Tasting - "Heinz Eifel Shine Riesling"

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Tasting: 2/23/2012

Name: Heinz Eifel Shine Riesling
Variety: Riesling
Region: Pfalz
Country: Germany
Year: 2010
Price: $8.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: Flint and mineral notes accent pineapple and lime aromas, while on the palate, the wine shows plenty of ripe, citrusy fruit flavors. Tangy acids on the long finish provide balance.

My Personal Wine Review: This Riesling smelled of fruit on the beach. To be more descriptive, it was a mix of apricots with sunscreen and the salty ocean breeze. Very weird. The wine was very sweet like an extremely sweet sugary juicy grape but not grape juice and it left a tart film on top of the tongue. The wine was a very interesting experience, but I would definitely explore other Rieslings before coming back to this one.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Don Ramon Tinto"

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Tasting: 2/23/2012

Name: Don Ramon Tinto
Variety: 75% Garnacha & 25% Tempranillo
Region: Campo De Borja
Country: Spain
Year: 2008
Price: $7.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: 75% Grenache, 25% Tempranillo. Aged 3 months in American Oak casks. Ruby red in color, with creamy aromas of earth and cherry. Flavor turns toward deeper and darker black cherry and raspberry on a medium framework. A subtle earthiness underneath the bright fruit adds some depth and complexity.

My Personal Wine Review: The wine was a brownish red in color. I enjoyed the smell as I sensed a cooked vegetable theme. I got the aroma of cooked carrots and potatoes that were made into homemade french fries. The wine tasted high in alcohol as it had some warmth in it with heavy tannins. I also tasted a kind of petrol flavor with a plastic edge. Overall the wine was interesting and I would drink this again.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Resonata Nero DdAvola"

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Tasting: 2/23/2012

Name: Resonata Nero d'Avola
Variety: Nero d'Avola
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: 2010
Price: $6.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: Dense ruby red with violet reflections. Lush and ripe bouquet full of mulberries, blackberries and spice. Harmonious and well balanced with good berry fruit in a spicy background.

My Personal Wine Review: The wine was a pretty dark salmon color with a bitter and woody smell. I definitely tasted the resinous oaky flavor with a rubber flavor as well. It also had small soft tannins to finish off the taste. It was hard to distinguish any mid-palate or levels of flavor with this wine as the taste remained consistent throughout.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Protocolo Blanc"

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Tasting: 2/23/2012

Name: Protocolo Blanc
Variety: White Blend (70% Airen & 30% Macabeo)
Region: Castilla La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $6.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: Greenish gold. Subtle aromas of mint, lemon and orange, with a hint of honeysuckle. Dry, understated and focused, offering clean citrus and melon flavors and slow-building sweetness. Finishes dry and brisk, with an echo of lemon. As usual, this is an outstanding value.

My Personal Wine Review: This wine was OK. The aroma was very fruity and I got a lot of sour apple and melon smells with a hint of cherry as well. The flavors were very weak and I couldn't pin point really any true fruit or other flavors. The wine was definitely tannic with a bitter aftertaste and it was sweet and tart. It was kind of like the candy sweettart without the hard texture to it.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Santola Vinho Verde"

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Tasting: 2/23/2012

Name: Santola Vinho Verde
Variety: White Blend
Region: Minho, Vinho Verde
Country: Portugal
Year: NV
Price: $7.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: Soft and creamy, although with just the right Vinho Verde bite, this is a crisp and clean wine, boasting light pear and pink grapefruit flavors. Off dry and very fresh.

My Personal Wine Review: I got an immediate nose of alcohol from this wine right from the start. I also received a bouquet of green fruit of white grapes and sour apples. The flavors were light with a soft mid-palate. It had a strong taste of old granny apples that had been sitting around for a while. Overall it was an enjoyable drink, but nothing special.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon"

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Tasting: 2/18/2012

Name: Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Country: USA
Year: 2008
Price: $28.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: Bright and expressive, offering a velvety mouthful of raspberry, cherry, blackberry and sage flavors, finishing with a hint of smoke. Shows depth and persistence.

