Tasting- Decoy Chardonnay

Name: Decoy Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Sonoma, California
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $28

Winery review: This fresh and attractive wine displays aromas of whiteflowers, green apple with hints of exotic grapefruit, guava, flint, and wet stone. There is great flavor impact on the palate with fresh and lively acidity, it is ideal for youthful enjoyment.

My review: I did not care for this wine. It smelled like a fireplace and tasted like one too. I feel like it was too heavily oaked and that is NOT a taste that I go for. Overall the wine just tasted like ashes, which makes me think of cremation, which makes me think of death. Death is not something I think people should be thinking about while drinking. I would not try this wine again.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Decoy Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Decoy Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Sonoma, California
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $28

Winery review: Decoy Sauvignon Blanc offers a beautiful combination of freshness and complexity. The aromas are rich and layered with elements of pineapple, guava, peach and lemon zest. On the palate, the entry is crisp and inviting with good acidity supporting flavors of lemon meringue, grapefruit, pear and flint.

My review: I really enjoyed this wine. The nose was very floral and had hints of carnations. The wine was very dry, a quality I've come to enjoy in white wines. The finish was very citrus oriented. I actually bought a bottle of this wine and would buy another if I wasn't facing massive student loan debts.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Manfred Breit Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett

Name: Manfred Breit Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett

Variety: Riesling
Region: Mosel
Country: Germany
Year: 2012
Price: $15

Winery review: This Kabinett is a sweeter one yet nicely balanced with spicy acidity. Complex and refreshing with so little alcohol. If you prefer sweet for your meals you can truly enjoy this one with white meat dishes or fish.

My review: The nose of this wine smelled like pineapples, a scent I've come to hate in wines. For some reason, even though I like pineapples, I hate tasting them in wines. The pineapple nose let me know that the wine would be overly sweet. I might as well have stuck my tongue in a jar of sugar. At least the finish was light and not too harsh. I would not try this wine again.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Santa Duc Gigondas

Name: Santa Duc Gigondas
Variety: 75% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre and 15% Syrah/Cinsault Blend
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $44

Winery review: A more limited cuvee, the 2011 Gigondas Prestige des Hautes Garrigues is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre. Yves Gras implemented a strict selection in this more challenging vintage and the result is an intense, full-bodied wine boasting abundant blue and black fruit notes intermixed with hints of camphor, incense and lead pencil shavings. Surprisingly full for a 2011, it achieved 16% natural alcohol.

My review: The nose of this wine smelled like dry potting soil and pure alcohol. It definitely did not have an "inviting" scent. Surprisingly, the acid content was low and the mid pallet was almost enjoyable. The finish was over peppered and made me wish my tonsils could sneeze. Perhaps this wine would have been better had I tried it with a steak. (Side note- I feel like all wine tastings should include free steak.)

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Burgess Syrah

Name: Burgess Syrah
Variety: Syrah
Region: Napa Valley, California
Country: USA
Year: 2009
Price: $20

Winery review: Inviting color of dark purple garnet leads your nose to very pretty aromas and flavors of plum, blackberry, and spice. A rich, round mouthfeel and long, smooth finish confirm why we love Syrah so much.

My review: I hate when wines smell like grapes because then you sound like a smart ass saying, "This wine smelled like grapes." However, in the case of this wine, it really did smell like big purple grapes. The mid pallet tasted like strawberry shortcake which I would have adored had the wine not had such a high tannin content. Even the light finish was not enough to make me like this wine after the tannin explosion.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Santa Duc Cotes du Rhone Les Vielles Vignes

Name: Santa Duc Cotes du Rhone Les Vielles Vignes
Variety: 60% Old Grenache vines, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 10% blend of Cinsault, Cournoise, Carigan
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $16

Winery review: This cuvée sees no oak with no destemming, and is bottled unfiltered. Big and full-on flavours – ripe sweet cherry, stewed prunes with spices, earth and wild herbs – the palate is full and ripe, showing great concentration. The dark berries fruit and gamey flavours are followed by chewy but ripe tannins

My review: Acid attacked my dainty nose as I tried to politely approach this wine for a little sniff sniff. This is not how a wine should greet a lady. In an attempt to become friendly, the wine offered a strawberry candy pallet. I was not having it. Completely off put by the atrocious greeting, I said goodbye to this wine, never to meet again.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Picket Fence Pinot Noir

Name: Picket Fence Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Russian River Valley, California
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $18

Winery review: Aromas of brandy-mascerated red cherries, bay laurel, duck fat, forest floor, toasty baking spices and warm vanilla. The chewy red and black fruits come through in the mouth with layers of fine tannins and just a whisper of smoldering French oak. A delicious finish ends this wine on a lush note of creme brulee topped with plum compote.

