Tasting - "Lost Vineyards Spumante"

Name - Lost Vineyards Spumante
Variety - Spumante Italiano Moscato
Region - Piedmont
Country - Italy
Year - Non Vintage
Price - $7.00

Wine Store 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 a sleep, 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 gently, delightful bubbles.

My Review - This wine had rich scents of honeydew, strawberries and cantaloupe. It almost smelled like the juice in a fruit cup. It tasted like sweet, cherry gummies and candy. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz Cabernet"

Name - Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz Cabernet
Variety - Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon
Region - Padthaway
Country - Australia
Year - 2013
Price - $19.00

Wine Critic Review - Robert Parker - 87 points
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's a supple, easygoing red to enjoy now and over the next several years.

My Review - I smelled cherries, dark berries and a pepper/licorice hint at the end. It also had a deep earthiness smell to it too. I thought it tasted like pepper with a strong spicy palate, followed by an enjoyable tang which left a really good finish. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Cavit Alta Luna Pinot Noir"

Name - Cavit Alta Luna Pinot Noir
Variety - Pinot Noir
Region - Vigneti Delle Dolomiti
Country - Italy
Year - 2011
Price - $20.00

Wine Store 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 - I thought this wine smelled like rich, dark cherries covered in smooth milk chocolate. It had a plum hint as well, with a trace of spiced tobacco. I thought it tasted very tangy actually with hints of dried cherries and blackberries. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "El Cortijillo Verdejo"

Name - El Cortijillo Verdejo
Variety - Verdejo
Region - La Monacha
Country - Spain
Year - 2014
Price - $6.00

Wine Critic Review - Beverage Tasting Institute - 90 points
Golden straw color. Bright, attractive, tropical aromas of creme brulee 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.

My Review - This wine smelled like honey and lime with a sweet apple hint. I thought it tasted very similar - like a sweet apple pie, more fall fruits than tropical fruits on the palate and nose. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Trattoria Busa Alla Torre"

Name - Trattoria Busa Alla Torre
Variety - Pinot Grigio
Region - Veneto
Country - Italy
Year - 2014
Price - $8.00

Wine Critic 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 - This wine's scent reminded me of a sweet granny smith apple with a hint of honeydew and peach. It was very tarte to taste but had a dry quality on the palate. It also tasted like a granny smith apple, similar to it's smell.  I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Fetzer Gewurztraminer 2014"

Name - Fetzer Gewurztraminer 2014
Variety - Gewurztraminer
Region - California
Country - Unites States
Year - 2014
Price - $12.00, Sale - $8.95

Wine Critic Review - Wine Enthusiast - 87 points
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 - I smelled peaches, orange blossom, honeysuckle, strawberry and almost like the scent of a rose garden. I thought this wine had a very sweet start but a nice surprise with a punch on the mid-palate then an easy, sweet finish. I thought it tasted like sweet apples, roses, melon and almost like a fruit gummy. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Maipe Malbec 2015"

Name - Maipe Malbec 2015
Variety - Malbec
Region - Mendoza
Country - Argentina
Year - 2015
Price - $12.00, Sale - $6.95

Wine Critic Review - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 87 points
"The 2015 Maipe Malbec 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."

My Review - This wine's scent immediately reminded me of the smell of yogurt for some reason. I thought it also smelled earthy, like dirt and greens on the forest floor. It also smelled like plums and deep, dark fruit. I thought it tasted very bitter and made my mouth dry. I definitely tasted a spicy plum and blackberry as well. It had a strange after taste and a very quick finish for a red this complex. I did not try this wine with food.