Tasting - Lobetia Chardonnay

Name: Lobetia Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $10.95
Shop review: Organically and naturally grown and made, this wine allows the varietal and the terroir to stand out cleanly. Clean, bright color with a greenish-yellow tone. On the nose, exotic fruits like pineapple. Full flavored, fresh, with good acidity in the mouth, it finishes with tropical fruits.
My review: This was the first Chardonnay I've smelled where I can really smell that pungent grassy smell. It was super grassy, with a clean and crisp kind of cutting smell to it. I assumed it smelled so much like that because it is super organic as well. On the very end of the smell it had a kind of sweet candyesque, floral smell just slightly. Upon tasting, it was very lemony too me, but still with a very overpowering clean and crisp taste that was just quick and cutting, if you will. The finish was very dry, but I liked it a lot actually. I got a slight hint of pineapple, but it was very fleeting and not too obvious. It had a slight earthy taste to it as well. I tried this wine on its own without food. 

Tasting - Trattoria Busa Alla Torre Da Lele

Name: Trattoria Busa Alla Torre Da Lele
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Veneto
Country: Italy
Year: NV
Price: $7.95
Shop review: Named after the famous restaurant in Italy! This is their house white wine! Coppery color from extended skin contact, round and rich texture with juicy melon aromas and flavors with a sweet fennel note on the ultra smooth finish. Great value Grigio! Drink now.
My review:  This wine had a very apple-melon smell to me, and I had a slight hint of cucumber melon body wash smell again with this wine, but a lot...fresher smelling I guess would be how I would place it. Upon tasting it was very melony, with a very sticky citrus sweet taste in the middle of my tongue and mouth. Although it had a nice dry finish that I wasn't expecting, but then it gave way to kind of a weird after taste that I couldn't really place what the taste was, but it left my mouth with a funny feeling. I tried this wine on its own without food.

Tasting - Tselepos Agiorgitiko 2012

Name - Tselepos Agiorgitiko 2012
Variety: Moschofilero
Region: Arcadia/Peloponnese
Country: Greece
Year: 2012
Price: $9.95
Shop review: This is a bit compact, quite elegant in the mid-palate, but it is pure, velvety and lovely, with a notable backbone. There is a little oak, but that should integrate. It won't immediately be a 'wow' wine, but I predict it will grow on you as it grew on me. It was better after an hour or so. Fragrant, crisp and intensely flavorful, this Agiorgitiko has some nods to Burgundy, given its graceful presentation, aromatics and structure. It finishes well and should be a crowd pleaser, making everyone from novices to geeks happy.
My review: While the review says that the oak should integrate, at first all I could smell was oak. Other than that, all else I could smell was butter. Upon tasting, it was also very oaky and had some floral tastes but other than that I couldn't pick out any other specifics. It almost seemed like a watered down wine honestly.  It was a very bland wine. I tried it on its own without food.

Tasting - Poggio al Tufo Cabernet Sauvignon

Name - Poggio al Tufo Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Maremma Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2010
Price: $18.95
Shop review: 88 points, International Wine Cellars. Bright ruby. Spicy black currant, dark plum and violet on the nose. Sweet, broad and fresh, with a black currant flavor lifted by juicy acidity. Finishes smooth and moderately long.
My review: This smelled extremely perfumey to me, with a lot of violet. I could tell there were other floral smells but I couldn't really place them. I caught a very slight hint of plum, but it took a few sniffs to get it. Upon tasting it was slightly spicy, and then had a very berry like middle. The finish was very dry and left kind of a funny after taste in my mouth, with a little bit of the plum. I can't really place why I didn't like this wine, but I wasn't too fond of it. I tried this wine on its own without food.

Tasting - Reginato Rose of Malbec Sparkling

Name - Reginato Rose of Malbec Sparkling
Variety: 100% Malbec
Region: La Consulta (San Carlos)
Country: Argentina
Year: NV
Price: $15.95
Shop Review: Malbec seems an unlikely hero for a sparkling wine grape, but when you want your rose to show some real color and character, then Malbec's your man. Crisp and dry with lovely strawberry, rhubarb flavors and aromas. Just a hint of tannin structure, floral spice, and an amazing elegant finish rounds out the mouth. It speaks of the rich Malbec grape, but never loses its light, refreshing nature. I will give you a good reason to drink sparkling wine with your main course!
My review: Upon smelling it immediately reminded me of strawberry jelly! It had slight hints of what I thought was grape, but I had never tried a rhubarb before so I assume that's what that smell was. Upon tasting it was the perfect amount of bubbles and I loved it! It had a nice sweet strawberry taste but a good dry finish that didn't leave my mouth with that sticky finish. It's color reminded me a lot of Boone's wine but it was SO much better. I tried this wine on its own without food.

Tasting - Foris Pinot Gris

Name: Foris Pinot Gris
Variety: Pinot Gris
Region: Rogue Valley, Oregon
Country: United States
Year: 2011
Price: $15.95
Shop review: 89 points, Wine Enthusiast. Although the 2011 vintage was difficult, Foris did particularly well with this lightly spicy, fruit-laden Pinot Gris. True varietal flavors of pear and apple are perfectly set against vivid acidity.
My review: This wine had a super appley smell to me. I could catch slight hints of lemon and maybe melon but the apple was very overpowering especially since I really like the smell of apples. Upon tasting, it was very sweet and almost had a thick, granulated texture from the sweetness. It was very appley tasting, with a slight hint of melon. It had a sweet finish that kind of made my mouth a little sticky after. This wine was definitely too sweet for my liking, which is strange because I usually love sweeter wines. I tried this wine on its own without food.

Tasting - Vinha do Foral Pygoes Dry Moscato

Name: Vinha do Foral Pygoes Dry Moscato
Variety: Muscat
Region: Setubal Peninsula
Country: Portugal
Year: 2010
Price: $9.95
Shop review: Adega de Pegoes "Vinha do Foral" Setubal Dry Moscato offers bright notes of peach, melon, citrus fruit, augmented by crisp acidity and a delicate mineral finish.
My review: I ended up actually really liking this wine. It had an extremely peachy melony smell that I really liked. It almost reminded me of cucumber melon body wash but with a lot more melon. I liked how it had a crisp clean smell that I could totally anticipate in the taste. Upon tasting it was very crisp and sweet and almost refreshing, very unlike wine to me. It almost seemed like a juice to me, and had a lot of notes of citrus in it. I really liked this wine, and I tried it on its own without food.