My Personal Wine Review: The color was a nice dark red. This wine also had a very nice and unique wine smell for me. I got aromas from banana's to spinach with vanilla in there as well. The flavors were also fun to explore as I received a bouquet of sweet flavors but also vegetable's as well. It was like tasting spinach with honey poured on top, a delicious healthy taste. I enjoyed the complexity and variety of flavors and would recommend this wine.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Glop Priorat"

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Tasting: 2/18/2012

Name: Glop Priorat
Variety: grinache (red blend)
Region: Priorat
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $20.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: Glop is a customer favorite in our retail store and it has a very memorable name which means 'sip' or 'gulp' in Catalan. Glop is an inky red wine from Priorat with deep plum and blackberry flavors perfect for pairing with grilled chorizo or iberico pork.

My Personal Wine Review: It is a dark red wine. The aromas are super sweet and remind me of candy and halloween caramel covered apples. Basically super sugar mixed in with fruit. I did not really taste any fruit with the wine and I really got a flat taste. I got a mouth full of tire and rubber with some sort of plastic edge. I tasted a lot of industrial type of flavors and this ruined the wine for me.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Zentas Malbec"

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Tasting: 2/18/2012

Name: Zentas Malbec
Variety: 100% Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2011
Price: $8.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: This Malbec presents a nice deep red color. The nose offers intense and ripe aromas of red fruits, such as dark cherries, plums and raspberry. On the palate it is fresh and fruity with soft tannins and a nice finish. Pleasant and easy to drink.

My Personal Wine Review: The color had a nice dark core in it so I liked how dark it looked. The smell was a mix between some chlorine and then apple. So I got some fruit but also some industrial cleaning supplies too, but the taste was so much different. The oak monster definitely came and visited this wine as I tasted heavy wood and oak with high tannins. I also received some surprise with a delicious taste of dark chocolate which was awesome. There was some intense heat on the back of the throat as well which really fired up the senses. I thought this wine had a lot wood/dark flavors as well as warming, so I would recommend this wine.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Old Coach Road Chardonnay"

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Tasting: 2/18/2012

Name: Old Coach Road Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Nelson
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2009
Price: $14.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: This a delightfully satisfied wine full of ripe chardonnay fruit characters intertwined with smooth, supple, spicy oak. The palate is full and textured, with a clear definition and long lasting flavors.

My Personal Wine Review: At first the color gives off a light gold reflection that gets you excited about tasting the wine and then after swirling it and smelling the wine my excitement died. The aroma was that of bitterness and I got some moldiness as well. I could definitely get a three "part" tasting for this wine with the first part tasting of burned buttery popcorn and then followed by the mid-palate with a more fire taste of roasted nuts. The flavor then ends with an oaky finish that tends to stay for a long aftertaste. I do not like burned popcorn so I did not like this wine.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Old Coach Road Sauvignon Blanc"

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Tasting: 2/18/2012

Name: Old Coach Road Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Nelson, South Island
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2011
Price: $14.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: Fresh, lively and intense varietal fruit with delicious passionfruit flavors in the mouth. Old Coach Road Sauvignon Blanc Wine is nicely integrated and has a long lingering finish.

My Personal Wine Review: The color looked like a normal white wine with a clear translucent color with amusing bubbles that clung to the side of the glass. The aroma was a strong grape smell, mainly really ripe white grapes. It was like being in the fruit aisle of a grocery store or the farmers market. The flavor transitioned from sweet to dry with a light middle palate in between. I got a lot of juicy green melon in the tasting, and I think green was the main point I got out of the wine. I thought it was a good "green" glass of white wine.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Emeri Pink Moscato"

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Tasting: 2/11/2012

Name: De Bortoli Emeri Pink Moscato
Variety: Moscato Bianco
Region: South Eastern Australia
Country: Australia
Year: NV (non-vintage)
Price: $13.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: Pale translucent pink. Fresh fruit aromas with strawberry and musk. Medium sweet, light bodied. The perfect aperitif on it's own or enjoy with fresh fruits or seafood.

