Tasting - Gelisi Antonio Sangue di Guida

Name: Gelisi Antonio Sangue di Guida (Sweet Italian Red: Blood of Judas)

Region/Country: Lombardy, Italy

Year: 2015

Price: $12.95

Winery Review: A blend of 60% Croatina, 30% Barbera, and 10% Uva Rarathe wine shows candied black raspberry and plum fruit mixes with balsamic and cocoa powder accents in this frizzante red, with light tannins, a creamy mousse, and enough acidity for balance. 84 points by Wine Spectator.

My Review: This wine was super tart and an obvious raspberry flavor was exploding on the palate. It was also very sweet and it was almost like grape juice. It only contained 7.5% alcohol content, which explains its juice-like characteristics for this wine. This wine was definitely not up my alley. I would give this an 80. I tasted it on its own with no food. 

Tasting - Oasis del Cuyo Malbec

Name: Oasis del Cuyo Malbec

Region/Country: Mendoza, Argentina

Year: 2012

Price: $12-- Sale $6.95

Winery Review: Deep ruby color. Appealing red fruit nose with hints of tobacco. Medium bodied with a smooth and lush mouthfeel. Finishes dry with lasting flavors. Excellent choice for a young and fruity everyday wine. Enjoy as an aperitif or with meats and pasta dishes. 

My Review: This wine emitted a strong nail polish remover scent. It gave a punch on the nose, as well as on the palate and it left my throat on fire on the finish. There was a hint of green pepper on the palate with bitterness. It was quite dry but the finish was pleasant. I would give this red an 86. I tasted it on its own with no food, but I would love to pair it with a dish.

Tasting - Terranoble Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Terranoble Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/Country: Central Valley, Chile

Year: 2013

Price: $8.95

Winery Review: This Cabernet Sauvignon offers an intense and deep color and lovely aromas of red fruit, pepper, and tobacco. It has smooth tannins, very freshness, and rich fruit, which gives the wine a good balance. Pair with barbecue beef ribs, frilled sea bass, or spaghetti alla Bolognese. 

My Review: This red wine was very greeny with a hint of oak. Although it was tannic and left a strange feel on the tongue, the finish was very smooth and it was pretty pleasant. There was also an obvious black pepper component on the palate. I tasted it on its own with no food this time. I think it would smooth out the tannins when it is paired with a meal. I would give this wine an 86. 

Tasting - Terranoble Chardonnay

Name: Terranoble Chardonnay

Region/Country: Central Valley, Chile

Year: 2015

Price: $8.95

Winery Review: This Chardonnay offers a wine with an attractive color and lovely aromas, such as ripe pear and pineapple, mixed with butter and vanilla notes. It is a fresh style of white wine, with a medium persistence in mouth. Ideals as an aperitif. 

My Review: With a 13.5% alcohol content, it gave it a pretty strong kick on the tongue and the throat. The pear flavor mixed with floral component was nice inside the mouth. I would love to pair this wine with a dish. I tasted it on its own with no food this time. I would give this wine an 87. Although it was pretty strong, I liked the sensation it left inside my mouth on the finish. 

Tasting - Santola Vinho Verde Loureiro Pederña

Name: Santola Vinho Verde Loureiro Pederña

Region/Country: Vinho Verde, Portugal

Year: N/A

Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Soft and creamy, although with just right Vinho Verde bite, this is a crisp and clean wine, boasting light pear and pink grapefruit flavors. Off dry and very fresh. 

My Review: This white wine was very refreshing on the nose and it was very pear-peach like on the palate. Very crisp. There was a very obvious honey component, almost a little too overbearing. It was acidic and smooth on the finish, but it was also pretty watery and just too light for my liking. I would give this wine an 83. I tasted this on its own with no food. 

Tasting - Lost Vineyards Spumante Italiano Moscato

Name: Lost Viyeards Spumante Italiano Moscato

Region/Country: Piedmont, Italy

Year: N/A

Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Pale color. Confected, fruity aromas of yellow apple, honeysuckle, pear tartlet, and honeydew melon with a satiny, shy, spritzy, moderately sweet light-to-medium body and sleek, fast yellow apple, candied pear, honeycomb, and sweet papaya finish with no tannins and no oak. Simple and approachable with sweet apple, melon, and candied pear on a framework of gentle, delightful bubbles. 

My Review: This wine was super light, golden pink in color, and it was almost like sugary water. I did enjoy the sparky aspect of this wine, but it was not my type of wine overall. It was too sweet with not much fruity component on the palate. I would give this wine an 80. I tasted this on its own with no food. 

Tasting - Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz/ Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz/ Cabernet Sauvignon

Region/Country: Padthaway, Australia

Year: N/A

Price: $19-- Sale $8.95

Winery Review: This red wine is a well above average effort with lots of flavor as well as Australia's so easily obtainable, lush fruit. The 2013 Shiraz/ Cabernet Sauvignon (55% and 45% respectively) exhibits a dark ruby/ purple hue along with a layered, peppery, berry fruit-scented nose revealing licorice and meaty notes. From a much lighter vintage, it is a supple, easygoing red enjoy now and over the next several years. 

My Review: This red was filled with soy sauce aroma and flavor. It was very dark in color and the oakiness left my mouth feel very dried. It was very much tannic and I would think that it would go well with a meal. I tasted this on its own with no food this time. I would give this red an 84. 

