Redwood Creek Merlot
Name: Redwood Creek Merlot
Type: Red
Grape: Merlot
Origin: U.S. – California
Year: 2006
Producer: Frei Bros. Vineyards
Price: $6.99
Deep purple in color and I’d say the aroma is dominated by black pepper. The flavor is interesting with a solid punch of fruit punctuated with some moderate tannins. There’s almost a sweet aura to the flavor although it’s a dry wine. A few tiny off flavors but nothing to complain loudly about at $7 a bottle.
Oak Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Name: Oak Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Type: Red
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Origin: U.S. – California
Year: 2004
Producer: Oak Vineyards
Price: $4.00
Smells like moldy old fruit and tastes about the same. Has some off flavors, maybe tastes a little old in general. Next.
Avia Sauvignon Blanc
Name: Avia Sauvignon Blanc
Type: White
Grape: Sauvignon Blanc
Origin: Slovenia
Year: 2005
Producer: Vinska Klet Goriska BRDA
Price: $3.99
Slovenian wine, don’t see that every day. I only have a general idea of where Slovenia is in the world. It has a pineapple aroma and a crisp, even flavor with just a few off notes. I’m a fan of Sauvignon Blanc anyway but this one is darn near delightful given its rock-bottom price tag.
Stone Cellars Chardonnay
Name: Stone Cellars Chardonnay
Type: White
Grape: Chardonnay
Origin: U.S. – California
Year: 2006
Producer: Stone Cellars
Price: $5.00
Light yellow in color and has an aroma of Windex or glue, some kind of chemical I can’t put my finger on. Maybe a dry erase marker, that’s probably it. In any case, it doesn’t smell like wine. Fortunately there’s only a hint of that chemical on the flavor. It’s mostly soft fruit and oak. For a cheap Chardonnay I think it actually has a charming little flavor. Too bad about the aroma, if you can get past that give it a try.
Vin de Crete
Name: Vin de Crete
Type: White
Grape: Vilana
Origin: Greece
Year: 2006
Producer: Creta Olympias S.A.
Price: $8.99
I don’t drink too many Grecian wines so this should be a treat. The color is light yellow with a touch of green and a grassy aroma. It’s quite dry and well balanced with subtle fruit and herbal notes. I’d say it’s similar to a dry Riesling. If you like dry whites, this is a tasty one.
Big Fire Pinot Gris
Name: Big Fire Pinot Gris
Type: White
Grape: Pinot Gris
Origin: U.S. – Oregon
Year: 2006
Producer: R. Stuart & Co.
Price: $15.00
This is good stuff. Light yellow color, aroma of melon and citrus. The flavor is slightly sweet with herbal and citrus notes. Very good stuff. Wines like this remind me of what good wine is supposed to taste like and make me wonder if I shouldn’t become the “Moderately Priced Wine Guy”…
Gazela Vinho Verde
Name: Gazela Vinho Verde
Type: White
Grape: White Blend
Origin: Portugal
Year: 2007
Producer: Sogrape Vinhos, S.A.
Price: $5.00
I haven’t had a lot of vinho verde so I don’t really know what to expect or how to judge this one very well. It’s not what I expected though. I think it’s technically a still wine but I swear it’s slightly effervescent. When I remove the twist cap it hisses and you can see tiny bubbles. It isn’t so prominent as with a Moscato D’Asti for example, but it’s definitely there which is weird. It’s very light in color like a Pinot Grigio and it has a scent of unripe citrus. That unripe citrus carries through on the flavor and is complemented by some herbal, grassy notes. The flavor seems intentional, though I don’t personally care much for wine that tastes this much like an unripe grapefruit.
Robertson Winery Shiraz
Name: Robertson Winery Shiraz
Type: Red
Grape: Shiraz
Origin: South Africa
Year: 2005
Producer: Robertson Winery
Price: $8.33
Nice purplish color on this one and the aroma smells sweet, like rock candy and berries with a hint of black pepper. The flavor is a gut punch by comparison with notable tannins, black pepper and spice. A little uneven but an otherwise enjoyable Shiraz.
Cheap White Wine
Name: Cheap White Wine
Type: White
Grape: White Blend
Origin: U.S. – California
Year: Non-vintage
Producer: Vin Ordinaire, Ltd.
Price: $6.00
Light straw in color with a grassy, citrus aroma. The flavor is just very basic. Not offensive in any way, not interesting in any way. It’s on par in terms of quality with the Cheap Red Wine I already reviewed. It also delivers exactly on the promise of the label. The label also says that the most important thing about a wine is that you enjoy it. This is adequate table wine but I think “enjoy” is an overstatement.
Cheap Red Wine
Name: Cheap Red Wine
Type: Red
Grape: Red Blend
Origin: U.S. – California
Year: Non-vintage
Producer: Vin Ordinaire, Ltd.
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.