$3 Crane Lake 2009 Pinot Grigio California Henry's Market

I'm just gonna lay it out for you- avoid this one at all costs. I usually enjoy Crane Lake, so I was stoked to try this one. It smelled kind of "off" but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. The first sip went from good to bad in about two seconds. For a moment, there was a nice fruitiness but then it was quickly followed by a strong, rancid honey flavor. I tried a few more sips to see if it would iron itself out, but no luck. I let it chill overnight and the next evening, I poured it through a wine aerator... still no luck. That horrible rancid honey taste was overbearing and it was just way to sweet for a Pinot Grigio. As a last ditch effort I chopped up some strawberries and let them soak in the glass for a while which made the wine taste like a bottle of Frutezia.

I give this wine 1 out of 5 stars.

Vinas Chilenas $3 Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Chile Trader Joes

Delightful nose of grapefruit, mango and bursting with bananas. I thought I might need to add an umbrella to my glass. The first couple sips were a bit on the harsh side, very acidic and overly floral. After it had time to be swirled around a bit and mellowed out, it became very likable. The mango and bananas really stand out after you get past the strong bitter floral notes. Drinkable, but not stellar.

I give this wine a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

$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.

$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.

$3 Diablo Creek 2009 Pinot Grigio California Vons (Safeway)

Mmmm... smells yummy right off the bat. Light and crisp, a bit of citrus and some mango. The first sip is pretty decent, with some green apple and more citrus in the way of lemons and grapefruit. It has a consistently long finish, sip after sip and it seems like it's pretty close to being at it's peak. So buy a bottle, put a chill on it and enjoy it immediately. This is good one to bring to a summer barbecue to go along with the grilled chicken and chilled pasta salad. Yum!

I give this wine 4 out 5 stars.

$3 Crane Lake Pinot Noir 2009 California Henry's Market

Oh my, does this one smell good! Super-berry aromas with plenty of cherry notes, yum. Smells like something I might taste at a fancy-schmancy winery. But did it deliver? Why yes, it did. This Pinot Noir is very nice, I am impressed. It is full of cherries, strawberries and plums with a lingering finish of dark chocolate and coffee. For a mere $3 a bottle, this one is right on the money. Drink this now, its at it's peak! Henry's better watch out, I'm going to be stocking up on this bad boy.

I give this one a 5 out of 5 stars!

$3 Syrah Searidge California Safeway

When a wine is only $3 at Safeway you have to question it. And when I opened it I read the back label which I think is missing a word. Not a good sign. Surprisingly it's not too bad though. It has a decent nose and smells of berries. It's a very simple wine, fairly fruity with a slightly bitter finish. I would be disappointed had I spent $10 on it but it is an excellent wine for the price and accessibility.

I give this value wine a 3 out of 5 stars.

$3 Carménère Panilonco 2005 Chile Trader Joes

Here's an interesting tidbit- Even though they may not be very popular, Carménère grapes are considered part of original six noble grapes of Bordeaux, France. Now that we have that out of the way, on to tasting it! A nice, peppery nose greets me with some notes of rich, smoky, meatiness. The flavor is strong, grassy, and bright. A quick finish wrapped it up tightly. The first taste was so quick I have to go in for another. The next few tastes brought out some bell pepper-y flavors, but all in all, the first taste is what you get. It's a simple, dry red. Not bad, though.

I give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.


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$3 Garnacha/Tempranillo Abrazo Del Toro 2005 SpainTrader Joes

This wine is definitely an acquired taste. As soon as the cork popped, the aroma of wet cats and latex was overwhelming. There was some berry flavors hiding in there somewhere, but the intense astringency was more than I could bear. However, after choking down an entire glass... there were some redeeming qualities. The berry flavor became very strong as well as an orange-citrus flavor and extreme tanginess. I still don't think I would buy it again or recommend it.

I give this interestingly tangy wine 2 out of 5 stars

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$3 TempranilloFinca Solano 2003 Spain Trader Joes

This lovely bottle of Temperanillo from Spain features organically grown grapes which I hope is the new trend. Upon pouring I noted it's dark pinkish tone. The first note that hit was brief and tasted of candy. Then an unusual charcoal taste came foward and finally a nice warm finish. It has an overall meaty quality that was kind of odd, but I havent experienced much Temperanillo so maybe that's normal. Overall, a hearty wine with many flavors and textures.

This one may be an acquired taste. I give it 3 stars out of 5. (It gets an extra point for being organically grown.)

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