Tasting - "Sonnenband Moscato Magnum"

Name: Sonnenband Moscato Magnum
Variety: Muscat
Region: Spain
Country: Spain
Year: N/A
Price: $20
Winery Review: "This wine is intricate with the delicate perfumes of white flower blossoms, profound tropical fruit sweetness, and energized by citrus nectars." - Vintage Cellar

My Review: The original smells were floral and very peachy.  It was pleasant on the nose and it spoke out like a Moscato usually does to me.  The taste was peachy, hints of pineapple, and overall tasted a lot like some sort of candy.  Overall, this wine was not bad.  I liked that it wasn't as overly sweet as many Moscato's can tend to be, but still sweet.  Good wine and nice choice for a Moscato.

Tasting - "Neu Direction Cabernet Sauvignon 2010"

Name: Neu Direction Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2010
Price: $15
Winery Review: "This Cabernet Sauvignon shows very good purity of fruit and skillful winemaking. This wine is full of black-fruit aromas, depth, and style. The palate pushed ripe plum and berry fruit along withe chocolate, and the finish is chewy and correct in terms of tannins and structure." - Vintage Cellar

My Review: The original hints on the nose were sweet, raspberry flavors, blackberry, and all other types of berries, pretty much a very sweet overall smell.  The taste was not as sweet as the smell, and there were hints of chocolate in the finish to go along with a harshness at the back-end.  I am not a big fan of this wine at all.  I think the flavors just didn't mend well together and was very pleasant.  Would not choose to drink this wine again.

Tasting - "Champteloup Pinot Noir"

Name: Champteloup Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Loire Valley
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $15
Winery Review: "In the heart of France's Loire River Valley lies the Touraine wine region. Although it produces vast amounts of well-priced, fresh, mostly white wines, lovely reds like this are broadening Touraine's appeal. This wine may seem familiar to you. It is a sibling of the Touraine Sauvignon Blanc we've offered for years. Serge de Bucy employs a light touch in his winemaking, using no wood and doing as little as possible to preserve freshness. Bright cherry and strawberry fruits are followed by a soft, smooth palate." - Vintage Cellar

My Review: This wine was very oaky and woody on the nose.  There was a subtle fruit flavor, a woody wild fruit flavor.  The taste was oaky, tobacco, and very dry.  The fruit flavors that jumped out were raspberry and had a kick to it, which added to the dryness of the wine.  This wine was delicious.  I loved the woody flavors and the subtle sweetness.  This is what I imagine when I think red wines and what I prefer.  Great choice of wine overall.

Tasting - "Baumann Gentil Classiq 2012"

Name: Baumann Gentil Classiq
Variety: Reisling
Region: Alsace
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: $17
Winery Review: "A delicious and fresh blend of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Gris. Light aromas of fresh fruit and delicate white flowers start your journey, followed by crisp flavors of stone and citrus fruit. A well balanced acidity on the dry finish ends this French blend beautifully." - Vintage Cellar

My Review: The original smell was actually kind of soapy, almost like a buttery floral smell.  It was very pleasant on the nose.  The taste was very sharp, citrus-like.  Specific flavors that really jumped out at me was a pineapple flavor.  Overall this wine was alright.  It was a nice tasting wine, but not one of my favorites.

Tasting - "Fattori Runcaris Soave"

Name: Fattori Runcaris Soave
Variety: Garganega 
Region: Soave
Country: Italy
Year: 2010
Price: $15
Winery Review: "From the local Italian word for "to work the soil," Runcaris represents an easy, fresh expression of Soave Classico with lingering aromas of citrus, yellow rose, honey, jasmine, and dried herbs." 86 pts - Wine Enthusiast

My Review: The original smell on the nose was that of sharp and bright flavors.  The original taste was sour, almost of sour apple with a light sweetness.  Overall, for a white wine, this pretty nice and enjoyable.  I liked the taste and it would be a wine that I would drink again.