My review: The nose on this wine smelled like the mouth of an alcoholic: it was stale and you could not escape the distinct slap of alcohol. Overall this wine tasted like raspberry. Due to the lack of luster I found in this wine, I would not try it again. Instead, I'd make out with an alcoholic who had just eaten raspberries. That would be much more fun and I'd get the same taste sensation.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Picket Fence Chardonnay Russian River

Name: Picket Fence Chardonnay Russian River
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Russian River Valley, California
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $15

Winery review: Citrus blossom, hints of ripe stone fruit, creme brulee, and a bright balanced acidity. Lightly toasted french oak enhances the structure and spice, coalescing into a round juicy wine with an attractive lingering finish.

My review: The nose of this wine smelled like musty lemons. Overall this wine was very fruity. It tasted like the canned fruit cocktail from Dole. The finish was very soft with little acidity. I enjoyed this wine but was a little off put by all the fruit in the mid pallet.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Valle de Casablanca
Country: Chile
Year: 2012
Price: $13

Winery review: Gorgeous nose, pungent and complex with layers of aromas that transfer into the palate. Notes of gooseberry, key lime and herbs and jalapeno pepper hints give way to grapefruit and more tropical fruit richness, followed up with a touch of minerality. The palate gushes with pink grapefruit, gauava and a sweet, tart interplay that is fresh and vibrant. This has exceptional length and for the price this is a screamer. It is reported that Casa de Bosque makes one of Casablanca’s best Sauvignon Blanc (actually Chile’s best) and supplies Sauvignon Blanc grapes to some well known wineries with big names who know this to be true. Exceptional value, this wine has great purity and vibrancy that gushes with crisp fruit, with a finish you could keep time with.

My review: The nose of this wine smelled like blackberries, a scent that I found very pleasant. The body was very light. The wine had floral notes as well as honey and gooseberry. The finishes was very sweet and attacked my throat with sugar. Had it not been for the finish, I would have enjoyed this wine very much.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Alvaro Domecq Cream Sherry

Name: Alvaro Domecq Cream Sherry
Variety: Pedro Ximenez
Region: Jerez de la Frontera 
Country: Spain
Year: 2008
Price: $16

Winery review: The soleras at Alvaro Domecq date back to 1800, when Antonio María de Aranda started a bodega in Jerez. His son, Fermín Aranda, a famous medical doctor, inherited the business, which subsequently became “Fermín Aranda”. Fermín, in turn, passed the bodega on to his daughter, Pilar Aranda, who inherited the business in 1946. She was a very successful Almacenista, holding her own in a man’s world and producing outstanding wines and vinegars. Almacenistas (from “almacenar”, which means “to store”) are very rare now, but in former times were a major part of the sherry trade. They aged wines in their cellars and then sold them on to the shipping bodegas. In those days, Fermín Aranda tended to sell their wines to Gonzalez Byass.

My review: This sherry tasted like vanilla extract straight out of the spice cabinet mixed with maple syrup that had been sitting out for days. The sugar was overwhelming and made me want to call my dentist immediately after the tasting. I felt like just smelling this sherry could give me a cavity. On top of the overwhelming sweetness, all of the alcohol in this sherry was at the end and I do not care for an acidic ending. I did not enjoy this sherry and would not try it again.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Plungerhead Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Plungerhead Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Napa Valley, California
Country: United States
Year: 201
Price: $15

Winery review: The inaugural 2011 Plungerhead Lodi Cabernet Sauvignon is dark ruby in color with aromas of blackberry, plum, spearmint, roasted red pepper, and fire toasted oak. Flavors of black currant, sweetened dried cranberry, dark chocolate, and black raspberry jump from your mouth finishing with notes of vanilla, espresso, dried cherry, caramel, and hints of mint.

My review: The nose of this wine smelled like blueberry jam, strawberry jam and grape jam. The mouth feel was light and the wine had an overall light body. The main flavor of the wine was strawberry. The finish was much too dry for me. I would try this wine again but with food to curve the edge of the harsh finish.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Foxglove Paso Robles Zinfandel

Name: Foxglove Paso Robles Zinfandel
Variety: Zinfandel
Region: Central Coast, California
Country: United States
Year: 2011
Price: $16

Winery review: Superb, with loads of character, the 2011 Zinfandel delivers beautiful bramble, potpourri and spice-driven aromatics, medium-bodied richness and real depth and class; the fact that it sells for a song is just icing on the cake.

My review: For how grassy the nose of this wine was, I was surprised to find that the overall taste of this wine was ash. When this wine was swishing around my mouth, all I could think of was that it tasted as if I'd pulled the ashes out of my grandmother's wood stove and eaten them. I do not know why people enjoy this taste. I did not and will not try it again.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Patricia Green Lia's Vineyard Pinot Noir

Name: Patricia Green Lia's Vineyard Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $38

Winery review: One of the best value Oregon pinot noirs for 15 years, fresh and mouthwatering with sweet black berry/cherry fruit flavors and Patty's trademark full-bodied style. There's a bit of very appealing field herbs and earth in the mix and a smooth silky finish. It's ready to drink but is so well balanced I'd treat it like a higher priced wine and cellar it for 2-5 years.