My Personal Wine Review: The color is a pretty pink and as rests in the glass it presents floating bubbles sitting on top of the wine. The aromas that were given off were that of peach fruit and soda carbonation. The taste was representative of the smell as there were smells of tropical and citrus fruit like peaches, melon and grapefruit. This moscato did not distance itself from other moscatos I have had and so it did not impress me.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Black Chook Shiraz-Viognier"

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Tasting: 2/11/2012

Name: Black Chook Shiraz-Viognier
Variety: 95% Shiraz, 5% Viognier
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2010
Price: $18.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: International Wine Cellar Jul/Aug 2011. "Inky purple. Vibrant, intensely spicy aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, cracked pepper and fresh flowers. Elegant, full-bodied black and blue fruit flavors expand nicely, with refreshing mineral bite adding vibrancy. Very clean, focused shiraz, with excellent energetic finishing lift and cut."

My Personal Wine Review: I really liked this wine! To start out with the color was a beautiful dark red. The wine's aroma itself really impressed me as it smelled sweet with hints of vanilla and ice cream. Now for this wine I could really taste the three levels of flavor. It started out going from a kind of bland taste of paint to a sweeter mid palate and then finishing off with a sugar cookie for dessert. The level of complexity was delicious and I would highly recommend this wine, especially if you have a sweet tooth.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Woop Woop Cabernet"

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Tasting: 2/11/2012

Name: Woop Woop Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2009
Price: $12.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: 90 points International Wine Cellar July/August 2011. "...Smells like a $50 Napa Cabernet. Lush, pliant and sweet, with a layered, chewy texture to the flavors of red and black fruits, bitter chocolate and spices. This is really packed with fruit by there's a litheness to it as well...A fantastic value..."

My Personal Wine Review: The color was a pretty dark red, but the aroma was of rotten fruit especially of some rotten tomatoes. This has been one of my favorite tasting wine's so far. It had a heavy mid-palate which stuck out to me and which was one of the first I have noticed in my tasting "career." I also tasted pear with a spicy aftertaste. So it kind of had a pear cobbler sensation to it which I really enjoyed. I would recommend this wine, especially for those who like cobblers.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Monte Antico Tuscan Blend"

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Tasting: 2/11/2012

Name: Monte Antico Tuscano
Variety: 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2007
Price: $13.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: 90 points, James Suckling. "Plenty of blackberry and chocolate character, with hints of plums. Full and very velvety with a bright and fruity finish. Always one of the best values in Tuscany. Screw cap. Delicious now."

My Personal Wine Review: The color was a light red with a smell of cherry. The first thing that stood out for me when I tasted it was how dry it was. Then I got a rubber type taste for the the mid-palate and a sour finish. I did not like this wine and I had to swallow fast to get through this wine.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Grayson Chardonnay"

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Tasting: 2/11/2012

Name: Grayson Chardonnay
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Paso Robles, California
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $9.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: Best Buy Wine Enthusiast. The 2010 Grayson Chardonnay is brilliantly ripe and shows aromas of bright, brisk acidity with notes of peach and Asian pear. The palate offers green apple with a crisp finish showing gentle hints of apple pie and tropical fruit.

My Personal Wine Review: The big aroma I got from this wine was sour apple. The fist waft of the wine I got a big nose of sour which then over some more time became fruity and the two smells blended to make a sour apple smell. This aroma carried the same taste for the wine as it was fresh, light and crisp. The taste reminded me of crab apples that are right off of the tree and they are still hard in texture, but a little sour and sweet. I thought it was an OK wine, but it did not wow me in the least.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Innocent Bystander Moscato"

Name: Innocent Bystander Moscato
Variety: Moscato
Region: Victoria
Country: Australia
Year: 2011
Price: $15.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: The focus of Innocent Bystander is to produce quality, flavor-driven wines from carefully selected vineyards in the Yarra Valley and beyond. Over time Steve Flamsteed and his team have increased the level of complexity and texture in the Innocent Bystander wines with greater use of wild fermentations and restrained oak handling.

