Name: Cantina di Casteggio Moscato di Pavia
Variety: Moscato
Region: Lombardy
Country: Italy
Year: Did not specify
Price: $8
Winery review: Bright, light golden color. Very aromatic nose of ripe apricots, sage, honey and a slight minerality. Medium bodied, sweet and fruity with flavors of apricots and tangerine. Well balanced acidity and medium finish with layers of sweet and citrus fruit.
My review: Very light pink color in this wine with a nose of mango and apricot. Typically these sweet wines hit you with a great rush of citrus as you taste. This was no exception; delicious citrus flavor was present during the tasting with good sweet apple and mango flavors present. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet dessert wine.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
Name: Montebuena Rioja Crianza
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Did not Specify (La Rioja?)
Country: Spain
Year: 2007
Price: $7
Winery review: 100% Tempranillo. Dark red. Spicy red berries and cherry on the nose, with hints of cracked pepper and dried rose. Crisp and dry on the palate, with spicy redcurrant and cherry flavors, light tannins and a fresh, energetic finish. An excellent value, and surprisingly elegant for this price point.
My review: I really enjoyed the deep purple/red colors of the wine. It presented lots of spice on the nose with cherry background. Also present were some earth tones, something along the lines of soil or dirt. Powerful spice was presented on the palate during the tasting with strong tannins, which I did not mind all that much. Definitively a food wine, though.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
Name: Varas Vinho Tinto
Variety: Castelão (45%), Tinta Roriz (25%), Tinta Barroca (20%) and Pinot Noir (10%)
Region: Did not Specify
Country: Portugal
Year: Did not specify.
Price: Box wine; $22/box ($5.50/bottle)
Winery review: This smooth Portuguese red is a blend of Castelão (45%), Tinta Roriz (25%), Tinta Barroca (20%) and Pinot Noir (10%). The vineyards are located near Lisbon, planted in sunny gentle slopes of clay and limestone soils. The wine was aged in oak barrels.
My review: The nose of this wine presented typical dark berry/cherry tones along with spice. What surprised me was the flavors of this wine; I truly did not expect much before tasting, if only because my previous box wine experience was not great. Lots of cherry and blackberry flavors and the oak revealed itself (not to my dismay as it sometimes does). The tannin structure was not overbearing and I truly enjoyed this smooth blend. The box I picked up before leaving should satiate my red wine craving for quite a while.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
Name: Oveja Negra Syrah-Cab Rosé Reserva
Variety: Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Did not Specify
Country: Chile
Year: 2010
Price: $7
Winery review: Oveja Negra Reserva Rosé is bright cherry-red in color and has an attractive nose with aromas of raspberries and strawberries as well as plum and a bit of green apple. Crisp and juicy on the palate with a slight sweetness that accompanies the red fruit flavors. Pleasing natural acidity with medium-high intensity, nice persistence, and a fresh finish.
My review: Really picked up on the advertised strawberry nose, along with a floral background. This followed with flavors of a tart green apple and strawberry. I was surprised at the sweetness in this wine, if only because most rose wines I have had were generally dryer and more tart. I really appreciated the flavors introduced in this wine.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
Name: gPG Garganega Pinot Grigio
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Delle Venezie
Country: Italy
Year: 2010
Price: $9
Winery review: gPG is from the delle Venezie regions of northeastern Italy. A clean and crisp palate with plenty of texture and weight follows aromas of apples and zesty lemons. It's perfect with grilled white fish or light risotto.
My review: Nose reminded me of watered down apple juice, which I appreciated. Tasting resulted in a rush of pear flavors to pair with that apple, resulting in a wine I really enjoyed. This wine was fruity, smooth, and delicious, a combination I always appreciate.
I tasted this on its own with no food.
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.
