The first thing I need to mention is: Ignore what I wrote previously. Perhaps they accidentally bottled the wrong wine in the bottle I had purchased before, perhaps it was corked and I was far too innebriated to notice, or perhaps I never in fact drank the Little Penguin Pinot. The holidays do weird things to you, folks. Just accept it.

Second, I want to focus for a moment on the fact that’s this is a 2010 red wine. That is wacky to me. It’s January of 2011 and we’re already drinking a 2010 Pinot Noir? I mean, this wine is from South Eastern Australia, but their seasons can’t be so different than ours in the U.S. that they’re releasing 2010 Pinots by January 2011 can they? What kind of oak are they using? Krypton oak?

I guess I’m not really here to complain, but it just seems odd for a 2010 Pinot to be released in 2010. Granted it’s a cheap wine, but still. I don’t know. I’ve done enough rambling now, so let me get to the damn review.

Color

I can’t see my hand through it so there’s something a little fishy here. Pinot, even cheap Pinot, is meant to be so light and filtered in color that you can practically read through it. This stuff is as dark as Zinfandel. Perhaps we’re looking at a new potential phenomenon here: Depending on the varietal, the cheaper it is, the more it’s color will reflect opposite of traditional varietal characteristics. Cheap Syrah is light in color, cheap Pinot is dark.

Nose

Delicious. Smoke and those strawberry candies that they wrap in plastic paper that looks like strawberries. You know the ones. Grandma always had them in a bowl. The best thing about them was that the wrapper was large enough for you to spit the candy back into it so you could toss it when she wasn’t looking. Anyway, fantastic nose.

Taste

Rich, thick, pronounced. This is not a Pinot Noir. I don’t care what the label says. I refuse to believe it. I know the Aussies make some real bruisers when it comes to wines, but this is getting out of hand. Not to say that it isn’t delicious. It is lip-smacking and tasty. Great fruit, rich cherry and strawberry fruit rollups. Some nice smokey bacon elements start aerating through your mouth. The finish is quick, but it’s quick in the sense that a jab is quick: Powerful and gone before you know it, leaving you with nothing but pain. I’m rambling again.

With Food

Well we can’t pair it based on the label. Think of Syrah or Zinfandel. Nothing light with this one. For instance, Pinot can sometimes go with fish depending on how it’s cooked. Not this one. Aim for BBQ sauces, rich ragús or slow roasted game. Ostrich or lamb would be quite good with this. I feel like I should take a Sharpie to every wine shop I can find, scribble out “Pinot Noir” on the bottle and write “Syrah.” So, if you see this, try not to accept what it says on the bottle. Obviously you can see how much this has traumatized me.

Where to Buy

Also found it for a better price than that damn BevMo.

$5.49 at WeSpeakWine.com!

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Wow that was rambling wasn’t it? Sorry about that.

We’re talking bubbles at Wine Welfare today, since New Years celebrations are arguably the best time to pop those mushroom corks. I don’t care who you are or where you’re from, if you’ve got a tongue, you’ve got to like bubbly. Champagne, sparkling wine, Cava, whatever silly name you want to call it, bubbles make everyone smile and have a great time. Enjoying a good bottle of bubbly is a party experience from beginning to end. There’s the opening flourish of cork-popping that no other beverage offers you, then the wonderful look of the stuff in the glass, then the tingly, yeasty or sweet flavors bouncing around your mouth and then the raging hangover the next day. It’s magic.

So here are two awesome cheap bubbly suggestions for your New Years par-TAY. One Cava and one sweet (I think they stopped making under $20 Champagne in the 1980′s).

Mionetto Prosecco Brut NV

Proseccos are delicate, slightly sweet bubbles from Italy. They are perfect for non-discerning palates or people who just aren’t into the dry bubbles. However, this Prosecco’s genius comes from it giving a little of both worlds. For the serious, dry champagne lover, this is a brut Prosecco, which adds a little more yeastiness to the already sweet style. It’s not a sugar bomb by any means. Apple, dried apricot, almonds. Delicious with some bread desserts or just by itself. Fantastic.