My review: The nose on this wine smelled like grape jam. The wine had a heavy body with nodes of cherry. The finish was extremely dry. I did not enjoy the finish, my pallet prefers to stay wet. I would not try this wine again.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Moulin de Gassac Rose

Name: Moulin de Gassac Rose
Variety: 55% Syrah, 45% Grenache
Region: Southern Rhone
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $11

Winery review: This delightful salmon-pink wine is produced using the traditional saignée process. After macerating on the skins for approximately 10 hours, the juice is then pumped off and fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. Aromatics of strawberries and crushed red fruit leap from the glass. In the mouth, it is fresh with excellent acidity, some mineral components and good length. Very food friendly, it is a great companion to just about anything you want to throw at it.

My review: The nose on this wine was overwhelmingly grapefruit scented. The taste of the wine reminded me of sour patch kids. First it was sour, then it was sweet. The finish was extremely tart. This is definitely a wine that needs food and a person who loves candy.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Foxglove Chardonnay

Name: Foxglove Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Central Coast, California
Country: United States
Year: 2011
Price: $16

Winery review: The 2011 Chardonnay is a beauty, as well as an absurd value. Very clean and lively, with classic Chardonnay notes of juiced apple, citrus and minerality, it is clean and focused on the palate with the richness of the variety, yet also beautiful precision and focus. Classy and well-made, without any apparent oak, it should be purchased by the case and consumed over the coming 2-3 years.

My review: This wine was a buy. I really enjoyed it. The nose had nodes of citrus without the overly sweet pineapple scent. Overall the wine tasted like sour green apple. The finish was smooth. I would try this wine again.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Moulin de Gassac Blanc

Name: Moulin de Gassac Blanc
Variety: 40% Grenache, 30% Savignon Blanc  and  30% Claritte Blend
Region: Languedoc
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $10

Winery review: Variously described as "Lafite in the Languedoc" (Gault & Milau), "the only Grand Cru of the Midi" (Hugh Johnston) and "exceptional" (Robert Parker), Mas de Daumas Gassac has consistently been the Languedoc gold standard for the past four decades. The 80-hectare, organically farmed estate is located deep in the sultry Midi, but enjoys a temperate microclimate as a result of altitude, which gives the wines a lovely deftness of touch. Try with coconut fish curry, penne al pesto, seafood gratin or cheese souffle.

My review: The nose on this wine was tiny. However, I could detect small notes of coconut. The mid pallet was unremarkable and the finish was also very unnoticeable. I could have just been drinking coconut water. This is not a wine that I would bother buying.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Jam Jar Sweet White

Name: Jam Jar Sweet White
Variety: Muscat
Region: Paarl
Country: South Africa
Year: 20
Price: $9

Winery review: Soft floral hints add depth to the otherwise straightforward ripe peach and nectarine aromas. There's a good balance in the mouth, with a nice acidic lift and slightly lime edge to cut the sweetness on the finish and close with the faintest hint of honeydew melons.

My review: This wine smelled like honey and honeysuckle. The flavor overall was of raspberry and pineapple. On the finish, this wine was much too sweet. I did not enjoy the finish at all. With a bit more acidity and dryness in this wine, it could be very enjoyable.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Entrada Malbec

Name: Entrada Malbec
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2010
Price: $6

Winery review: Firm and structured, this is a solid wine, laced with mineral acidity and tight tannins. It has a juicy, blackberry fruit component cutting through the texture.

My review: This wine smelled like Dr. Pepper, which I found extremely intriguing. The nose also had a few hints of curry. There was a large tannin feel to this wine. Overall the body of this wine was very watery. I did not enjoy this wine because it did not have any real flavor for me. This wine was more of a feel and I prefer to taste something.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Vina Borgia Borsao

Name: Vina Borgia Borsao
Variety: Grenache
Region: Campo de Borja
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $7

Winery review: The 2012 Vina Borgia was fermented and aged in stainless steel. Its medium dark ruby color followed by abundant notes of strawberries and black cherries offered in a straightforward, medium-bodied, soft,  hedonistic, round style.

My review: This wine had strong notes of vinegar on the nose. The tannin concentration of the wine was very high and the finish lasted for a full minute. My mouth was extremely dry after tasting this wine. I did not enjoy this wine.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Peter Lehmann Chardonnay

Name: Peter Lehmann Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Barossa Valley
Country: Australia
Year: 2010
Price: $20

Winery review: The 2010 Chardonnay presents subtle notes of spiced apple slices and ripe peaches with hints of freshly baked bread and melon. Light bodied, clean and refreshingly crisp in the mouth, it offers just enough apple and pear flavor concentration, finishing with medium-long persistence.

My review: The nose of this wine was very woody and oak-ish. There was a lot of acid in this wine that caused major lip puckering. Overall the wine tasted like lemon and soap. I do not plan to taste this wine again.

I tried this wine without food.