Tasting - "Jam Jar Sweet White"

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Name: Jam Jar Sweet White
Variety: Muscat
Region: N/A
Country: South Africa
Year: 2011
Price: $8.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Mike/ 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.
Your review:  This had a very peachy and flowery scent that was classic Moscato. Again one of my favorite wines due to its sweet and tropical/fruity tastes that brought my taste buds to paradise. This white wine had great balance and was one of my favorite Muscatos thus far. I highly recommend this white wine for anytime of the day.

Tasting - " Entrada Malbec"

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Name: Entrada Malbec
Variety: Malbec
Region: N/A
Country: Chile
Year: 2012
Price: $5.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Mike/ Firm and structured, this is a solid wine, laced with mineral acidity and tight tannins. It has a juicy, blackberry fruit component cutting though the texture
Your review:  This wine had a strong smell of strawberries and household fruit that was smothered by the strawberries. This wine you could taste the minerals in the texture, which made have a rough component to it. A good example of this type of mineral component is if you had mountain water and the additional minerals that you could taste in the texture than regular bottled water. If you like a rough and firm red wine than this is the right wine for you.

Tasting - "Vina Borga Borsao"

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Name: Vina Borga Borsao
Variety: 100% Grenache
Region: Campo de Borja.
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $6.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Mike/ 86 Points - Robert Parker , 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.
Your review: This was a much smoother red wine that had a beautiful red/violet color. It had the smell of traditional red wines of dark berries and plums. One of the more appealing characteristics of this wine is its lack of oak flavor due to the fact it was made in a stainless steel tub. This wine had strong tannins that made your mouth dry, which was the only notable characteristic. If I had to rate this wine I would only rate it 83 points.

Tasting - "Peter Lehmann Chardonnay

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Name: Peter Lehmann Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: N/A
Country: Australia
Year: 2010
Regular Price: $20
Sale: $9.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Mike/ 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.
Your review:  This white wine was another wine that wasn't very memorable in terms of standing out from other Chardonnays. It had a very apple like flavor with a hint of firewood that was smelled and tasted at the end. I am never a big fan of any oakness in my wine, so this wine was just not for me because of the lack of fruity flavor, and lightness of this wine.

Tasting - "Protocolo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla"

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Name: Protocolo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: N/A
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $6.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/Mike/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.
Your review: This white wine  smelled like lemons and green apples with scent of mountain like atmosphere. This wine did not really stand out from other white wines in terms of tartness, flavor, and taste. It was in my opinion just another white wine that went down smooth with a small punch as it touched the palate.

Tasting - "R Wines Eco. Love Riesling"

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Name: R Wines Eco. Love Riesling
Variety: Riesling
Region: South Island
Country: New Zealand
Year: N/A
Price: $18
Sale Price: $7.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Mike/ Our South Island Riesling has a range and combination of flavors unlike any other. These flavors span citrus , root ginger, white peach, spices and florals. Eco.love Riesling is made in balance to an off-dry style. Food Pairing: Asian Fusion, Seafood, Curry, and anything spicy.
Your Review: This Riesling was not my favorite, but surprisingly had a orangey scent to it. When this white wine hit my palate it was smothered by a smokey, earthy, and oakey taste that eliminated any fruity or notable flavor that makes a wine appealing. I don't know if this is a case of the oak monster, but this wine tasted like I put a piece of bark in my month. I was defiantly not a fan of this wine.

Tasting - " Toschi Cabernet Sauvignon"

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Name: Toschi Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: N/A
Price: $8.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Mike/ Well-balanced flavors of dark berries and plums. Spicy fruit finish.
Your Review: This red wine I immediately identified a cherry like smell. This wine was a more unique heavy in structure red wine that carried a strong, tangy aftertaste that shocked my palate. I am not to familiar with spicy fruit, but something very potent and spicy aftertaste that made me not ask for more. That little sample was more than enough flavor and punch than my palate could handle. Caution, this wine is not for the faint of heart.