$7.95 at ShoppersWines.com

or

$9.99 at BevMo!

Conde de Subirats Cava Brut

A weird but ultimately awesome Cava. Cava is what Spain calls it’s Champagne. That’s all you need to know. Plus, this baby is under $10? Come on.

There is a delicious bread yeast element to this wine that grips and doesn’t let go. The carbonation is delicate and lasts the entirety of your glass. A good sign. Delicious pear and honeyed apple appear here next to a stinky sourdough baguette. Even a little hint of vinegar spice comes through. The tasting notes call it mustard, but I don’t quite agree. The acid from one tiny drop of white vinegar seems more apt. Overall, this is not one you should leave out of your bubbly list this New Years.

$9.99 at BevMo!

If you end up trying either of these beauties, please come back and let me know how they were in the comments! Have a fun, happy and safe New Years celebration!

Cheers!

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Beringer 2009 California Collection Pinot Grigio - $4.99 Everywhere

Hit up this cheap vino for only $4.99 a bottle practically anywhere. I think they even sell it at dry cleaners. Sharp acid, strong citrus fruit (white grapefruit topped with sugar), great lemongrass backend, and a low alcohol content (only about 11%) make this the perfect Christmas lunch wine. Just as the sun starts hanging high and the most depressing start of the year inches ever-closer, pop this puppy open and smile knowing you spent the same amount on weird Uncle Mort’s Christmas present.

Estancia Zinfandel 2007 – $8.99 to $10.99 in Grocery Stores

No American holiday would be complete without a solid, cheap Zinfandel. The not as commonly found in 7-Elevens, the Estancia Zinfandel can be found in most grocery stores. This baby brings a powerful blast of ripe cherries, chocolate sauce and some stiff herb action (heh-heh) on the palate, leading to a slightly acidic but long finish. Much longer than I’m used to for a Zin under $10. Definitely pair this with either the ham or prime rib. Might be a bit too robust for the turkey, but if you’re like me on the holidays, your tastebuds will be destroyed long before the sun goes down.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas!

Cheers!

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This is the first of a two-parter (duh) because I wanted to break up my Christmas wine suggestions according to the major parts of the big day: Afternoon and evening.

Now, this may seem a bit unorthodox (neé alcoholic), but it’s the Christmas. The family has gathered, everyone is worried about that weird uncle or the asshole sibling, your grandmother forgot to put on pants, and all the kids are puking and hate their presents. Nothing helps complement such blatant joy better than cheap wine, amiright?

Picture this: Your alarm rings in the morning (why are we still forced to set alarms on Christmas-effing-morning?), you roll out of bed, down the hall, stop at the bathroom, then head out to the family room where everyone has already conspired against you, leaving you with nowhere to sit but the floor. You can see a pathetically small pile of gifts sitting behind the pajama-ed feet of your nieces and nephews, all of whom have dried snot and boogers crusting their faces (What is it with kids under 10? Do they not know how to work a mirror? You stare at it, stupid.) Someone forgot to make coffee, all there is to eat is cold bread and mustard, and it’s raining out. In short, Christmas morning sucks.

That’s why you need to look forward to finally reaching the socially-acceptable drinking time: Afternoon.

So here are two wines perfect for Christmas afternoon while that bird or ham is in the oven bubbling away.

Chateau Ballan-Larquette Bordeaux Blanc 2009

A beautiful white effort by this awesome producer. Their Chateau Ballan-Larquette Rose is a contender for our Best Wine of 2010. The Bordeaux Blanc is 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Semillon.

Color

Wonderful, bright color with a nice green shade to it. Looks quenching.

Nose

Fresh, crisp, with the scents of herb fields in France: Rosemary, lavender, thyme, and a shot of sweet grass.

Taste

A long, delicious wine. Firm citrus acidity balances out the delicious tart apple and lemon peel. Great backbone to this and it does not let up. Crisp and sharp like cut steel, but it’s not pummeling or puckering you. It’s just right for that cheese plate (or-God help you-cheeseball) or salty appetizer before the main Christmas meal. Delicious.

