Sean's Wine Blog

 1)  2)  3) The Collection Prosecco Rose, Glera (learned this from googling what was in prosecco), Italy, Prosecco in Northeast Italy, no vintage year on it, $2.99 4) Review from Viviano: Subtle strawberry notes, perfect bubbles, clean and light, pale salmon color. raspberry, lime, cherry, yeast and brioche aftertaste. medium acidity, nice astringency and fizziness. long finish with cherry, raspberry and lemon aftertaste. 5) From Wine Folly: About northeast Italy, The regions of Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Fruli-Venezia Giulia have cooler climates and the warmer areas are influenced by the Adriatic Sea. Reds offer more fruit and the best white wines are found in the hills, such as the Soave grape, Garganega. About Prosecco Superiore, Italy's most popular bubbly is made with Glera grapes and while most prosecco is mass produced, beer like fizz, you can find some exceptional quality from the hilly zones of Colli Asolani and Valdobbiadene Superiore. Page...

1)  2)  3) The Collection Prosecco, Glera (learned this from googling what was in prosecco), Italy, Prosecco in Northeast Italy, no vintage year on it, $2.99 4) Review from Viviano: Sweet and fruity, gently acidic, apple, pear, lychee, honey, lemon, lime, medium bubbly - delicious inexpensive treat but nothing fancy. 5) From Wine Folly: About northeast Italy, The regions of Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Fruli-Venezia Giulia have cooler climates and the warmer areas are influenced by the Adriatic Sea. Reds offer more fruit and the best white wines are found in the hills, such as the Soave grape, Garganega. About Prosecco Superiore, Italy's most popular bubbly is made with Glera grapes and while most prosecco is mass produced, beer like fizz, you can find some exceptional quality from the hilly zones of Colli Asolani and Valdobbiadene Superiore. Pages 248-251 6) I drank this with no food. My first impression was it tastes pretty good. A nice light fizz and lig...

 1)  2)  3) Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, Chardonnay, United States, California, No vintage year on the bottle, $8 4) Review from vivano: crisp and oaky not too sweet fresh apple and butter kind of like a good apple pie good balance for a budget chardonnay 5) from wine folly: One of the world's most popular grapes, chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from sparkling blanc de blancs to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Flavors include yellow apple, starfruit, pineapple, vanilla, and butter. Mostly made in France and USA 6) I drank this with no food. apple pear smell. Smooth crisp, goes down easy. A little buttery taste along with apple and pear tastes. A little citrus in there as well. Maybe even a little vanilla as well. Has a light mouth feel. Overall rating: 8.3/10

 1)  2)  3) Frontera, Merlot, Chile, Concha y Toro winery near Santiago, 2009, $5 4) Review from viviano: Bold red wine aged 11 years tastes a little like red fruit nd black fruits used to  make cough syrup nice tawny color still drinkable 5) From Wine folly pages 131-132, Merlot is loved for its boisterous black cherry flavors, supple tannins, and smokey or chocolatey finish. Flavors shown are cherry, plum, chocolate, dried herbs, and vanilla. Grown mostly in france but found in lots of places 6) I drank this with no food. smells like dark cherries and even smells a little heavy. doesnt have a lot of fruit flavors. tastes very bold but not overly tannic. tastes oaky and like I am drinking dirt. definitely not my thing. Overall: 6.3/10

1)  2)  3) Glen Manor, Petite Manseng, United States, Virginia, 2017, $35 4) Review from Viviano: Stone fruit and citrus on the nose. Peaches some apricot lemon dry slightly acidic dry light golden color 5) From Wine Folly: There is actually no info on this certain grape in the book so I went to wikipedia.  a white  wine   grape variety  that is grown primarily in  South West France . It produces the highest quality wine of any grape in the  Manseng  family. The name is derived from its small, thick skin berries.  The grape is often left on the vine till December to produce a  late harvest   dessert wine .  6) My review: I drank this with no food. It has a very pear taste with some apple flavors as well. Looked like a chardonnay color so I expected some creaminess but it was very fruity. A little bit of citrus acid in there as well. Overall it was very light and easy to drink however it was a little out of my price range. ...

 1)   2)  3) Rappahannock Cellars, Chardonnay, United States, Virginia, 2017, $25 4) Review from Viviano: Big yellow apple and lime. a very consistent grape for this winery. Almost like pencil shavings on the nose. a bit of pear 5) from wine folly: One of the world's most popular grapes, chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from sparkling blanc de blancs to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Flavors include yellow apple, starfruit, pineapple, vanilla, and butter. Mostly made in France and USA. 6) I drank this with no food. Smelled the citrus and slight vanilla flavors before I drank. Light mouth feel but a little dry, a little creamy almost. Went down smoothly. The flavors were apple and buttery. I wasn't sure what oak aging did to a wine before but I know now! Overall rating 7.7/10

 1)  2)  3) Winking Owl, Concord? (did not say a certain grape on the bottle but it tasted like a concord wine I had in the past), Un9ted States, California, No vintage, $2.99 4) Review from viviano: sweet chillable wine nice on a hot day with ice strawberry and blueberry for 2.50 price at aldis. Well worth it cherry raspberry strawberry 5) From wine folly on the concord grape because that is what I assume the grape is: An american grape of the native vitis labrusca species from concord massachusetts it is the most planted grape in New York and is used for juices and flavoring. Flavors include grape, plum sauce, musk, potting soil, and cumin. 6) I drank this with no food. It smelled like strawberries, sweet cherries, and a lot like non alcholic grape juice. Was very light and easy to drink. You can't taste any alcohol. It tasted as I expected like grape juice with a sweet cherry/berry flavor. It was very sweet and it was much better with ice. Overall rating: 8.9/10

1) 2)  3) Oddlot, 80% Petite Sirah 20% Petite Verdot, United States, California, no year, $15 4) Review from viviano: "Tannic, tart, with blackberry, oak, and cocoa, and lots of dark fruits. Totally enjoyable and it starts with a fun label" 5) From wine folly: Petite Verdot considered a minor blending grape in bordeaux, has shown promise as a single varietal wine in warmer climates, flavors include black cherry, plum, violet, lilac, and sage. Petite Sirah is loved for deeply colored wines with rich black fruit flavors and bold tannins. Flavors include sugar plum, blueberry, dark chocolate, black pepper, and black tea. Pages 146-147 6) I drank this with no food. It definitely has bold flavors, dark fruits, plums, cherries that type of flavor. It wasnt too heavy in the mouth but was a little dry. I also taste a little bit of that oak flavor I think. Overall it was enjoyable but not my favorite. Rating 7.6/10