Tasting - "Woodbridge Pinot Grigio"

Name: Woodbridge Pinot Grigio
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $7

Expert Wine Review Notes: "A useful wine, made in the lush, mellow way that many Americans like their Pinot Grigio. It’s clean in acidity, with pleasant citrus, tropical fruit, green grass and vanilla flavors." Rated 85/100
-Steve Heimoff, from wineenthusiast.com

Review: Very mellow initial smell, subtle grape flavors to the nose, but not anything overly powering.  The initial taste was sweet, very calming sweet that lasted for a few seconds, but slowly transitioned into a sour finish.  This was one of the first wines I've had that started off sweet then finished with a sour note.  It's a very good wine for the price, especially being a Pinot Grigio.  Bargain price, and would recommend it for those asking about this varietal.

Tasting - "Sutter Home White Zinfandel"

Name: Sutter Home White Zinfandel
Variety: White
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: N/A (friend purchased the bottle)

Wine-Maker's Notes: "You may blush with excitement over this fresh, lively wine. Beauty in a bottle, our light, refreshing White Zinfandel wine flirts with your tongue, as you taste essences of strawberry and melon. Perfect with all types of food, we recommend pairing it with something a little spicy such as Asian or Latin cuisine."
-from sutterhome.com

Review: The initial smell was a fruity sweet, that of a peach.  It definitely was pleasant to the nose, rather than being overly sharp in sweetness, but rather, just a nice calm and chill sweetness.  The initial taste was, again, sweet, but the taste was more watermelony rather than peachy.  This wine was very calm and subtle in flavor, more mellow in its sweetness than other white wines.  Not a bad choice of wine, and definitely would say is worth the try.

Tasting - "Garnacha Centenaria 2011"

Name: Coto De Hayas Garnacha Centenaria
Variety: Grenache
Region: Spain
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: N/A (friend purchased the bottle)
Winery Notes: "The term “old vines” gets bantered around a lot these days without a lot of clarity or even a uniform meaning. But in most people’s vernacular, age 100 definitely qualifies as old.  We have been selling this packed, juicy wine from Bodegas Aragonesas in Campo de Borja, under the Coto de Hayas label, for a number of years. It has been consistently one of the best red wine values around for much of that time. The 2011 is a winner again and it’s loaded with plush kirsch and cherry fruit, and has surprising style and presence for a wine of such a modest fare. It’s a great deal again.  Back when we started selling this wine, it didn’t really get reviewed by anyone.  This one was a Spectator 91 and a ‘Smart Buy’.  So it’s the same great deal it has always been, just more people know about it.  Those three old vineyard plots from which this wine comes from haven’t gotten any bigger, so this value gem could disappear a lot faster than in years past."

-from winex.com

Review: This wine was one of my FAVORITES I've ever tried, and while I know that doesn't mean much since my wine experience is fairly little, I could tell that this bottle was a special one.  I think my friend said that he got this bottle from the Vintage Cellar for this special birthday occasion, and it wasn't wasted one bit.  The initial smell was very woody, almost like being in a forest.  There were very subtle hints of grape-flavor, but nothing that stood out to differentiate from the woodiness.  The taste was very bitter, woody, tobacco-y, and had a distinct spice-flavor to it.  Just tasting this wine was one of the most memorable wine experiences for me.  The woodiness mixed with the bitter flavors of spices were delicious, and the flavor profiles mixed with the subtle taste of fruit flavors blended together so harmoniously it was amazing.  VERY very good bottle of wine, and definitely one that I would get again.

Tasting - "Barefoot Sweet Red"

Name: Barefoot Sweet Red
Variety: Red Wine Blend (Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, Grenache, Barbera)
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: N/A
Price: $6.59

Winery Notes: "Barefoot Sweet Red is a ripe and juicy wine with explosive flavors of raspberry, pomegranate and luscious cherry. It tastes great chilled! Food Pairings: Fire up those grills because our Sweet Red goes great with spicy beef kabobs, juicy marinated flank steak and grilled vegetables! If you and your friends like Moscato you’re going to LOVE Sweet Red! Delicious!"

-winemaker

Review:  The original smell of the Barefoot Sweet Red blend wine was very sweet, that of a cranberry flavor.  It wasn't a sharp sweetness, but more subtle, which I enjoyed.  The taste was that of cherry and berry flavors, one that was pretty sweet, a little overly sweet for my tastes.  Overall, I know that this wine is a fairly cheap wine, however, it isn't a horrible choice.  I wouldn't personally drink this, just because I am not a huge fan of overly sweet wines, however, it is not a bad choice for those looking for a decent bottle at a bargain price.