Where to Buy

$9.99 at BevMo.com!

Little Penguin Pinot Noir 2010

A 2010 already you might say? And red? Well, yes, in fact. While just born, this little baby is delicious and worth more than it’s asking price of $6.99. And it’s from Australia.

Color

Light red with some hints of garnet. Just as a Pinot should look.

Nose

Weak, tight, some sense of red fruit but nothing really present, though I did detect a bit of cocoa for some reason. All this was expected drinking a 2010 already released.

Taste

Ok, so the wine may have a weak nose, but I have to say that I found it delicious. Strawberry, a bit of mint, and some delicious acid. The wine, for some reason, has balance. It’s not too firm or too weak and by all respects, a 2010 should taste like bitter grape juice right now, forget about a 2010 under $10. Still the wine has promise and though it disappears quickly on the finish, it’s worth it’s price.

Where to Buy

$6.99 at BevMo.com!

That’s it gang. Look for Part 2 tomorrow for suggestions on what to have during one of the most depressing parts of the year: The end of Christmas Day.

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Many wine lovers are often put off by Kosher wine. They see “Kosher” or recognize a Kosher label and immediately assume that the wine is of a lower quality or will simply be heavily sweetened. This is simply not true. When you step back and look at the process of Kosher wine making, you will see that there is really not much difference in technique compared to non-Kosher producers. Try to think of Kosher wine as Vegan wine, which means a wine produced with absolutely no animal ingredients such as isinglass or gelatin, products used to fine or clarify wine. Kosher wine making processes take things one small step further, prohibiting the use of unauthorized yeasts when it comes to fermentation. Just like with non-Kosher wine making, wines produced can be of either low, medium or high quality, all dependent on the wine maker, the fruit and techniques used.

The prevalence of sweetness in many Kosher wines comes from the first Kosher wines produced in America nearly a century ago. When Jewish immigrants arrived in America, they found Concord grapes to be plentiful and decided to make wine from them. The wine was, how could we put it…crappy, and they found that adding sugar made it more palatable. Most people have heard of Concord grapes when it comes to jelly, which also has sugar being added to the grapes. Same kind of thing.

Anyway, I strongly urge all of you, Jew or non-Jew, to try a few Kosher wines this holiday season. In particular, seek out some wines from Israel as they can also be quite delicious, though a bit more on the pricey side. For now, head out to nearly any grocery store in the U.S. and you will be able to find a bottle of Baron Herzog wine. And if you’re ever in the Oxnard, CA area, I suggest you check out the magnificent Herzog Cellars. Fascinating place.

Color

Very, very light. I mean, like, water. Never had a Sauvignon Blanc this light.

Nose

Great sharp acid and gooseberry, reminiscent of good New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Some grapefruit and other citrus notes as well.

Taste

Sharp and flavorful. I expected it to be far too light, but instead it comes through with some good lemon-lime, some green orange (just think about eating an unripe one) and still those tart gooseberries. A little rhubarb and some sort of caramel taste finishes things up. All the while it is backed by great acidity.

With Food

Well, seeing as how this is a Kosher wine, I say some herring, gefilte fish, little horseradish, all on top of a matzo cracker. If you’re not really into the Kosher cuisine, I would definitely pair this with light cheeses or some shrimp ceviche. Also, remember to always keep this well-chilled. I know I’m a big proponent of drinking whites at slightly below room temperature, but this wine falls apart a bit without cold.

Where to Buy

Well, practically anywhere, but it’s $7.99 at Prime Wines.

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Roses are usually at one of two extremes: Way too light to the point of sweet water (think White Zinfandel: Ugh) or far too strong so that you are robbed of the bouncy fruit and crisp, acidic sweetness. For the roses that are too dark (like Syrah roses or many from California) I sometimes feel cheated. They make me think the fruit that went into them just wasn’t up to snuff for a red wine. For my palate, a rose should be what it’s name suggests: Rose-colored. Not cranberry juice or a light pink water.

