- Name: Castello Sonnino
- Variety: Blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia del Chianti
- Region: Chianti
- Country: Italy
- Year: 2010
- Price: Regular Price $15 Sale Price $8.95
- Vintage Cellar Review: A
blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia del Chianti. Rich and
modern, with a dark, saturated color and aromas of graham cracker and lemon
rind. A juicy palate packed with plum and raspberry is carried by a creamy
texture that’s rather toasty in terms of flavor. The finish is round, full and
chocolaty.
- My review: On the nose there is not much smell. By trying really hard I was able to detect a small hint of orange. There is a strong peppery smell that makes the orange smell. There is also a very weird acetone smell that makes me think this wine was getting to the point of turing bad. My intuition was right this wine was either beyond spoiled or terrible to start. It was a big nope on the palate and I had to pour the rest of my glass out. All there was on the palate was tastes of tobacco and pepper. This caused there to be a burning taste on my palate. The wine was also very dry and make me gasp for anything to get the taste out. I would never recommend this wine even if it was free.
- Food Pairing: I had no food with this wine.
- Name: Bolla Bardolino Magnum
- Variety: Bardolino Blend of: 60%
Corvina, 30% Rondinella, 10% Molinara
- Region: Bardolino
- Country: Italy
- Year: 2013
- Price: Regular Price $18 Sale Price $9.95
- Vintage Cellar Review:
A blend of 60%
Corvina, 30% Rondinella, 10% Molinara this bright ruby red wine has hints of
black cherry on the nose. It is soft and
fruit-forward, with black-fruit flavors followed by a bright and fresh finish.
Serve it as the Italians do – young and lightly chilled. Pairs perfectly with
fleshy fish, beef, lamb, red-sauced pastas and pizza.
- My review: On the nose there is not much of a smell. All I am able to detect are pepper and alcohol which is not to pleasant on the nose. On the palate there is a very sour puckering taste. This wine is very dry and left me wanting a glass of water. It was very hard to drink as the combination of the dry and sour wine made my mouth contort in weird ways. This wine has to go with food otherwise it is undrinkable.
- Food Pairing: I had no food with this wine.
- Name: Tenuta le Velette Berganorio
- Variety: Blend of 30% Trebbiano, 30% Grechetto, 20% Malvasia, 15% Verdello, and 5% Drupeggio
- Region: Orvieto
- Country: Italy
- Year: 2011
- Price: Regular Price $18 Sale Price $6.95
- Winereivew Review:
"The Berganorio
Orvieto is a subtle wine with a bright palate. It shows white flowers on the
nose and light citrus notes in the mouth. Its neutral character means it can
accompany a wide range of foods. A blend of 30% Trebbiano, 30% Grechetto, 20%
Malvasia, 15% Verdello, and 5% Drupeggio. The estate has 103 hectares on the
hill opposite the hill town of Orvieto."
- My review: On the nose I am hit with tones of tropical fruit flavors, mango and guava are two big standouts. There are also hints of watermelon along with fresh cut grass. On the palate there are none of the tropical fruits tasted, the only fruit flavor there is pear. There is also an acid feel from lemon on the palate. The finish however is very strong with an acid burn that remains long after the sip has been swallowed.
- Food Pairing: I had no food with this wine.
- Name: Avelda Vinho Verde
- Variety: Vinho Verde: 40% Arinto, 30% Loureriro 20% Trajadura and 10%Azal
- Region: Praia
- Country: Portugal
- Year: Non Vintage
- Price: Regular Price $10 Sale Privce $8.95
- Wine and Spirits Review: A
blend of 40% Arinto, 30% Loureiro, 20% Trajadura and 10% Azal. Full of fruit, a lasting
peach flavor targeted with laser like acidity through the finish. It has the
bite of salty ocean air and a lot of zing. For langoustines.
- My review: On the nose there are strong peach fruity notes. There is also a strong acidic smell from lemons as well as hints of dandelion and hay. On the palate there is an initial crisp apple and pear taste. There is no heat which is very refreshing without food. There is a tart acidic finish that has a nice sweet lime taste. This wine was very nice and light although I wish there were more fruit flavors to cut the acidity down.