Tasting - " Canyon Road Pinot Noir"

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Name: Canyon Road Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: N/A
Price: $6.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Mike/ Rich, fruit forward cherry flavors, soft tannins, a medium body and a smooth velvety finish. Pairs well with creamy soups, salmon, and a savory pork dishes.
Your Review: The first of the red wines for this tasting was a pretty good start with the traditional red fruit smell with a hint of plums and cranberries. I could taste a strong component of cherries with a creaminess texture. Also something to note was the lack of tannins in this red wine compared to other red wines, but in my mind, this made it more enjoyable since there was an absent of food.

Tasting - "Wine Men of Gotham Chard. Semillion"

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Name: Wine Men of Gotham Chard.Semillon
Variety: 80% Chardonnay, 20% Semillon
Region: N/A
Country: Australia
Year: N/A
Price: $7.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/Mike/ It gives a moderate intensity of melon, guava, apricot and butterscotch aromas. The medium bodied palate provides attractive acidity along with plenty of tropical fruit flavors and a medium-long finish.
Your Review: This white wine was more of a traditional Chardonnay because of its smoothness and  overwhelming fruity characteristics. When I smelled this white wine, it was clear that it was like the last one of flowers, but more specifically red roses, and not wild flowers this time. It had a strong taste of melons and other fruit that my palate was not accustomed to. This would have been a great spring wine that goes with a lighter meal like cheese and crackers.

Tasting - " Indwe Sauvignon Blanc"

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Name: Indwe Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: N/A
Country: South Africa
Year: N/A
Price: $7.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/Mike/ Grapes are meticulously sourced from our grape producers along the Coastal region of the Western Cape ensuring complexity and freshness in the wine. Indwe Sauvignon Blanc is full of layers, balance and persistence. The wine is imbued with tropical and citrus notes, with hints of melon and gooseberry flavors.
Your Review: The first impression I had of this white wine was its smell of wild flowers, but that is not what it tasted like at all. As soon as it hit my palate I thought it was going to be a nice smooth white wine, but it was the direct opposite. The wine was very tart and had a very powerful fruity taste that took me by surprise. The sour component of this wine made my face cringe, and reminded me of a warhead candy.

Tasting - "Loredona Riesling"

Name: Loredona Riesling
Variety: Riesling
Region: Monterey California
Country: United States
Year: N/A
Price: $15
Sale Price: $7.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Amanda/ If you like your Rieslings on the sweet side, this pretty wine is for you. It's brisk in Central Coast acidity, which citrus, peach, honeysuckles and spice flavors that finish clean and long
Your review: This wine saved my wine tasting. It was had a very sweet and dandelion flower smell that was very pleasant, while having a very orange/tangerine and peachy taste that really brought my palate from the dead. This wine was a great change of pace after having those 2 red wine, and was easily the best out of the bunch for this weeks wine tasting.

Tasting - "Maipe Malbec"

Name: Maipe Malbec
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: N/A
Price: $8.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Amanda/ Deep purple color with violet tints, complex plum, fig, strawberry, spices and floral aromas; rounded and velvety tannins, excellent length with a distinguished character. Excellent when paired with game, roasted red meats, pasta or pizza.
Your Review: This was the second very, very, very dry red wine that numbed my tongue. After doing back to back red wines with these types of tannins, I was begging for water and feeling in my tongue. Before this wine did its damage on my mouth, it surprisingly had a pleasant smell of flowers. That soon faded once this wine hit my mouth because of the overwhelming dry sensation with a hint of strawberries. NEVER AGAIN!

Tasting - "Villa d' Rosso Toscano"

Name: Villa d' Rosso Toscano

Variety: Sangiovese

Region: Montepulciano 

Country: Italy

Year: N/A

Price:$6.95

Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Amanda/ 100% sangiovese grapes and is a wonderful rendition of a velvety Tuscan red. 

