Camp du Rouss Barbera d'Asti 2007 (about $16)

About the Wine:  I picked this up when I interviewed at a posh wine shop a while back.  It took a while to find anything in my price range but even the most upscale stores apparently have to cater to us peasants.  Barbera is a very robust Italian red.  I have enjoyed Alba Barberas greatly but have been less thrilled with offerings from Asti.  Perhaps this one will break the trend and perhaps not.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is opaque with a dark purple rim.  The nose is thick with jammy raspberry and currant with notes of forest floor.  The palate is jammy, almost creamy with intermingled notes of red fruit and dark fruit.  Supple tannins round out the finish, which is not nearly as dry as I would expect from this type of wine.

Drinking This Wine:  It's pretty good as a sipping wine but it is divine with spaghetti and meatsauce and would probably do well with any Italian red sauce dish.

Overall Impression:  The wine is very good and the price is reasonable.  This one is good for the price.

Chateau de Grandchamp Montagne Saint-Emilion 2009 (about $20)

About the Wine:  Saint Emilion is a subregion of Bordeaux, one of the classic French appellations.  Saint-Emilions can run into dozens or hundreds of dollars in cost, so this could be a very good deal.

About THIS Wine:  The center is dark red with a pink rim.  The legs run down like maple syrup.  Raspberry, dark cherry, cassis, and oak are all present on the nose.  Thick, creamy red fruit defines the palate with a dry finish.  The wine tastes good now but I expect that a few years in a cellar would do it some good.  The price range I deal with doesn't include a lot of age worthy wines but this one is a good candidate.

Drinking This Wine:  Too dry and tannic for a sipping wine, this one would do well with roast duck, steak and onions, or lamb.

Overall Impression:  Great wine, good price.  This one is good for the price.

Gilgal Chardonnay 2009 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Israeli wine is an interesting animal.  Most of the areas where the grapes are cultivated did not come under Israeli control until 1967, so the growing regions are relatively young.  This makes it something of a hipster paradise since there are many new takes on old varietals and they are almost always reasonably priced.

About THIS Wine:  The wine is amber in the glass with no distinct rim.  Cream and mineral notes are prominent on the nose.  The palate is thick, rich, and buttery with prominent citrus.  Buttery notes blend with minerality for an interesting finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This is the perfect Kosher wine for lobster.  (The Wine Hipster is not an observant Jew and his grasp of Kosher laws may be a bit vague.)  It would also go very well with chicken.

Overall Impression:  I have had twenty dollar bottles that were not nearly as good.  This one is a steal.

HaSod Shiraz 2010 (about $10)

About the Wine:  There are different levels of Kosher wine.  Basic Kosher is acceptable to most people who keep Kosher at any time other than Passover.  Kosher for Passover is acceptable on Passover.  Mevushal is a distinction for wine that has been intentionally cooked as a form of ritual purification and it the only wine that Hasidic (Chasidic?  Hassidic?) Jews will drink.  Assessments of mevushal wines range from "No difference in taste," to "Undrinkable."  We will see what the case is with this wine.

About THIS Wine:  The wine is purple in the glass with strong notes of tomato, cooking spice, and green pepper on the nose.  Green pepper and red fruit make up the palate.  The finish is flat and kind of unpleasant, perhaps as a result of the cooking.

Drinking This Wine:  This is definitely steak wine.  The finish is too harsh for sipping.

Overall Impression:  This is not a great bottle but neither is it terrible and the price is certainly right.  For anyone buying for religious reasons it is a good value.  For the rest of us it is reasonable for the price.

Casa d'Orsini Pinot Grigio NV (about $10)

About the Wine:  Pinot Grigio is normally grown in the more northerly reaches of Italy.  A southern Pinot Grigio promises a hotter growing season and perhaps a sweeter wine.  The importer assured me that this is a 2011 but neither of us could find it on the bottle.

About THIS Wine:  The wine is straw colored in the glass.  Pine wood is prominent of the nose and soft citrus defines the palate.  Light acidity is present on the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Being less sharp and acidic than most Pinot Grigios this one could work as a sipping wine.  It would also go well with white fish.

Overall Impression:  This is not a bad bottle of wine and it is dirt cheap.  This one is good for the price.

Nicolas Vouvray 2011 (about $13)

About the Wine:  Vouvray is a name for late harvest Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley.  Chenin Blanc has become more or less the official grape of South Africa and is also cultivated in California.  California Chenin Blanc has never really caught on and South African wines in general have struggled recently, so momentum may be shifting back to France.

About THIS Wine:  The wine is dark, almost amber in the glass.  Honeydew and floral notes make up the nose.  The palate is slightly tart with prominent notes of apricot.  The finish is mildly acidic.

