Tasting - "Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc"

Name: Villa Maria Private Bin Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: 
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2009
Price: $18 regular / $9.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: A classy Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with piercing aromas of ripe gooseberries and intense lime and passionfruit flavours. The wine was made from a blend of fruit grown in the Wairau and Awatere Valleys spanning a range of different climates. Would be an ideal match with a herbed salmon dish.

My Review: This wine had a very light yellow color. It had a nice clean nose. It had little flavor. There was not too much to this wine.

Tasting - "Rocland Duck Duck Goose Chardonnay"

Name: Rocland Duck Duck Goose Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2009
Price: $15 regular / $7.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: Duck Duck Goose wines are made up of a Chardonnay that is nonoaked and fresh fruit driven with melon and citrus overtones. It has strong varietal characteristics that pair beautifully with light foods such as fish, shellfish and cheeses.

My Review: It is a golden yellow color. This chardonnay was a little hot for me. It also had a very sharp finish. I did not like this wine.

Tasting - "Morro Bay White Oak Chardonnay"

Name: Morro Bay White Oak Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: San Luis Obispo, California
Country: USA
Year: 2009
Price: $14 regular / $5.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: Toasted oak, butter and crisp apple/pear fruit aromas. The texture in the mouth is like a knife cutting a green apple. Together these disparate areas and flavors create a symbiosis that fills the tongue and echoes down the palate.

My Review: This wine had a very buttery nutty nose. On my first taste it was buttery and oaky. It also seemed to have floral aspects. It did have a clean finish.

Tasting - "Crane Lake Moscato"

Name: Crane Lake Moscato
Variety: 75% Muscat, 25% Proprietors Dry White
Region: Napa and Sonoma, California
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $12 regular / $6.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: This sweet wine is light in color with floral aromas including notes of orange blossom, jasmine and honeysuckle. Flavors include peach, melon and spice.

My Review: This wine had a very fruity smell. It was very sweet and fruity. It had a clean light finish

Tasting - "Dona Sol White Zinfandel"

Name: Dona Sol White Zinfandel
Variety: White Zinfandel
Region: Sonoma, California
Country: USA
Year: 2008
Price: $8 regular / $4.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: Voluptuous blush wine that has hints of strawberry and fresh fruit in its wide range of aromas. As the wine flows into the palate, fresh fruit and sweet cherries are evident. Ends with a smooth sweet finish. Pair with seafood (light & heavy), shellfish, pork, cheese, poultry, and desserts.

My Review: This wine smelled very fruity. It was very light and clean. It tasted very fruity. I mostly taste cherry flavors but not a good taste overall. It was definitely not my favorite.

Tasting - "Coldstream Hills Sauvignon Blanc"

Name: Coldstream Hills Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Yarra Valley
Country: Australia
Year: 2009
Price: $27 regular / $7.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: There is an emphasis here on varietal fruit and length of flavour, which the cool climate bestows on each grape variety. The Yarra Valley wines are designed to be enjoyed upon release & are attractive when young, but will certainly reward careful cellaring.

My Review: The color was a deep yellow. The wine had an earthy nose. The flavor was very nutty. It had a clean nice finish.

Tasting - "Three Rivers Merlot"

Name: Three Rivers Merlot
Variety: Merlot
Region: Columbia Valley, Oregon
Country: USA
Year: 2006
Price: $27 regular / $7.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: Supple and full-bodied, with bright fruit notes of huckleberry, Bing cherry and raspberry, with hints of cedar and sweet spices from the extended oak aging.

My Review: This wine had a deep dark color normal to a merlot. It had a floral nose. On first taste it seemed a little hot but it blanced out for me with some great merlot flavors. It has been one of favorites I have tasted so far.

Tasting - "Los Alisos Syrah"

Name: Los Alisos Syrah
Variety: Syrah
Region: Los Alamos Valley, California
Country: USA
Year: 2008
Price: $23 regular / $7.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: Los Alamos Valley is generating great interest among winemakers and wine critics for the quality and character of its Syrah. The region has a flair for producing wines with the peppery aromatics of a cold climate, and yet displays the rich intensity of warmer locales. Our Syrah is dark, dense and sinfully opulent with ripe scents of blueberries, white pepper and earth.