The Ballan-Larquette Rose is neither of those. 45% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Cabernet Franc. It’s balanced and delicious, and because of that, it is a strong contender for our Best of 2010 voting/tasting. Read on to see why and be sure to pick up a bottle ASAP.

Color

Proper pink. Nothing too light or too dark.

Nose

Strawberry fields. Not just strawberries, but the dirt and dust that you smell along with them in the fields on a hot day. Some freshly cut cherry as well.

Taste

Medium-bodied, not too light, which I like very much. Very good fruit on the attack, the strawberry and cherry flavors from the nose are intact and give a nice brightness to the wine. There is a hint of sweetness as well, but not too much that you wouldn’t want to enjoy this with something more savory. The barnyard is present as well in this in the form of a soil and stink element that is tough to pin down. Great finish with a pleasing dryness.

With Food

A very versatile food wine. I’ve most often had roses with chicken or salads that have fruit in them. One of the best pairings has been with a chicken and berry salad. Any berry will work, though I’d aim for strawberries. I light vinegarette with some garlic in it will help. For some reason I’ve always found that strawberries and garlic go well together. I probably just made all chefs everywhere cringe.

Where to Buy

$9.99 at BevMo or BevMo.com!

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I don’t know what accounts for typical South African food fare, but this baby is made for grub. Rich and spicy grub, in particular.

Color

Light gold, but much darker than your typical New Zealand or California Sauvignon Blanc. This bodes well, young Jedi.

Nose

Very pretty with a lot of cream and lemon/lime peel.

Taste

Right off the bat, great acid. For those who have read my reviews of white wine in the past, you know that I loves me some acid. Acid to the point of feeling bubbly and the walls begin to melt (Flashback!). Melon and a some pineapple with lemon juice. Then, as you reach the mid-palate, you can sense some green bell pepper, bitter garlic (huh?), some broccoli. In short: Green, green, green. Very full mouthfeel, almost oaky in its creaminess, but it was all steel. Overall, a very unexpected surprise.

With Food

Like I said earlier: Built for food. In fact, I wouldn’t drink this without some. Would actually work well with quite a few difficult-to-pair foods like traditional tacos (meaning meat, onion, cilantro, and non-jarred salsa, pendejo). Spicy Asian cuisine would be great, too. Curry, Tandoori chicken or spicy crab.

Where to Buy

$8.98 at FineWineHouse.com!

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Get your floss ready folks because we’re going in.

Color

Well, I said it up there: Syrup. Thick black, rich syrup. Boysenberry and motor oil. A nice glass of 10W40.

Nose

We’ve got another violent wine here. A giant purple hand reaches out of the glass, but it doesn’t just lightly flutter in front of your nose to waft up some delicate aromas, no. This thing slaps you across your face and then grabs your nose, giving it a nice hard twist. Then it screams at you: “Smell this, you pansy!!”

Taste

If you enjoy these bombastic fruit nukes, than we’ve found a wine under $20 for you. Thick, chewy prunes, dates, blackberry fruit roll-ups and black pepper. The varietal characteristics that are meant to be there are all present, they’re just wearing size 15 black army boots and stomping all over your face. The fruit dominates and leaves little room for tannins or any real progression or structure. What I’m saying is, the mid-palate and finish are the same as the front. I mean, this stuff is so thick and heavy that—if you are a male—you should be careful not to spill any on your privates. You’ll be writhing on the floor in agony for a few minutes.

With Food

This wine would actually be good with food from a freshness standpoint because it’s probably violent enough to slaughter an animal and clean it for you. Just bring in a cow and pour some of this into it’s trough. Wait a few minutes and the cow will be a nice pile of steaks.

Seriously though, I hope you’ve got mouth insurance.

Where to Buy

$19.99 per bottle at Southern Hemisphere Wine Center, or $14.99 per bottle if you buy 6!

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This wine is a definite Best of 2010 contender, not just for the taste but for the ridiculous price they’re selling it at.

Okay, we’ve done the Liberty School Cabernet, the Liberty School Chardonnay and told you all about the Hope Family Wines story. These awesome people found the Cabernet review I did a couple of months ago and decided that in order to be revered as one of the most awesome wineries to ever exist, they had to get on WineWelfare.com. Rightly so. I even have a page for applicants!

