Tasting - Morada Sangria

Name: Morada Sangria

Variety: Sangria

Region: unavailable

Country: Spain

Year: Non-varietal

Price: $4.95

Vintage Cellar review: Morada Sangria is a traditional Spanish drink made with red wine and citrus extracts. Garnet color and fresh on the palate. Pasteurization preserves the color, aromas and flavors. 7% Alc. It is a very refreshing Sangria with around 85 grams of sugar. Sangria is now one of the hottest items in the beverage industry and it's growing exponentially year to year. Serve well chilled, on its own or with lemonade and slices of fruit like peach, banana or apple.

My review: The nose and tongue with this wine were one and the same. The scent and taste was a lemon-lime, almost like a flat Sprite. On top of that was a Fruity Pebbles cereal flavor, as if they were soaking in the flat Sprite. The sangria was definitely sweet, but not painfully so to me. It was refreshing and fruity, great for a summer drink while sitting out in the sun. If I had the money, I would've bought some for myself.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - Lost Vineyards Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Lost Vineyards Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: 60% Shiraz, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: unavailable

Country: Argentina

Year: Non-varietal

Price: $4.95

Vintage Cellar review: 60% Shiraz 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is dry and contains subtle tobacco undertones with a black licorice, cherry, scent. The oak is in the background. Would pair well hamburger or a steak rather than stand alone.

My review: On the nose, it was fairly grapey, but a lot of what I got was cherries. It smelled like a mix between a dark red, fresh cherry and a maraschino cherry. As for the taste, it actually tasted pretty salty, which was interesting. The tannins were very obvious in this wine, as my mouth was sucked dry from it. Along with salty, it was also pretty bitter and not sweet or fruity at all.

I did not have any food with this wine.

Tasting - Villa Pozzi Nero D'Avola

Name: Villa Pozzi Nero D'Avola

Variety: Nero D'Avola

Sub-region: Sicilia 

Region: Sicily

Country: Italy

Year: 2010

Price: $8.95 

Vintage Cellar review: Very dark purple, with a reddish-violet edge, typical of this grape. Black plums, a hint of licorice and subtle spice, not overly complex, but appealing. A big mouth full of juicy black fruit is well structured by tart acidity and soft but distinct tannins.

My review: On the nose, this wine was very perfumey. It also had hints of blackberry and grape scents.  Despite its big smell, this wine was surprisingly light on the tongue. It was a little bitter and tannic, but not painfully so like other reds I've had. I found a slight blackberry flavor in the taste, as well. Overall, as hard of a time as I usually have with drinking red wines, this was actually pretty easy to drink.
I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - Tres Ojos Rose

Name: Tres Ojos Rose

Variety: 50% Tempranillo, 50% Garnacha

Sub-region: Calatayud

Region: Aragon

Country: Spain

Year: 2009

Price: $1.95 (INSANE)

Vintage Cellar review: 50%Tempranillo 50% Garnacha. This medium rose-colored rosado boasts a spicy red cherry/plum nose with a soft lush attack of red berry fruit flavors and a crisp dry

finish. Simple and refreshing and a natural for tapas.

My review: On the nose, I could already tell this was going to be a dry wine. It was also very perfumey and had a strawberry-like scent. As for the taste, this wine had a mix of bitter and savory; it wasn't very sweet.. There was an alcohol bite to this wine, so it must have been fairly potent content level. The wine also had a watered down plum flavor. I may have gotten a little bit of a woody flavor as well.
I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - Les Perles Piquepoul

Name: Les Perles Piquepoul

Variety: Piquepoul

Region: Cotes de Thau

Country: France

Year: 2011

Price: $7.95

Vintage Cellar review: Light and young, this is a straightforward but enjoyable selection

that would be an ideal match for light fare such as grilled chicken

salads or fluke. Apple flesh, nectarine, and sweet citrus oil aromas

and flavors appear on the nose and palate, while the short finish is

infused with a flavor of green melon rind.

