Tasting - Prime's Ruby Port

Name: Prime's
Variety: Port
Region: Oporto
Country: Portugal
Year: N/A
Price: $18.00











Shop Review: Ruby color; red fruit aromas; pleasantly sweet and balanced taste. As the wines used to produce Prime's Ruby Port age, they gain smoothness and elegance while retaining their fruitiness, intensity and youthful ruby color. They are then blended together for balance and consistency.

My Review: Smelled like brandy. Strong flavors of jam and raisin with a lot of sugar. As with any port, this went great with a brownie I had later!

Tasted at first without food, then later with dessert.

Tasting - Lindeman’s Bin 80 Cabernet Merlot Magnum

Name: Lindeman's
Variety: Cabernet Merlot
Region: Southeastern
Country: Australia
Year: 2015
Price: $18.00











Shop Review: Medium red in color with ruby hues. On the nose aromas of dark red berries, blackcurrants and ripe plums, while the palate is  medium bodied, with dark red berries and a soft tannic finish.

My Review: Tasted of dark berries and has an aroma of black currant. Sweet and fruit with flavors of raisins. Very enjoyable.

Tasted without food.

Tasting - Domaine du Poujol Coteaux du Languedoc Grenache Cinsault

Name: Domaine du Poujol
Variety: Coteaux du Languedoc Grenache Cinsault
Region: Southeastern
Country: Australia
Year: 2011
Price: $13.00











Shop Review: Mineral and berry notes make for a savory blend of flavors in this fine-grained red. Dried berry fruit dominates, with accents of white pepper and dill seed. Delivers lively acidity on the finish. Drink now through 2018.

My Review: This wine finally gave me the experience of tasting car tires and diesel fuel. Flavors I never believed actually existed in wine. Also had a rubbery flavor with hints of pepper. Interesting!

Tasted without food.

Tasting - Pazo de Monterrey Godello

Name: Pazo De Monerrey
Variety: Godello
Region: Monterrei
Country: Spain
Year: 2014
Price: $15.00












Shop Review: Clean, minerally, slightly green in aromatics and oh so approachable and nice. For an under-$15 white, this Godello from Monterrei excels with layered flavors of apple, minerals and natural spice. The finish is long and hints at fresh herbs like thyme and tarragon. Potentially superb with garlic shrimp or calamari over fresh greens.

My Review: Never had Godello before. Aroma of pear and grape. More herb flavors, with a bit of apple. Much of the flavor seemed to be masked for some reason. Perhaps should have been cooler. Light to medium body.

Tasted without food.

Tasting - Domaine de la Foret Rosé de Mediterraneé Greanche Cinsault

Name: Domaine de la Foret
Variety: Rosé de Mediterraneé Greanche Cinsault
Region: Provence
Country: France
Year: 2015
Price: $9.00












Shop Review: In color, this is almost white. There is some attractive acidity and the soft wine will slip down easily with just a touch of red currant. The result is a lightly mineral wine that is refreshing and good for an apéritif.

My Review: Nice. Light and refreshing. Sweet, yet tart with herbaceous flavors and hint of grass. Would be nice to drink outside on a spring afternoon.

Tasted without food.

Tasting - Coastal Vines White Zinfandel

Name: Coastal Vines
Variety: White Zinfandel
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2013
Price: $15.00











Shop Review: Coastal Vines White Zinfandel is a light and fruity salmon-pink wine. Sweet, floral aromas of jasmine and roses burst into bright flavors of apricots, cantaloupe, and orange blossoms.

My Review: Smelled like candy! Some fruity flavors. Citrus. Melon, perhaps. Overall, very sweet to the point that it overwhelmed the senses and covered up a few of the flavors. Probably would have been better served chilled. (Magnum on sale though, so I couldn't resist!)