That said, you all know the story, so I’m not going to go into it anymore. I just can’t keep explaining every little thing to you people. My time is far too valuable and there is just too much vino to drink out there.

The Liberty School Cuvee is a rock star blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenach, Mourvedre and Viognier. Just think about all of the possible combinations you can get out of those, then think about the resulting wine being under $15, and you can see what we’re dealing with here.

Color

Bright and not heavy. The nose and taste were rich but the color was not, despite the blend.

Nose

Very floral and bright. Every bright red fruit pops up here. Currants, cherries, raspberry, strawberry and smoke.

Taste

Far and away one of the best wines I’ve had in my life. I shared it out at dinner with my wife, step-dad and his wife, and let me tell you that I’m glad I did. For some reason, good wine just kicks more ass when you’re sharing it with people you care about. Bright red fruits and a real back-of-the-throat smoke come through, followed up by a stiff, velvety mid-palate with a shot of vanilla, finished off with firm but benevolent tannins, a little little leather, and a stewed prune notes. Out of this world structure, complexity and class. I still can’t believe the price.

With Food

As usual when I share wine with my family, we ate it with kabobs, gyros, hummus and the like. I’d recommend it with either nothing or a roast meat and game. Nothing else.

Where to Buy

$10.83 at GrapeDiscounts.com!

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Color

Not as dark as it should be. Petite Sirahs are known for their inky depths but I could see my fingers through this one.

Nose

Very floral with bubblegum. Some good dark blackberry and cassis.

Taste

Grape candy flavors and more bubblegum. It tastes a bit fake, as though it were dressed up. I get the sense that something is being masked. Some nice dark plum and blackberry again, but I can taste a bit too much oak, which I guess is what’s giving it the fake aspects. Weak tannins don’t help much either. The finish is pretty much non-existent. The wine just disappears.

With Food

While the dark fruit and candy flavors stand up at the beginning, the wine loses it pretty quickly, making it difficult to pair, so I would say stick with simple barbecued chicken. No red meat or red sauce. If anything, save this for the end of the evening when you’ve finished eating.

Where to Buy

$15.99 at TheWineCountry.com!

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UPDATE – I made an error concerning the vintage of this Chardonnay. It’s actually the 2007 since Cantara did not actually make an ’08. Thanks to Mike Brown (winemaker) over at Cantara for the correction.

I’m going to start a category called “Little Known” for wineries that are very small, below the radar, off the beaten path, or have little to no budget for advertising and so rely pretty much solely on word-of-mouth and (if they’re lucky) a “Wine Trail” pamphlet for their region in order to sell product.

In case you haven’t noticed, I tend to like these wineries. While they tend to have fewer bottles offered under $20, they often have impeccably-crafted wines offered at ridiculously low prices. The adverbs in that last sentence will really piss off my writer friends, so I hope you enjoyed it due to the tongue-lashing I’m about to take.

Also in case you haven’t noticed, Cantara Cellars is one of the kinds of wineries I’m speaking of. Cantara gets all of its fruit from Lodi, a region near the bloated Napa and Sonoma regions of California that forces my tax bracket to budget a yearly trip to get up there and visit them. However, the tasting room (and their home base) is located on what is known as the Ventura County Wine Trail. Hooray for a wine trail less than 2 hours from my house! (*cricket chirps*) Moving on.

Cantara got it’s start by getting away with what I’ve been arrested for: Making wine in your home’s garage. I guess they threw fewer “Chug from the Barrel!” parties. They even named it after the neighborhood they used to concoct this hooch in. My wife and I found them while staying at the awesome Glen Tavern Inn in Santa Paula, CA. We were desperate to taste some vinos and plugged “winery” into our GPS and , low and behold, a winery tasting room popped up in the midst of a non-descript office park. Seriously, you drive toward the area they are located in and you begin wondering whether you are actually visiting a tasting room or going to complain at a Time Warner Cable satellite office. It was there that we found the Ventura County Wine Trail brochure and learned that it crawls all the way up to Ojai, where we found more small wineries and tasting rooms (more on that later). Since then we were able to taste their delicious wines a second time at the Malibu/Calabasas Food & Wine Festival.

