Wine Reviews You can Use

A hefty slightly opaque garnet hue has aromas of spices and slight stewed tomato, really ripe dark berries and a powdery note above the rim and this is on opening and right from my very chilly cellar this time of year.  Meaning--it is likely to yield more goodness as it warms up! Palate--Black pepper up front, bright berry flavors that are not too jammy with loads of spice mid palate, and a surprising finish that lingers and lingers. Okay this is a "get a grip" kind of wine because it cost me just under $8!  This is one of those Trader Joe values that can be sketchy a lot of the time.  By sketchy I mean, if you don't really know what you're drinking, then plow ahead on the $8 Cabernets etc.  That's not being a snob, it's being discriminating. But this Zinfandel, which happens to be my favorite affordable grape, is truly full of flavors that scream ZINFANDEL! At this price point, it's a stock up kind of wine so raise a glass, or even a case! 

Light yellow with aromas of lemon/lime with an oily scent to it with sweet pie spices Palate--Nice first impression with a decent acidity, and a steely front palate. It is off dry with the citrus middle giving way to a nearly slight bubble gum like rear palate.  Finishes pretty quickly. I have never been a big fan of Abarino even those from the premier Albarino region of Rias Baixas.  It always seems to be trying to be a Riesling or Chardonnay failing at both of course. I paid $11 for this down from $17.  I am glad I didn't pay full price. Very few wines I just don't get. This tends to be one of them but that's just a matter of preference so you decide! 

Light cherry hue with aromas of  spicy raspberry with sweet baking spices. Palate--Tasty wild red raspberry with a lovely acidic foundation with raspberry cream bonbons and a lingering spicy aftertaste. I grabbed this sourced California Pinot for $11 and it's really quite a decent value. It's fresh fruit filled, with enough spice (like Chinese five spice)  to keep it interesting and making you come back.  At the price, it's a value wine demanding you "Raise a Glass!"

Garnet hue with aromas of crushed rock up front with blackberry and black raspberry aromas and gentle cigar box. Palate:  Your somewhat classic fruit bomb with tight flavors of crescent rolls, dark rich berries, some spice and a twinge of tar. This needs to breath and it should open up. This is another tasty but unremarkable creation from creation from the California *AVA of Dunnigan Hills. Selling for normally around $18, that's a bit over priced for the wine.  $12 is more like it which is what I paid for it. If it comes around after warming up, my cellar is currently around 50 degrees, I'll make an additional note.  It's decent enough and will go great with our Lou Malnatti's deep dish pizza I am baking shipped in from Chicago.  So, raise glass! *AVA means American Viticultural Area which are designated parcels of land in various states which have earned a special designation based on their quality and terroir. 

Pale golden hue with aroma that are weak, non descript and blah.  Palate: Bubbles are in short supply with weak flavors of light citrus, and vanilla. I snagged this because it is from the Languedoc region of France which puts out really nice value wines of many stripes.  This is the first sparkler I have seen or had from there.  It is hugely disappointing. There are some very nice sparklers for the same price $14 which deserve one's attention so shop around and pass this bad boy up!

Looking for simple, straight forward wine reviews for the common person? This is the place.  I have been studying wine since the mid 70's and started blogging about 16 years ago under the name The Wine Cask Blog first located here in Blogger and then relocated to Wordpress.  Now I have come home back to blogger but you can still see the thousands of reviews from the past at https://winecaskblog.com/ as well as joining the LinkedIn group. Group Name: Wine Bloggers, Lovers & Enthusiasts Group URL:  https://www.linkedin.com/ groups/69650/

Lighter cranberry jelly hue with aromas of subtle blueberry, classic Zin spiciness, with foundational dark berry notes. Palate--Steely front palate with dark berry notes and not much else. This is a good example of a sourced mass produced Zinfandel that doesn't do the varietal justice.  These are offered at the ubiquitous price point of $10 and in this case you get what you pay for.  I love Zinfandel and it doesn't have to be pricey.  I have had some excellent ones I found for $12-$15 over the past year and when you can afford it, hey are worth the splurge of mid $20's on up for some pretty special wines.  So don't let the rather strange name scare you.  Value for value, they are one of the best wine values out there so "Raise a glass!"

A lighter garnet hued Zin with aromas of "cheap" Zin berry with spice and a twinge of menthol. Palate--Pleasant, spicy classic Zin flavors with wild red berry in the rustic variety with a short lingering flavor of more of the same. I bought this at a state liquor store as a "Power Buy" which are usually GREAT deals.  I bought this supposedly put out at around $26 and I got it for $12? On review I call it a "cheap" flavored Zin as there is characteristic flavor to, well "cheap" zins. And this is one regardless the hype of the release price.  Now, at the price I paid--around $10--it is a decent wnough wine, and great with pizza.  But that's it.  So raise a glass if you find it for under $10.