Tasting: Jam Jar Sweet White

Name: Jam Jar Sweet White

Variety: 100% Muscat

Region: Unknown

Country: South Africa

Year: Unknown

Price: $8.95

Winery Review: “100% Muscat. Soft floral hints add depth to the otherwise straightforward ripe peach and nectarine aromas. There’s a good balance in the mouth, with a nice acidic lift and slightly lime edge to cut the sweetness on the finish and close with the faintest hint of honeydew melons.”

Personal Review: This wine had a unique smell to it. It reminded me of a good smelling kitchen cleaner, possibly something similar to Pine Sol! It was VERY sweet tasting! To me, it was like drinking white grape juice. It did have a slight peach taste to it, which was refreshing. I enjoyed this wine, but I would only be able to drink 1 glass of it, not an entire bottle. It is definitely a light, summery wine that would be perfect for the beach! Although I’m not sure what food this wine would pair well with. 

Tasting: Entrada Malbec

Name: Entrada Malbec

Variety: Malbec

Region: Unkown

Country: Chile

Year: Unkown

Price: $5.95

Winery Review: “Firm and structured, this is a solid wine, laced with mineral acidity and tight tannins. It has a juicy, blackberry fruit component cutting through the texture.”

Personal Review: This wine had a very pretty purple/plum color to it. It smelled a little dusty and reminded me of opening a cedar chest. The taste of this wine was surprising! I really enjoy Malbec’s, but I typically have had them from Argentina, so this Malbec from Chile was different. It was not as spicy as the Argentinian Malbec’s which was nice. It was very good and my favorite of the day! I did not taste this wine with food, but I will definitely be looking for this wine again!

Tasting: Vina Borga Borsao

Name: Vina Borga Borsao

Variety: 100% Grenache

Region: Campo de Borja

Country: Spain

Year: 2012

Price: $6.95

Winery Review: “86 Points – Robert Parker. Also made from 100% Grenache, the 2012 Vina Borgia was fermented and aged in stainless steel. Its medium dark ruby color is followed by abundant notes of strawberries and black cherries offered in a straightforward, medium-bodied, soft, hedonistic, round style. It is hard to believe a wine this good can sell for $7 a bottle. Enjoy it over the next 1-2 years.”

Personal Review: The smell of this wine was delicious! It smelled like strawberries! It reminded me of a combination of strawberry jelly and black raspberry jelly! The taste of this wine was surprising in a good way. For being a red wine, I was expecting it to be thicker bodied and heavier alcohol content, but it tasted like a rose wine. It had a lot of strawberry components to it and was smooth and thin. I really enjoyed this wine. I did not have it with food, but I would definitely like to try it again with a meal. 

Tasting: Peter Lehmann Chardonnay

Name: Peter Lehmann Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Unknown

Country: Australia

Year: 2010

Price: $20, Sale for $9.95

Winery Review: “The 2010 Chardonnay presents subtle notes of spiced apple slices and ripe peaches with hints of freshly baked bread and melon. Light bodied, clean and refreshingly crisp in the mouth, it offers just enough apple and pear flavor concentration, finishing with medium-long persistence. Drink it now to 2014.”

Personal Review: This wine had a strong odor to it! To me, it smelled like someone had just opened a can of tuna fish! Gross! The taste was slightly better than the smell, but I was still not a fan! It had a smoky taste, but it was still fishy tasting. The body was also kind of slimy but the aftertaste was alright. I would describe this wine as “unique!” I did not try this wine with food and I do not think I will be any time soon!

Tasting: Protocolo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla

Name: Protocolo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla

Variety: Airen and Macabeo

Region: Castilla

Country: Spain

Year: Unknown

Price: $6.95

Winery Review: “Mostly Airen with a little bit of Macabeo. Greenish gold. Subtle aromas of mint, lemon, and orange, with a hint of honeysuckle. Dry, understated and focused, offering clean citrus and melon flavors and slow-building sweetness. Finishes dry and brisk, with an echo of lemon. As usual, this is an outstanding value.”

Personal Review: This wine had a sweet honeysuckle smell to it that was really refreshing. The aroma instantly reminded me of a warm spring day when the honeysuckle starts blooming and there’s a warm breeze blowing. It had a very refreshing taste to it. This wine tasted very fresh and clean. I would probably classify it as a semi-sweet wine, as it did dry out my mouth slightly but wasn’t overpoweringly sweet. I did not have this wine with food, but I would try it again with a meal. 

Tasting a homemade blend

Name: Homemade Blend

Variety: 75% Old Vine Zinfandel & 25% Carrion blend

Region: Napa Valley, California

Country: USA

Year: 2012

Price: N/A

Winery Review: N/A

Personal Review: This wine was a blend made by a friend of my parents in 2012. The wine spent 6 months in oak barrels. It had a wicked alcohol smell to it. It smelled harsh and slightly like a dirt floor cellar, but in a good way. This made it smell earthy and kind of reminded me of mushrooms. The taste at first was very hot from the alcohol. Once I got past the alcohol taste, it was fairly peppery and creamy. It had a hint of chocolate to it and was a little bit jammy in its taste. I think this wine would be good with a little more time in the bottle to settle down the tannins and alcohol levels. I did not drink this wine with food, but I don’t think it would have changed the flavor much because of the overpowering taste of alcohol. 

Tasting: Glenora Wine Cellars Bobsled Red

Name: Glenora Bobsled Red

Variety: Red blend

Region: New York State Finger Lakes

Country: USA

Year: Unknown

Price: $7.99

Winery Review: “Bobsled Red is a unique blend of high quality grape varieties that has blackberry jam aromas. This pleasant, semi-dry finish makes this wine enjoyable on its own or with pasta, pizza, or Buffalo style wings. This wine may be served slightly chilled, or at cool room temperature.”

Personal Review: This wine had been chilled before tasting it, so at first it had little to no smell to it. After swirling and warming up the glass for a few minutes, you could start to smell a light aroma. This wine smelled like bubblegum tape that I used to beg my parents for whenever we went to the store! I was already hesitant to taste this wine after it had that smell to it, but I went for it anyway. Mistake!!! This wine was terrible! It was super sweet and everyone in my family agreed that it was awful! No one even bothered finishing their glass of this wine because it was not worth it! I did try to make it seem better by trying it with cheese, but that may have made it taste worse! Overall, we all agreed that this was not the wine for us!