In conclusion, these people are the salt of the modern-day-wine-making-earth. And their wine kicks ass.

So let’s get into the Cantara Cellars Chardonnay:

Color

Golden, solid, textbook. Makes you confident that you are in fact drinking Chardonnay (I hate this section of the reviews).

Nose

Wait a minute, is this…is this really what I’m smelling? A wine that actually smells like lemon meringue pie? Cream, lemon, acid, full. Delicious nose.

Taste

The flavors match the nose in a step-by-step fashion. Bright lemon, some green apple, some white fig for a good mix of acid and fullness. Rich mouthfeel. Velvety but not buttery, just like a light pie crust. Great mid-palate of what seems to be cinnamon and a bread-like finish. Nice sourdough at the end. Weird but intriguing and great.

With Food

A very food-friendly wine. Thanks to the acid it won’t overpower already-buttery dishes. Chicken or Salmon Picatta, shellfish, savory crepes and the like. Not for an appetizer. This is Main wine.

Where to Buy

$21 at CantaraCellars.com. Yes, that’s the winery website, and yes I realize that it’s over $20. But it’s a buck. Dig through your sofa cushions.

Winery/Tasting Room Info

126 N. Wood Road #104

Camarillo, CA 93010

(805) 484-9600

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This was given to us as a gift for some babysitting my wife did for a friend. I love friends who give wine as payment for helping out. They go right to the top of the People You Should Always Help Out list.

Need to be picked up from the airport? No problem! I’m in a Pinot Noir mood this time.

Oh you’re moving and need a hand? You got it! It’s warm out so let’s go with a Riesling.

Emergency room? I’ll be right there! Just grab a bottle of that Liberty School Cabernet before you lose consciousness and I’ll pick you up out front.

Love those kinds of people.

Here is a breakdown of the S|K|N Cabernet Sauvignon:

Color

Welch’s grape juice but looking a little young due to the clear rim upon tilting it in the glass.

Nose

Wow, BIG nose. Lot’s going on here and all mashed together. Cooked crimini mushrooms, slight smoke, bacon, some big ripe cherries. Very old world but a little heavy on the heat. Some isopropyl alcohol coming through.

Taste

Very meaty on the attack. Bold mouthfeel and flavor. Cherry, blackberry and some pie crust thrown in. You know what? This is like a cherry pie topped off with bacon. Whereas the nose held more smoke, the flavor concentrates on the bacon. Not the greatest concentration, but the wine is still delicious. The heavy alcohol is still there at the back of your palate. Tannins are weak but still somewhat present.

With Food

Definitely a meat wine. Although, some bacon-wrapped scallops or shrimp would work out very well. I wouldn’t go crazy with barbecue, though. Save that for the Syrahs. Broiled red meats or roast game.

Where to Buy

$7.99 at CrownWineandSpirits.com!

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This is, however, the first review of a Hope Family Wine since their awesome production coordinator sent me a sample of their wines for review. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “They sent you their wines for free, so you’re just going to do great reviews of them all in the hopes of getting something new in the future.”

Wrong. Well…right. But WRONG. Oh, so wrong.

I’ve always prided myself on my honesty, particularly when it comes to this site. I make no money off of it (despite the ads) and I do it as a labor of love. If I think a wine quite frankly sucks some form of animal genitalia, I’m going to tell you. Keeping that image in mind, let’s get into the Liberty School 2007 Chardonnay.

Color

Beautiful gold . Watered down Red Bull, though I know that doesn’t sound exactly appetizing. The “shinyness” of this wine is striking.

Nose

Thick and vanilla. Delicious pineapple and hearty caramel breaking through. Not a soft nose by any means. This does not smell like it’s going to be on the acidic Chardonnay side. 75% of the fruit was barrel-fermented in 10% new American and French oak while the other 25% was in stainless steel. Smelling that way.

