Tasting - Moiselle Sweet Red

Name: Moiselle Sweet Red
Varietal: A table blend
Region: Modesto, California
Country: USA
Year: No year on the bottle
Price: $5.00

Shop Review: "Moiselle is a delightful wine for everyday occasions. Our sweet red showcases a refreshing sweetness with mouthwatering flavors of black cherry and raspberry." 

My Review: This wine was a perfect amount of sweetness. I tasted the hints of black cherry and raspberry that help cover up the alcohol making it enjoyable. I would buy this wine again.

I did not try this with food.

Tasting - Moiselle Sweet Rose

Name: Moiselle Sweet Rose
Varietal: A table blend
Region: Modesto, California
Country: USA
Year: No year on the bottle
Price: $5.00

Shop Review: "Moiselle is a delightful wine for everyday occasions. Our sweet rose showcases a refreshing sweetness with mouthwatering hints of juicy cherry and watermelon."

My Review: I found this wine to be more tart than expected. It is called sweet rose but I did not find it as sweet as I would have liked. I also tasted hints of watermelon as mentioned above which makes this wine unique but not hints of cherry.

I did not try this with food.

Tasting - Chocolate Wine

Name: Rapidan River Chocolate
Varietal: Red wine and chocolate blend
Region: Leon, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: No year on the bottle
Price: $17.00

Shop Review: "The chocolate lover's wine! Smooth and luscious, this sweet red wine and chocolate blend with delight your senses."

My Review: Instantly smells like chocolate. I could not even taste the wine which is bad for wine lovers but I enjoyed this wine. It makes the perfect dessert.

I did not try this with food.

Tasting - Peach Wine

Name: Rapidan River Peach
Varietal: They did not make that clear
Region: Leon, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: No year on the bottle
Price: $17.00

Shop Review: "This light wine is redolent of fresh peaches. A lovely balance of sweetness and acidity."

My Review: It smells perfect and overwhelmingly peachy. I found it extremely sweet, in a bad way. And even though the peach was overpowering I could still taste the alcohol in it which I did not like either. It was 6% residual sugar.

I did not try this with food. 

Tasting - Semi Dry Riesling

Name: Rapidan River Semi Dry Riesling
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Region: Leon, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: No year on the bottle
Price: $17.00

Shop Review: "Round and creamy, highlighting notes of white flowers and stone fruits."

My Review: It smelled very crispy and light. It tasted very sweet and floral, not creamy at all to me. I tasted strong hints of apricot. It was very unique. I have not tasted a wine like it before.

I did not try this with food.

Tasting - Merlot-Cabernet Reserve

Name: Prince Michel Merlot-Cabernet Reserve
Varietal: 85% Merlot & 15% Cabernet
Region: Leon, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: No year on the bottle
Price: $28.00

Shop Review: "Dark fruit such as black currant and cherry prevail."

My Review: I found this wine to be very tart and dry. It was bitter and would be best with a steak dish. It left me wanting food. I would not buy it.

I did not try this with food.

Tasting - Dry Rose

Name: Prince Michel Dry Rose
Varietal: Was not made clear
Region: Leon, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: No year on the bottle
Price: $28.00

Shop Review: "The obvious strawberry characteristics of the grape truly shine through in this light bodied Rose."

My Review: I thought this wine was very floral both in smell and taste. It was surprisingly sweet also. The dryness made it very crisp and almost refreshing. I loved it.

I did not try this with food.

Tasting - Pinot Grigio

Name: Prince Michel Pinot Grigio
Varietal: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: Leon, Virginia 
Country: USA
Year: 2016
Price: $28.00

Shop Review: "Classic Italian style with subtle hints of citrus and mineral: Refreshing with a clean finish."

My Review: I found this wine surprisingly pleasant. It was described as a dry wine with no residual sugar but I loved it because it was not bitter or pungent. It was smooth, floral, and easy to drink. I would buy it again.

I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - Irish Cream

Name: Declan's Irish Cream 
Varietal: Irish Cream and Red Wine
Region: Lewiston, Maine
Country: USA
Year: No year on the bottle
Price: $20.00

Shop Review: "For a true taste of Ireland without the travel, look no further than Declan's Irish Cream Wine Cocktail. Inspired by the bold yet tranquil beauty of the Emerald Isle, its rich flavors evoke images of the lush Irish countryside. Delightfully smooth and indulgently sweet. Declan's is easy to enjoy anywhere and anytime. Whether you take it in coffee or by itself, keep a bottle on your shelf."

My Review: This is my favorite out of all the wines I tried today. It does not taste like wine, it tastes sweet and like chocolate which is right up my alley. It hit the sweet spot but I also felt the burn which is good for some people and bad for others.

I did not try this with food.

Tasting - Minervois

Name: Hecht & Bannier Minervois
Varietal: Minervois
Region: Calatayud, Spain
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price:  $26.00

Shop Review: "Pureed raspberry, plum and spice flavors are lined with dusty tannins in this fresh, focused red. Hintos of milk chocolate add a touch of richness, with floral and spice notes lingering on the crisp finish. Drink now through 2019."

My Review: Smells like a sweeter red but without any sweetness. Tastes like a same old, same old wine. There is really nothing special about this wine. I would not buy it.

I did not try this with food.

Tasting - Sangiovese

Name: Crane Lake Sangiovese
Varietal: 100% Sangiovese
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2015
Price:  $10.00

Shop Review: "Medium-garnet color; blackberry, plum and vanilla aromas; raspberry and cherry flavors; with supple tannins for a soft finish. This wine pairs well with fresh mozzarella and Brie cheeses. Also try it along with veal piccata, chicken parmesan or meat lasagna."

My Review: I smelled strong wiffs of alcohol and berries, none of the vanilla aromas mentioned above. It was very tart but smooth going down. I thought it was also too acidic and not sweet at all.

I did not try this with food.

Tasting - Cotes de Provence Seduction

Name: Ch des Muraires Seduction
Varietal: Blend of 35% Grenache, 20% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, 10% Vermentino, and 20% Carignana
Region: Provence, France
Country: France
Year: 2016
Price:  $26.00

Shop Review: "Lightly perfumed wine with a strong herbal element. It is a ripe finely structured wine, with great acidity and orange flavors. A style of wine that will be better for a few more months, it should be drunk from late 2017."

My Review: This wine was terrible. It is very bitter, very tart. It is not smooth going down and I am not a fan.

I did not try this with food.

Tasting - Trefilari Catarrato

Name: Antonello Cassara Trefilari Catarrato
Varietal: 100% Terfilari Catarrato
Region:  Sicily, Italy
Country: Italy
Year: 2016
Price: $15.00

Shop Review: "Aromas of mature orchard fruit, spring blossom and Herbs de Provence lead the nose. On the tangy palate, a hint of bay leaf accents honeydew melon and citrus. A saline note signals the close."

My Review: The initial smell was very floral. I tasted strong hints of pear. For a dry white wine, I actually liked it because it seems very well balanced. It is not overly sweet but not overly acidic.

I did not try this with food.