Fortediga Vermentino Maremma

-Vermentino
-Tuscany, Italy
-2010
-$9.95 per bottle
-No Review Found

This was a very nice white wine I must admit. It had a light yellow color to it and smelled very strongly of pears. When it hits the pallet you get a strong fruity taste immediately, particularly of apples. From start to finish it was smooth all around, with the mid pallet being particularly fruity.

Cascina Gilli Sernu Bonarda

-Bonarda Piemontese
-Italy
-2007
-$11.95 per bottle
-No Review Found

This was certainly a very potent deep red wine. The smell was almost overpowering with all kinds of berries, but I was also even able to pick up what smelled like to me something that resembled cake. It almost smelled creamy, but had a dry and tannic taste to it with not much else going on. The finish didn't leave much of any potent flavors to me either, but overall this was still not too bad of a red wine.

Fortediga Cabernet/Syrah

-Cabernet Franc/Carbernet Sauvignon/Syrah
-Tuscany, Italy
-2008
-$9.95 per bottle
-89 Points: Wine Advocate


This was the favorite of the wine tasting I was at, and highly recommended by the shopkeeper. It has a deep red color with a very light and fruity smell to it. I had a very hard time picking out what fruit it was, which reminded me just how new I am at all of this. The taste was dry, bitter, and very tannic which I did enjoy a lot, although it did have more heat than some may enjoy.  The finish was long and complex, giving it a vary favorable lasting impression.

Joseph Carr Pinot Noir

-Pinot Noir
-USA, California, Sonoma Coast
-2009
-$21 per bottle
-No Review Found

This light red colored Pinot Noir had  VERY strong raspberry smell to it. Almost overpowering for my taste, and as well gave off a little bit of that oak smell. It was quite complex, and I could still taste the raspberries as I sipped it, however it also had an earthy/dirt taste to it that I definitely was not a fan of. A bitter almond finish lingered after I was done however that I did actually enjoy. If it weren't for the earthy part I would've considered a bottle for myself.

J.P. Chenet

-Sparkling Rose (Bobal grape variety)
-France
-2009
-$6.95 per bottle
-No Review Found

As far as sparkling Roses go this one wasn't half bad. It has a nice peachy color to it tagged on with very strong smell of strawberry. The taste had the obvious carbonation with it and a hint of cherry. This was to me a very sweet tasting wine that definitely had a fruity lingering aftertaste.

Gabriella Chianti

- Chianti (Still Wine)
- Tuscany, Italy
- 2008
- $7.95 per bottle
- No Review Found

I've seen few wines with a color as deep red as this one. It smelled heavily of fruit, possibly apple but I had a difficult time picking them out. This also happened to be one of the driest wines I've ever had, which isn't a bad thing and in fact I actually enjoyed it. I tasted some peppery spice as I swirled it around, and the aftertaste was practically nonexistent. Generally this wine was pretty bland, and left me a little disappointed as I had high hopes from the fruity smell.

Lavarini Valpolicella Classico

-Still Wine
-Valpolicella Classico, Italy
- 2010
- $6.95 per bottle
- No Review Found

The color here resembled a fiery red-orange look. It smelled a lot like apple cider with a pinch of cinnamon, but tasted like neither. This is a definite dry wine. Very smokey in taste and high in tannins as it had a a strong bite and bitter finish. Not too exciting, but I feel it would go well with any pasta dish.

Domaine de Mirail Cabernet/Merlot Rose

- Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot
- Cotes de Gascogne, France
- 2011
- $5.95 per bottle
- No Review Found

The Domaine de Mirail gave off both a peachy smell as well as a peachy coloring. It had very little bite to it when I took my first sip, and ended being very smooth and refreshing all around the pallet from beginning to end. Despite the refreshing feel however, this wine was very bland and had very little complexity to it. Perhaps too light for its own good?

Norton Torrontes

- Torrontes

- Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
- 2011
- $5.95 per bottle
- No Review Found

This still wine was so light in color that it actually appeared to be almost completely clear. It smelled heavily of flowers and, oddly enough, it also gave off a kind of mildew smell to it. You know like old towels? Very strange indeed. Anyways the taste was very smooth all around and it was well balanced, but it gave off very little flavor. Overall I wasn't too impressed with this one.

Dibon Cava NV

-Cava (Sparkling Wine)

- Spain, Brut Reserve

- NV

- $9.95 per bottle

- No Review Found

This sparkling wine possess a very light yellow color to it. It also has that very creamy, almost buttery smell to it making it very thick. The taste hinted of slight citrus flavors and gave off some acidity, but other than that there were definitely not any other fruit flavors and it was not very sweet.

Opera Prima Pink Moscato NV

- Muscat Rose A Petits
- Castilla  La Mancha, Spain
- No Year Displayed
- $5.95 per bottle
- (No Critic Review Found Yet)

I'm going to be completely honest, I could likely serve this wine to someone in a cup and tell them it was soda, and they'd believe me. This is one of the sweetest and bubbliest wines I have ever tasted. The color was very light pink, and I got the scent of multiple flowers when I took the first whiff. It is sweet all the way through from start to finish and extremely crisp and refreshing. Again, this is not your average wine, but would make a perfect gift to the girl who loves her Moscato sweet!

