Tasting - Crane Lake

Crane Lake

White Zinfandel

2013

Price - $5.95

California

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 pâté to spicy Asian dishes, glazed ham, and grilled sea bass.

My Review: I love white zinfandels and this one was no exception. With the soft pink color and pleasant aroma of strawberries and sugar I knew I would like this wine. It was sweet on my palate and was a very light wine that complimented it's aroma nicely. I bought this wine.

Tasting - Vina Galana

Vina Galana

Alicante Bouchet 2012

Regular Price - $15

Sale Price - $9.95

Spain

Winery Review: From the rare Alicante Bouchet, one of the few grapes in the world with red flesh this wine has a plush texture carring 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 strong red color. The aroma reminded me of brandy with a sharp alcoholic bite to it and it had a creaminess in the smell almost like sweet butter. The tannins were evident as soon as I tasted it and it had a metallic taste to it almost like blood. I did not like this wine at all.

Tasting - Tonnino

Tonnino

Syrah 2013

Regular Price - $14

Sale Price - $7.95

Sicily, Italy

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

My Review: At first glance this wine had a beautiful red color. The smell was heavy with berries such as raspberry and blackberry and a bitter smell that reminded me of burnt rubber. This wine was dry and left my mouth feeling oily. It had a sharp taste that I couldn't place.

Tasting - Riebeek Cellars

Riebeek Cellars

Viognier 2015

Regular Price - $12

Sale Price - $7.95

Swartland, South Africa

Winery Review: This is a luscious viognier, featuring a deep yellow color, that explodes with juicy peach 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 was a pretty golden wheat color and had a sweet fruity aroma. At first taste, this wine came off super dry but without much bite. It had a citrus flavor that I liked like lime or lemon. It was a steady wine.

Tasting - Dom Michel Thomas

Dom Michel Thomas

Pinot Nior

Sancerre Rose 2013

Regular Price - $32

Sale Price - $8.95

Loire, France

Winery 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.

My Review: This wine wasn't my favorite but it had a nice aroma to it that contrasted the taste. It smelled like citrus with some earthy qualities underneath. I didn't like the taste as much because of the strong taste of alcohol that made it hot combined with a floral taste.

Tasting - Peter Mertes

Peter Mertes

Platinum Riesling 2014

Magnum

$9.95 Sale Price

Germany

Winery review: Light-bodied slightly sweet white wine, medium pale slightly greenish yellow. Inviting fresh white peach aroma and flavors. Easy to drink and not complicated, but whats there is very pleasant, and flavors develop in the glass.  

My Review: I loved this wine! It has a light and airy fruit smell that complimented its flavor well. The taste was a nice peach and plum sweetness that left your tongue tingling and a pleasant aftertaste in the back of your throat. 

Tasting - Crane Lake

Crane Lake

Petite Sirah 2013

$5.95

Lodi, California

Winery Review: This wine is ruby purple colored; notes of blackberry, plums, and spice predominate the nose and flavors. The tannins give a soft fill mouth feel.

My Review: This wine has a beautiful dark red color and a nice fruity smell that reminded me of pineapples. The flavor was not as sweet as I wanted it to be and gave me a very bitter and unpleasant taste in my mouth that lasted a while. 

Tasting - El Cortijillo

El Cortijillo

Tempranillo 2014

$5.95 Sale Price

La Mancha, Spain

Winery Review: Bright purple. High-pitched red berry and floral scents display goof clarity and a hint of cracked pepper. Shows a touch of jamminess to its pliant black raspberry and cherry compote flavors, with a spicy quality adding vibrancy. Finishes with a goof focus and no obvious tannis, leaving a sweet berry note behind. 

My Review: This wine was not one of my favorites from this tasting. While it had a nice red cherry and berry smell, the rosy taste was overpowered by a vinegar aftertaste. It left a strong taste behind. 

Tasting - Les Cos Francs

Les Clos Francs

Vouvray

Chenin Blanc 2012

$7.95 Sale Price

Loire Valley, France

Winery Review: The cool climate in the Vouvray appellation area insures goof acidity, which is balanced by the distinctly fruity character of the Chenon Blanc and the mineral qualities imparted by the soil. Thanks to these natural elements, this Vouvray combines elegance and vigor with honey dipped pears and an inherent freshness.  

