Dark ruby/garnet hue with aromas of dark cherry /berry with notes of spice.
Palate--Tried and true, Zinfandel profile with big berry fruit bombish presentation, but structured for food as well.
My go to Zin selling for around $10 is always reliable and a winner so raise.a glass!
Purple hue with aromas of baby powder with a cherry overtone, and pipe tobacco.
Palate--First impression is a watery, but tasty, fruity wine with a decent acidity to make it both food friendly or by itself. It is uncomplicated in its presentation and not an impressive kind of quaff but never-the-less, with a slight chill on it should be fine for the average palate.
A California sourced wine that is just "meah" but workable. At $7 from Trader Joe's it is a pizza kind of wine or cheese and crackers.
Deep rich aubergine hue with bold aromas of dark rich blackberry, cola.
Palate--So-so first impression with nice fruit, angular, lacking depth and richness but it was just opened and needs to breathe! Expresses with gentle tannins, fruit forward with and is mellowing out with time.
This cab is just too young to appreciate at this time. Enology has come a LOOOONG way since the days of buying a nice Cab and laying it down for a decade because you had to...
I thinnk I may have paid around $15 for this but not sure. I like it for the money; raise a glass!
When wine consultant Michelle Roland came on the scene perhaps 20 years ago he revolutionized the process of making wine so they could be appreciated much quicker. Thus was born what was called the *"Modavization" of the wine world where everything tasted pretty much the same. That is over simplification but... This is gentle as it breaths, rather elegant and opening up quite nicely.
In honor of the late great Robert Mondavi...
Darker garnet hue with aromas of cherry/berry, hint of orange rind, and spring flowers.
Palate-- Nice first impression with a gentle foundation with pronounced dark fruit flavors, decent structure, and a fruity finish.
Having lived in the Pacific Northwest when St. Michelle was an embryo I grew to love their wines especially their Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc. Today they are the foundation of the Pacific Northwest AVA's and deservedly so.
At $12 this is a steal so raise a glass!
Slightly opaque slightly bricked garnet hue with aromas of "stuffy" strawberry/blackberry and raw beef. I don't believe I have noted such a presence in a wine... Perhaps it will clarify as it opens up.
Palate--Slightly watery texture but with nice fruity profile if a little confused and a fleeting finish.
This Meritage isa blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec but they can vary. I have not had many because I tend not to like the blends I have had. This one is no exception. I am not sure what I paid for it but whatever it was it was probably too much. Give it a pass...
Palate- First impression is a thick, silky texture with a rich foundation of lively bold dark fruit with a finish that is hard to parse.
This "Tawny" port is unlike any I have had. I am a porto lover and this, for its texture and mouth feel alone, is enticing. It will be excellent with dark chocolate, molten lava cake, a quality dark chocolate ice cream, and many other deserts. (Try strawberries and whip cream with this wine!) You'll love it. At $17 it is a worthy purchase so raise a glass!
Pretty ruby hue with aromas of ruby red grapefruit, red berries, and subtle spice.
Palate-- Silky texture with pleasant enough flavors of spicy red berry, brooding cherry, grapefruit rind, and a finish that leaves quickly.
The get a grip factor is in play here. This is Sam's Club's own offering from the LODI AVA of California and at $7 you really cannot find a better value for such a wine. It is "case worthy" so raise a glass!
Cherry juice colored hue with aromas of strawberry, and spicy raspberry.
Palate--Unremarkable first impression with understated fruit, some structure, and a fleeting finish of strawberry.
Trader Joes offers this at $7 and that is the limit for this pinot plonk. Even at $7 it is pretty ucky. If you iced it down in the fridge for a while it might be a touch more palatable but never mind.
Very pale straw hie with aromas of gentle lime with visible pin prick bubbles.
Palate--Lively tiny bubbles which burst with a splash of lime juice, cleansing bubbles and a very quick finish with a nice acidic salty impression.
At $11 from Trader Joe's this is a no brainer. Uncomplicated, but delicious chilled well down.
Dark cherry garnet hue (not the intensity and blackness of domestic Shiraz) with aromas of nice cranberry, dark cherry, and plum.
Palate--Tart first impression with mouth watering acid, stern mixed berry fruit, which is a bit confusing. The finish is unremarkable and quick.
This is not a great example of S. African Shiraz and at $10 this is the most I would pay for it. Pairing it with lamb chops on the grill. Just "Meah!"
Palate--Lively first impression on the tongue with a slight effervescence. Flavors of stone fruit, which is nice but lacking the vibrant acidic structure that punctuates this great grape. A touch flabby.
