Sangre de Toro Red Wine (blend) 2010 (about $11)

About the Wine:  Spanish reds are known for their smooth body and supple character.  Some wine drinkers look down on them for being too mild and not complex enough, but many Spanish wines are pleasant sipping wines and good wines for the novice drinker.

About THIS Wine:  The center is violet and fades to a garnet rim.  Dark fruit is pleasant on the nose.  Licorice and red fruit make up a pleasantly mild palate that fades into a dry finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Enjoy with Spanish rice or as a sipping wine.

Overall Impression:  The wine is not spectacular but the price is.  Sangre would not really be overpriced at fourteen or fifteen dollars, so this is a good value.

Castello del Poggio Moscato d'Asti 2010 (about $14)

About the Wine: Moscato is probably the sweetest wine you can buy that is not artificially sweetened.  It is known for its fruity flavors and sweetness ranging from just a bit sweet to completely cloying.  Asti is a region in Italy known for producing especially good Moscato, so d'Asti Moscatos tend to be more expensive.

About THIS Wine: In the glass it is clear with no distinct rim.  Intense peach dominates the nose along with hints of pear.  The palate is refreshing with crisp, tart sweetness that does not really linger in any kind of finish.

Drinking This Wine: This makes a great sipping wine or it would go well with snack foods like chips or fruit dishes. 

Overall Impression:  This is not as cloyingly sweet as some Moscatos and has a pleasant flavor and character.  It is good for the price.

Barone Ricasoli Chianti 2010 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Chianti is probably the best known of the Italian reds.  It is a dry red blend based on Sangiovese and produced in the Chianti region of Tuscany.  In theory the regulations the Italian government has placed on what can be called "Chianti" tightly control the taste and quality of the wine, but different makers do manage to produce very different products.

About THIS Wine:  The violet center contrasts sharply with the pink rim.  The nose is heavy with lots of dark fruit and hints of spice.  Jammy raspberry is dominate on the palate and fades into a light cherry finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This makes a nice sipping wine but would also go well with lasagna or meaty pasta dishes.

Overall Impression:  Barone Ricasoli drinks like a twenty bottle.  At fifteen it is a good value.

Arca Nova Alvarinho 2011 (about $13)

About the Wine:  Alvarinho is a white grape cultivated mostly in Portugal.  Wines made from it have a lot of citrus flavor and are vaguely comparable to dry Riesling.

About THIS Wine:  This Alvarinho is clear in the glass with no distinct rim.  The nose is heavy with ripe, tangy citrus.  The smell reminded me a bit of California Sauvignon Blanc.  The palate is very tangy and acidic.  Those qualities linger in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  The palate is very sharp, making it difficult as a sipping wine.  Seasoned white fish or salmon might work as a pairing.


Overall Impression:  One of my coworkers tasted this wine and immediately said, "We're not charging people too much for this, are we?"  The wine only seems to suit a very particular palate.  Sauvignon Blanc drinkers find it dull, Riesling drinkers find it offensive.  I suppose if your palate favors very acidic, very citrusy wine then this is reasonable for the price.  Otherwise, don't bother.

Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec 2007 (about $15)

About the Wine:  Reserve or Reserva is a designation for wines that are aged longer than their counterparts to achieve a particular taste.  The idea is that the wine develops fully while absorbing the qualities of whatever kind of oak it is aged in.  In Old World wines this is almost universally a sign of quality.  In New World wines it is less meaningful because the use of the terms Reserve and Reserva  are not regulated and some wineries will put the designation on anything.

About THIS Wine:  This wine is opaque in the glass with a dark purple rim.  Chocolate dominates the nose.  The palate is very thick and creamy with chocolate notes present.  Unfortunately this gives way to a sharp, slightly bitter finish.

Drinking This Wine:  The bitter finish makes it a definite food wine.  Have it with something with a sauce sweet enough to counteract the finish.

Overall Impression:  This wine is not very good.  It would be reasonable at ten dollars a bottle.  Anything over that is overpriced.

Crios Rose of Malbec 2011 (about $13)

About the Wine:  If a diligent reader learns nothing else from this blog, they will learn how much wine aficionados hate White Zinfandel.  In this case it is relevant because, to most American wine drinkers, blush wines are synonymous with the light, sweet White Zinfandels that dominate the inexpensive wine market.  Of low quality and often artificially sweetened, White Zin turns many people off to the wonderful and varied world of blush wines.

About THIS Wine:  The center is pink and the wine has a clear rim.  The nose is very floral with strong acidity.  The palate is a curious blend of bright strawberries and potent acidity that fade into an unremarkable finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Definitely a food wine due to the mouth watering acidity.  This would be the perfect companion to a fruit platter of grapes, strawberries, and apples.

Overall Impression:  This is nothing spectacular, but the price is reasonable and I have never a wine like it.  It is reasonable for the price.

Flying Fish Merlot 2010 (about $14)

About the Wine:  Washington State is probably best known for its Riesling, but a number of good Merlots are also produced there.  Washington Merlots tend to be bold and fruit forward to the point that some in the industry describe them as fruit bombs.  The thing about fruit bombs is that while they do not impress connoisseurs, they are very approachable.

About THIS Wine:  The center is violet and the rim is pink.  The color does not fade exactly, it is more like the shades between pink and violet are in circles.  I have no idea why it does that.  Oak dominates the nose, though hints of fruit are present.  Strangely, oak is not present on the palate, which is instead defined by dark red fruit with subtle tannins.  The oak does resurface in a mildly spicy finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This is a very accessible sipping wine.  I think it would also be great with a pork steak.

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