My Review: On the nose, this wine was sweet and light. It felt like inhaling a fresh breeze, not harsh at all. As for the taste, there was a slight shock of alcohol to the back of the throat on the first sip. It also tasted slightly floral, like light roses. I also got a red apple flavor in the wine, as well. Like its smell, it was very light on the palate as well. Overall I thought this was a good wine, but not the best I've ever had.

I did not have any food with this wine.

Tasting - Gabriella Chianti

The final wine I tried Thursday was the Gabriella Chianti. This 2008 wine is from the Tuscany region of Italy. The grape variety is solely Sangiovese. The Vintage Cellar has this wine priced at $7.95.

Vintage Cellar review: "This beautiful wine has the very deep red, almost purple, color that you would expect in a Chianti. The first thing you notice is the fruit, balanced by a bit of spice. It’s a good dry wine with a bold flavor. Even with it’s boldness, this Chianti is velvety smooth."

My review: I definitely admired the color of this wine first off. As it mentions in the Vintage Cellar's review, it was a beautiful deep purplish burgundy. As for the smell, I definitely got hints of strawberry and maybe some blackberry. The taste was pretty harsh with alcohol. There must have been an outrageous amount of tannins in this wine because the moment the wine hit my tongue, I felt like all of the moisture had been sucked out of my mouth with a vacuum. I think that's the most noticeable amount of tannins that I've ever experienced. I was curious to try this wine because my parents rave about Chiantis. It's not exactly my cup of tea just yet. This is definitely a macho wine.

I did not have any food with this wine.

Tasting - Lavarini Valpolicella Classico

The fourth wine I tried Thursday was Lavarini Valpolicella Classico. This 2010 wine is from the Valpolicella region of Italy. The grape variety is 65% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and

10% Molinara. The Vintage Cellar has this wine priced at $6.95.

The Vintage Cellar's review says, "The red ruby color and the dry taste give this

wine joviality and cordiality. It is fresh and fruity, with lovely strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors, with nice spice and a silky texture."

My own personal review of this wine is that it had an interesting flavor. The smell was very grapey, as reds tend to be, but also a strong pepper smell. I may have also detected a grassy smell, but it wasn't as pronounced as the pepper. The taste was very sharp pepper, almost as if someone were grinding fresh pepper straight into my mouth. This wine had no sweetness to it for me. This would not be a wine I would personally buy for myself, but I can appreciate the complexity of its taste.

I did not have any food with this wine.

Tasting - Domaine de Mirail Cabernet/Merlot Rose

The third wine the Vintage Cellar served at the wine tasting Thursday was Domaine de Mirail. This 2011 is from the Cotes de Gascogne region of France. The grape varieties for this wine are merlot and cabernet sauvignon. The Vintage Cellar has this wine priced at $5.95.


The Vintage Cellar's review of this wine is, "There is a fresh, crisp character to this light rosé. It is eye-watering in its refreshing character, with balancing acidity, smoothing out the edges with a touch of caramel."

As for my own personal review of this wine, There was a slight bite to it on the nose. I thought I got a hint of pear in it as well. As for its taste, it was actually pretty sour, which I guess comes from the acidity. I didn't get any fruitiness or sweetness at all from the taste. I was actually disappointed with trying this wine. I usually really like pink wines, and no, it's not because pink is my favorite color. I just usually really like the blends of red and white wines and this one let me down. Though it wasn't the worst wine I tried that day, it's not one I would want to have again.

I did not have any food when tasting this wine.

Tasting - Norton Torrontes

The second wine served at the Vintage Cellar Thursday was Norton Torrontes. This is a 2011 wine from the Cuyo region of Argentina, specifically the sub-region of Mendoz. The grape variety is Torrontes, as indicated in the name. The Vintage Cellar has this wine priced at $5.95.