My Review: This wine would be good with something to eat along with it. I liked the initial smell of this wine which reminded me of a raisin with a hint of citrus. My forst taste gave me the impression of an earthy undertone and combined nicely with a honey flavor. I liked this wine. 

Tasting - La Lejania

La Lejania

Chardonnay 2015

$6.95 Sale Price

Central Valley, Chile

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: The chardonnay had a dried fruit smell, almost like a fig. On first taste it had a spicy bite to it and then an oily finish that left a filmy texture in my mouth. This was one of my least favorite wines from the tasting this week.

Tasting - Yellow Tail (2)

Yellow Tail

Red Moscato Bubbles Non Vintage

$5.95 Sale Price

Australia

Wine Review: http://www.nataliemaclean.com/wine-reviews/yellow-tail-red-moscato-bubbles/223623

I LOVED this wine! I've mentioned it before in previous blogs, but I love sweet wine. The sweeter the better until it goes too far and becomes juice. This wine had the perfect blend of sweetness and bite that let you know it still had an alcohol content. At first glance this wine was a beautiful reddish purple hue. The smell was flowery and reminded me of a fresh rose. Now the taste was altogether an experience. With the carbonation adding to the subtle hints of strawberry jam, it was a delicious way to end my first wine tasting. 

Tasting - Beringer

Beringer

Smooth Red Blend

2012

$5.95 Sale Price

California

Wine Review: http://www.nataliemaclean.com/wine-reviews/beringer-founders-estate-cabernet-sauvignon-2012/207178

This wine was a personal favorite of my sisters, who went to the wine tasting with me. She even left with a bottle. I can't say that it was my favorite of the night but it was near the top. The strange combination of a sweet and fruity smell and the tangy soy sauce finish was definitely different and took me a while to find the right words to describe it. I can imagine this wine paired with a nice Asian dish. 

Tasting - Yellow Tail (1)

Yellow Tail 

Cabernet / Merlot

2014

$4.95 Sale

Australia

Wine Critics Review: https://www.vivino.com/wineries/yellow-tail/wines/cabernet-merlot-2014

I really liked this wine. I've had Cabernet and Merlot separately but this is my first experience where they have been mixed. And mixed so well. I usually tend towards liking Merlot better because it's sweeter and that's what I enjoy more than dark bitter wines but adding the Cabernet made this wine really good I think. 

What hit me first about this wines smell was the heavy nut smell. It was dry and very earthy. For this wine, the smell and taste correlated really well. The taste was a similar earthy taste with a hint of mold underneath that gave it a sort of ripe taste that I liked. The combination of the Cabernet and Merlot balanced out really well and rounded out this wine.

Tasting - Be

Be. Bright

Pinot Grigio

2013

California

$5.95

Wine Critic Review: http://www.wineskinny.com/wine-review-archive/archive-united-states/archive-usa-california/archive-usa-california-pinot-grisgrigio/

This was the first Pinot Grigio I've ever had and I wasn't a huge fan. To start off it had a slightly harsh chemical smell. It almost made me not want to try it but as I've learned the smell and taste of wine are usually quite different. 

The taste of the wine was, thankfully, not as chemical as the smell. It had spicy undertones and had a strong bite of pepper in it that wasn't what I was expecting. Combining the smell and taste of this wine created a strange mixture that was completely offputting but I don't think I'll be drinking it again.

Tasting - Dynamite

Dynamite

Sauvignon Blanc

Lake County, California

$5.95 Sale Price

Wine Critic Review: http://www.wineskinny.com/wine-review-archive/archive-united-states/archive-usa-california/archive-usa-california-sauvignonfume-blanc/

I will start by saying that I am in no way an expert at wine tasting or smelling. As my first experience with wine tasting, I was extremely out of my depth and spent most of the time at the counter eyeing the helpful chart they had to describe what I was smelling and tasting as I tried each wine. The Dynamite Sauvignon Blanc was one of my least favorite of the night but it wasn't terrible. 

The first whiff I got was of fruit. There was an almost sharp grapefruit or some other citrus fruit smell. The smell was completely different from the taste however. While it smelled sweet and fruit, on first taste there was a tangy and slightly bitter bite to it. I did not like the final finish as it left an acidy aftertaste in my mouth. 

I did not have this wine with food, and I think if I had, it would have changed the flavor possibly completely.