Tasting - "La Sera Red Ambrosia"

Name: La Sera Red Ambrosia
Variety: Red Blend
Region: Emilia-romagna
Country: Italy
Year: 
Price: $9.75
Winery Review: Light, sweet and really easy. Nuance and style rather than theatrics in this wine. A great pairing with desserts especially after a dinner where you serve heartier dishes and wines and dont want to step too far backwards. 
 
My Review: This wine smelled of artificial apple. It was very sweet with a taste of strawberry. It had aspects of carbonated fruit juice. Not my type of wine.

Tasting - "El Portal Barrel Select"

Name: El Portal Barrel Select
Variety: Red Blend
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 
Price: $9.99
Winery Review: Both Zinfandel and Merlot are popular grapes on their own and this marriage proves that the sum can be greater than its parts. Concentrated blackberry and cherry aromas are joined by notes of black currant, plum, spice and violet. Fruit forward flavors are accented with a touch of sweet tobacco and spice. A smooth texture and ripe tannins make this wine very food friendly.

My Review: This wine I was disappointed with. I think it may have been because I did not pair it with food. The nose was not very evident. It was very weak in that respect. The taste did not make up for it either. I did find flavors of cherry and plum but overall it was not pleasant. Next time I will have to try it with food.

Tasting - "Stone Briar Classic Red"

Name: Stone Briar Classic Red
Variety: Red Blend
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2009
Price: $9.99
Winery Review: Deeply colored wine with intense aromas of ripe berry and spice. Flavors of blackberry and raspberry with a hint of toasty oak and vanilla are carried through a refreshing finish by soft tannins.

My Review: The color of this wine was very dark. The nose of the wine was very fruity but almost like cooked fruit. There was a bit of the oak monster in this wine but still the wine was good enough to enjoy.

Tasting - "Geja's Big Bold Red"

Name: Geja's Big Bold Red
Variety: Red Blend
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2009
Price: $12.99
Winery Review: A wine with attitude. It's big and bold and unabashedly lip-smackingly delicious – ripe fruit flavors float over a fine structure of ripe tannins and natural fruit acidity. "Keep pouring, I'll tell you when to stop".

My Review: This wine had a beautiful nose. It had floral and earthy components as well some berry components. This was definitely in my top 5 noses I have had so far. The taste was also very pleasing. The tannins were very nice and made the wine very drinkable.

Tasting - "Marietta Old Vine Red Lot Number 56"

Name: Marietta Old Vine Red Lot Number 56
Variety: Red Blend
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 
Price: $14.95

Winery Review: Lot 56 continues the tradition of consistently great wine. The aromas of the Zinfandel based blend are bright and rich with red and dark berry fruits followed by hints of earth and spice. The mouth feel is lush and full. The finish is marked with ample acidity to bring the wine to a balanced finish.

My Review: The color of this wine was a deep ruby red with almost a brown tint to it. The nose was very rich and earthy. It had great berry flavors like dark red cherries. It also had a little bit of the oak monster but overall it was a solid wine.

Tasting - "Pietra Santa Sacred Stone Red"

Name: Pietra Santa Sacred Stone Red
Variety: Red Blend
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 
Price: $9.95
Winery Review: Dark ruby in color, with warm, plummy aromas, a hint of raisins and a dash of spice; floral and peppery notes on the nose carry over to the palate with a burst of fragrant pepper and bright red fruit. Full bodied, tart and somewhat tannic, with an intriguing minerality lurking behind the forward fruit and peppery spice. Powerful alcohol (14.8%) leaves a distinct warmth in the finish. Made by a California producer and bearing no regional appellation or vintage, it's described as a "Rhone-style blend," with Syrah, Carignan, Grenache and the less characteristically Rhonish Sangiovese and Zinfandel.

My Review: It had a dark ruby red color. This wine had a floral nose. It has a very strong plum flavor, with hints of dark cherries. It had very nice tannins.

Tasting - "Four Bears Sauvignon Blanc"

Name: Four Bears Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Sonoma County
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $12.95
Winery Review: Our Sauvignon Blanc fruit was 100% whole-cluster pressed to minimize astringency from the skins. Once settled, a portion of the juice was placed in small neutral French oak barrels, while the majority was moved to stainless steel tanks for fermentation. This combination allows the wine to develop a balance of crispness and tropical fruit flavors. The wine in barrels was sur lie aged and stirred consistently. The final blend was a combination of lots that provided a perfect balance of richness, bouquet and mouth feel.

My Review:This wine had a very tropical nose. It had pineapple and I think mango components. The first taste was strong with grapefruit. It had very strong citrus. It had a smooth mouth feel.