- Food Pairing: I had no food with this wine.
- Name: Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon
- Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
- Region: California
- Country: United States of America
- Year: Non Vintage
- Price: Regular Price $5.99
- Barefoot Website Review: Tastes and Delights, Quick! The berries are coming! Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon is full of big berry flavors, making this traditional wine a standout sensation. Currant, raspberry and blackberry jam mix with a velvety vanilla finish to make up this delicious red wine. Lush and lasting, it’s sure to make a big impression. Always stomps out a good time with beef, lamb, and red sauce pasta dishes. And did we mention cheeseburgers? What do you enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon with?
- My review: And thus this bottle ended the Barefoot tasting week. I choose it because Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite red grape variety and I thought it would be a nice wine to end on. On the nose there is a strong pepper smell along with raspberries and blackberries on the nose. There are also notes of red currant and an earthy mud smell on the nose but they all fail in comparison to the smell of the pepper. On the palate there is a lot of berries tasted from blackberries and raspberries to even a slight blueberry taste. There is a pepper taste on the midpalate that breaks up the berry sweetness. This wine is very dry and tastes very good with red meat.
- Food Pairing: I had this wine with dinner which was prime rib and stuffed baked potatoes. This wine tasted very good with the prime rib and made the meat have an even better flavor than by itself. The potato lost a bit of its flavor as it was stuffed with bacon and cheese and the peppery flavor in the wine masked all of these flavors.
- Name: Barefoot Pinot Grigio
- Variety: Pinot Gris
- Region: California
- Country: United States of America
- Year: Non Vintage
- Price: Regular Price $5.99
- Barefoot Website Review: Tastes and Delights, Barefoot Pinot Grigio is light-bodied with a bright finish, perfect for the warm days of summer or enjoyed year-round. Tart green apple flavors mix it up with a white peach undertone. Floral blossoms and citrus aromas do the tango. Perfect Partner, Great with the three P’s: poultry, (spicy) pasta and pizza! What do you enjoy Pinot Grigio with?
- My review: On the nose this wine had a very strong citrus smell of lemon, lime and orange. There are floral notes and those of fresh cut grass as well an earthy mud smell. On the palate the wine is very buttery and coats the mouth. There is an acidic taste flavor of lemon and lime is very tart to cut the buttery flavor. There is a floral taste of rose water as well, there is also a significant amount of heat on the finish. This wine needs to be paired with food to cut the heat down and the buttery flavor goes well with food to give it more flavor.
- Food Pairing: I had this wine with a chicken pasta. It was a very nice combination and the wine paired nicely with the food.
- Name: Barefoot Moscato
- Variety: Muscat
- Region: California
- Country: United States of America
- Year: Non Vintage
- Price: Regular Price $5.99
- Barefoot Website Review: Tastes and Delights, Barefoot Moscato is delightfully sweet with lush fruity aromas. Hints of citrus skip across flavors of juicy peach and ripe apricots. A bright, crisp finish dances in at the end. This white wine is a bit sweeter than our Riesling and a true crowdpleaser! Perfect Partners, Barefoot Moscato is truly versatile, paring well with spicy Asian cuisine and light desserts. It’s good at keeping things fresh with some fruit or mild cheese too. What do you enjoy Moscato with?
- My review: This wine was the first wine that I had ever tasted that I was in love with several years ago. It is still one of my go to Moscatos to drink when I have dessert or when I just want a sugary sweet bottle of wine. On the nose there is a definite sugar smell that is mixed in with a lot of different sweet fruit flavors. There were notes of apricots, oranges, strawberries and pears on the nose. On the palate there is a sweetness that coats your entire mouth like a soda. There are flavors of pear, strawberries, and peaches on the palate. There is a slight heat on the finish to try and cut back the sweetness making this wine have a bit more complexity than sugary fruit. Despite that I still think this wine is a delicious cheap moscato that pairs well with food.
- Food Pairing: I had some angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries. This was one of my favorite flavor combination of wine with food and it was amazing and I highly recommend it.
