Tasting-"Crane Lake Riesling"

Name: Crane Lake
Variety: Riesling 
Year: 20143
Region: NA
Country: California 
Price: $5.95 

Vintage Cellar Review: "The trademark German red grape varietal Dornfelder has a lovely purity of soft red berry fruit. Integrated soft tannins combined with forward fruit flavors make for a perfectly balanced everyday sipping wine. Great with grilled red meat, sausage and chicken. Best served slightly chilled."

My Review: The Riesling was a lovely golden yellow color with floral and lemon aromas mixed with a tannic tinge. The smells translated to taste along with peach and unripe blueberries, which gave the wine a slightly sour taste. I enjoyed this wine! 

Tasting-"Crane Lake Shiraz"

Name: Crane Lake
Variety: Shiraz
Year: 2013
Region: NA
Country: California 
Price: $5.95 

Vintage Cellar Review: Wine Spectator "Beautiful ruby appearance, with blackberry and pepper notes. Tannins and fruit marry well for a soft finish. This wine pairs well with sharp cheddar cheese and hazelnuts. Also try it along with roast lamb at Easter time, veal marsala, or grilled salmon."

My Review: The Shiraz was a dark velvet red with intense smoky asparagus and charcoal aroma.  The taste translated exactly to the smell with a hint of oak quality. Overall, this wine was very different and distinct. I wouldn't buy a bottle, but enjoyed the smells and tastes that this wine brought to the table. 

Tasting-"Georges Duboeuf Nouveau"

Name: Georges Duboeuf 
Variety: Nouveau
Year: 2015
Region: Beaujolais 
Country: France
Price: $5.95 

Vintage Cellar Review: Wine Spectator "George Duboeuf is THE king of Beaujolais.  His wines are full of pop, charm and great flavor and his Beaujolais Nouveau is no exception.  A cornucopia of expressive fruit wrapped in an almost-bubblegum-like frame; it is the flagship Nouveau."

My Review: The Nouveau was a lovely light red with a strong aroma of butter. The taste of the wine was dry and bitter with a lingering woody taste. Overall, I am indifferent to this wine. I also did not get any cornucopia of fruit...

Tasting-"Maipe Torrontes"

Name: Maipe  
Variety: Torrontes
Year: 2014 
Region: Mendoza 
Country: Argentina 
Price: $7.95 

Vintage Cellar Review: Wine Spectator "The wine has a spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well-balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish."

My Review: Maipe is a lovely light yellow-green wine. The scent of apple slices, honey suckle, and a sugar coated candy filled the glass. The taste of the wine was very sour, similar to the after taste of a granny smith apple, with a very smooth long finish with hints of lavender. 

Tasting-"Tonnino Pinot Grigio"

Name: Tonnino
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Year: 2014 
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy 
Price: $7.95

Vintage Cellar Review: "Tonnino’s exotic example of Pinot Grigio has a straw to pale gold color. It is fresh and clean on the nose with fruity notes of pear, green apple and white peaches. The palate is true to the nose with a fresh acidity, coriander and lime notes followed by a crisp finish. This wine pairs well with youthful aperitifs, clams or mussels, pastas and risotto dishes."

My Review: The small was acidic with a hint of floral and the color or the wine was a clear white with a hint of yellow. The taste was very dry with a sweet apple hint followed by a bitter long finish. Overall, this wine was okay...

Tasting-"Sweet Red Dornfelder"

Name: Peter Mertes 
Variety: Sweet Red Dornfelder
Year: 2014 
Region: NA
Country: Germany
Price: $6.95 

Vintage Cellar Review: Wine Spectator "The trademark German red grape varietal Dornfelder has a lovely purity of soft red berry fruit. Integrated soft tannins combined with forward fruit flavors make for a perfectly balanced everyday sipping wine.Great with grilled red meat, sausage and chicken. Best served slightly chilled."

My Review: The Sweet red was a softer dark red color. The wine was thick and smooth and had a scent of perfume. The taste was lovely with just the right amount of sweetness, mixed with hints of blackberries and raspberries. I really enjoyed this wine and would love to buy a bottle, I think it would honestly pair well with just about anything! 

Tasting-"Castello Sonnino"

Name: Castello Sonnino 
Variety: Chianti Montespertoli 
Year: 2010
Region: Chianti 
Country: Italy 
Price: $8.95 

Vintage Cellar Review: Wine Spectator "A blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia del Chianti. Rich and modern, with a dark, saturated color and aromas of graham cracker and lemon rind. A juicy palate packed with plum and raspberry is carried by a creamy texture that’s rather toasty in terms of flavor. The finish is round, full and chocolaty."

My Review: The Sonnino was a lovely dark red wine with a strong scent of gasoline. The taste was very tannic with a bitter dark chocolate nutty-ness to the finish. This wine was complex, however, not my kind of complexity...