Drinking This Wine:  This wine has a little too much acidity for a sipping wine.  It work well with spicy chicken or grilled chicken.

Overall Impression:  The wine is good but very simple.  This strikes me as ten dollar bottle.  At thirteen it is a little overpriced.

Antano Rioja Reserva 2007 (about $13)

About the Wine:  Shipping wine is a tricky thing.  It is very easy for cooling units to fail or for delays in customs to allow storage containers to be open long enough for wine to get cooked.  A contact in the business told me that this had happened with this shipment.  It was not a commentary on the wine, just a statement that the particular batch in the store where I work had been ruined due to circumstances beyond the winemaker's control.

About THIS Wine:  A ruby red center fades to a clear rim.  The nose is bold and rich with lots of cherry and cassis with hints of forest floor.  Layers of thick coffee and red fruit make up an interesting and complex palate.  Firm tannins and dark fruit round out the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This wine is good by itself but I think it would be better with lamb.

Overall Impression:  It is important to remember that wine aficionados, especially those who make their living in the business, can be as full of it as anyone else.  This wine is great and would not be overpriced at twenty dollars.  At thirteen it is a great value.

Cartlidge & Browne Cabernet Sauvignon North Coast 2010 (about $14)

About the Wine:  The number of growing regions within California can get pretty dizzying, especially since established regions like Napa often have subregions that help a wine drinker pin down the terroir that most agrees with their palate.  North Coast is a very vague designation, which means that both bargains and dogs come from there.

About THIS Wine:  A violet rim surrounds a dark purple center.  Jammy pomegranate defines the nose.  That flavor delivers on the front palate but quickly gives way to a lot of green pepper.  The green pepper lingers in a finish that is more acidic than I would normally expect from a Cab, or any red for that matter.

Drinking This Wine:  It is too acid and the flavor too unpleasant for a sipping wine.  It could work with lamb or sirloin steak.

Overall Impression:  I have had ten dollar Cabs that were significantly better.  This one is badly overpriced.

Chateau du Hureau Tuffe Cabernet Franc 2010 (about $19)

About the Wine:  Cab Franc is traditionally the third grape in red Bordeaux blends.  More difficult to cultivate and not as bold as Cabernet Sauvignon, it is just now starting to come into its own as a single varietal in the American market.

About THIS Wine:  The center is light purple with a violet rim.  Dark fruit, especially plum defines the nose with pleasant herbal notes.  The front palate is very light but the wine thickens in the mid palate for a very rich and layered experience.  The finish is mildly dry with lingering green herbs.

Drinking This Wine:  This would be good as a sipping wine but it would be better with steak.

Overall Impression:  This wine is pricey but it is extremely good.  At nineteen dollars a bottle it is reasonable for the price.

Opula Toscana 2010 (about $13)

About the Wine:  I have written before about super Tuscans, red blends by Italian makers who refuse to accept the traditions and standards of Italian wine making.  This is a super Tuscan by Da Vinci, an established Chianti brand that is distributed by Gallo which means the maker is a very mainstream rebel.

About THIS Wine:  The center is dark red with a pink rim.  Earth and herbs are prominent on the nose.  Jammy red fruit is strong and fairly sharp on the palate.  Red fruit and spice make up a pleasant finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This wine is bold but not overly dry and as such could work as a sipping wine.  It would also go well with meaty lasagna.

Overall Impression:  The wine is good and the price is reasonable.  This one is good for the price.

Edna Valley Merlot 2010 (about $12)

About the Wine:  Merlot has seen a decline in popularity in recent years.  It is too dry to be accessible to the novice drinker and many seasoned drinkers preferred the bold complexity of a good cab.  That is a shame because at certain occasions there is nothing like a good Merlot.

About THIS Wine:  The red center fades to a pink rim, a bit light for a Merlot.  Green pepper dominates the nose, though strong raspberry notes are also present.  The green pepper delivers on a palate that is spicy and tastes of red meat.  Red fruit and spice make up an easy finish.

Drinking This Wine:  It could work as a dry sipper or as a steak wine.  It is versatile.

Overall Impression:  The wine is good, versatile, and cheap.  It would not be overpriced at fifteen dollars a bottle.  At twelve this one is a good value.

Choclat Rouge NV (about $11)

About the Wine:  This is a chocolate wine from Gallo.  One of the most popular posts ever on this blog was for another Gallo wine called Liberty Creek Chocolate Red, which you can read here.  In the interest of traffic, and despite my better judgement, I am trying another of their chocolate products.

About This Wine:  Looks pretty much like a glass of Yoohoo and smells like it.  The palate tastes like cherry chocolate cordials.

