Tasting Villa Jolanda Brut

Name: Villa Jolanda Brut

Variety: Prosecco

Region: N/A

Country: Italy

Price: $8.95

Year: N/A.

Shop Review: Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections. Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas. Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste.

My Review: I loved this sparkling wine and was loving the light pear smell but it was definitely not as strongly smelling as many other sparkling champagnes I have tried. It had a crisp taste with pear and apricots throughout the mid palette and ended with an apple finish, like a macintosh taste! I would have this sparkling wine again!

I did not have this with food but would serve it with light appetizers!

Tasting Alvarez de Toledo Godello

Name: Alvarez de Toledo Godello

Variety: Godello

Region: Bierzo

Country: Spain

Price: $7.95

Year: 2013

Shop Review: Clean pale yellow color. Nose fruity, persistent and elegant aromas. Good backbone on the palate.

My Review: This wine was extremely pale and almost looked like water. I could smell a tiny bit of a fruity aroma, like citrus but to me the vegetable smell was overwhelming. It was almost like a tomato or perhaps a leafy green veggie. The taste was lemon like and sour but not in a bad way.

I did not try this with food but would like to do so in the future, perhaps with a chicken dish.

Name: Trattoria Busa Alla Torre Da Lele

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region:Veneto

Country: Italy

Price: $7.95

Year: N/A

Shop Review: Named after the famous restaurant in Italy! This is their house white wine! Coppery color from extended skin contact, round and rich texture with juicy melon aromas and flavors with a sweet fennel note on the ultra smooth finish. Great value Grigio! Drink now.

My Review: This wine was interesting and I enjoyed the tangerine like smell with a mix of cantaloupe scent. I expected it to be more acidic and while it was tart, I was happy about it's balance and undertone of sweetness. I felt like there was a bit of a crisp, granny smith apple finish as well!

I drank this wine with a light pasta dish with shrimp and really enjoyed the combo!

Tasting Monte Degli Angeli Sangiovese

Name: Monte Degli Angeli Sangiovese

Variety: Sangiovese

Region: Puglia

Country: Italy

Price: $7.95

Year: 2013

Shop Review: The aromas are rich and dark, with lots of black cherry and a hint of balsamic. In the mouth the wine is round and energetic, with cherry and black raspberry fruit complemented by hints of damp earth. If you like Sangiovese-based wines like Chianti or our best-selling Colsanto from Umbria, you'll love this! The wine is ripe, fresh, and fruit-driven with a wonderful dash of earthy complexity at the end. Buy it by the case and drink with pizza, grilled poultry, and pasta.

My Review: The initial smell I got from this wine was a bit of vegetables, like broccoli and peppers in a  salad. When I read about the label mentioning it had balsamic, it did remind me of what I tasted, almost like a dressing with a purely vegetable salad. I could also feel a bit of an earthy smell, like dirt. The taste itself was black currant with a hint of black pepper. The after taste hit me with wet rock and I wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. Overall,  I think I might prefer this wine with food.

I did not try this with food but I would like to try it with some pasta or pizza!

Tasting Bolla Moscato

Name: Bolla Moscato

Variety: Moscato

Region: Pavia

Country: Italy

Price: $9.95

Year: N/A

Shop Review: Loaded with juicy exotic fruit, mature apricot, yellow peach and tangerine flavors, this sweet and delightful wine is perfect for Sunday brunch or picnics.

My Review: As a huge Moscato drinker I was excited about what this wine had to offer and was very disappointed by it. It smelled like a mixture of freshly mowed lawn and gasoline from the lawn mower itself. I tried to keep an open mind, since the taste doesn't often match the smell but was still upset by the flavor. It hit me like bad grape juice, the type that was made with bad grapes. It also had a bit of grapefruit undertone and leeche taste. I would not drink this wine again.

I did not eat anything with this wine and probably wouldn't want to ruin food with it.

Tasting Villa Pozzi Moscato

Name: Villa Pozzi Moscato

Variety: Moscato

Region: Sicily

Country: Italy

Price: $8.95

Year:

Shop Review: Loaded with juicy exotic fruit, mature apricot, yellow peach and tangerine flavors, this sweet and delightful wine is perfect for Sunday brunch or picnics.

My Review: I love Moscato and this was right up my alley! It smelled very floral with an accent of sweet fruits. I couldn't exactly put my finger on it but it smelled a bit like sweet plums or some crisp pineapple. I could taste a sweet papaya and tangerine touch, along with a Motts White Grape juice feel.

I did not try this with food but it would be interesting to pair it with a spicy food to offset all the sweetness!

Tasting Bodegas Atalaya Laya

Name: Bodegas Atalaya Laya

Variety: 70% Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) and 30% Monastrell

Region: Almansa

Country: Spain

Price: $8.95

Year: 2013

Shop Review: 88 Points – Stephen Tanzer. A blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera, a.k.a. Alicante Bouschet, and 30% Monastrell; fermented in stainless steel, followed by four months in French oak.  Bright purple.  Cassis, blueberry, pungent herbs and mocha on the nose.  Smooth and open-knit on the palate, displaying fresh cherry and dark berry qualities and a hint of black pepper.  Finishes with gripping tannins and good length, leaving a subtle floral note behind.

My Review: I could tell it was going to be an intense wine by it's deep purple hue and on the nose, the mocha and earthy, herb like nature really overwhelmed me. I could kind of smell a blackberry smell, maybe cassis but I can't really tell the difference, and almost smelled a bit like espresso, burning my nose. The taste was really weird, but I could pick up on some dark fruits, like a black raspberry or unripe blueberry. The black pepper finish at the end was off putting since the smell was like coffee and at the end I felt like I ate something doused in pepper. I would definitely prefer this wine with food.

I would definitely prefer to match this wine with some food, as it was very strong and not a type of wine I would just sip on. I might try it with a steak or some other type of meat to offset it.