$4 Sutter Home 2007 White Merlot California CVS

In my search for a budget Rose, I picked up a bottle of this in hopes of a light, crisp Rose that would pair well with grilled chicken and summer picnics. The color is that of a melted pink popsicle and it smells of strawberry jolly ranchers and strawberry jam. It is horrendously sweet in a very manufactured way and tastes like a syrupy version of Strawberry Hill mixed with Welches white grape juice. I would stay far, far away from this monstrosity. I could see some pimple-faced teenager sneak-drinking this out of a paper bag in the back of a hand-me-down '91 mini-van. This is the kind of crap that gives cheap wine a bad name. Blech. There is no saving this bottle.

I give this wine a ZERO out of 5 stars. That's a first!

$2.50 Oak Creek Chenin Blanc/Pinot Grigio California CVS

I bought 2 bottles of this, one says Pinot Grigio in dark letters and Chenin Blanc in light letters. The other says Chenin Blanc in dark and Pinot Grigio in light. Go figure. I have no idea what that means, if anything. Could just be a change in labeling. But with that labeling weirdness and the lack of year... I'm a little worried. Okay, so onto the wine. The nose is sweet and fruity with a crispness to it as well. It's an average straw tone, not to light, not to dark. I picked up on some honeydew aromas with some lemon notes. I was intrigued. Unfortunately, it smells way better than it tastes. Not much going on in this glass of boredom. I can hardly detect any fruit in it at all. This might make a good wine for sangria (trying to stay positive here.) This wine says "blah-blah-blah" to me. I would not get it again, nor recommend it. As Gary V. would say- "poor effort."

I give this wine a 2 out of 5 stars.

$5 Twin Fin 2007 Pinot Grigio California Stater Bros.

This has a deeper yellow color to it than most Pinot Grigio. It has a lovely, fruity bouquet with loads of apples, pears and honeydew melon. The first sip tastes exactly as it smells, very fruit forward and slightly sweet and syrupy. This wine is mature and a little more succulent and robust than a younger, crisp Pinot Grigio, hence the deeper hue and slightly syrupy mouth-feel. Not bad at all though, very drinkable. I don't think anyone should hold onto this wine too long since it's already aged enough, so if you get some, drink it up! Cheers!

I give this wine a 4 out of 5 stars.

$3 Forestville 2007 Gewurstraminer California CVS

CVS carries a really big selection of wine- who knew? And with their awesome sale prices, I might be shopping there for wine more often. Okay, so moving on to the wine itself.

It's a nice, light straw color, usual for a Gewurstraminer. It has a peppery nose with subtle pear and lemongrass notes. The first sip is surprisingly crisp and lightly sweet. It is nicely balanced and tastes of pears canned in light syrup (not in a bad way- don't get me wrong) and lemon zest. After a few sips, the sweetness became more evident. This wine would be great for wine newbies, and it would make a great dessert wine to serve with some cheesecake.

I give this Gewurstraminer 4 stars.

$4 Sutter Home 2009 Zinfandel California Stater Bros.

It smells of cola and chocolate with subtle undertones of cinnamon and spice. It tastes of berries and cocoa with a nuance of maraschino cherries. At first it is very bold with a sharp finish, but after my palate adjusts, it became slightly jammy with a long, lingering mild finish.

I give this wine a 5 out 5 stars.

$5 Barefoot Shiraz California Stater Bros.

I love a good Shiraz, so I was excited to try this one. The color is a nice, translucent red-burgundy color. It smells of damp grass, raspberry vinaigrette and ripe, red peppers. It has a bright raspberry flavor to it with a nice, long finish. After a few sips it starts to become a bit more fruity with almost a jammy quality coming through. The dry finish brings some pine and redwood with a slight touch of grassiness.

I give this wine a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

$5 Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon California Stater Bros.

I was excited to find this on sale this week for $5 (usually it's around $7... a bit pricey for my under-$5-budget.) There is no year on the label, except for a "best buy" award from Wine Enthusiast in 2008 talking about "Cabernet Blends."

The nose is fruity with a peppery (thinking green peppers here) quality. The palate is full and thick with flavors of spice and charcoal with a decently long finish. The fruit is a bit lost and not quite as "jammy" right off the bat as the label says. I aerated it with my Wine Soiree and it softened it enough to let some of fruitiness come out. I picked up some notes of blueberry and blackberry. Overall, pretty good stuff, I would buy it again.

I give this wine a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

$4 Archeo 2007 Nero d'Avola Sicily Trader Joes

I absolutely loved the 2005 vintage of this wine, way back before I even had a wine blog. I went and bought a bunch of wine at Trader Joes a couple of weeks back and I was saving this one for last. It has a nice bottle too, so if someone did not frequent Trader Joes, then they might assume this is a more expensive bottle just by the look of it. Anyway, onto the tasting!

At first is smells of smoky, woodsy notes, more specifically, pine. But after letting it breathe after a hefty swirl, subtle cherry notes came through. The first sip is quite delicious, a bit hearty and grassy with subtle layers of eucalyptus and molasses. The finish is long with a touch of fruitiness. The more I tasted it, the more the fruitiness came out, without losing it's character.

Overall, this wine is an excellent price for the complexity and balance. I think if it was in a blind tasting, it would rival much more expensive wines.

I give this wine a 5 out of 5 stars.

$4 Abrazo Del Toro 2008 Garnacha Tempranillo Spain Trader Joes

After a horrible experience with the 2005 Abrazo I was really worried about what I would encounter in this bottle.

The nose is nicely smoky with a bit of meatiness. The first sip yields light blackberries with a bit of herbs and tobacco. The Garnacha softens the Tempranillo, perhaps a bit too much for those who like a bold Tempranillo. Dry, yet fruity, this wine is far cry from the '05 vintage but in a good way. I do think this wine is pretty much at it's peak, so I would drink it up now. No point in saving this bad boy.

I give this hearty wine a 4 out of 5 stars