Your Review: This was the first of 2 red wines that were very dry. It had a dark berry smell, and for some reason I wanted to put the smell descriptor of a plum on it. The smell also sent a shiver down my spine, which is never a good sign before tasting a wine. This red wine was not overpowering with flavor because of the large amount of tannins that it possessed making my tongue numb and craving water. There was no way I could drink half a bottle of such a dry wine without some sort of food.

Tasting - "Arnold Palmer Chardonnay"

Name: Arnold Palmer Chardonnay                                                          
Variety:Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2011
Price: $20
Sales Price: $7.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Amanda/ A vibrant Chardonnay from vineyards in cooler climates of California. Chardonnay is well known for its characteristic fresh fruit aromas and rounded, rich flavors. Weather during the 2011 harvest provided ideal growing conditions for lush, yet perfectly balanced fruit.
Your review: This was another non-memorable white wine that didn't have a lasting impression on my palate. The flavor was very faint and hard to make out. What I could make out was a green sour like apple, but that was even hard to pick out. One of the more desiring features of this wine was the smell. This wine smelled like, as broad as a descriptor that this is, but nature. I smelled a forest like aroma that really made this wine stand out in the nose aspect.

Tasting - "El Sierro Macabeo/Chard."

Name: El Sierro Macabeo/Chad.
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: N/A
Country: Spain
Year: N/A
Price: $6.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Wine Cellar/ Amanda/ In the glass there is a bright and shiny white wine with an incredibly welcoming, fresh appetizing aroma reminiscent of ripe tropical fruits. The flavor is rich, balanced and extremely comfortable. The near-perfect all purpose white wine. Bottle is screw cap.
Your Review: This white wine was one of the dryer wines that reassembled a red wine, with a tart taste summing up the wine. This didn't have a noticeable flavor profile to it except a hint of pear, but that was even faint. This was an overall bland wine, that didn't have any pazaa or wow affect.

Tasting - "First Light Moscato"

Name: First Light Moscato
Variety: Muscat
Region: N/A
Country: Australia
Year: N/A
Regular Price: $15
Sale Price: $7.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review:Vintage Cellar/Amanda/ Ripe lychee, tropical fruits and musk on the nose as you near the glass. Lovely grape and stone fruits and on the palate is highlighted with the subtle sweetness and spritz that makes this such a fun drink. Low in alcohol and nicely balanced acidity ensure you will want more than one glass of this easy drinking wine.
Your Review: This was a sparkling white wine that lived up to its moscato name. This wine was very sharp in smell with blends of tropical fruit such as pineapple and granny smith apples. This had a typical moscato feel and taste that tingled on our mouth and was delicious from the time you smelled it to the time you swallowed it. I would defiantly recommend this spectacular white wine.

Tasting - "CalNaturale Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2009"

Name: CalNaturale Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2009
Variety: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Viognier
Region: Paso Robles
Country: California
Year: 2009
Regular Price: $16
Sales Price: $10.95 1 Liter, $5.95 500 ml
Shop/wine critic/winery review: This certified organic winery produces outstanding quality at reasonable prices offering classic Cabernet flavors of fresh herb, olive, cedar and cassis. Focused and intense with a charming rustic side and broad tannins that firm up on the finish.
Your Review:  This unique red wine came out of a juice box looking apparatus, and was my least favorite due to its notable oakey, bitter, and really tart taste. This was an average red wine due to its lack of distinct flavors that my palate, and punch that I could identify and enjoy.

Tasting - "Georges Duboeuf Beajolais Nouveau 2013"

Name: Georges Duboeu Beajolais Nouveau 2013
Variety:  Gamay
Region: Beaujolais
Country: France
Year: 2013
Regular Price: $15
Sales Price: $7.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: Vintage Cellar/ Amanda/ An aromatic red, with floral and white peach notes accenting the black raspberry and plum flavors. This is open-knit and fresh, offering light tannins on the finish.
Your Review: This red wine had a distinct taste of cranberry and a hint of raspberry that really blended well together. Like all red wines to me, this had a very dry and tart aftertaste that really gave a strong and lingering impression on my mouth. Not the worst red wine I have ever had, but defiantly not the best due to the unique taste of cranberry.