Tasting - Angove Zibibbo Sparkling Moscato

Angove Zibibbo Sparkling Moscato
South Australia 
Regular Price: $18
Sale Price: $4.95

Tasting Notes from The Vintage Cellar: The Zibibbo variety is noted for its delightfully fresh aromas and light fresh palate making it the ideal variety to use in sparkling wine. The variety is part of the Muscat family and is delightfully fresh, this frothy, sweet ‘alfresco’ sparkling wine displays crisp floral aromas with citrus peel and creamy flavors on the palate. Pale straw in color, the wine shouts of celebration and exuberance, and with a modest 8% alcohol, is ideal on a lazy sunny afternoon with friends.

If I had tried this wine a few months ago, I think I would have thoroughly enjoyed it and would possibly have become my favorite bubbly. It reminded me a lot of the Risata Moscato I swore by for a while, but I cannot handle this sweetness anymore. It had a very lovely aroma to it, sweet and fruity with a hint of citrus. I think I liked the way it smelled more than it tasted. The sweetness paired with the carbonation just did not set well on my palate, but I can see why this wine would be popular with most people. By the time we showed up to the store after class, only one bottle of it remained and was actually sold during our tasting!

Tasting - Five Rivers Merlot 2011

Five Rivers Merlot 2011
Monterey, California
Regular Price: $18
Sale Price: $7.95

Tasting Notes from The Vintage Cellar: Ripe cherry and blackberry fruit stars in this easy-drinking wine, with oak providing toasty sweetness. It’s an everyday, cheeseburger-friendly Merlot.

I found this red to be slightly drier than the Beaujolais but still easy to drink and smooth in the mouth. Also not overwhelmingly sweet, I enjoyed this wine. It was a bit lighter than I tend to like, but I would consider buying this in the future for a nice planned dinner. Although noted as an everyday, friendly wine, its regular price makes me shy away from buying it too often.

Tasting - George Duboeuf Beaujlais Nouveau 2014

George Duboeuf Beaujlais Nouveau 2014
Beaujolais, France
Regular Price: $14
Sale Price: $3.95

Tasting Notes from Vintage Cellar: Balanced and lightly creamy, offering pretty flavors of plum sauce and raspberry coulis threaded with hints of ground spice. Elegant, with a floral finish.

Following the rosé tasting, this red tasted very full bodied and smooth. This was actually my favorite one of all the ones we tasted and I picked up a bottle of this one for myself as well. I agree with the tasting notes in that it was balanced with floral flavors, but it was not extremely sweet which made it very appealing to me. The gentleman pouring the wine informed us that this wine is actually from Burgundy, but a specific part of Burgundy which is what gives it the name "Beaujolais". I had not previously tasted a wine from Burgundy but had been meaning to. Since I very much enjoyed this wine I cannot wait to try more from this region of France!

Tasting - Rubus Rosado Prieto Picudo 2013

Rubus Rosado Prieto Picudo 2013
Tierra de Leon, Spain
Regular Price: $14
Sale Price: $3.95

Tasting Notes from The Vintage Cellar: Bright clean strawberry rose color. In the nose it is intense and fresh, with strawberry aromas and slight citric hints. In the mouth it is fresh, strong and tasty, emphasizing a delightful tingle due to its carbonic residuals. The name Prieto Picudo means "tight & pointy" (more or less). This is due to the tightly formed bunches and the slightly oval/pointy shape of the grapes. The bunch shape is reminiscent of Tempranillo; the berries are thick skinned, and dark blue-black in color. Prieto Picudo is well adapted to the difficult growing conditions in Castilla y León province - not a lot of rain, very cold winters and scorching hot summers. The vines tend to relatively low yields, with lots of color, concentration and good acidity. Also, it's the same grape as Alfrocheiro Preto in Portugal. Alfrocheiro is an important variety in Dão region of Portugal.

This wine had a very fresh and fruity scent. Its taste agreed with the smell and was very light and sweet. I picked up some hints of strawberry which I'm sure contributed to the sweet and fruity scent. I actually had never tried a rosé but unfortunately was not a big fan. I used to like sweet, fruity wines as Moscato was my favorite, but have moved away from these. I can see why other people like it though as it is smooth and flavorful in the mouth. I did not pair this wine with any foods.

Tasting - Lagosta Vinho Verde

Lagosta Vinho Verde
Vinho Verde, Portugual
Regular Price: $12
Sale Price: $5.95

Tasting Notes from Vintage Cellar: Fresh and juicy, with fresh-cut apple and gooseberry flavors that feature notes of citrus and light spice on the finish. The name “Lagosta” means “lobster,” and this would be a great seafood accompaniment.

This wine was the first wine of the tasting. I found this appropriate as it was a very light, crisp wine. This was my first time trying a wine from this region and actually the country as well. From the aroma and look of it, I thought I was not going to like this wine very much, as I generally prefer fuller bodied wines. This wine was a very light yellow/green color, nearly clear. It smelled very fresh and citrusy. I found the wine to be very crisp and refreshing, but not as acidic as I thought it would be. I ended up really enjoying this wine and bought a bottle for myself, as its price was unbeatable! I have not done so yet, but I plan to pair this wine with a light pasta dish with white sauce or a seafood dish.