Tasting - "Italo Cescon Artigiano Del Vino Pinot Noir"

Name: Italo Cescon Artigiano Del Vino Pinot Noir
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Italy
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $11.99

Critic Review: Can't find one.

My Review: I thought this one definitely had a stronger smell than the last wine (Italo Cescon Artigiano Del Vino Riesling). Unfortunately, I can't really smell anything from this wine that made it stand out from others in the past. I found this wine bitter and not really sweet. I personally did not like this wine that much.

I did not taste this wine with food.

Critic Review Source: Can't find one.

Tasting - "Italo Cescon Artigiano Del Vino Riesling"

Name: Italo Cescon Artigiano Del Vino Riesling
Variety: 100% Riesling
Region: Italy
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $11.99

Critic Review: Can't find one

My Review: It might of been because my nose was a bit stuffy the day of the tasting, but I really did not smell much flavor from this wine. All I smelled was the faint smell of generic grapes. Even drinking it, I did not taste that much from it. Sure I could taste some bitterness here and there, but that was really it. It wasn't as bitter as I was expecting it to be like other wines I've tasted. Because of this, it went down pretty smoothly. I think this would actually be a wine that I would consider trying again just because it stood out from the others so far.

I did not taste this wine with food.

Critic Review Source: Can't find one

Tasting - "Chateau L'insoumise Vin De Bordeaux Caresse du Terroir"

Name: Chateau L'insoumise Vin De Bordeaux Caresse du Terroir
Variety: 60% Merlot, 15% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: $9.99

Critic Review (2011 Review, Couldn't find 2012 Review) : One of my personal favorite Bordeaux that I've tried. It's full bodied with high tannin levels, strong oak taste but not overpowering. It's a blend of 60% merlot, 15% Malbec, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Simply delicious.

My Review: I thought this wine didn't have much of a smell in the beginning, but after swirling, I could actually smell more of the wine. I'm not sure if it was because I took a bigger sniff or what, but I was surprised since I hadn't noticed that effect in the other wines yet. I thought this wine had more of a taste than the last wine (Italo Cescon Artigiano Del Vino Pinot Noir). This wine tasted more sweet but still bitter. I still did not like it much though.

I did not have this wine with food.

Critic Review Source: https://www.vivino.com/wineries/l-insoumise-50247/wines/bordeaux-caresse-du-terroir-2011

Region Information Source: https://www.vivino.com/wineries/l-insoumise-50247/wines/bordeaux-caresse-du-terroir-2011

Tasting - "Yellow Tail Red Moscato Bubbles Non Vintage"

Name:Yellow Tail Red Moscato Bubbles Non Vintage
Variety: Shiraz/Syrah, Semillon, Moscato (Unknown Percentages)
Region: Australia
Country: Australia
Year: Unknown
Price: $10
Critic Review: Deep ruby, small bubbles and showing a grapy, berry and tropical fruit and floral nose. Medium sweet (55g/L sugar content), fine mousse, flavours of sweedish berry, passion fruit, strawberry and citrus, with a medium finish. A wine like this is really best with spicy or sweet foods. This is a standout pairing to compliment chocolate chip cheesecake with a strawberry, blueberry and port reduction compote. The bubbles cleanse the palate between bites and flavours are in perfect harmony with the berry compote.
Tasted December 2015
My Review: I liked this wine the most out of all the ones I tried at the wine tasting. I liked this one the most because it was sweeter than the others and I also enjoyed the bubbly feeling from the wine.

I did not have food with this wine.

Sources:

Picture Source: http://www.yellowtailwine.com/media/403234/large%20bottle%20images%20vertical_red%20mosc%20bubb%20rebrand.jpg

Critic Review Source: http://www.nataliemaclean.com/wine-reviews/yellow-tail-red-moscato-bubbles/223623

Variety Source: https://www.vivino.com/wineries/yellow-tail/wines/bubbles-ros-9999#user-reviews

Tasting - "Beringer Smooth Red Blend"

Name: Beringer Smooth Red Blend
Variety: Shiraz/Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Sirah (Unknown Percentages)
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $15
Critic Review: Beringer Vineyards philosophy - "To thine own self be true". Don't be hating . . . I like California wine, in fact prefer it and this is a super example of why . . . Raspberry and plum on the nose with hints of that jamminess coming through on the tongue. Subtle oak and soft tannins make this a very drinkable red on its own.

My Review: I thought this wine was very similar to the last one (Yellow Tail Cabernet / Merlot 2014). I didn't really find anything unique about this one. Since it was bitter, I did not like this one that much.

I did not eat food with this wine.