Black Opal Shiraz

- Shiraz
- South Eastern Australia
- 2011
- $5.95 per bottle
- (No critic reviews found yet)

Not as dark in color as the "black opal" led me to believe, but was in fact reddish pink. The smell was VERY peppery, so much I didn't really get anything else out of it other than that. The first sip was very soft on the pallet, with a sweet start and a dry, bitter finish. After I finished it I definitely got the taste of plum, but despite the label saying so I did not get any blackberry hints. Overall I actually enjoyed this wine, definitely worth the price.

Sokol Blosser Meditrina NV

- Non-Varietal Red Blend (Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel)
- Oregon, USA
- No Year Given
- $7.95 per bottle
- (Critic Score to be determined)

This red wine had a very deep red purple color to it, which reminded me of plums as I swirled it around. The scent it gave off was similar to that of apples but mostly cherry. From start to finish the entire wine was bitter and had a very dry finish. As fruity as it smelled, I did not pick up much on my pallet other than the bitterness. Nevertheless, the store I tasted it in suggested it would go well with any pasta dish, and I'd have to say that I definitely agree. However this isn't something I would normally just drink for the sake of drinking.

Beringer Resling

- Riesling
- California, USA
- 2009
- $5.95 per bottle
- (No critic review found yet)
This wine has a much lighter yellow color than many of my previous tastings. The smell hinted of what seemed like sweet apricots, but it wasn't very potent. The taste itself had a mildly sweet start on the first sip, and I swirled it around I was also able to pick up a little bit of a melon taste. It had relatively low heat to it, and the finish ended out being quite bitter, which was interesting for a wine that was somewhat sweet before. There was nothing truly special about this wine, but I had no serious qualms against it.

Wine Men of Gotham Chardonnay Semillon

-80% Chardonnay/20% Semillon
-Southern Australia
-2008
-$5.95 per bottle
-(no critic review found yet)
When I imagine looking a fine bottle of chardonnay I must admit seeing the faces of three strange men looking back at me isn't what I had in mind. But you get what you pay for I guess with the "Wine Men of Gotham".
But I digress, this chardonnay possesses a deep yellow color that was very easy on the nose to smell. It had a slightly fruity hint to it with aspects of peaches and pears, but mostly pears (at least to me). The initial flavor didn't stand out to me very much, and all I really got out of it was an acidic and bitter aftertaste once I actually swallowed. It's also worth mentioning that it had a very dry finish, more than I expected. Overall I wasn't exactly ecstatic with this one, but I'd still drink it if someone poured a glass for me.

Chateau Highlander Blush

This wine was certainly very different from the rest that I had tasted that day, and was perhaps my favorite. The Highlander Blush has a very light amber color, and was extremely sweet to the nose. I was able to pick out strong scents of apple and cinnamon, two things I believe go VERY well together, but did not expect them in a wine. The taste was just as sweet as the smell, and ended up being very crisp on the pallet. I would recommend this wine to be had with dessert and not dinner, but being from Radford University I was completely surprised by how much I liked it! Two thumbs up!

Finca del Castillo Tempranillo

This red wine from Spain had a very dark and bold color, leading me to believe it to be very full bodied (which it was). The smell hinted of some pepper and a little raisin, but I had trouble picking out anything else. The taste was very acidic, and actually very sweet at the start. Throughout the middle and finish however that sweetness died out quickly and was replaced with a peppery feeling. For anyone who wants a nice bold red wine, with a hint of spice, this one is for you.

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

This red wine had a nice solid red color, not too bright and not too deep. When I smelled it I was able to pick up a lot of fruit, namely strawberry over all others. The taste was far sweeter than any red I have had to date honestly, and was especially sweet in that initial blast of flavor right as I took my first sip. While sweet it did have a very sharp taste to it, and an average amount of heat caused by the alcohol. Overall though if you like your reds with a touch of sugar, definitely give this one a try.

Mars and Venus Chardonnay

The Mars and Venus had a deep yellow color to it. When I smelled it I got a strong hint of apple with a few other tropical smelling flavors, but since I'm so new I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. The taste was VERY smooth and crisp, which was extremely refreshing for me and I could still taste those tropical flavors from the beginning to the very end. It had virtually no heat to it and would make a perfect relaxing night at the beach kind of wine.

La Cappuccina Soave

Like many white wines this one has a very bright yellow color. The smell of it was very fruity which didn't seem very different than other white wines to me, but I was surprised by the taste of it. While acidic and sweet near the start, the finish was actually quite bitter and I could definitely feel the heat of the alcohol once I had already swallowed it down. I am a fan of bitter however so this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, however I was certainly surprised. If you prefer your whites sweeter than I wouldn't reccomend it...otherwise have a taste! It's delightful.