Tasting: Sokol Blosser Meditrina

• Name: Sokol Blosser Meditrina
• Variety: 28% Pinot Noir, 50% Syrah, 22% Zinfandel
• Region: Oregon
• Country: United States
• Year: NV
• Price: $7.95

My Review: This wine has a burgundy color with a buttery, butterscotch, and caramel smell. The mid taste is heavily black cherry with a very short finish.

Shop Review: 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.

I did not try this wine with food but I would pair it with grilled chicken or shish kabob.

Tasting: Wine Men of Gotham

• Name: Wine Men of Gotham
• Variety: 80% Chardonnay, 20% Semillon
• Region: Grenache
• Country: South Australia
• Year: 2008
• Price: $5.95

My Review: This wine has a very light color, almost clear. It has a tart lemon smell with hints of green melon. It has a bitter and acidic middle taste. This wine had a smoother finish than I expected with undertones of passionfruit.

Shop Review: 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.

I did not try this wine with food but I would pair it with any type of salad.

Tasting: Primo Amore Moscato

• Name: Primo Amore
• Variety: Moscato
• Region: Puglio
• Country: Italy
• Year: 2011
• Price: $8.95 

Shop Review: Straw-yellow with golden reflections and a delicate mousse. Fruity and very inviting, with intense scents of peaches and exotic fruit. Fresh and pleasantly sweet with a taste that reveals its varietal characteristic.

My Review: A very light yellow in color, clearly a sparkling wine. A hint of apples and very sweet on the nose. The mid taste was more peachy and almost an apricot and white grape taste. It was surprisingly crisp on the finish. 

I did not try this wine with food but it is definitely a dessert wine or would be nice with a light brunch.

Tasting: Finca del Castillo

• Name: Finca Del Catillo
• Variety: Tempranillo
• Region: La Mancha
• Country: Spain
• Year: 2011
• Price: $4.95

Shop Review: Rooty, spicy and baked on the nose, with aromas that lean towards raisin.  The palate is more gritty and acidic, with raisin, cola, and spice flavors.  Darkens up on the finish, which is long and peppery, with adequate juiciness and a final note of tomato. (Vintage Wine Cellar)

My Review: This wine has a darker red color with darker scents on the nose. It has an almost vegetable mid taste with a dry finish.

I  did not have this wine with food, however I would drink it with a red meat dish and potatoes. 

Tasting: Georges Duboeuf

• Name: Georges Duboeuf 
• Variety: Gamay
• Region: Beajolais
• Country: France
• Year: 2012
• Price: 3.95

Shop Review: Bright and tangy, offering a classic banana note on the nose, with flavors of raspberry, wild strawberry and light spice.  Modest finish. (Vintage Wine Cellar)

My Review: This wine is a pink/red color and buttery on the nose. The mid taste opened up a mix of sugary and fruity flavors. The finish had a hint of spice but was not overbearing.

I did not try this wine with food, however I would pair it with a strawberry and balsamic vinaigrette salad.

Tasting: Mars and Venus Chardonnay

• Name: Mars and Venus Chardonnay
• Variety: Chardonnay
• Region: Central Valley
• Country: Chile
• Year: 2011
• Price: $5.95

Shop Review: 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 caramalized pineapple. Juicy and clean, this is a mid-weight white that'sjust perfect for parties or weeknight sipping. (Vintage Wine Cellar)

My Review: This wine has an almost clear color with a slight golden hue. The first scent I picked up on the nose was a semi-sweet apple. The mid taste was sweeter than I expected and the finish was clean with no bitterness. For the cheap price, you could not taste the alcohol at all.

I did not try this wine with food, but I would recommend it as a dessert wine.

Tasting: La Cappuccina Soave

• Name: La Cappuccina Soave
• Variety: Garganega
• Region: Soave
• Country: Italy
• Year: 2011
• Price: $7.95

Shop Review: Bright straw yellow in color. Delicate on the nose, with notes of flowers and almonds. Dry, well-structured and delicately fruity, with hints of bitter almonds on the finish that is typical of Garganega-based wines. (Vintage Wine Cellar)

My Review: I found this wine to be slightly sweet on the nose with a lemony citrus scent as well as the floral scent that the shop review mentions. It had a fruity semi-sweet mid taste that was incredibly light. The finish did have a hint of bitterness, but much less than many other white wines I have tasted.

I did not have this wine with food, however I would pair it with fruit at brunch or a citrus chicken dish and light salad at dinner.