Tasting - Cortenova Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

Name: Cortenova
Variety: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Region: Abruzzo
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95












Shop Review: Wild berry, chopped mint, sun baked earth and violet aromas meld together on this solid savory red. The juicy straightforward palate doles out ripe black cherry, crushed raspberry, anise and cinnamon alongside chewy tannins.

My Review: Another Earthy and fruity scent. Floral flavors I can't quite pinpoint. Also lots of tannins. Would probably go well with a creamy, smooth cheese..on its own, it was still good though!

Tasting - Rosemount Diamond Label Pinot Noir

Name: Rosemount
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Southeast
Country: Australia
Year: 2014
Price: $15.00











Shop Review: On the nose fragrant red berry fruits; red cherries raspberries; supported by sweet earthy spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. The palate is bright and lively with  flavors of cherry and raspberry are supported by a soft creamy texture, providing a long and elegant finish.

My Review: Strong Earthy aromas. Lots of tannins, but very smooth. Medium body with a slightly fruity finish. Nice!

Tasting - Valminor Albarino

Name: Valminor
Variety: Albarino
Region: Rias Baixas
Country: Spain
Year: 2015
Price: $19.00












Shop Review: Gloriously aromatic with jasmine and flint notes; very scented. Full and fleshy palate, a mineral follow-through and intense, harmonious finish. A very lovely Albarino that is so pure.

My Review: Strong, bitter aroma with green apple scent. This wine also had a sharp finish. Very acidic. Not bad.

Tasting - Yellow Tail Unoaked Chardonnay

Name: Yellow Tail
Variety: Unaoked Chardonnay
Region: N/A
Country: New Zealand & Australia
Year: N/A
Price: $7.00











Shop Review: Wow, who would ever call Yellow Tail understated? But here it is. Nice but light aromas of orange, grapefruit, apple, earth and flowers. Lemon, grapefruit, apples, and a little lime on the light palate. Good acidity, pleasant finish, and decent minerality.

My Review: This wine had aromas of apple and citrus. Very acidic with a prickly-feeling finish. I was not a huge fan, but I happen to love oaky, buttery Chardonnays, which this was not.

Tasting - Jam Jar Sweet White

Name: Jam Jar
Variety: Sweet White
Region: Western Cape
Country: South Africa
Year: 2015
Price: $15.00











Shop Review: This charming, easy-drinking Moscato offers flavors of peach, apricot, lychee and orange blossom. A lively jolt of acidity keeps it fresh and fruity. Fancy enough for a special occasion toast, yet sweet-natured enough to enjoy every day.

My Review: Not much of an aroma. The sweetness was overwhelming, but still pleasant. Definitely seems like it would be enjoyable if the flavors came out more.

Tasting - Fox Creek Shiraz

Name: Fox Creek
Variety: Shiraz
Region: McLaren Vale
Country: Australia
Year: 2012
Price: $23.00

Shop Review: Bright purple. Exotic, expansive aromas of black and blue fruit preserves, vanilla and cola, along with a peppery overtone and a hint of violet pastille. Broad, fleshy, appealingly sweet boysenberry and cherry liqueur flavors show excellent depth and a seamless texture. Finishes juicy and long, with building spiciness, an echo of blue fruit and round tannins.

My Review: Amazing. Best wine of the day. Earthy aromas such as dirt. Stirred up pleasant images of being in a forest on a cloudy spring morning. Tannic with tastes of blackberry. 

Tasting -Candoni Buongiorno Syrah

Name: Candoni Buongiorno
Variety: Syrah
Region: Puglia
Country: Italy
Year: N/A
Price: $15.00











Shop Review: Black ruby color. Mild, spicy, earthy aromas of spiced berries and plum with a supple, bright, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a tingling, brisk earth and cinnamon finish with dusty, coating tannins and moderate oak. A sturdy, earthy red for the table.

My Review: Aromas of cherry and raspberry. Very tannic and dry with a medium-to-full body. Yet another delicious syrah. Very enjoyable by itself or probably with a big, fat steak.

