Tasting- Faraway Farms Shiraz

Name: Faraway Farms Shiraz

Variety:  Shiraz

Region:  Western Cape

Country:  South Africa

Year:  2008

Price:  $5.95

Review:  Fresh, modern style, with lots of plum pudding, sweet chocolate, mocha, blackberry and boysenberry flavors supported by round, sweet tannins and toast

My Review:  This wine was a nice, deep burgundy, red color.  I could detect a faint coffee smell among the spices.  It was sweeter than the Garnacha, but still had a pepper, spice taste.  It was still a dry wine but it had that bitter dark chocolate flavor.  Interesting. 

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Tres Ojos Old Vines Garnacha

Name:  Tres Ojos

Variety:  Grenacha

Region:  Aragon                               

Country: Spain

Year:  2009

Price:  $6.95

Review:  Bright ruby color. Primary dark berry aromas are simple but offer very good purity and focus. Juicy blackberry and bitter cherry flavors are youthfully tangy, with good back-end acidity adding snap. The clean, brisk finish leaves behind notes of sweet dark berry preserves and cracked pepper

My Review:  This wine did not have a huge nose but I did get some pepper and spice smells.  The taste was a little overpowering with pepper.  There was a hint of blackberry flavor, but it was dulled by the pepper.   It was dry as well.  A pass for me.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Fox Hollow Chardonnay

Name:  Fox Hollow Chardonnay

Variety:  Chardonnay

Region:  California, Napa and Sonoma Valley

Country:  USA

Year:  2009

Price:  $5.95

Review:  Quite an interesting Chardonnay, in an era when so many are too sweet and extracted. There’s plenty of orange and apricot fruit flavor, but also a brilliant streak of minerality, like a lick of cold steel, and the overall taste is dry. Really easy to like, with lots of complexity to warrant repeated sipping

My Review:  This wine had a light citrus smell of apples and pears.  It tasted like lemon juice squirted over apples.  It was slightly tart and I feel like there was more going on that I could not quite describe.  Not as good as the Sauvignon Blanc though.

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Okiwa Sauvignon

Name:  Obikwa

Variety:  Sauvignon Blanc

Region:  Coastal Region

Country:  South Africa

Year:  2009

Price:  $7.95

Review:  OBiKWA Sauvignon Blanc is the ideal summer wine and smacks of crisp tropical fruit with a smattering of gooseberries and fig. If you're planning a night out with mates - don't forget to bring along a bottle of this yummy potion

My Review:  This wine smelled crisp and fruity with a slight petrol undertone.  It had a lemony tart taste, and was overall pretty good

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- Peter Mertes Liebraumilch

Name: Peter Mertes

Variety:  Riesling

Region:  Rheinhessen and Palatinate

Country:  Germany

Year:  2009

Price:  $5.95

Review:  Leibfraumilch is a soft, delicate wine of the Rheinhessen and Palatinate districts. The original wine was named after the Leibfraumilch monastery in Worms, where the monks were the first wine growers and produced an unusually pleasing wine. Wines of the Rheinhessen and Palatinate are noted for their aroma, wellbalanced harmony, and fragrance.  Leibfraumilch, as all excellent white wines is best served chilled. We suggest serving with cold entrees, as well as poultry, such as chicken or turkey, or even with a mild Cheddar, mellow and slightly nutty with a medium consistency.

My Review:  This wine smelled a little strange since it was served right after the Col Des Vents, so there was not a whole lot off the nose overall.  It had a nice, crisp grape taste and was slightly sweet and a little tart.  Not my favorite of the day, but still good.  My friend liked it a lot though, and even bough a bottle.

I tried this wine without food.   

Tasting- Col Des Vents

Name:  Col Des Vents

Variety:  50% Carignan, 35% Grenache, 15% Syrah

Region:  Dorban

Country: France

Year:  2009

Price:  $7.95

Review:  50% Carignan, 35% Grenache, 15% Syrah.  Brambly berry, cherry and raspberry, spices, black pepper…all are present in this authentic French country wine

My Review:  This wine smelled fruity, but not sweet.  More of a berries and spice mix.  It tasted peppery, but in a nice spicy way and not really any heat.  It was actually pretty dull the more I drank and left a chalky feel in my mouth.  There were also some hints of cherry.  The most expensive wine was the least favorite of the day. 

I tried this wine without food.

Tasting- San Elias Carmenere

Name:  San Elias

Variety:  Carmenere

Region:  Central Valley

Country:  Chile

Year:  2010

Price:  $5.95

Review:  The grapes for this Carménère are selected from vineyards in the Central Valley. Beautiful red fruit aromas. Supple and round in the mouth, the wine pairs well with full flavored cheeses and lamb.

My Review:  This wine was a nice burgundy red color with a spicy/hot, mild tobacco smell.  It had an interesting taste of spicy pepper.  It was dry and a little tongue tingling. 

I tried this wine without food.