The Vintage Cellar's review of this wine states, "Greenish yellow with hints of gold, this Torrontés has intense aromas of white peach, rose petal, and jasmine. Norton Torrontés 2011 is pleasant and well balanced on the palate."

For my own personal review of this wine, I didn't really enjoy it. For the smell, there was only slight sweetness with a sharp shot of alcohol that gives it a bite. As for the taste, it wasn't really sweet at all. I got a bit of an earthy taste, but other than that there wasn't much to this wine. It was very bland and I couldn't really detect anything from it. It just tasted kind of like dirty water with alcohol in it, no offense to the winemaker. I would definitely not ever try this wine again.

I did not have any food with this wine.

Tasting - Dibon Cava

Dibon Cava was the first wine the Vintage Cellar served Thursday. This is a nonvintage wine, with grapes from different years. This comes from the Penedes region of Spain. The grape variety is a mix of Xarel-lo, Parellada, and Macabeo. The Vintage Cellar has this wine priced at $9.95.


The Vintage Cellar's review of this wine states, "Xarel-lo, Parellada and Macabeo. The nose offers regal yeast and richness, while the palate has complexity to prop up apple, citrus and grapefruit flavors. Solid from front to back, with health and freshness."

My own person review of the wine is that it was enjoyable. The smell was sweet and light, like fresh fruit. Personally, I got hints of a peachy smell in it. The taste, however, was not as sweet as I was expecting it to be based on the smell. It was fizzy, which I think is always a nice touch. As a white wine, I was surprised to get a clear grape flavor from it. Overall it's not the best wine I've ever had, but it was definitely decent.

I did not consume any food with this wine.

Tasting - Opera Prima Pink Moscato

The final wine I sampled Thursday at the Vintage Cellar was Opera Prima Pink Moscato. This wine is from the Castilla La Mancha region of Spain. For the year, it is listed as "NV." I have no idea what that abbreviation means, but I'm sure I will learn soon enough. The grape variety for this wine is Muscat Rose a Petits Grains. The Vintage Cellar has this sparkling wine bottle priced at $5.95.

For the Vintage Cellar's review of this wine, they stated, "This fine sparkling presents an intense aroma of fresh berries and tropical fruits with hints of wine flavor petals. Delicate bubbles caress the palate offering a silky and pleasant sweetness well-balanced by a crisp, refreshing finish. Ideal on its own, as an aperitif or with all types of sweets and desserts."

As for my own review of this wine, the first description that comes to mind is "WOW!" This is by far the best wine I've tried out of the 2 wine tastings I've been to thus far. Probably one of the best wines I've had period. I've always been somewhat of a fan of sparkling wines, but that's not what impressed me about this wine. The smell was a little underwhelming to me at first. It was grapefruity and sweet to the nose. Another first for me was specifically getting the aroma of flowers from this wine. "Flowery" is another description of wines that I've heard a lot, but have never really experienced for myself until now. The taste of the wine is what really did it for me. It had a sweetness that was definitely present, but not harsh in any way that made it taste more like a soda. Aside from a little citrus flavor, what I mostly tasted was flowers. I thought hard to try to specify what flower I thought I tasted and I boiled it down to roses and hibiscus, maybe with a little bit of carnation. I was surprised at how much I appreciated the flowery taste, because before I would have thought it would detract from a wine's flavor instead of enhancing it. But now I can happily say I was wrong. It added a smoothness to it that just made me happy to drink it. I actually liked this sparkling wine so much that I bought it right after the tasting that day.

I actually did try this wine with my dinner on that same Thursday night. I had it with eggplant stuffed with ricotta and herbs with a red sauce over it. I will go more into detail about it in my food-wine pairing blog, but I really enjoyed the combination, even though it wasn't a suggested pairing on the Vintage Cellar's review.

