Warwick Valley Winery Cabernet Franc 2010 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Cabernet Franc is a relative of Cabernet Sauvignon.  Sauvignon transaltes as "savage" and Franc translates as "noble."  Cab Franc is more refined than its cousin, though the former is also more difficult and expensive to grow.  For that reason Cab Franc is most often used as a blending grape rather than as the primary ingredient.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is ruby red with a pink rim.  Sour cherry and fig define a nose that I found frankly unpleasant.  The fig delivers on a rich palate that ends.  There's no finish to speak of.  The palate just ends.

Drinking This Wine:  The lack of a finish makes food pairing difficult.  Red meat, I suppose.

Overall Impression:  This would be okay as a ten dollar bottle mostly because I don't expect much of a finish or any complexity at that price.  At fifteen it is badly overpriced.

Whitecliff Vineyards Malbec 2010 (about $20)

About the Wine:  Malbec originated in France and is more or less the national grape of Argentina.  This Malbec is from New York.  Because when you drink as much as people in the wine business do, things don't have to make sense.  You can find more info about the vineyard at http://www.whitecliffwine.com/

About THIS Wine:  The center is light red and fades to a clear rim.  Sour cherry, earth, and ripe strawberry are all prominent on the nose.  The palate is surprisingly thick for how light the wine is.  Blackberry and currant are strong on the palate and on the finish, which is moderately dry.

Drinking This Wine:  This wine is good without food but it would go very well with a thick, meaty sandwich.

Overall Impression:  This is a very full bodied Malbec that is easier drinking than many of its Argentine cousins.  Twenty dollars is a lot, but this wine is reasonable for the price.

LiBella Pinot Grigio 2010 (about $14)

About the Wine:  The Finger Lakes region of New York State provides what is considered a maritime climate.  That is to say that the region is colder than is traditional for wine growing but the presence of a body or bodies of water mitigates the effects of the cold and makes wine grape cultivation possible.

About THIS Wine:  The color is light yellow with a clear rim.  Citrus, peach, and acidity are prominent on the nose.  The palate is light to the point of being watery, though citrus is present along with acidity that lingers in the finish.  LiBella is slightly sweet throughout, which is unusual in Pinot Grigio.

Drinking This Wine:  This could be a light sipping wine and it would also go well with grilled chicken.

Overall Impression:  It is not bad but I can find a better bottle for ten dollars.  Libella Pinot Grigio is good but a little overpriced.

Pazdar Gewurztraminer 2011 (about $14)

About the Wine:  Gewurztraminer is the unloved stepchild of German wine.  It is not usually as sweet as Riesling nor as smooth as the Chardonnays and Pinot Grigios from France and Italy.  It's also really hard to spell and pronounce.  The Germans really should just call this "Rhine Wine."  Knowing the Germans, they won't.

About THIS Wine:  This wine is clear in the glass.  Citrus dominates the nose and delivers on a fairly dry and acidic palate with notes of spice.  Dryness and acidity linger in the finish.  The experience strikes me as a rustic version of a dry Riesling.

Drinking This Wine:  I don't know if this would work as a sipping wine.  It would go well with honey roasted chicken or shellfish.

Overall Impression:  The taste is too strong and too blunt for some but for those who can enjoy it, I'm thinking Sauvignon Blanc drinkers, it is good for the price.

Eden's Pleasure, no vintage on bottle (about $14)

About the Wine:  Pazdar is an obscure winery in upstate New York that claims the rather dubious distinction of being the first to make chocolate wine.  Based on my experience of chocolate wine it is not something I would boast about, but it is an interesting distinction.

About THIS Wine:  It is amber in the glass with no distinct rim, about the color of a heavily oaked or slightly spoiled Chard.  Bananas and dark chocolate are prominent on the nose, which is not really a surprise since that is how the wine is advertised.  The palate is nowhere near as sweet as I had expected.  The semisweet palate allowed the banana and chocolate flavors to develop nicely.

Drinking This Wine:  This is a nice after dinner drink.  Could go well with pound cake or some other moderately sweet dessert.  It would also be a good sweet sipping wine.

Overall Impression:  This stuff is actually pretty good.  I never thought I would say this, but this chocolate wine is good for the price.