Taste

Rich, saucy and bright, but not too much butter. The tropical flavors really hit home here with pineapple, vanilla-lime (yeah, I know, but lime is what I tasted) and some really awesome apple and pear Jelly Bellys. The wine is not confused as the structure is solid. Fruit in the front, not much acid, all leading toward the rich mid-palate and finally finishing with some of those caramel notes and the alcohol coming through. Very very full mouthfeel, like you’re drinking a Boston cream pie. Fantastic.

With Food

Go on the light side as the wine is too heavy for heavy white foods. Avoid your cream sauces and overly buttered shellfish. Simply grilled crab, shrimp or white fish, pastas in olive oil, mild cheeses and fresh tart fruits. Try pears, specifically.

Where to Buy

Obviously at the winery, but other than that, $8.99 at StirlingFineWines.com.

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The answer is a resounding “YES”. In fact, it’s going on the “Best of 2010″ list here on Wine Welfare, which seems to be fast-becoming a list of 15 or 20 instead of my original idea for 10, but that’s a good thing. More on the Wine Welfare Best of 2010 list later, but I will say that I am going to need some readers to get involved and cast some votes.

On to the wine:

Color

Deep, dark, rich brilliance. Mash up some black cherries and add some ripe blackberry juice for a match. Gorgeous.

Nose

I don’t often agree with the winery notes for a wine, but I have to agree here: Cherry Coke. It comes through strong with nuances of tobacco.

Taste

Stunning mouthfeel. Velvet cherry with bright cola and caramel flavors. Spot-on structure with great fruit and tannins attacking in the front, the mid-palate is where you can literally taste the velvet, and the finish is a final spike of cherry with some dirt and a touch of tobacco. The wine isn’t quite a beast, but is rather understated. It doesn’t throw it all in too quickly; it takes it’s time and just FLOWS. An extremely pleasing wine for a varietal that is scarce in California, much less delicious.

With Food

Rich red meat or a slow-cooked red sauce. I wouldn’t mess with cheese or fruit with this one. Rare lamb, ostrich (check out the Hitching Post if you’re in California) or high high quality filet mignon is what you need with this baby.

Where to Buy

$7.99 at BevMo! if you’re a ClubBev member, $9.99 without ClubBev.

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But seriously: Buy Microsoft products.*

Color

Pale straw as opposed to rich golden. You know what? I’ve been using the same damn 5 terms to describe the colors of Chardonnay for the past year. Let’s change it up with help from Thesaurus.com:

The color of this Chardonnay is more of an anemic silage rather than fatty aurelian. Thank YOU, Thesaurus.com.

Nose

Hmmm. Lot of rock in this one, but I can’t pick out what kind. If anyone here is an expert on how different rocks smell, please let me know. Anyhoo, some good lemon and a bit of cream Methinks this might not have had too much oak, which is good.

Taste

Delicious is the first thing that comes to mind. The wine is velvety but with a stark crispness (again, evidence of little or no oak). The same flavors from the nose: lemon and cream. The wine mingles and never really processes onto something else. A bit of a one-trick pony, but still tasty nonetheless. The finish stacks up with some $10 Chards so this is a good deal based on that alone.

With Food

Have to go with fish here. Not sure if this could contend with buttery shellfish or creamy sauces (despite the cream flavors), but give it try if you’re the adventurous type (it’s a big risk pairing wine with food, you know). Hard cheeses might stack up as well, but don’t go too stinky. A good pool wine until the heat dissipates.

Where to Buy

$5.99 on Club Bev at BevMo!, $7.99 if you’re not on Club Bev (It’s a free card, people. Pull it together).

TwistedWine.com

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Oh, except that it’s a bitch to find if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you.

Color

Sturdy, solid and rich. It’s red. Give me a break.

Nose

Extreme aromatics. Black licorice, violet, cherry and strong poached plums. Beautiful nose.