My Personal Wine Review: The color was a very pretty pink with a wonderful "froth" on top. The wine had a huge amount of fizz with it which made it seem almost alive and active. After putting my nose up to the wine the aromas I received was fresh melon and peach. It smelled citrus like and and tasted like grape fruit juice with a lot of carbonation in it. It was like drinking a grape fruit soda. I enjoyed it, but it is not my favorite Moscato.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Sivas Sonoma Cabernet"

Name: Sivas Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Sonoma County
Country: USA
Year: 2009
Price: $14.95 (Vintage Cellar)

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: Fruit driven, with a nice combination of blackberry, red currant, and a background of dark chocolate and cocoa. A hint of brightness in the fruit aromas, together with the classic Cabernet depth, signals this wine's Sonoma County roots. On the palate, dark chocolate-covered cherry flavors meet hints of mocha, and the dark fruit provide carries all the way through the lively mid-palate. The mouth feel is soft and silky, with mouth filling, velvety tannins that give the wine finesse and marry well with the wine's light acidity. In addition the mixture of French and American oak aging lends light touches of vanilla and cinnamon to this wine's background complexity. This wine's focused fruit profile and depth, finishing with a long raspberry note.

My Personal Wine Review: The color of the wine got darker from the top to the bottom instead of a full body color. The smell itself was fruity but with a chlorine edge to it that made me think of a public pool. The flavors were light and I could taste the fruit but not pin point them. I really liked this wine especially because in my notes when I was tasting the wine I wrote down one word, "Good!"

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Antano Crianza 2008"

Name: J. Garcia Carrion Antano Crianza
Variety: 85% Tempranillo, 10% graciano, 5% mazuelo
Region: La Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2008
Price: $8.95 (vintage cellar)

Producers Website Wine Tasting Notes: Antano Crianza is a ruby color Rioja, with an upper-middle layer, limpid and bride. The feeling in the nose has reduced its own rest in the bottle, to finally show potent and complex between the first aromas of the varieties that compose it and the wood that make it older giving it some spicy aromas in the mouth is something tannic and slightly cinaro, giving way to a nice wine with long end in the mouth complex and velvety. (http://www.garciacarrion.es)

My Personal Wine Review: I have never had a wine like this before. First the color was more brown than I am used and then the smell itself was reminiscent of other types of alcohol. The aroma I received was very spicy and reminded me heavily of whiskey which I do not like. So immediately I was already feeling estranged from the wine. The legs themselves were some of the longest I had seed, but also very spread out. Now to the taste. I was right about the smell of whiskey because when I first tasted it I got a big whiskey sensation but then it faded and a long dry aftertaste followed. This aftertaste consisted of a wood flavor which complemented the whiskey impression. The wine was unusual to me and the whiskey taste put a bad connotation in my mouth, so I would not drink this again.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Frisk"

Name: Frisk Prickly Riesling
Variety: 89% Riesling, 11% Muscat Gordo
Region: Alpine Valleys, Victoria
Country: Australia
Year: 2011
Price: $11.95

Vintage Cellar Wine Review: Leave it to the Aussies to come up with a tasty value wine with a sassy descriptive name. Frisk is a frisky Riesling with a pleasant level of prickly spritz lifting the ample fruity flavors. It has a pale straw color, lively bubbles, loads of tropical fruit and jasmine aromas, off-dry fruity flavors, a refreshing 9.8% alcohol and a sweet/tart finish; and all that Australian goodness.

My Personal Wine Review: The wine had a nice crisp clear look in the wine glass. The wine smelled strongly of white grape and the legs were very long pointing towards a sugary wine. My assumption was correct and the wine was extremely sweet and I could already feel myself getting a sugar high after the first taste. I do like sweet drinks such as cool aid and soda, but this wine was way too sweet for me.

I did not have food with this wine.

Tasting - "Allamand"

Name: Allamand Cuvee St. Jeanette
Variety: 50% Chardonnay, 50% Saint Jeannet
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2011
Price: $11.95

Vintage Cellar Review: From the winery formerly known as Finca El Reposo comes this blend of 90+ year old Chardonnay and the almost extinct grape Saint Jeannet. Saint Jeannet originated in the South of France, but is now thought to exist only at this one vineyard in Argentina. Made very naturally from organically farmed grapes with almost noghting aded later, wild yeast fermentation and no oak. Only 3,000 bottles of this wine are made each year, compared to around 420,000 bottles of Lafite Rothschild. Maybe we should charge more?

My Personal Wine Review: The color of the white wine had a hint of yellow to it while the smell did not represent the color at all. I received an aroma of little fruit, but mainly an odd smell of soap. Weird right. However, the tasting had a dominant flavor of white grape. This taste of white grape was so intense it reminded me of grape juice.

I did not have food with this wine.