Tasting - Maipe Torrontes

Name: Maipe
Variety: Torrontes
Region: Salta
Country: Argentina
Year: 2016
Price: $13.00











Shop Review: Spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well-balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish.

My Review: The smell reminded me of a blue moon (the beer), probably due to its citrus flavors. Slightly bitter with strong taste of apple. Also very acidic. I loved it!

Tasting - Oxford Landing Viognier

Name: Oxford Landing
Variety: Viognier
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2014
Price: $13.00












Shop Review: This wine may not be quite as rich or expressive as the other Viogniers in the Yalumba stable, but it's still an attractive effort. Pineapple and apricot flavors pick up hints of gingery spice on the vibrant finish.

My Review: This viognier had that classic scent of cat urine, which is hard to explain if you've never experienced it. Light body with a peach aroma. Clear flavor of apricot.

Wine and Cheese Pairing

On a warm and sunny day in the beginning of February (never thought I'd say that), my friend and I decided to dive into the ultra classy world of cheese with wine.

The Wine

Name: Raymond
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Napa Valley, California
Country: United States
Year: 2014
Price: $10.95

Upon pouring this wine, it was apparent that tine bits of cork had fallen in the wine. Did not affect the flavor at all though. There was a mixed fruit aroma involving apple, pear, and a variety of citrus. Light to medium body with a very slight hint of honey. Also, when we tried this Chardonnay, it was not chilled and there was seemingly not much going on. The sweetness was almost overwhelming everything. Later that night when I went to have another glass, it was a whole different wine and the flavors came out much stronger.

Name: Cape Barren
Variety: Shiraz
Region: McLaren Vale
Country: Australia
Year: 2014
Price: $10.95

This wine smelled like candy, and though it tasted like raspberry, it was also very tannic and slightly Earthy. Did not really taste sweet at all, but I was a big fan of this Shiraz!

Name: Sinols Rosat
Variety: Grenache (60%) and Carignan (40%)
Region: Emporda
Country: Spain
Price: $9.95

Smelled of peaches. This wine reminded me of a beach; it had a very tropical flavor combination. Tart, with cherry some other berry flavors. This wine clearly should have also been chilled to better bring out the flavors.

The Cheese

Since this is not a blog about cheese, I'll keep this part simple.

Smoked Gouda: As the name suggests, this cheese tasted straight off the barbecue. It was smokey, salty, and reminded me of charcoal. Tasted like bacon.

Asiago: One of the greatest cheese I've ever tasted. Pungent, yet sweet with a very full mouth taste. Wonderful!

Cacio De Roma: Made from sheep's milk. This was very similar to the Asiago, but not nearly as sweet. Tasted very fatty, hence it was extremely smooth.

Wines with cheeses, (the Root: 1 wine was tasted just for fun, and is not included in this blog).
"My body says no, but my grade says yes" -Me, after consuming copious amounts of cheese

The Pairings

Raymond Chardonnay

Asiago: Delicious! Especially after being chilled. The sweetness of the cheese perfectly complimented the sweetness of the wine. Made the wine go down very smooth and created a sensation of a fuller body.

Gouda: Another good match. The smokey-ness of the cheese brought out the contrasting, sweet flavors of the wine. It was like having some sort of grilled barbecue dinner with a sweet wine for dessert.  Great!

Cacio de Roma: Not good at all. The cheese was far too pungent and it made the wine taste way too sweet. Just a weird, bitter mess.

Trying the wines outside since it was such a beautiful afternoon.

Sinols Rosat

Asiago: Again, sweet cheese with sweet wine. Fantastic.Very smooth wine with my favorite cheese. They complimented each other well.

Gouda: No good. The smokey cheese clashed big-league with the sweetness of the wine. It was like eating a burnt candy.

Cacio De Roma: This pairing was average. Definitely made the wine smoother, but also made it seem less sweet. The bitterness of the cheese was not great with this wine.