Taste

Fruit-forward, but not a bomb. Good mix of tobacco and fruit salad elements. Dark berries, saddle leather, chewy. Great structure, I mean seriously. This wine has a brilliant attack, mid-palate and finish. Great tannins back up a full, Ribena-like mouthfeel (look it up).

With Food

A fruit and cheese red. The flavors are so dang delicious, yet delicate, I wouldn’t want to ravage them with red meat or even red sauce. Try salad, though I know how odd that sounds. A bacon, blue cheese, tomato and pears poached in red wine salad. Perfection.

Where to Buy

It’s around $8 bucks at Trader Joe’s but I don’t know where else, dammit.

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Color

Deep, dark, inky, rich.

Nose

Plum, cherry, wooden chair and some cigar. A big, bombastic nose. Such is the case with Shiraz.

Taste

Full-bodied as hell. Hard to find a Shiraz review that doesn’t note how big and fruit-bomby these wines are. The plum and cherry really powers through, though I have to admit the mid-palate was, well, lacking. It’s as if the wine disappeared for a moment and then reappeared in the form of saddle leather and too much alcohol, leaving an unpleasant caramel taste on the tongue. Not quite the finish we want.

With Food

Good food wine, seeing as how it needs something to fill in those gaps. I’d stay away from fruits and cheese and go with entrees. Try some sort of breakfast-cut beef, something thin, maybe with some tomato sauce. Veal is too delicate, but a thin carne asada taco would work well, as strange as it sounds.

Where to Buy

$8.99 at Premium Wine Group!

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Color

Great violet color, vibrant and looks well-made from the start.

Nose

Wow, tropical fruits: Pineapple, papaya, what the hell is this? Some tobacco and red fruit is there, but I can’t make out what.

Taste

Holy crap, the tropical fruit is still there. The pineapple, the papaya. This tastes like one of those orange juice combo drinks they make. Almost Sunny Delight-ish, if you can believe that. I don’t know quite how to describe this. I want to say “fruit-forward” but I’m used to the usual red fruits. Those red fruits are there, but not in any force at all. And all along with these strange fruits comes structure. The tannins are weak, but they are there. No hollowness, and a great finish of cherry mixed with pineapple. Like a sorbet.

With Food

You know, I wouldn’t mess with this one. This is far too unique and complex to be a food wine. ‘Nuf said.

Where to Buy

Under $20 at the winery: http://www.oreanawinery.com/.

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Color

A delicious off-white that looks crisp and refreshing.

Nose

Floral, apple and pear. You can smell the crispness and it looks made for seafood.

Taste

Look at that, I was right! Matter of fact, I’m always right. Otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this blog. Honeysuckle, pear and acidic apple juice. Good acid, but no real structure. The wine is all over the place but at least the fruit is narrowed. As usual for these under $5 wines, there is no finish other than the end of the bottle.

With Food

Would work with fish, but not shellfish. This wine can’t stand up. Tilapia, some grilled snapper with a Mexican-style rice would do quite well.

Where to Buy

About $4 at Trader Joe’s.

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I’ll just stop talking now.

Color

It’s $7 Beringer Chardonnay. It’s gold in color. What else do you want? Maybe I should eliminate this section since looking at the color of under-$10 wines is kind of ridiculous.

Nose

GREAT NOSE. Wow, this was completely unexpected. Full scent with some great peach and lemon notes. You can even smell the wood, though I’m not sure if they aged this in oak at all.

Taste

A solid, solid wine. Acid that isn’t over the top, good fruit, and a textbook structure. The alcohol level is perfect for the flavors or creamy almond and buttery stone fruit. The lemon isn’t there, but it’s been replaced with this weird caramelly flavor that reminds you of the wine’s price. There is no finish other than a little residual heat. Still, completely solid for a hot summer day.

With Food

This is uncomfortable, but I can’t really find anything to pair it with. I ate fish with it, and it just didn’t work. My mouth ended up tasting the way a dock smells. Maybe some of you like that. I’ll be honest and just say that this wine should be popped towards the end of the party when you just need to have another glass.

Where to Buy

7-Eleven (ahem) like I said, but it’as also $7.48 at VineRepublic.com.

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