Drinking This Wine:  I'm pretty sure this was not meant to be a food wine.

Overall Impression:  You could probably get a similar result by mixing Yoohoo and Everclear, which I in no way endorse.  (But if you do try doing that please tell us about it in the comments.)  This stuff actually isn't too bad but it is a little overpriced.  I can't see paying more than eight or nine bucks for it.

OZV Old Vine Zinfandel 2009 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Zinfandel is one of the strangest of all wines.  It ranges from syrupy sweet to painfully dry.  This is one of my favorite varietals but buying a new one is always a risk.

About THIS Wine:  The center is dark purple with a violet rim.  Jammy red fruit dominates the nose and is complimented by notes of spice.  The palate is very rich with lots of mocha and cream with a whipped cream finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Sipping wine all the way.  The palate is not really sweet but it is definitely not dry and does not compliment any particular food.

Overall Impression:  Wine snobs and novices alike can enjoy this wine and it is a nice bridge between sweet and dry.  This wine would not be at all overpriced at twenty-five a bottle.  At fifteen it is a steal.

Domaine Saint-Felix Saint Chinian 2009 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Saint Chinian is a relatively recent sub appellation in southern France.  This particular wine is an organic Rhone style blend.

About THIS Wine:  The crimson center fades to a pink rim.  The nose has prominent sour cherry that I would associate with Pinot Noir, but there are also strong notes of earth and spice making for a more robust smell.  Licorice and spice make a very bold and pleasant palate that ends in a syrupy cherry finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Very versatile.  This could work as a sipping wine or pair with roast duck, ham, or pot roast.

Overall Impression:  The wine is good and the price is reasonable.  A wine of this quality would be good for this price in any case and the fact that it is organic makes it a good value.

Tenimenti Ca'Bianca Moscato d'Asti 2010 (about $14)

About the Wine:  The trend toward flavored and colored Moscatos seems to be dying (oh please, let it be dying.  I'm so tired of pink Moscato, red Moscato, and flavored Moscato.)  This is an example of a more classic Italian sweet white.

About THIS Wine:  It clear in the glass.  Peach nectar defines the nose and delivers on the palate, which is very sweet and slightly tart.  Sweet citrus lingers in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Patio pounder or a dessert wine.  This is not something you have with dinner.

Overall Impression:  This is an excellent Moscato and the price is not excessive.  This one is reasonable for the price.

Innocent Bystander Moscato 2011 (about $14)

About the Wine:  Australia is best known for Shiraz but something like a hundred and fifty varietals grow there, including Moscato.

About THIS Wine:  It is a pinkish peach color and is slightly effervescent.  Sweet and sour fruit defines the nose.  Tart watermelon is prominent on the palate which ends in a finish reminiscent of a watermelon Jolly Roger.

Drinking This Wine:  Sipping wine all the way.

Overall Impression:  Not bad, but a little expensive for what it is.  This wine is good but overpriced.

Veuve Aubert Aine Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2010 (about $13)

About the Wine:  Pinot Noir has been grown in the Burgundy region of France since forever, basically.  Bourgogne Rouge, or Red Burgundy is simply Pinot Noir from that region and the French government has long taken steps to prevent other red varietals, particularly Gamay, from being too closely associated with the region.  Red Burgundy is known for its full, earthy qualities.

About THIS Wine:  It is very light in the glass, even for a Pinot Noir.  I would describe the color as hot pink.  Velvety dark fruit makes up a pleasant nose.  The palate is mild with prominent flavors of strawberry ending is a raspberry finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This would make a pleasant sipping wine and it could go well with grilled chicken.

Overall Impression:  This is nothing like a traditional Burgundy Pinot Noir but it is very pleasant.  This wine is good for the price.

Damilano Nebbiolo D'Alba 2009 (about $16)

About the Wine:  Nebbiolo is the grape used to make the Barolo wine.  A decent Barolo goes for at least forty dollars so this is either the deal of the century or a disappointment waiting to happen.

About THIS Wine:  It is red in the glass with a pink rim, a coloration similar to good Pinot Noir.  The nose is complex with almond, cedar, hints of spice and notes of earth and dried fruit.  My initial reaction was that it smelled like a super villain's lair.  It is distinctive, is what I'm trying to say.  The palate is thick and defined by soft tannins.  The finish is dry and lingering.  A curious nutty flavor and texture lingers through the whole experience.

Drinking This Wine:  Enjoy with heavy pasta, baked ham, or other hearty meat dishes.  Definitely not a sipping wine.

Overall Impression:  This is pretty spectacular for its price.  This one is an absolute steal.