Tasting - Black Opal Shiraz

The fourth wine they had available at The Vintage Cellar's wine tasting Thursday was the Black Opal Shiraz. This 2011 wine is from the Southeastern region of Australia. The grape variety used to make this wine is Syrah. The Vintage Cellar had this wine bottle priced at $5.95.

In the Vintage Cellar's review of this Shiraz, they stated, "The Black Opal wines are sourced from vineyards found in South Australia along the Limestone Coast, at Langhorne Creek and in the infamous Barossa Valley. Black Opal Shiraz is rich red in the glass. Aromas of blackberry, pepper and spice followed with rich plum flavors round out the palate. Soft tannins give structure to the fruit-driven palate."

As for my own review of this wine, I thought it had a big alcohol smell to it, then it slowly gave you a little blackberry underneath it. Upon tasting this, it was the first time I was immediately able to detect a strong pepper taste. In the Gary V videos we watch, he has described a lot of the red wines as having a peppery taste. I've never really found it in any of the reds I've tried up until now, so it was definitely interesting to finally experience that distinct taste in a wine. Although the Vintage Cellar described this wine as "fruit-driven," aside from the blackberry, I didn't really get any fruit/sweetness at all from this wine. I could definitely taste the heaviness of this wine in my mouth, however.

I did not taste this wine paired with any food.

Tasting - Sokol Blosser Meditrina

The third wine I tasted Wednesday at the Vintage Cellar was Sokol Blosser Meditrina. It is a 2004 wine from the Oregon region of the United States. This wine is a blend of grape varieties including Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel. The Vintage Cellar has this wine bottle priced at $7.95.

The Vintage Cellar's review of this wine states, "It's created from the finest Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Zinfandel. The taste is lush and velvety with expressive notes of raspberry and cherry. It pairs nicely with pasta and anything off the grill."

As for my own review of Meditrina, it definitely had a heavy grape smell, with a hint of ripe strawberry. Upon tasting the wine, it was a little bitter, but I definitely got a strawberry/melon taste behind that first initial bite. As I've said numerous times before, I'm not yet a big red wine drinker. Despite its slight bitterness though, I think this wine was actually pretty good. I would definitely be interested to see if this wine could be made even better by pairing it with the suggested foods listed in the Vintage Cellar's review of it. It may also be a good wine to test with whether it gets better if it sits out for a day or two in a decanter.

I did not have any food while trying this wine.

Tasting - Wine Men of Gotham Chardonnay Semillon

Though this was listed as the second wine on the tasting's itinerary list, the Wine Men of Gotham Chardonnay Semillon was actually the first wine I sampled Thursday. The Vintage Cellar employee that hosted the tasting said it worked better progression-wise among the other wines. This 2008 wine is from the Southern region of Australia. This wine has a blend of two grape varieties, Chardonnay and Semillon, both of which originated from different areas in France. The Vintage Cellar has this wine bottle priced at $5.95.

As for the Vintage Cellar's review of this Chardonnay Semillon, they stated "Gotham's 2008 Wine Men of Gotham Chardonnay Semillon is a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Semillon. It gives a moderate intensity of melon, guava, apricot and butterscotch aromas. The medium bodied palate provides attractive acidity along with plenty of tropical fruit flavors and a medium-long finish."

For my own personal review of this wine, I thought on the nose it smelled very fruity and open. The taste, however, did not provide the same descriptors. I definitely got the acidity upon first tasting it. It felt like a punch when it first hit my tongue. Other than that, it had a pretty flat, not fruity taste. No substantial flavor descriptions came to mind when drinking it. I didn't mind this wine overall, but it definitely did not "wow" me.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - Beringer Riesling

Though this wine was listed as the first on the Vintage Cellar's wine tasting list, Beringer Riesling was the second wine I tried on Thursday. The Vintage Cellar employee who was hosting the wine tasting said he preferred the Riesling to be second to the Chardonnay because it was a better taste progression. This Riesling is from the California region of the United States and from the year 2009. The Vintage Cellar is selling this wine bottle for $5.95. The grape variety for this wine is Riesling, as indicated in the name.

