Tasting - Opera Prima Sparkling Moscato

• Opera Prima Sparkling Moscato
• Muscat

• La Mancha
• Spain
• Price: $6.95 - $15

• Critic Review
• Flowery and sweet smelling, then round and fairly smooth in the mouth. The bubbles and flavor package of tropical fruits galore is pleasant and shouldn’t offend anyone. Finishes clean and easy. A mango boat of flavor. 

• Tasting Review
• Moscato with a very sweet smell. The taste is slightly tropical but partly overpowered by the sweetness, however the bubbles round out a nice mouthfeel. Overall a standard moscato.

• Did not pair with food.

Tasting - Foxhollow Cabernet Sauvignon

• Foxhollow Cabernet Sauvignon
• 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 
• Year: 2012

• Califonia 
• US
• Price: $5.95

• Critic Review
• Rich and supple with juicy plum, blackberry and chocolate flavors and a pleasant sense of sweetness backed up by good acidity and moderate tannins. Offers early complexity and charm with real richness and depth.

• Tasting Review
• A deep red wine with a fruity, coffee type of aroma. The taste is very rich early on with tastes of chocolate, boysenberry, and blackberry and a dry sweetness at the end.

• Did not pair with food.

Tasting - Chicken & Turkey Cotes du Rhone

• Chicken & Turkey Cotes du Rhone
• Blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 20% Carignan
• Year: 2011

•  Rhone Valley
• France
• Price: $5.95 - $10

•  Critic Review

• Deep red garnet color with purple highlights. Intense nose of morello cherry, tobacco and liquorice. Good structure on the palate with lots of fruits and a long fruity and spicy finish. A true delight.

• Tasting Review 

• A deep red wine with a strong black cherry smell and hints of blackberry. The taste is very fruity (cherry, blackberry, blueberry, ect.), slight spicy finish, but is not very complex and goes down quite easily.

• Did not pair with food.

Tasting - Foxhollow Chardonnay

• Foxhollow Chardonnay
• 100% Chardonnay 
• Year: 2012

• Region: Californa 
• Country: US
• Price: $5.95

• Critic Review 

This Chardonnay’s aromas of tropical pineapple, crisp green apple and citrus are supported by underlying nuances of vanilla. The finish is smooth and creamy yet balanced with enough acidity to accentuate the vibrant fruit flavors with a hint of orange blossoms.

• My Tasting Review

This wine has an aroma mix of tropical fruits with floural notes. The taste is strong and creamy with notes of green apple and a strong acidic finish.

• Did not pair with food.

Tasting - Fontana Frascati

•Fontana Candida Frascati
• Blend of 60% Malvasia Bianca di Candia, 30% Trebbiano, & 10% Malvasia del Lazio.

• Region: Frascati
•Country: Italy
•Price: $5.95 - $12

• Critic Review
On the nose it offers light-as-a-zephyr lemon and a hint of grass. On the tongue it is ultra crisp and delightfully flinty, its lemon and clementine flavors as smooth as old silk. At the end of a nice clean finish a dab of ripe pear takes a bow.

•My Tasting Review
Has a first smell of citris with a bit of wheat. The taste is very crisp, dry, a hint of minerals, with a slight taste of apple at the end.

•Did not pair with food.

Tasting - Rubus, Rosado Prieto Picudo

Rosado Prieto Picudo
Prieto Picudo
Tierra de Leon, Spain

2013
$3.95 - $14.00
 Critic Review:
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.
My Review: 
A light wine with a strong cherry/strawberry early flavor, a noticable amount of carbon dioxide, and a slight lemon hint at the finish.

•Did not pair with food.