Tasting - Crane Lake

Name:  Crane Lake

Variety: White Zinfandel

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Price: $5.95

Expert 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: Overall this was my favorite. The first thing that hit me when I smelled this was strawberry it was delightful. Other fruits include peach, mango, almost like I was sniffing fruit punch. The taste was just like I smelled, fruity, and it was slightly sweet and crisp which I love.

I did not pair this with food

Tasting - Vina Galana

Name:  Vina Galana

Variety: Alicante Bouchet

Region: 

Country: Spain

Year: 2012

Price: $15 Sale $9.95

Expert 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: I got the smell of dark chocolate, black cherry, and earthy. This was another dry red wine, which are probably my least favorite types, but it had a nice deep red color and I could see this paring well with a steak.

I did not pair this with food

Tasting - Tonnino

Name:  Tonnino

Variety: Syrah

Region: Sicily

Country:Italy

Year: 2013

Price:  $14 Sale $7.95

Expert 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: The smell was kinda intense. It smelled like hard liqueur and that all I got. It was dry and had a peppery taste to it and the wine really coated the inside of my mouth, very sticky. Overall my least favorite wine of the afternoon.

I did not pair this with food

Tasting - Riebeek Cellars

Name: Riebeek Cellars

Variety: Viognier

Region: Swartland

Country:South Africa

Year: 2015

Price: $12 Sale $7.95

Expert 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 had a lot of white fruit elements when I smelled it, peach, white grape juice, and some honey. When I tasted it I was surprised because to me it had a bubblegum taste to it. Overall very enjoyable

I did not pair this with food

Tasting - Dom Michel Thomas

Name:  Dom Michel Thomas

Variety:  Sancerre Rose

Region: Loire

Country:France

Year:  2013

Price: 8.95

Expert 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: Smelling this wine I immediately got a honey smell. It was a slightly dry and white wine with some strawberry and almost like a flower taste, overall very good wine.

I did not pair this with food

Tasting - Crane Lake

Name: Crane Lake

Variety: Gewurtztraminer

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Price: $5.95

Expert Review: Slightly high-toned notions of rose petal mingle with lemon on nose and palate of this lightly sweet, richly textured yet balanced Gewürztraminer. This is not as heady as you may expect and will be a treat with spicy Asian dishes. Lychee and rose petal make another very fetching appearance on the finish.

My Review: I got a lemony, white fruit,  and pear smell from this. My girlfriend and I like this one the best because it was slightly sweet, refreshing and it had a lemon taste. 

I did not pair this with food

Tasting - Codirosso

Name:  Codirosso

Variety: Chianti

Region: Tuscany

Country: Italy

Year: 2014

Price: $13 Sale $7.95

Expert 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: Smelling this wine I got dark cherries mix spices a hint of dark chocolate and an earthy smell. The taste was a little too dry for my taste but pairing it with food like pasta or a steak would be delightful.

I did not pair this with food

Tasting - Inwe Pinotage

Name: Inwe Pinotage

Variety: Pinotage

Region: 

Country: South Africa

Year: 2013

Price: $12 Sale $5.95

Expert Review: “A disclaimer: I have never cared much for Pinotage, the indigenous South African grape variety, but this 2013 Pinotage from Indwe, named after the country's national bird, the blue crane, comes across like a light Pinot Noir. Subtle notes of cherries, spice and forest floor are followed by a round, light to medium-bodied, pure, seductive, well-crafted wine.”

 

My Review:  Smelling the wine I got a hint of dark cherries, and an earthy smell. The taste was dry but not to dry, I can taste the spice cherry, overall not my favorite but I can see this being good with a steak.

I did not pair this with food

Tasting - Palacio de Bornos

Name: Palacio de Bornos

Variety: Verdejo

Region: Rueda

Country: Spain

Year: 2013

Price: $12 Sale $5.95

Expert Review: "Zesty and clean, with pure grapefruit and passion fruit aromas. It’s charged up but perfectly balanced, with bright, focused citrus and pineapple flavors. Lemony acidity keeps the finish rolling, then throw in some chive and fresh greens and you have a spot-on Verdejo."

My Review: Smelling the wine, I got a lot of pear and white grape fruit smell. The taste was crisp, buttery, I got a taste of honey and of course the pear.

I did not pair this with food

Tasting - Tonnino Grillo

Name: Tonnino Grillo

Variety: Grillo

Region: Sicily

Country: Italy

Year: 2014

Price: $14 Sale $7.95

Expert Review: "Fruit-forward and tangy, this light-bodied, snappy white offers flavors of guava, apricot, candied grapefruit zest and stone. Drink now. 20,000 cases made."

My Review: When I first smelled the wine I got white fruit smell. Tasting the wine I got white grapes and tropical fruits, overall a very satisfying and crisp wine.

I did not pair this with food.

Tasting - Peter Mertes Platinum

• Name: Peter Mertes Platinum
• Variety: Riesling 
• Country: Germany
• Year: 2014
• Price: $18 Sale $9.95
• 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 what's there is very pleasant, and flavors develop in the glass.
• This was my favorite wine. It had a sweet smell, and I got a hint of pear from it. The taste was kinda sweet and I got a white grape and peach taste from it. My girl friend and I loved it so much we purchased a bottle.
• I did not pair with food.

Tasting - Crane Lake

• Name: Crane Lake
• Variety: Petite Sirah
• Region: Lodi, California
• Country: USA
• Year: 2013
• Price: 5.95
• Shows a certain rustic simplicity now, with youthfully jammy flavors of blackberries, cherries and currants, sprinkled with cocoa and pepper and wrapped into dusty tannins.
• I got a huge hit of cherry when I smelled it. When I took the first sip there was a peppery taste to it. Overall this was my least favorite from the tasting. 
• I did not pair with food.

Tasting -El Cortijillo

• Name: El Cortijillo
• Variety: Tempranillo
• Region: La Mancha
• Country: Spain
• Year: 2014
• Price: $9.00 Sale $5.95
• Up front aromas of raspberry and cherry fruit, medium to light weight, Rhône wine in character, cherry fruit flavors, followed by bright acidity.
• A very dry Red wine, but I actually enjoyed it. It had a dark cherry as well as an earthy smell like roots. I purchased it after the tasting to pair with my beef stew.
• I actually purchased this one after the tasting. I wanted to pair a wine with a beef stew I was making and Vintage Cellar suggested this one. I was amazed by how the wine broke down the beef and made is slightly more tender, and by doing this the intense alcohol taste was reduced by a lot.

Tasting - Les Clos Francs Vouvray

•  Name: Tasting - Les Clos Francs Vouvray

• Variety: Chenin Blanc

• Region: Loire Valley, France

• Year: 2013

• Price: Regular 21.00 Sale 7.95

• The cool climate in the Vouvray appellation area insures good acidity, which is balanced by the distinctly fruity character of the Chenin 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.

• It had a citrus smell, with other white fruits like pear. Kinda dry but very enjoyable.  

• Did not pair with food

Tasting - La Lejania

• Name: La Lejania
• Variety: Chardonnay
• Region: Central Valley, Chile
• Year: 2015
• Price: $6.95
• Vintage Cellar said it was a smooth white wine with fruity taste most noticably pear.
• This was a slightly dry wine but very smooth tasting. It had a white grape smell, as wells as pear. The taste 
• I did not have it with food