In the Vintage Cellar's review of Beringer Riesling, it stated, "This wine is the perfect balance of honeysuckle and bright peach flavors. A perfect compliment to light fare, appetizers, or just sharing with friends."

As for my own personal review, I was pretty disappointed when I tried this wine. As I've stated in my previous posts, I'm a Riesling girl through and through. However, of all the Rieslings I've tried, this nowhere near makes the top ten. It was very harsh on the nose and had a bitterness to it, which are not very common descriptions I would give Rieslings that I've had in the past. I definitely tasted slight peach tones to the Beringer, but they were so muted that I could barely say they were there. It overall was not sweet at all, which is another big characteristic to most Rieslings. There was a slight carbonation to the Riesling, as well, which I think added a pleasant kick to it. Overall, I probably won't ever try this wine again.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - Highlander Blush Chateau Morrisette

The fifth wine I sampled on Thursday at The Vintage Cellar's wine tasting was Highlander Blush Chateau Morrisette. This was not the original wine they planned to have us taste on Thursday. They ran out of the Bartenura Moscato Italy 2010, so this took its place. This wine is from the Danville, Virginia region of the United States. There is no year displayed on the wine, but I assume it is from 2013 due to the proximity of the winery to The Vintage Cellar. The Vintage Cellar has this priced at a whopping $3.95. This wine is obviously a mix of white and red grapes, but The Vintage Cellar employee did not note what exact grape varieties were found in the blend and I cannot find it anywhere on the Internet.

As this was not a planned wine on the Vintage Cellar's agenda, they did not have any of their own reviews on this wine available to us.

As for my own personal review on this wine, I thought it was very sweet, which I loved. It tasted almost like juice, I really couldn't detect much alcohol in it at all. Either it was well covered up by the sweetness or the alcohol percentage wasn't very high. Again, my palate is developed enough to know what individual fruits I could taste, but it there were definitely not any citrusy fruits. A surprising taste I discovered hidden under the juiciness was a spice. I'm almost positive it was cinnamon, but I could see nutmeg perhaps fitting in there as well. This was one of my favorite wines from Thursday's wine tasting and I would definitely buy it sometime, not only for its taste, but its very affordable price.

I did not have any food paired with this wine.

Tasting - Mars and Venus Chardonnay

The second wine I tasted at The Vintage Cellar's wine tasting on Thursday was Mars and Venus Chardonnay. It is a white wine from 2011. The grape variety for this wine is Chardonnay, as displayed in the name of the wine. It is from the Central Valley region of Chile, though it says it comes from Spain on The Vintage Cellar's review of the wine. The Vintage Cellar was selling this bottle of wine for $5.95, another incredibly low price.

The Vintage Cellar's review of this wine states, "A very nice value Chardonnay that comfortably over-delivers vs. its modest price tag. No oak here, just bushels of clean, crisp, Chardonnay apple and stone fruit with a hint of caramelized pineapple. Juicy and clean, this is a mid-weight white that's just perfect for parties or weeknight shipping."

My own personal review for this wine is that I thought it was very delicate in both taste and smell. I didn't think it was bitter at all, which I personally appreciated. I don't like feeling like I was smacked in the mouth with the taste of a wine. Surprisingly, despite it's light taste, it wasn't very fruity to my palate. Even though this wine is fairly delicate, I felt as is the taste lingered in my mouth for a while after swallowing it.

I did not have any food paired with this wine.

Tasting - Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau was the third wine I tried at The Vintage Cellar's wine tasting on Thursday. It is a red wine from the year 2012. This wine is from the Beaujolais region in France. The grape variety for this wine is Gamay. The Vintage Cellar has this bottle of wine priced at $3.95, which is probably the cheapest wine I've ever seen in my life.