Tasting - Cavit Alta Luna Pinot Noir

Name: Cavit Alta Luna Pinot Noir

Region/Country: Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Italy

Year: 2011

Price: $20-- Sale $9/95

Winery Review: On the nose cherry, plum, and berry aromas mingle with notes of spice and tobacco. On the palate soft, supple tannins, and refreshing acidity are beautifully balanced by ripe cherry fruit flavors on the finish which is dry, harmonious, and elegant. 

My Review: There was an obvious green pepper component on the nose as well as on the palate. Black pepper was also evident on the palate, and overall this red was fairly bitter. I would like to try this tannic wine with a dish to see if the pair gives it a more smooth finish. I would give this wine an 85. This time I tasted it on its own with no food. 

Tasting - El Cortijillo Verdejo

Name: El Cortijillo Verdejo

Region/Country: La Monacha, Spain

Year: 2014

Price: $5.95

Winery Review: Golden straw color. Bright, attractive, tropical aromas of crème brûlée and fruit tart with a silky, bright, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a smooth, intriguing, snappy lime and apple finish with crunchy, fruit tannins and light oak. A super smooth and pure white sipper. 90 points-- Beverage Testing Institute. 

My Review: The golden color was very appealing to me, but the flavor was pretty disappointing, as there was not much fruity component in this white wine. There was a hint of spiciness and I tasted a bit of oak toward the finish. I would give this wine an 83. I tasted this on its own with no food. 

Tasting - Trattoria Busa Alla Torre Pinot Grigio

Name: Trattoria Busa Alla Torre Pinot Grigio

Region/Country: Veneto, Italy

Year: 2014

Price: $7.95

Winery Review: A Venetian favorite! It is crisp and dry, rich and spicy with hints of peach and honey...perfect with salads, pasta, chicken, and fish! Musaragno is an organic wine estate near Venice, Italy. 

My Review: There was a 'fresh bread out of the oven'  like smell in this wine-- very yeast-like.  It was pretty spicy, but there was not much peach or honey flavors as described in the winery review. It did not have the fruity component that I like in pinot griogios. I would give this win an 82. I tasted this on its own with no food. 

Tasting - Fetzer Gewürztraminer

Name: Fetzer Gewürztraminer

Region/Country: California, USA

Year: 2014

Price: $12-- Sale $8.95

Winery Review: A rainy minerality on the nose of this sweet wine manages to cut through the sugared oranges, honeysuckle, and ripe, tropical white fleshed fruit, from peach to cherimoya. The palate is full of honeyed apples, white peach, and pineapple, but the decent acidity and chalky element stops it short of treacly. 

My Review: This sparkly, sweet wine was filled with tropical fruit on the nose with honeysuckle. Although its nose was great and very refreshing, it was too sweet for my liking. I did enjoy the peachy aspect on the pallet though. I would give this wine an 85. I tasted this on its own with no food. 

Tasting - Maipe Malbec

Name: Maipe Malbec

Region/Country: Mendoza, Argentina

Year: 2015

Price: $12-- Sale $6.95

Winery Review: "The 2015 Maipe Malbac is another 100% Malbec, with a deep purple color and a style similar to the Lexicon, with chocolaty, blackcurrant, and blackberry fruit, as well as touches of licorice and earth. It is delicious, soft, and round." - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (March 2016), 87 points-- Excellent Wine Values for Under $25

My Review: There was a hint of asparagus on the nose mixed with red cherries. It was quite tannic and chalky on the palate, which was not so pleasant. I tasted this wine on its own with no food. I would give this an 83. The mouth-feel was strange for a while after sipping on this red. 

Tasting - Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Nouveau Gamay

Name: Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Nouveau Gamay

Region/Country: Beaujolais, France

Year: 2014

Price: $12-- Sale $4.95

Winery Review: A pretty, floral wine, with a rose petal notes underscoring the rich pomegranate and sweet plum flavors. The fresh acidity is balanced, and a light spice note lingers on the finish.

My Review: There was an oaky aroma from the beginning but it was actually not at all tannic on the palate. Its texture was very smooth and there was a hint of licorice and black pepper that hinted the spiciness. I would consider this red an 'easy wine' to sip on. I tasted this wine on its own with no food this time. I would give it an 88.

Tasting - Mapreco Vinho Verde Rosé

Name: Mapreco Vinho Verde Rosé

Region/Country: Vinho Verde, Portugal

Year: 2015

Price: $10-- Sale $7.95

Winery Review: The cherry color reveals a slightly fizzy wine that is a very fruitful rosé made from the traditional vinho verde white grapes. Adding a splash of red to offer flavors with notes of strawberry, cherry, and berries. A delightful twist on the original. 

My Review: This rosé was quite sparkly, which was not what I was expecting when I first sipped it. It had a nice, fruity aroma and it reminded me of grapefruit sparkly juice. It was refreshing and I liked its smoothness inside the mouth. I would give this wine an 88. I tried it on its own with no food. I wonder what type of dish would pair well with this wine. 

Tasting - Mars & Venus Chardonnay

Name: Mars & Venus Chardonnay

Region/Country: La Mancha, Spain

Year: 2014

Price: $5.95

Winery Review: A very nice value Chardonnay that comfortably over-delivers vs. its modest price tag. No oak here, just bushels of clean, crisp, Chardonnay apple and stone fruit with a hint of caramelized pineapple. Juicy and clean, this is a mid-weight white that's just perfect for parties or weeknight sipping.

My Review: There was an obvious honey aroma on the nose. The honey flavor was also present on the palate mixed with pineapple, which made this white wine very refreshing. I would love to try this with a dish, but I also really liked it on its own. It had a great balance and the finish was smooth. I would give this wine an 89.