Tasting - Caprice de Bastor-Lamontagne

Name: Caprice de Bastor-Lamontagne

Variety: 60% Semillon, 36% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Muscadelle

Region: Sauternes

Country: France

Year: 2004

Price: $7.95

Wine Review: Very clean, with lemon, mineral and honey aromas that follow through to a medium body. Shows vanilla, apple, and melon flavors, with a medium finish. Lightly sweet.

My Review: This was a very interesting wine.  It was a yellowish color and tasted like lemons.  I really enjoyed this wine, but I do not see it being a wine that I would purchase.  

Tasting - Torre Castillo Alegre

Name: Torre Castillo Alegre

Variety: 100% Monastrell

Region: Jumilla

Country: Spain

Year: 2010

Price: $9.95

Wine Review: 4 months in new American oak barrels. Bright ruby-red. Dried cherry, pipe tobacco and rose aromas, with a hint of woodsmoke. Sweet and fleshy on the palate, with blackberry and cherry flavors complimented by licorice and a suggestion of dried herbs. The cherry and smoke notes repeat on the finish.

My Review: This was a much darker red wine.  I was not a huge fan of this wine.  I couldn't really pick out a flavor of what it tasted like but i was definitely not a fan of it.  

Tasting - Wilson Daniels Merlot

Name: Wilson Daniels Merlot

Variety: Merlot

Region: Central Coast, CA

Country: US

Year: 2010

Price: $7.95

Wine Review: Made predominantly from Paso Robles gapes, the wine is full-bodied and silky yet robust, with aromas of black cherry and plum and a palate of blackberry, raspberry and blueberry jam laced with vanilla and toast.

My Review: This red wine was a lighter red in color.  It had a lot of flavors but black cherry was the one that stood out the most to me.  I really enjoyed this wine and would love to try it again 

Tasting - Bricco Dei Tati Rose

Name: Bricco Dei Tati Rose

Variety: 100% Barbera

Region: Piemonte

Country: Italy

Year: 2012

Price: $6.95

Wine Review: Fresh with aromas of strawberries, cherries, and rose petals, this is an ideal wine with shellfish, salads, chicken, and appetizers.

My Review: This was a very interesting wine. I have never really been a fan of roses, but this one was pretty good.  It was a light pink color, and tasted very fruity.  Lots of cherries and strawberries.  

Tasting - Smoking Loon Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Smoking Loon Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: California

Country: US

Year: 2009

Price: $7.95

Wine Review: This bleached blonde beauty is reminiscent of fresh green apples, pineapple, and has hints of hibiscus blossoms. The concentration of zesty lemon and gooseberry fills your mouth leaving notes of thyme and melon behind. The bright acid in this wine gives you a zing while the fruit keeps your mouth watering for more. This wine pairs beautifully with a grilled prawn salad with a grapefruit vinaigrette, veggie spring rolls, or grilled tilapia with mango salsa. 

My Review: This wine was a very light colored wine.  Could definitely taste apple and a bit of pineapple.  Could definitely see this food tasting good with a lighter food like a salad.  I would definitely be interested in having this wine again.  

Tasting - Ruta 22 Malbec

Name:  Ruta 22 Malbec
Variety: 100% Malbe
Region: Patagonia
Country: Argentina 
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Stout and dense from the beginning, with blackberry and violet aromas. Despite being a bold and dark Malbec, this is fresh and composed, with sweet blackberry and cassis flavors. Good on the finish, with candied fruit and caramel sweetness.

My Review: Black berries and cherries were the first thing that came to my mind when i first tried this wine.  It was very fruity and had great flavors to it.  Overall I really enjoyed this wine and would definitely buy a bottle for myself.  

Tasting - Château Serres Sainte Lucie Corbières

Name:  Château Serres Sainte Lucie Corbières
Variety: Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre
Region: Corbières
Country: France
Year: 2009
Price: $4.95

Winery Review: Superb dark garnet color with a few reflections of dark orange. Intense nose of ripe fruits, spices, and roasted coffee. The palate is rounded and full, with silky matured tannins and hints of vanilla. This wine is rich and powerful with layers of tannins.  

