I like Italian wines, they are generally decent quality and easy to appreciate. This one has a classy looking bottle, especially at such a low price. It has a subdued aroma with blueberry and blackberry scents. The flavor leaves a bit to be desired though. It’s just a little too boring. There are some berry flavors with some tartness on the short finish. It’s smooth but rather thin, with a lightweight mouth feel for Sangiovese and Cabernet.

There is much to like about this everyday red. Let’s start with the environment. This box wine comes in an octagonal cardboard container (which they call the Octavin Home Wine Bar, I love marketers) which they claim reduces packaging waste by 92 percent and carbon emissions by 55 percent vs. traditional bottles. So we’re off to a good start already. As box wine goes, it’s a nice looking package too. The octagonal shape is also less awkward and has a smaller footprint on the counter than most. My only complaint is the spout, it’s more difficult to use than others I’ve seen.

The wine itself is a combination of 14 different grapes, everything but the kitchen sink basically. It has a nice purplish hue and a strong aroma of fruit and subtle spice. The flavor is smooth, round and inoffensive in any way. It even matures on the palate and shows some tannins before the medium finish. All in all it’s the best box wine I’ve ever had by a decent margin. Recommended.

Price: $6.00

I’ve been meaning to try this for some time. The name is obviously a draw for me and the label looks like a brown paper bag. Even the name of the producer is mildly funny if you can read a bit of French. The kicker is that it’s not that bad. Doesn’t smell that great, a little weak and a little putrid. But the flavor is ok. Nothing fancy, as you’d expect, a little fruit and a short finish. It delivers on its promise.

Deep color and smells of blueberry. I think Rosemount tends to make very likable wines that are above average in quality for their price. This one is pretty “mass market” in terms of its characteristics. It smells and tastes fruity and smooth, which makes it very likable but not terribly interesting. It also lacks the heartiness that I would expect from Shiraz and Cabernet.

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This is a Spanish wine and I can’t figure out by the label what kind it is. It has a deep purple color and has the pungent aroma of a very ripe grape. It’s full of flavor as well, with a hint of smoothness before a burst of fruit and tannins and spice all mixed together. The finish lingers for a bit, but not too long. As you can tell, I like it, but it’s a powerful tasting wine so be warned of that.

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A pretty cheap Super Tuscan, this red blend contains 85% Sangiovese and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a luscious, sweet berry aroma and a brick red color, at least that’s what it looks like in this light. The flavor has enough fruit to get by but is dominated by some notable tannins that carry through for a long-ish finish. I think it needs to be paired with food, something Italian with meatballs, to be properly enjoyed. The punch is potent for casual sipping.

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A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Shiraz and the label has a Koala bear and the advice to try it with “beef or lamb on the barbie.” Very authentic indeed. Smells like stewed berries and it has a surprising flavor. It starts sweet and bursts with blackberry and raspberry flavors, quickly turning very tart until the mild finish. I’m not in love with it but it is definitely interesting for a $6 bottle.

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I got this wine from the bargain bin marked down from $21.99. It is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and it is considered a Super Tuscan, which accounts for the price that is normally out of my range. It has a potent aroma and a flavor that starts very fruity and ends very tart. This is my first Super Tuscan and I’ll keep trying them but I’m not a huge fan yet. I do like
Italian wines so I’ll stay on the case. The tartness at the end makes this wine seem quite light on the palate because you usually don’t find that kind of tartness in a red wine, usually it’s found in white wines. As I made my way through the bottle the flavor grew on me but it’s still not worth the original asking price in my opinion.

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You know when you have a surgery and they put the gas mask on you right before you go under? That’s what this wine smells like. The flavor is smooth, fruity and generally uneventful until the end. The finish starts with a spicy zing and then quickly disappears. Not bad, but not terribly interesting.

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Bought this one on the way back from a camping trip at a new gourmet wine shop in Lincoln, NH. The guy at the register warned me that it is a very sweet wine and he was right. It is probably the sweetest red wine I’ve ever tasted. It smells strongly of Concord grapes and the flavor is uncomplicated, basically like very sweet grape juice. It is pitched as a dessert wine and I suppose it is but it lacks the dense, syrupy character that many dessert wines have. It’s not really a true dessert wine but it isn’t priced like one either, which I think makes it attractive.

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