Tasting - Crane Lake Petite Sirah

Name: Crane Lake Petite Sirah
Variety: 100% Petite Sirah
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $5

Winery Review: This wine is ruby-purple colored; notes of blackberry, plums and spice predominate the nose and flavors. The tannins give a soft, full mouth feel.

My Review: This wine has a great nose to it. Blackberry notes, butter, oak, and spice plays with the senses. The taste is really subtle but delicious. More blackberry comes through on the palate with spice on the back end with a general fruitiness. This is not a big, boisterous wine but a smooth, soft one. Gentle on the short finish with a nice mouth feel. Solid value wine. Definitely worth more than its price.

Tasting - Mattaponi Pow Wow

Name: Mattaponi Pow Wow
Variety: 100% Strawberries
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $25

Winery Review: Translation means "Dreaming."  Mattaponi Winery knows everyone will dream about our amazing Chocolate Cover Strawberry Wine.  Don't just dream.....come taste this perfect combination.  A  great way to tell someone, "I love you."   Made with our Award-Winning Strawberry Wine, Odeimin.

My Review: I was looking forward to tasting this wine after hearing what was in it and after tasting Odeimin. It was actually a bit of a disappointment. The strawberries were there on the nose and the taste, same with the chocolate but they just didn’t mingle well together. I’ve had chocolate fruit wine before that were great but this wasn’t. It was like the chocolate was sitting on the strawberries. It is a bit difficult to explain. The strawberries and the chocolate were separate entities in the same bottle of wine. It was just okay.

Tasting - Mattaponi Odeimin

Name: Mattaponi Odeimin
Variety: 100% Strawberries
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $20

Winery Review: Translation means "Strawberry."  This wine is delightful on the taste buds.  Compliments strawberries everywhere!

My Review: This was the best wine that they had. Strawberries hit the nose and the palate and were present throughout. The taste was sweet but not overpowering. It had the right balance. This was very enjoyable. I would definitely get this again.

Tasting - Mattaponi Kizismin

Name: Mattaponi Kizismin
Variety: 100% Peaches
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $20

Winery Review: Translation means "Sun Berry."  The refreshing Peach Wine has a pleasant flavor with a light finish

My Review: This was a tasty wine. I’ve never had a peach wine before so this was a treat. The smell was that of straight peaches while the tasted was sweet with an overwhelming peach flavor. I haven’t been able to taste my share of fruit wines but this was good. I would get this again.

Tasting - Mattaponi Miskwamin

Name: Mattaponi Miskwamin
Variety: 100% Concord Grapes
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $15

Winery Review: Translation means "Red Berry."  Intense flavor of Blue Concord with full-bodied.  Best served with pasta, beef or lamb.

My Review: This was an interesting wine. I’d never had a wine from Concord grapes before. I was impressed with this one. It smelled and tasted a bit like grape juice. It went down smooth. I ended up buying this one. The alcohol taste to it is subtle and it works.

Tasting - Mattaponi Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Mattaponi Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $15

Winery Review: Impressive structure.  Medium bodied, displaying rich and elegant flavors, with a rich finish. Hints of oak and plum. Wonderful with beef, pork or lamb.

My Review: I didn’t particularly care for this wine. I got hints of red fruit and some spice on the nose. The taste was similar with more red fruit on the palate with a certain spiciness that lasted through the finish. The spiciness didn’t mix well with the fruit that I tasted. I was expecting a big bold Cab Sav and that’s not what I got. It was actually kind of weak.