My Review: The color of this wine was deep dark red. The nose was very grapey. It was very smooth and had a very nice finish. I enjoyed this wine very much is on my try again list.

Tasting - "Dona Sol Merlot"

Name: Dona Sol Merlot
Variety: Merlot
Region: Sonoma County, California
Country: USA
Year: 2008
Price: $8 regular / $4.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: Everything you’d expect from a California Merlot - classic plummy fruit aromas on the nose with just a touch of spice and tobacco. Medium-bodied on the palate with plump, ripe fruit and soft tannins that make this an easy-drinking wine.

My Review: The color of this wine was a deep dark red.  It had a very full body. The wine had a very strong mouth feel with peppery flavors. I tasted this merlot with marinated pork butt and mashed potatoes, which went very well together. It was a great meal with great friends.

Tasting - "Beringer Pinot Noir"

Name: Beringer Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Napa Valley, California
Country: USA
Year: unknown
Price: $8 regular / $4.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: Winemaker Hook chose to use a combination of whole-berry and whole-cluster (carbonic) fermentations to accentuate the forward fruit aromas and flavors. Gentle punching down of the caps preserved the Pinot's brightness and extracted color, aromas and flavors without compromising the varietal's silky texture. After pressing, the wine was quickly put into seasoned small Burgundian oak barrels (approximately 1/3 new) and aged for six months.

My Review: The color of this wine was a light red. The nose was floral and fruity. I tasted some type of berry but could not differentiate which. The taste was a little hot but did have the floral flavors.

Tasting - "George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2011"

Name: George Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2011
Variety: Beaujolais Nouveau
Region: Rhone
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $12 regular / $3.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: Beaujolais Nouveau is a young red wine made from handpicked Gamay grapes grown in the Beaujolais region of France, where the beverage accounts for half of the region's production. While most red wines improve with age, Beaujolais Nouveau is all about freshness.

My Review: The color of this wine was light red. The nose was very fruity. I smelled hints of cherries. The taste of the wine was fruity but also had a peppery aspect to it. It was very smooth on the palate.

Tasting - "Robert Mondavi Solaire Pinot Noir"

Name: Robert Mondavi Solaire Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Santa Lucia, California
Country: USA
Year: 2008
Price: $21 regular / $7.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: Our Solaire by Robert Mondavi 2008 Pinot Noir shows off deep, complex flavors of black cherry and red raspberries, with hints of rose petal, violet, and red licorice.  A background of smoky cinnamon, vanilla, and five-spice nuances comes from aging in toasted oak barrels.  This wine has nice weight on the palate, with a lush texture and smooth, silky tannins that support the flavors through the lingering finish.

My Review: The color of this pinot noir was a very light red. The nose was not very strong but was very floral. The taste was very light and easy on my palate. It was very smooth with nice clean finish.

Tasting - "Horton Vineyard Red"

Name: Horton Stonecastle Red
Variety: Blended from Horton Vineyards choicest vinifera grapes
Region: Gordonsville, VA
Country: USA
Year: 2008
Price: $15 regular / $8.95 close-out sale
Winery Review: Like the beautiful Tudor-style winery where it was born, this rich red wine from the Piedmont of Virginia has a solid foundation of tannins from a tasteful, graceful superstructure of lush dark fruit. The red-roofed signature tower is likewise evoked by the long, balanced finish.

My Review: The color was a deep dark red showing a full body. The nose was clean and fruity. It had a smooth finish with a nice aftertaste. I tasted it with spaghetti with a venison meat sauce.

Tasting - "Into Zin Zinfandel"

Name: Into Zin
Variety: Zinfandel
Region: Lodi, California
Country: USA
Year: 2008
Price: $7.95 
Winery Review: Spicy, jammy, ripe round plum with juicy soft finish. Goes well with marsala chicken, pepered steak or broiled lamb shank.
 
My Review: The color was a dark red with almost a purple or even black hue. It smelled a little hot but this was actually the spicy flavors coming through the nose. I tasted it with a very peppery venison stew. The peppery flavors of the wine along with the smoky, peppery flavor of the stew went extremely well together.