I had a Trader Joe's (microwaved) frozen Fiery Chicken Vindaloo and this wine pulls it off tamping down the super hot palate of the vindaloo. This is why wine pairing matters! Just for kicks I also had a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon and it only added to the fiery presentation--ouch!
At $12 this is just "ok" but St. Michelle does better.
Deep purple hue with lovely aromas of lovely dark blackberry, violets, and sweet black raspberry at the rim.
Palate--First impression is a little watery, but nice integrated presentation of slightly chewy tannins, decent acidic line, and a gentle but lingering finish of more fruit.
I had never heard of this winery so I grabbed it from a local supermarket for $15. A Sonoma Cab would normally sell for twice that and above. I was curious...
For the money it is a worthy buy. I am pairing it with charcoal grilled bone in strip steak. Raise a glass
Youthful black cherry hue with aromas of rich plum, black cherry and an unusual "stink" for lack of a better adjective but it is rather endearing.
Palate-Lovely first impression with a rich texture loads of dark fruit all over but a quick finish..
James Suckling gave this Argentinian Malbec wine 91 points. It lists around $25 but I found it for $12. It's nice for $12 but a disappointment at $25.
Palate--Decent bubbles, bone dry, light touch of lemon and a fleeting finish of more lemon.
Disclaimer--I am not a fan of Prosecco in general. That's just me. I seems to be wildly popular among the female class which on the up side, seems to have unthroned the ubiquitous and annoying "White Zinfandel" that dominated the restaurant wine lists everywhere. So there's that. :)
I am planning to make a "Hugo Cocktail" with this which is Elderflower liqueur, seltzer, lime juice and mint leaves. We are experiencing a heat wave here in Maine and this seems to be the perfoil to blistering heat.
On the upside, I do like this more than most presecco's I have had and at the $11 price point, raise a glass!
Very pale garnet hue with a touch of "brisking" at the rim??? Bouquet of strawberry.
Palate--Acidic first impression with a watery texture, bold spice, and rustic red berries, with a quick and watery finish.
I grabbed this on closeout from a local liquor store selling this New Zealand Pinot for $7. If you're desperate for something to serve the unwary friends of yours, chill it way down and serve it with light refreshments and will be fine-ish. But please do NOT use this is a yardstick to judge whether you like Pinot Noir or not.
This saffron hued wine is subtle all the way around with gentle aromas of sweet pastry yet is bone dry.
Palate-- This spritely "Green Wine"-literally, but in Portugal means "young wine." It is zesty on the palate, with a nice "spritzig" (sparkle) is bone dry, with notes of subtle citrus, and finishes crisply.It is meant to be drunk immediately on release and is a fun kind of wine that pairs well with seafood, lighter cheeses, crackers, and chilled down is great at pool side. It typically runs around $8-10 so raise a glass!
Cherry hue with subdued bouquet but showing black cherry and plum.
Palate-- A little tight on opening but balanced structure with nice fresh berries a clean mouth feel, mid-palate with some rustic spice and a finish of bold, edgy black cherry.
I see this listed between $11 and $18. I paid $11 for it and it is a nice. easy drinking wine that drinks better than its price tag. I am pairing it with charcoal grilled venison/beef burgers with bacon and cheese. It shall be quite lovely! Raise a glass!
Ruby hue with a very nice bouquet of spicy red berry with a hint of Christmas spiced apple rings my mom used to get in a glass jar. Having just picked strawberries from our garden there is a hint of that as well!
Supple first impression with a slightly tangy structure with the notes of bouquet carrying through to the palate. Easy to drink!
I just bought this wine a couple hours ago on closeout for $5. I see a reference price of $20. It is an easy to drink wine and my pairing for this evening is charcoal broiled bone in ribeye a steaks. Probably not the best pairing but it will definitely work so raise a glass!
Palate--mature yet young with big beautiful ripe berry fruit galore.
I paired this with a desperate attempt to satiate my palate in the absence of my wife this week who is at an out of state wedding. I threw together a "dinner" of tortellini with our own garden fresh picked salad greens, broiled toast made from my wife's homemade savory boule and cheese bread, and this wine is perfect!
Listed at $23 I paid $11 for it and it is quite wonderful so raise a glass!
Straw hue with aromas of "off dry sweetness," a slight baker's spice nuance, and a hint of grapefruit.
Palate--An unexpected somewhat tart first impression that dissipates rather quickly with a slightly awkward mid palate. Grapefruit is the predominant taste, with a genuinely "dry" structure.
Another Trader Joe's selection for $10. Not my favorite experience but for $10 it's "meah..."