My Review: This was my least favorite wine that I tasted.  Very strong to the nose with a lot of spice. Such a powerful taste.  Alot of flavors of spice and fruit.  Overall I did not like this wine at all and would never buy it.  

Tasting - Cresta Azul

Name: Cresta Azul
Variety: Moscatel, Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo
Region: Emporda
Country: Spain
Year: NV  
Price: $5.95

Winery Review: Peach, orange cream and vanilla flavors mingle in this softly bubbly white. Off-dry, but with crisp acidity and a clean finish. 

My Review: I definitely enjoyed this wine.  There were flavors of peach and was somewhat creamy.  I felt this wine was very sweet, but was not too bad.  

Tasting - Veleta Tempranillo Rosado

Name: Veleta Tempranillo Rosado
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Granada
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $3.95

Winery Review: Fresh in flavor and crisp in texture, this dry rosé offers berry, tart cherry and light herbal flavors, with firm acidity and a clean finish. Focused and juicy.

My Review: This wine was very similar to the Veleta Brut, just without the bubbles.  I liked this one a lot more.  Lots of fruity flavors including cherries and berries.  I definitely enjoyed this wine and again for less than 4 dollars it is a great deal.  

Tasting - Veleta Brut Vino Espumoso Rosada

Name: Veleta Brut Vino Espumoso Rosada
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Granada
Country: Spain
Year: NV
Price: $3.95

Winery Review: Rosé salmon with copper reflections. Slow rising fine bubble that forms “lace” and “rosary”. In the nose is complex and elegant with red fruit, citric, exotic, fresh flowers, and notes of dry fruits and dry flowers. Fresh, gentle, and alive. Perfectly integrated “perlage” with serious and subtle flavors of dry fruits, pomegranate and lemonade. Long lasting scent of flowers and herbs.

Personal Review: Very interesting wine.  Very fruity with tastes of cherry and berries.  A lot of bubbles which gave it a very interesting taste.  This is probably not a wine that I would buy for myself, but for only 3.95, it is definitely a good deal. 

Tasting - Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Shiraz

Name: Emeri de Bortoli Sparkling Shiraz 
Variety: Shiraz 
Region: South East
Country: Australia
Year: N/A
Price: $9.95

Shop Review: A relatively light, fresh style of sparking Shiraz, with berries and hints of chocolate picking up just a touch of sweet vanilla on the finish (Vintage Cellar).

Personal Review: This was very very interesting.  I had never had a sparkling Shiraz before so i was very excited to try it.  There were definitely flavors of berries and a bit of chocolate.  I would love to have this wine with a dessert dish like a piece of chocolate cake.  

Tasting - Tres Ojos Garnacha

Name: Tres Ojos Garnacha

Variety: 50% Garnacha, 50% Tempranillo
Region: Calatayud
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95 

Shop Review: This wine has 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, aged cheeses etc. 

Personal Review: I really liked the Tres Ojos Garnacha.  There was a bit of a spice taste, but not too much which I really liked.  I also really enjoyed the raspberry flavors that were in this wine.  For 6.96, I definitely think this wine is a steal.  

Tasting - Montebuena

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

Shop Review: Ripe cherry and blackcurrant 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. 

Personal Review: The Montebuena Tempranillo had a great smell.  It had smells of cherry and blackberry.  Definitely could taste a lot of berries and cherries.  I really did not love this wine, but i would love to see what it tastes like after decanting.  

Tasting - Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence Rose

Name: Sainte Victoire Cotes de Provence

Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault

Region: Provence

Country: France

Year: 2011

Price: $8.95 

Shop 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.

Personal Review: This was a very interesting wine.  The pinkish color was definitely the first thing I noticed about it.  It had a very strong smell but could not really pick out a distinct smell.  It had very fresh flavors and had great fruit flavors as well.  

Tasting - Canyon Road Chardonnay

Name: Canyon Road Chardonnay 

Variety: Chardonnay 
Region: California 
Country: United States 
Year: 2011 
Price: $6.95 

Shop 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.