Tasting - "Clean Slate 2011 Riesling"

Name: Clean Slate 2011 Riesling
Variety: White
Region: Mosel, Germany
Country: Germany
Year: 2011
Price: N/A (friend purchased the bottle)

Wine-Maker's Notes: "On the steep hills above the winding Mosel river grow the world's most celebrated Riesling vines. From their noble grapes, we craft a crisp, refreshing and elegant wine. The balanced taste profile of Clean Slate is created by carefully selecting grapes from vineyards throught the Mosel. Grapes from the Lower Mosel provide mineral notes, grapes from the Middle Mosel create a hint of spiciness and grapes from the Upper Mosel supply fresh, peach flavors. The result is clean, fresh flavor that is delicious with food and perfect to share with friends."

-from wine.com

Review: On Wednesday night, February 12th, I got together with friends to celebrate our friend Carol's 22nd birthday, so we decided to drink some wine.  This along with the next 4 wines were the wines that we tasted at her birthday "get-together".
The initial note that this wine gave off was very soury, sharp smell.  Once tasting, I got a hint of sour-apple, starting off very sour, and transitioning into a more sweeter appealing taste.  It was almost like a sour-patch kid, starting off sharply sour, and finishing off with a sweet tone, leaving a nice taste on the pallet.  Overall, I would recommend this wine, and did enjoy it.

Tasting - "The Little Penguin Pinot Noir"

Name: The Little Penguin Pinot Noir
Variety: Red Wine
Region: South Eastern Austria
Country: Austria
Year: 2012
Price: N/A (friend purchased the bottle)

Winery Notes: "The bouquet shows sweet strawberry fruit aromas with hints of spice and delicate oak characters in the background. The palate is elegant, creamy and soft with lively yet subtle cherry and strawberry flavors. The finish is elegant and long."

~ Winery Notes

Review:  This past Thursday night, a bunch of friends and I got together to have wine night and to enjoy this bottle along with The Naked Grape bottle posted earlier, this was our Red wine choice of the night.  The initial smell was that of a forest, with trees and shrubs, dirt, and wood-like smells.  It brought me back to being out, camping with my family, and then the hit of fruit kicked in.  I couldn't really tell what fruits I was smelling just from the initial smell, so I went back in for another whiff, and I got hints of black cherry and raspberry.  The first taste was very explosive, tasting a wave of cherry, other berries, spices, tobacco, etc.  The flavors just hit me all at once and it was crazy.  It was a little strong for my taste, but it was a decent red wine.  Overall, I wouldn't choose this wine again, but it wasn't a "bad" red wine.  It was definitely a good contrast the white wine we had that night as well.

Tasting - "The Naked Grape Pinot Grigio"

Name: The Naked Grape Pinot Grigio
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Modesto, California
Country: United States
Year: N/A
Price: $7/bottle

Winery Notes:  "The kind of person you feel both comfortable with and excited by at the same time? That wonderfully naked friendship is how we like to describe this go everywhere wine, our light bodied Pinot Grigio seems to go with just about anything and make it all just a bit more fun. With aromas of pear and Meyer lemon, it's got a crisp, fresh, light and tangy style. So let's raise a glass to life, laughter and those who make all occasions a good time. Bare it all." 
"a light go everywhere and with everything style"
-from The Naked Grape's website

Review: This past Thursday, a few friends and I got together to have a "wine night" with this and the next bottle in my blog, alongside some snacks (ranging from chips to crackers & cheese and eventually later in the night... Taco Bell).  I really enjoyed this wine.  For a price of $7, it really was a tasty white wine, having a very crisp and light fruit flavor, while being bold enough not to be-lacking in fullness.  It was almost "refreshing" in a sense, where it was very easy to drink, even without having any food.  It went perfectly with the snacks that we had, in that it tasted almost of an appetizer-ish wine.  I could taste hints of light fruit, such as pear and possibly some apple.  I think that's where the "crispness" came from.  Overall, this wine is a very good choice for $7, and it tasted great.  Although I'm not a huge white wine kind of guy, I would definitely choose to drink this wine again.