Pairing the Sinols Rosat with Smoked Gouda

Cape Barren Shiraz

Asiago: I expected this to be one of the best pairings, but it turned out quite the opposite! It made the wine taste more acidic. It was an amateur screw-up: the big, beautiful red wine with an overly salted cheese. Not great!

Gouda: Made the wine much sweeter. Softened the tannins to bring out more of the fruity flavors. Also, the strong pepper-y flavors of the cheese canceled out the spiciness of the wine exposing new flavors.

Cacio De Roma: The slight bitterness of the cheese made the wine taste beautifully sweet and smooth. Like the Gouda, the cheese reacted with the tannins to soften the overall feel. Excellent!

Overall, a great experience. Something I had never tried before but can not wait to do again soon. Now, I must go because I believe there is a pint of chocolate ice cream and a glass of port in the kitchen calling my name. 

This is me imagining myself as a Roman emperor with my loyal servants dangling fruit above my head.

Tasting - Crane Lake Gewurztraminer

Name: Crane Lake
Variety: Gawurztraminer
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2015
Price: $5.95











Shop Review: This floral wine has notes of rose, peach, and apricot, with a smooth, lingering finish. This wine pairs well with both smoked Gouda and Munster cheeses. Also try it along with roast pork, turkey, red snapper or sautéed abalone.

My Review: Fruity and floral aromas. Dry, with tastes of pears and oranges. Definitely had a very smooth finish. Peaceful.

Tasted without food.

Tasting - El Ganador Malbec

Name: El Granador
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2015
Price: $12.00

Shop Review: Garnet color. Aromas of black cherry, plum jam, rich dark soil, and violet honey with a lightly tannic, lively, dry medium-to-full body and a tingling, complex, medium-long black cherry, rich garden soil, crushed plum, and cinnamon toast finish with medium tannins and moderate oak. Dense, dark and chewy with earthy complexity, balancing the luscious jammy fruit qualities of new world with earthy qualities of old world wines.

My Review: This wine had a smokey scent. Very Earthy with definite tastes of soil and dirt. Moderately dry with some tannins and a hint of fruit. Interesting taste, never had an Earthy wine before. 


Tasted without food.

Tasting - Grand Cru Pinot Noir

Name: Grand Cru
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2014
Price: $5.95

Shop Review: This ruby-colored wine has aromas of raspberry, cherry and a hint of vanilla. Flavors of cherry and plum lead to a soft velvety finish. This wine can be enjoyed by itself. It is also an excellent accompaniment with appetizers and main courses. This wine goes well with Brie, goat cheese and smoked salmon, lamb shanks and pork tenderloin.

My Review: This wine had an aroma similar to chocolate. A slightly dry red, with some tannins. Some taste of fruit; raspberry perhaps. Delicious!

Tasted without food.

Tasting - Douglas Hill Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Douglas Hill
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2014
Price: $10.00











Shop Review: This light, crisp Sauvignon Blanc has aromas of grapefruit, bell pepper, and asparagus. On the palate, hints of floral and honey are revealed to yield a well-balanced, refreshing wine.

My Review: This wine produced a pear aroma, which also appeared in the taste with hints of apple. Another fruity white. Seems like a great wine to enjoy on a spring afternoon.

Tasted without food.

Tasting - Prime Brume Soave Garganega

Name: Prime Brume Soave
Variety: Garganega
Region: Soave
Country: Italy
Year: 2015
Price: $6.95











Shop Review: Brilliant emerald straw color. Aromas and flavors of brazil nuts, creme fraiche, and kiwi and starfruit with a silky, lively, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and an effortless, engaging, medium-length watermelon, yellow apple, and clementine finish. A delicious, artfully balanced soave with a great range of fruit flavors.

My Review: This wine had a strange scent of cleaning supplies; however, it was a delicious medley of fruit. Sweet, with tart flavors of green apple and grapefruit for an overall citrusy experience.

Tasted without food.