Personal Review: I thought this Chardonnay was a very good wine.  It was not very strong to the nose.  Definitely a lot of fruit flavors.  A bit of a citrus taste to it as well as a little bit of strawberry.  I can definitely agree with this shop review about this wine tasting well with a pasta.  I definitely want to try that.  

Dinner - Wine and Food in our Apartment

My friend Jake and I had a great dinner in our apartment with some great wines.  This was one of the first times I really focused on drinking wine and how it tasted with different types of food.  I thought this was a great experience.  We decided to go to the Vintage Cellar to pick up a few bottles of wine for the tasting.  We grabbed a Mapie Malbec and a Villa d'Orvieto to add to the Arrow Creek Cabernet Sauvignon which we already had in our apartment from the week before.  

We looked up these wines and what types of food would be a good pairing with each of them.  The Malbec said that it would go great with meats.  We decided to have BBQ ribs with a side of mashed potatoes.  The Orvieto said that seafood would be a great pairing so we decided to have sushi with it.  Lastly, the Cabernet Sauvignon said that it would pair well with desert so we had a couple pieces of pie with that.  

I started off with the sushi and the Orvieto.  I'm absolutely love sushi and was so excited to try this white wine with it.  The Orvieto and the sushi paired very well together.  It was very cool being that this was the first time I really tried to pair a wine with a food.  The wine sort of had a slightly different flavor to it when taking a sip after eating a piece of sushi.  It was always a very refreshing sip and I really enjoyed the wine. 

After I finished up the sushi, I moved on to the BBQ ribs with the Maipe Malbec.  These also paired very well.  I thought the ribs tasted absolutely delicious, and the Malbec just helped the taste.  Taking a sip of the wine in between bites definitely made the ribs taste much better.  I have never really been a huge fan of red wines, but I definitely enjoyed this wine when having it with the ribs.  

The last wine that I paired was the Cabernet Sauvignon with a piece of chocolate pie.  This was once again a great pairing.  I never thought that any wine could pair well with something chocolaty.  The pie was very rich and very strong.  Taking a sip of the wine was very refreshing after a bite of the very strong pie.  It really helped keep the pie from being extremely rich.  Definitely a fantastic wine to end our meal with.  

This was such an awesome experience.  I'm so glad I did this and cannot wait for the next opportunity to do it again.  I definitely want to go to a restaurant next time and try it again with different pairings.  I would love to see what a restaurant would offer.  Overall, this was a great experience and definitely a lot of fun.  I am also very excited to try this again very soon with different types of wines as well as different foods.  

Tasting - Cortenova Pinot Grigio

Name: Cortenova Pinot Grigio 
Variety: 100% Pinot Gris 
Region: Veneto 
Country: Italy 
Year: 2012 
Price: $7.95 

Shop 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 (Vintage Cellar).

My Review: One of the first things that stood out to me about this wine was its very light color.  It was very fruity but didn't really have any outstanding flavor to the nose.  It seemed to be a very light wine.  I could definitely see myself enjoying this wine while eating a plate of seafood.  

Tasting - Maipe Malbec Rosé

Name: Maipe Malbec Rosé 
Variety: 100% Malbec 
Region: Mendoza 
Country: Argentina 
Year: 2011 
Price: $7.95 

Shop 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 (Vintage Cellar). 

My Review: I thought that this very sweet wine was very tasty and very flavorful.  Lots of fruity flavors including tastes of strawberry and cherry.  The cherry flavor seemed to be the most dominant.  I really enjoyed this wine and would definitely consider having it again.  

Tasting - Tinto Figaro

Name: Tinto Figaro 
Variety: 100% 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 black raspberry and boysenberry flavors. Smooth and broad on the finish, leaving behind a hint of spiciness. Extremely easy to drink and an excellent value (Vintage Cellar). 

My Review: I really liked this wine.  It had quite a fruity taste, but was not too sweet.  There were great flavors of berries and cherries, but was not too strong.