Tasting- "Opera Prima Sweet White"

Name: Opera Prima Sweet White
Variety: White Blend
Region: Central Spain
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $5.95

Wine Review: Flowery and sweet smelling, then round and fairly smooth in the mouth. The flavor package of tropical
fruits galore is pleasant and shouldn’t offend anyone. Finishes clean and easy. A mango boat of flavor.

My Review: Good. The nose came through with a very strong mango smell. It smelled very similar to a sparkling cider with an apple hint. It was one of the most sweet wines I have ever had. It reminded me of liquid candy and almost like a lightly carbonated/flavored water. I also got hints of fruit punch in the finish, which left a lingering sweet taste. I did not taste this with food.

Tasting- "Senda 66 Tempranillo"

Name: Senda 66 Tempranillo
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2008
Price: $8.95

Wine Review: 90 Points, Robert Parker  “The 2008 Senda 66 spent 8 months in new French oak. Purple/black in color, it sports a fragrant nose of spice box, lavender, blueberry, and blackberry. Smooth-textured, layered, and remarkably rich on
the palate for its humble price, this lengthy effort will
drink nicely over the next 5-6 years.”

My Review: Average-Good. The nose smelled of strong lavender soap, but was also very sweet and had hints of vanilla. The taste had a very strong presence of cherries and had a little bite with a very dry finish. I did not taste this with food.

Tasting- "Sierra Cruz Carmenere"

Name: Sierra Cruz Carmenere
Variety: Carmenere
Region: Maule Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2009
Price: $6.95

Wine Review: As a member of the cabernet sauvignon family,
carmenere (pronounced car-men-yare) originated in Bordeaux as one of the grapes permitted for use in the red blends of that storied region. Chilean winemakers have embraced it and several wineries in that country produce it as a single varietal. The ’09 Sierra Cruz is a very pleasant, soft, medium-bodied wine that has fresh cabernet-like aromas and flavors of spice, dark fruit and black pepper. It is a great value and also would be a nice match with marinated and grilled skirt or flank steak.


My Review: Good. The nose had very strong hints of cranberry, dark grapes and other dark fruits coming through. It went down very smooth and tasted like seasoning that goes on meat. The taste reminded me of the grill or a smokey taste, so I could imagine this going well with food. I did not taste this wine with food.

Tasting- "Lost Vineyards Chardonnay"

Name: Lost Vineyards Chardonnay
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Northwest
Country: Argentina
Year: N/A
Price: $3.95

Wine Review: Pale golden color. Perfumed peach, pineapple, and nougat aromas. Round and soft with a fruity-yet-dry
medium body. Tangy apple skin and lemon zest notes lift the fruit nicely on the finish.

My Review: Below Average. This nose carried strong smells of alcohol and smelled very strong and potent almost like aerosol. The taste was not much better as it reminded me of rubbing alcohol and almost tasted what I would imagine perfume would taste like. The finish was rather weak but left the remnants of alcohol taste for a couple seconds. 

Tasting- "Sierra Cruz Sauvignon Blanc"

Name: Sierra Cruz Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Maule Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95

Wine Review:This Chilean Sauvignon Blanc just oozes with bright citrus flavors and a nose of herbs and grass.  Stylistically, it is a cross between the herbal, grassy wines so prevalent in Sonoma County and the riper, more fruit forward products of New Zealand. Match it with pasta sauced with arugula, pine nuts, mushrooms and parmesan.

My Review: This wine was decent. The nose of this wine smelled of melon, but also smelled a little like dirt. The taste was rather bitter and made me pucker. The melon I smelled in the nose was apparent in the taste. The finish was interesting as the grass flavor mentioned above lingered for awhile. I did not taste this wine with food.

Tasting- "Primo Amore Moscato"

Name: Primo Amore Moscato
Variety: 100% Moscato
Region: Puglia
Country: Italy
Year: N/A (2009?)
Price: $8.95

Wine Review: Straw-yellow with golden reflections and a delicate mousse. Fruity and very inviting, with intense scents
of peaches and exotic fruit. Fresh and pleasantly sweet with a taste that reveals its varietal characteristic.


My Review: Very Good. The nose was very peachy and actually almost reminded me of Blue Moon, which I found strange. It had a carbonated taste to it and almost tasted like Sprite. It had a very sweet after taste, leaving no burn like other wines. I did not have this wine with food. Overall, as a novice wine taster this was very easy to drink, mostly due to the soda like taste and qualities.

Tasting- "Faraway Farms Shiraz"

Name: Faraway Farms Shiraz
Variety: 100% Shiraz
Region: Western Cape
Country: South Africa
Year: 2008
Price: $5.95

Wine Review: Fresh, modern style, with lots of plum pudding,
sweet chocolate, mocha, blackberry and boysenberry flavors supported by round, sweet tannins and toast.

My Review: Good. The nose didn't smell as sweet as I would have expected after reading the above description. I couldn't smell the chocolate in the nose nearly at all. Despite this, after tasting the wine I was hit with a strong mocha flavor that was supported by "burnt" after taste. I did not taste this wine with food. Overall, I liked this wine and would drink it again.