Tasting - Grifone Primitivo

Name: Grifone Primitivo
Variety: 100% Zinfandel

Region: Manduria
Country: Italy
Year: 2015
Price: $5

Winery Review: Grifone Primitivo comes to us from Italy, Zinfandel's ancestral home. Grapes from vineyards in the Manduria region (geographically, in the boot's heel) are handpicked at their peak and crafted into a deep, inky red wine with concentrated aromas of red berries and licorice. Not quite as spicy as American Zinfandels, this Primitivo is full-bodied, warm & fruity, with strong, lingering tannins. It's a wine that’s meant to be enjoyed now—we suggest enjoying it with rich cheeses like our Aged Raw Milk Cheddar.

My Review: Bold aromas are present in this wine. Dark fruit such as black currant and black cherry fill the nose. The flavor is pretty bold on the palate as well. More black fruit is present with cherry, raspberry, and currants being the main ones. It finishes smooth and long.

Tasting - Blue Towers Pinot Noir

Name: Blue Towers Pinot Noir
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir

Region: Curico Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2015
Price: $15

Winery Review: Our Pinot Noir is an elegant and bright wine, that has a structure similar to a Merlot! Juicy, yet tart raspberry, cherry and cranberry fruit flavors dominate while a touch of organic earth and spice become more pronounced in the finish. Enjoy with Mushroom Risotto, Chicken with Morels and Cream Sauce or Grilled Salmon with Bell Peppers. Pair with cheeses like Comte, Edam or Chevre.

My Review: Exploding aromas. It just burst in my nose with notes of cherry, raspberries, and vanilla. The taste was flavorful with cherry present throughout and red currant on the end. It was light-bodied and smooth with a long finish. Pretty nice wine.

Tasting - Chalkboard Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Chalkboard Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $10

Winery Review: A classic California Cabernet Sauvignon loaded with plum and chocolate-covered cherry notes, topped with a hint of oak. Food Pairing: Lamb chops or beef stir-fry.

My Review: The nose was full of plum and raspberries and was very fruit forward. Lots of red fruit present and slight blueberry. The taste was red berries specifically raspberries and cherry. There was a slight oak flavor with a hint of chocolate. It had a long finish.

Tasting - Villa Sonia Venezia Pinot Grigio

Name: Villa Sonia Venezia Pinot Grigio
Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio

Region: Venice
Country: Italy
Year: 2015
Price: $5

Winery Review: Light straw yellow with greenish reflections, possibly some nuances of copper. Flavorsome, dry, good body. Fruity, delicate, complex.

My Review: The nose was fruity with notes of melon, stone fruit, and green apple. The taste was sort of bland with hints of grass, melon, and apple. It was very acidic and finished long. I didn’t like this wine at all. The acidity was too much and the flavors didn’t balance it out. Nearly undrinkable.

Tasting - La Posta Pizzella Malbec

Name: La Posta Pizzella Malbec
Variety: 100% Malbec

Region: Uco Valley
Country: Argentina
Year: 2014
Price: $15

Winery Review: Beautiful red/purple color with aromas of black cherries, dark fruits, dark chocolate and bakers spice. On the palate, the wine shows dense dark berry and plum flavors along with hints of sandalwood and spice, and even a hint of violets in the finish. Don´t be concerned if you find yourself inhaling deeply from your glass, over and over it is just your noses way of telling you that it wants its fair share! This is a full-bodied and well- structured wine that is incredibly full of life and born to be enjoyed with food and friends. Goes great with many foods, specially meat, barbecue.

My Review: This wine was very fruit forward. Some oak and vanilla came through first on the nose followed by black fruit specifically black currants, black cherry, and blackberries. The taste is similar with blackberries coming through first with some raspberries and cherry. It was bold and full-bodied. It finished long and smooth. Really good Malbec.

Tasting - Espiral Vinho Verde

Name: Espiral Vinho Verde
Variety: 100% Vinho Verde

Region: Vinho Verde
Country: Portugal
Year: NV
Price: $5

Winery Review: It’s young and peppy with a crisp acidity that derives from grapes that are harvested before they’re fully ripe. This wine bears a light sparkle, and it features refreshing green apple and melon flavors. Espiral Vinho Verde’s vibrancy, combined with its lower alcohol content (9% ABV), suggest that it may be the perfect warm weather quaff.