Tastings - "La Chouffe"

Name: La Chouffe Ardens Blond Bier
Variety: Beer
Region: Belgium
Country: Belgium
Year: N/A
Price: 5 variety bottle pack for $25 USD

Online Review: N/A


Review:  This was an AWESOME thing for me because it was actually a bottle of beer that I've been holding onto for over 8 months.  This past summer, I had the chance to go over to The Gambia, Africa on a 2-week trip with my campus fellowship.  Our layover was in Brussels, Belgium, and while there, I picked up a variety pack of 5 different bottles of Belgium beers.  I gave it as a gift to my parents, but they told me to keep at least one that I could try for myself, so this was the one that I chose and brought down to school with me to have on a special occasion.  This past week, (for no specific reason) I felt like celebrating life with my roommates, so we cracked this baby up and shared it as we ate a dinner of some grilled chicken and vegetables.  Initially, the smell was so defined.  It smelled nothing of any beer I have ever smelled before.  It was bitter, sharp, almost obnoxious in a sense, and it just jumped out at me from the moment I opened it.  The taste was a WHOLE other story.  This beer is labeled to be 8% alcohol, however, it tasted more like 15%.  It was strong and had a very distinct alcohol flavor. not one that I ever tasted in a beer before.  Also, it tasted more like a champagne than it did beer.  Overall, I wasn't crazy about this beer, probably just because my palate is so used to my typical Coors Light or PBR, but it was really cool trying this European beer, and was very special.  As I did, I would definitely recommend drinking this alongside a solid meal, mostly because it can overpower the food, and seems a bit harsh to drink without anything to eat.

Tastings - "Bay Bridge Vineyards Chardonnay"

Name: Bay Bridge Vineyards Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay - Grape
Region: Central Valley, California
Country: United States
Year: N/A
Price: $3/bottle

Online Review: For an inexpensive wine, this one is great.

-from snooth.com

Review:  This wine was definitely very different from the first one I tried.  The initial smell was very appealing, mellow, yet tasteful, and it got me very excited to try it.  The first taste was tartness, almost like a lemon.  It was very crisp and citrus-like, almost like a grapefruit.  Overall, a very mellow fruit flavor, while also being a bolder white wine.  In the end, I would say this bottle of wine is great for the price.  And although I did not have this wine with any food, I wouldn't mind having this alongside dinner or appetizers.

Tastings - "Duck Commander Red Blend"

This past week, I was actually not able to make it out to any of the free wine tastings... BUT, I did have the chance to get together with some friends and crack open a few bottles and even a very SPECIAL beer, and these next 5 posts will be on my tastings of them.

Name: Duck Commander Triple Threat
Variety: Red Wine Blend
Region: Napa County, California
Country: United States
Year: 2011
Price: not sure (friend purchased this bottle)

Online Review: The 2011 Duck Commander Triple Threat Red Blend begins with lots of ripe fruit plus caramel and coffee aromas along with a bit of spice. Tasting reveals more ripe fruit, lots of chocolate and caramel notes along with some cherry cola and spice. It's all wrapped up in a smooth texture with soft tannins. It ends with more jammy ripe fruit, good length and sweet oak notes. This wine hits the inexpensive red blend bullseye -- if you're a fan of Apothic Red, Cocobon or the Murphy-Goode Homefront Red you'll love it!

-the Reverse Wine Snob

Review: This was truly a unique experience, not only because I got to try this wine from the famous Duck Dynasty family, but we got to have it while watching the show itself! (which was definitely very cool)  The initial thoughts of the smell of this wine (after the swirl of course) is that it was very sharp and obviously fruity.  The initial taste was that of a fruity sweetness, which quickly transitioned to a sour-like taste, almost that of a lemon or lime, then changed into a more of a spice-like flavor.  One the flavors began to mellow, this wine was fairly bland, leading to my assessment of the wine overall.  While it was a lot of fun having this wine while watching the show itself, that doesn't make up for the blandness in taste and flavor that lingered.  Although I'm not even sure exactly how much this bottle cost, my friend did say it was fairly cheap, so I could say it's worth the price.. however, there are plenty of alternatives to this, when looking for a quality red wine blend.

I did not have this wine with any food.