Name: Crane Lake White Zinfandel
Variety: White Zinfandel
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95
Shop Review: Light
pink wine with floral and tropical aromas: flavors of strawberry, peach and
raspberry with a touch of sweetness. This wine is an easy sipping
wine that also pairs well with a wide variety of foods ranging from crab cakes
or pâté
to spicy Asian dishes, glazed ham, and grilled sea bass.
My Review: A beautiful light rose pink with sugary and florally scents. Sweet strawberries and raspberries fill the mouth of this easy to drink wine.
Name: Vina Galana Alicante Bouchet
Variety: Alicante Bouchet
Region: Garncha Tintorera
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $15
Shop Review: From the rare Alicante Bouchet, one of the few grapes in the world with red flesh this wine has a plush texture carring flavors of brandied cherry and chocolate ganache in this round red. Light tannins and gentle acidity impart a lovely, balanced structure.
My Review: This deep purple has a scent comparable to a tequila shot. The flavors don't get much better. The oak flavors punch you in the face mixing with tobacco.
Name: Tonnino
Variety: Syrah
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $14
Shop Review: An intense red color.
Aromas of violet and blackcurrant enriched by hints of liquorice and black
pepper. In the mouth it is full, round, slightly tannic and with a spicy note
on the finish.
My Review: A bright rose red wine with cherries and plums filling the nose. This full bodied wine fills the mouth with hints of spice and ends with a dry finish.
Name: Riebeek Cellars Viognier
Variety: Viognier
Region: Swartland
Country: South Africa
Year: 2015
Price: $12
Shop Review: This is a luscious
viognier, featuring a deep yellow color, that explodes with juicy peach and
honeysuckle flavors. Viognier can easily become flabby, but this one manages to
keep its figure within bounds. I recommend this for immediate, lip-smacking
enjoyment. - Washington Post
My Review: This wine is a crisp looking pale yellow. Juicy peaches and pears fill the nose. The peaches continue onto the taste and mix with a crisp apple and sugars.
Name: Dom Michel Thomas Sancerre Rose
Variety: Rose
Region: Loire
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $32
Shop Review: Bright orange-pink. Lively, mineral-tinged aromas of
fresh red berries, orange peel and honeysuckle, with a hint of anise building
in the glass. Dry and nervy in the mouth, offering vibrant strawberry and
orange pith flavors and a suggestion of rose pastille. The floral element comes
back on the finish, which lingers with very good spicy persistence.
My Review: This peach colored wine has apricot scents hitting the nose. The initial hit of high tannins melt away to citrus and floral flavors that are left lingering on the tongue.
Name: Peter Mertes Platinum Riesling
Variety: Riesling
Region: Magnum
Country: Germany
Year: 2014
Price: $18
Shop Review: “Light-bodied slightly sweet white wine; medium pale
slightly greenish yellow. Inviting fresh white peach aroma and flavors. Easy to
drink and not complicated, but what's there is very pleasant, and flavors
develop in the glass." ~ Winery notes
My Review: This virtually clear wine smells so sweet when it hits the nose that it reminds me of a bottle of extremely cheap moscato. The taste is so sugary that it's similar to the concentration of a fruit candy with an aftertaste that's almost like beer.
Name: Crane Lake Petite Sirah
Variety: Petite Sirah
Region: Lodi, California
Country: United States
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95
Shop Review: This wine is ruby-purple colored; notes of
blackberry, plums and spice predominate the nose and flavors. The tannins
give a soft, full mouth feel.
My Review: A full sugary scent fills the nose from this ruby-red wine. The sugars don't carry over to the taste when you get a full hit of harsh tannins mixed with sour, unripe berries.
Name: El Cortijillo
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2014
Price: $9
Shop Review: Bright purple. High-pitched red berry and floral
scents display good clarity and a hint of cracked pepper. Shows a touch of
jamminess to its pliant black raspberry and cherry compote flavors, with a
spicy quality adding vibrancy. Finishes with good focus and no obvious tannins,
leaving a sweet berry note behind.
My Review: Rich blackberries and cherries of this vibrant purple wine fill the nose with floral scents flowing through. These scents carry on into the taste of the wine giving it a strong fruit flavor that is not too sugary. Dark sweet fruits are left lingering on the tongue.
Name: Crane Lake White Zinfandel