My Review: The nose was of green apple, honeysuckle, and stone fruit. The taste was only slightly fruity mainly acidic. I got notes of apple and melon. It had a long finish. This wine is okay for what it is but I couldn’t drink much of it.

Tasting - Casa Santos Lima Lab Vinho Regional Lisboa 2013

Name: Casa Santos Lima Lab Vinho Regional Lisboa 2013
Variety: 35% Castelao, 25% Tinta Roriz, 25% Syrah, and 15% Touriga Nacional

Region: Lisbon
Country: Portugal
Year: 2013
Price: $10

Winery Review: Our vineyards are planted in sunny gentle slopes of clay and limestone soils near Lisbon which, allied to the beneficial maritime influence, provide excellent conditions for the production of quality wines.  This wine was produced with Castelao (35%), Tinta Roriz (25%), Syrah (25%) and Touriga Nacional (15%) grapes.  Obtained through traditional fermentation and long maceration, it has aged in Portuguese new oak barrels for 4 months.

My Review: The nose was super fruity with heavy cherry notes mixed with some raspberry. Slight oak and vanilla is present. The taste is similar on the oak end but fruit forward with hints of cherry and blackberry. It finished long. 

Tasting - Gaetano d’Aqunio Sangiovese di Toscana

Name: Gaetano d’Aqunio Sangiovese di Toscana
Variety: 100% Sangiovese

Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2015
Price: $5

Winery Review: Well, now here is another light-bodied red wine to pair with pasta dishes and even light meat dishes.  Once it breathed and settled, it had a core of bright cherry and red currant fruit flavors with plenty of veggie notes.  The light but definite tannins gave this selection a nice peppery bite at the end which is why I think it can stand up to some meat dishes.  Acidity seemed good, and alcohol is at 12.5%.  On first pour, however, this one came across as almost vegetal with a very tart cherry accompaniment in the background.  If your preference is the fruit flavors in a wine, I’d open it at least a good half hour before serving.

My Review: This wine was quite oaky on the smell with a bunch of red fruit and a decidedly alcohol aroma. The taste was very acidic with a lot of red fruit and some cherry. It was a light body wine and had a short finish. It is okay for what it is. Nothing spectacular. 

Tasting - Château de Ségriès Côtes-du-Rhône

Name: Château de Ségriès Côtes-du-Rhône
Variety: Grenache, Syrah, and Mouvedre

Region: Côtes du Rhône
Country: France
Year: 2014
Price: $12

Winery Review: The wine is ripe, rich and round, with black raspberry, white pepper and spice flavors. True Cotes du Rhone in a Bistro style.

My Review: Big fruit up front on the nose with blackberry and cherry and slight vanilla. The taste is bold with oak and black fruit comingling. Some cherry is present on the end. It is pretty tannic and could benefit from opening up more. The finish was long and smooth.

Tasting - Tomasello Blueberry Wine

Name: Tomasello Blueberry Wine
Variety: 100% Blueberry

Region: New Jersey
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $12

Winery Review: For over  two decades ago Tomasello Winery has been producing 100% pure blueberry wine from cultivated high bush blueberries grown on the Atlantic County New Jersey Blueberries. The wine is semi-dry with soft and perfumed hints of blueberry. Recent studies prove Blueberry wine to be very high in antioxidants. To add a distinctive character to your sparkling wine, try a Tomasello Blueberry Wine Kir Royale. Pour one ounce of chilled Tomasello Blueberry Wine into the bottom of your favorite champagne flute. Top with Tomasello Blanc de Blanc Brut or your favorite bubbly. Serve this as a delightful aperitif before dinner. To highlight your salad course, top baby mixed greens, with slivered almonds, dried blueberries and a Tomasello Blueberry Wine Vinaigrette. Great with cheesecake.

My Review: The wine had a light purplish hue. The nose was of blueberry with a slight oak smell and sharp fruit. The taste was very sweet with mainly of blueberry. It was a bit tart and tasted of fruit juice. It was silky smooth with a short finish and didn’t really taste like it had alcohol. Delicious.