Sources:

Picture Source: http://www.nataliemaclean.com/images/winepicks/04aae6fbf41dec6a083fdc77fd79cc98/207178-beringer-vineyards-founders-estate-cabernet-sauvignon-2012-bottle-1431348933.jpg

Critic Review Source: https://www.vivino.com/wineries/beringer-vineyards/wines/founders-estate-smooth-red-blend-2012

Variety Source: https://www.vivino.com/wineries/beringer-vineyards/wines/founders-estate-smooth-red-blend-2012

Tasting - "Yellow Tail Cabernet / Merlot"

Name: Yellow Tail Cabernet / Merlot
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot (Unknown Percentages)
Region: Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2014
Price: $10
Critic Review: low acidic cab/merlot, experienced this wine that my husband chose for our spaghetti dinner, excellent choice for Italian meal, stood up to the intense flavors of Italian sausage sauce & balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing..A smooth dinner wine with a smooth taste & no after taste. Love it!

My Review: I thought this wine had a less potent smell than the last wine (Be. Bright Pinot Grigio), though it smelled sweeter than the first. The wine tasted more bitter than the last wine however, which I though was already really bitter. Therefore, I do not like this wine.

I did not have food with this wine.

Sources:

Picture Source: http://www.yellowtailwine.com/media/7265/cabernet_merlot.jpg

Critic Review Source: http://www.snooth.com/wine/yellow-tail-cabernet-merlot-2014/

Variety Source: https://www.vivino.com/wineries/yellow-tail/wines/cabernet-merlot-2014

Tasting - "Be. Bright Pinot Grigio"

Name: Be. Bright Pinot Grigio
Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: California
Country:United States
Year: 2013
Price: $10
Critic Review: The final wine of this shopper savvy week is the 2011 Be. Bright Pinot Grigio. I am a big fan of the Be winery based in California, and their great bottle design. Simple, yet playful, just like their titles. The wine also emanates the same simple and slightly playful character. We round out our affordable wines with this $10 tasty surprise.

The winery playfully describes their wine as:

Snagging the spotlight is simply effortless with this Pinot Grigio that breezes in with its sun-ripened fruit flavors, shines with carefree cues of the tropics, and finishes with an exquisite ending that welcomes you to your place in the sun.

 When you uncork this one you'll smell definite floral notes and bits of citrus fruit, almost demanding me to have this once the weather gets hot out. The wine is a nice light golden color, which enhances the delicate nature of this pinot grigio. Tasting this wine reveals light peach and white peach flavors intertwined with a floral background. A slight sweetness is balanced out with the typical Pinot Grigio dry profile. Very balanced and a bit of a cold-stone finish. Very pleasant for a Pinot Grigio. I am a big fan of Be wines and I hope they can branch out into red wines, making them just as accessible and playful as they have with white wines. Will definitely be trying this Pinot again in the summer with some fruit and cheese.
My Review: The main thing I noticed about this wine was that it was more bitter than the Dynamite Sauvignon Blanc. Since I already thought the previous wine was bitter enough, I didn't really enjoy this one as much.

I did not try this wine with food.

Sources:

Critic Review Source: http://caseym18.blogspot.com/2013/04/tasting-be-bright-pinot-grigio.html

Image Source: http://sr5.wine-searcher.net/images/labels/10/63/10371063t.jpg

Variety Source: http://www.snooth.com/wine/be-bright-pinot-grigio-2013/

Tasting - "Dynamite Sauvignon Blanc"

Name: Dynamite Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: 97.5% Sauvignon Blanc, 2.5% Muscat Canelli
Region: Lake County, California
Country: United States
Year: Unknown
Price: $13
Critic Review: Lots of fruit in this slightly sweet but balanced wine. It's bursting with lemon and lime, peach, fig and honeydew flavors, with just enough acidity to finish clean and zesty.

My Review: To start off, I thought the wine smelled very sweet the first time I smelled it. Since I'm not very verse at wine critiquing, I could only really smell grapes. The wine tasted bitter but I could taste that a part of it was sweet. I personally didn't enjoy it too much, though it isn't the worst one I tasted that day.

I did not taste this wine with food.


Sources

Picture Source: https://www.friartuckonline.com/Products/Images/018138312025/1000/DYNAMITE-SAUVIGNON-BLANC_Springfield-IL.jpg

Review Source: http://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/dynamite-vineyards-2005-sauvignon-blanc-lake-county

Variety Source: https://www.wespeakwine.com/products/Dynamite-Vineyards-Sauvignon-Blanc-Lake-County-2012-750ML.html