Tasting - Tonnino Syrah

Name: Tonnino Syrah
Variety: Syrah
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $14 (Sale $7.95)

Winery Review:
An intense red color. Aromas of violet and blackcurrant enriched by hints of liquorice and black pepper. In the moth it is full, round, slightly tannic and with a spicy note on the finish.

My Review:
The smell of this wine was so strong, it cleared my sense! It smelled rotten and like it had high heat with a little bit of cranberries and earthy undertones. The flavor was bitter, not sweet, and had a mineral aftertaste. There were no fruit flavors standing out and overall the wine was kind of flat, with no dimension of flavors. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Riebeek Cellars Viognier

Name: Riebeek Cellars Viognier
Variety: Viognier
Region: Swartland
Country: South Africa
Year: 2015
Price: $12 (Sale $7.95)

Washington Post Review:
This is a lucious viognier, featuring a deep yellow color that explodes with juicy peacy 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.

My Review:
This wine really looked like water; it was almost completely translucent and did not have any sort of definite color. It smelled peachy and sort of like the candied orange slices that you can buy in a bag for a dollar at Kroger. This was a smother wine, and you tasted a lot of orange. There was no heat in the finish and the tangy taste seemed to stick around. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Dom Michel Thomas Sancerre Rose

Name: Dom Michel Thomas Sancerre Rose
Variety: Rose
Region: Loire
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $32 (Sale $8.95)

Critic Review:
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. 90 - Stephen Tanzer

My Review:
This wine smelled greatly of tangerine, grapefruit, with a hint of raspberry, meaning while it had a very sweet smell, it was citrusy. It also had a very nice, pretty, pink color. The taste however was entirely different. It tasted tarte and super alcoholy, but not with a lot of heat if that makes any sense. While it may sound strange, this wine tasted like a sour green apple without the apple. This was tated without food.

Tasting - Crane Lake Gewurtztraminer

Name: Crane Lake
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 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 fetching appearance on the finish.

My Review: This was a very light, transparent colored wine and definitely looked like white grape juice would. It smelled super sweet and a little bit of apple. In general it was just shocking how sweet like white cane sugar it smelled. The taste matched it - making it seem like you were almost drinking sugar. The flavor was white cane sugar with no fruit and no real heat. Even for me, it was a little too sweet. This was tasted without food.

Tasting - Codirosso Chianti

Name: Codirosso
Variety: Chianti
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $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 smelled mainly of blueberry, blackberry and a bit of pepper... but only just a hint of pepper. This doesn't smell as warm as a red wine, like I would expect. It obviously didn't outwardly smell like a red though, the body was just smaller in aroma. There were some fruity after tones when drinking this wine and this wine ended smooth with the heat at the beginning. The end is almost sour and there was a sort of chalky aftertaste that seemed to dry out your mouth at the end of the sip. This was tasted without food.