Name: Primo Amore Moscato
Variety: Moscato
Region: Did not specify
Country: Italy
Year: Did not specify
Price: $9
Winery review: Straw-yellow with golden reflections and a delicate mousse. Fruity and very inviting, with intense scents of peaches and exotic fruit. Fresh and pleasantly sweet with a taste that reveals its varietal characteristic.
My review: In a nutshell: good, but not 9 dollars good for my cheap self. This is a very sweet wine that I really enjoyed, with a floral and "grapey" nose. The thing is that I could not distinguish much else that was different compared to cheaper dessert wines I've tasted in the past. It is probably worth the money, but I just couldn't bring myself to purchase this over the wines I had previously tasted.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
Name: Faraway Farms Shiraz
Variety: Shiraz
Region: Did not specify
Country: South Africa
Year: 2008
Price: $6
Winery review: Fresh, modern style, with lots of plum pudding, sweet chocolate, mocha, blackberry and boysenberry flavors supported by round, sweet tannins and toast.
My review: If you can imagine the smell of smoke from a campfire and smashed berries combined then you can imagine the nose of this wine. I thought the smokiness overpowered the other elements of the wine. Maybe some berry flavors (what the hell does a boysenberry taste like, anyway?), but the smoke really took me out of this wine's mood. This might be the wine I'd get if I was gonna smoke some ribs, but otherwise, I cannot see it pairing with much.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
Name: Tres Ojos Old Vines Garnacha
Variety: Grenache
Region: Did not specify
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $7
Winery review: Bright ruby color. Primary dark berry aromas are simple but offer very good purity and focus. Juicy blackberry and bitter cherry flavors are youthfully tangy, with good back-end acidity adding snap. The clean, brisk finish leaves behind notes of sweet dark berry preserves and cracked pepper.
My review: Hints of vanilla on the nose along with the advertised berries, with a kick of spice that I expected along with deep cherry flavors. I was disappointed that I did not get any of the vanilla as I actually tasted the wine, but the good tannins made up for it. I was going to buy this wine, but enjoyed the Obikwa too much... I'll come back later for this one.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
Name: Oak Vineyard Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Napa & Sonoma
Country: California
Year: 2010
Price: $6
Winery review: Quite an interesting Chardonnay, in an era when so many are too sweet and extracted. There’s plenty of orange and apricot fruit flavor, but also a brilliant streak of minerality, like a lick of cold steel, and the overall taste is dry. Really easy to like, with lots of complexity to warrant repeated sipping.
My review: I was not a fan of this wine. Light nose consisting of pear and hints of wood. This wine was relatively plain; there was little oak and not so much of the advertised orange and apricot... more of an old, brown apple that lingers in your mouth after you swallow the stuff. I plan to avoid in the future.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
Name: Obikwa Sauvignon Blanc
Variety:
Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Did not specify
Country: South Africa
Year: 2010
Price: $8
Winery review: OBiKWA Sauvignon Blanc is the ideal summer wine and smacks of crisp tropical fruit with a smattering of gooseberries and fig. If you're planning a night out with mates - don't forget to bring along a bottle of this yummy potion!
My review: I really enjoyed this wine. Light apple aromas with citrus zest in the background. My palate was engulfed with pear and I received no heat as I tasted. Well balanced, and worth the 8 dollars I paid for it.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
Name: Estrella Merlot
Variety: Merlot
Region: Napa Valley
Country: California
Year: 2009
Price: $6
Winery review: This ruby colored Merlot has raspberry jam aromas with a subtle hint of spice. Layers of vanilla, plum and fig are revealed that linger ever so slightly on the palate
My review: Not a bad wine. Had a generic berry aroma that I find pleasing; I also did get something akin to burned leaves (which I also enjoy... got to love growing up in the sticks). Less tannin than the previous red, which I found relieving, and had hints of blackberry hit my palate as I tasted. I probably should have picked up one of these before leaving... I'll have to do that next time.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
Name: Doural Red Tinto
Variety: Tinta Cao, Touriga Nacional
Region: Douro
Country: Portugal
Year: 2009
Price: $9
Winery review: This Portuguese tinto(red) blend exhibits a deep red color with violet hues. The nose is vibrant and fruity. The palate offers notes of spice, cherry, and dark berry supported by good structure. Pairs well with red or game meat, cheeses and fish.
My review: The nose that I picked up on consisted mainly of dark berry notes. I liked the deep red color in the glass and enjoyed the dark berry (not necessarily cherry) tastes I picked up on my palate. Some tannin here that would cause the wine to be well suited with something to counterbalance that puckering feeling, but I enjoyed the wine overall.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