The Vintage Cellar's review for this wine states, "Bright and tangy, offering a classic banana note on the nose, with flavors or raspberry, wild strawberry and light spice. Modest finish."

For my own personal review, I would definitely say this is a red wine I could handle. The flavor wasn't as harsh as some of the other reds I've tried. The smell of the wine was a bit flowery to me. Upon tasting it, the wine felt heavy in my mouth, maybe because of its viscosity. I got a lot of fruity flavors from the wine, especially the grape flavor, which came through stronger than the rest. I'm still learning to pick out the different types of fruits among the flavors in wine, so I couldn't name indivdual fruits that I could taste, but I definitely tasted a lot of fruit overall. I also noted a bit of a bite upon first tasting the wine as well, but that may also be because I'm not as used to drinking red wines as I am to drinking white wines. Although I don't normally drink red wines, I would definitely consider drinking this one again. I appreciated its sweet fruitiness.

I did not pair any food with this wine.

Tasting - Finca Del Castillo Tempranillo

The fourth wine I sampled on Thursday at the Vintage Cellar's wine tasting was Finca del Castillo Tempranillo. It is a red wine from 2011. This wine is from the La Mancha region in Spain, which is also where the famous literary character Don Quixote is from. The grape variety for this wine is Tempranillo, as it says in the name. The Vintage Cellar has this wine bottle priced at $4.95, which is impressively low to me.

The Vintage Cellar's review for this wine states, "Rooty, spicy and baked on the nose, with aromas that lean toward a raisin. The palate is more gritty and acidic, with raisin, cola, and spic flavors. Darkens up on the finish, which is long and peppery, with adequate juiciness and a final note of tomato."

I attempted to not look at the reviews for any of the wines before writing my own critique of the wine, so looking at their critique now is interesting comparatively. My review of the wine is that when I first smelled it, the aroma of alcohol was pretty intense. I'm not sure what the actual percentage was, but I would imagine it to be higher than other wines based off of the smell. The employee who was doling out the wine also said that the wine had a lot of tannins, so that may be part of it, as well. I definitely got a grapey smell and taste from the wine, but it didn't seem as strong as other reds I've tried have been, so I guess it makes sense that the Vintage Cellar's review described it as more like a raisin flavor than a grape's. Other than the grape flavor, I didn't really detect any other fruits at all.

I'm not a big red wine drinker yet and this wine was pretty intense for me. I definitely think I would have to work my way up first before I could really consider enjoying a wine like this.

I did not pair any food with this wine.

Tasting - La Cappuccina Soave

This past Thursday, the first wine I tried at The Vintage Cellar's wine tasting was La Cappuccina Soave. The grape variety is Garganega and it's from the Veneto region of Italy. The year for the wine was 2011. As we learned in class, it is better for white wines to be more recent in year because they don't necessarily hold well with age. The Vintage Cellar has this bottle of wine priced at $7.95. As this is my first wine tasting, and really my first time in a store especially made to sell wine, I was surprised by how cheap a lot of the wines I tasted that day were.

As for The Vintage Cellar's review for the wine, they say it is "Bright straw yellow in color. Delicate on the nose with notes of flowers and almonds. Dry and well-structured and delicately fruity, with hint of bitter almonds on the finish that is typical of Garganega-based wines."

For my own personal review, I thought the wine was decent, but it wouldn't be one that I would personally buy for myself. Upon smelling it, I definitely got the dryness of the wine right away and the same goes for when I tasted it. I definitely tasted a bitter note in it, although I did not necessarily detect the bitterness as coming from an almond flavor, although my palate is not exactly mature just yet. Though the fruitiness of the wine was subdued to me, I definitely detected it upon tasting the wine. I think I may have gotten almost a muted grapefruit flavor out of it, which I personally believe is one of the best flavors to be found in white wines. Other than that, I thought the wine was kind of plain. It had nothing that made me necessarily want to try it again.

I did not pair any food with this wine.