$5 Barefoot Red Moscato California Vons

Moscato is the new buzzword of wine these days... usually said by wine newbies who "have just discovered the best wine ever!" It is also mentioned in a few rap songs such as "Do it Now" and the ever-popular "No Hands" which have helped drag Moscato into the spotlight. (And here's a fun fact, Moscato is not technically a "dessert wine" as so many of us think.)

So now to add to the Moscato lineup Barefoot recently introduced a RED Moscato. Yes, you read that right. Moscato is made from the muscat grape and is usually made into a sweet white wine, but this one is a red... well more like a really, really dark pink, but close enough.

I have to admit this wine smells delicious. It smells like fruit salad and I almost want to take a bite out of the glass. Melon, peaches, apples, pears and berries... I am in fruit heaven. (Can someone just bottle this smell, please?) Usually Moscato is heavy on the apples and pears, but this has some nice cherry hints which I'm sure are stemming from the red aspect of the wine.

The first sip is very much not like Moscato- in a good way. I find that regular Moscato can be too syrupy, (not unlike the syrup in a can of pears) but this one is so well-balanced with a nice little zip to it, that keeps it refreshingly sweet without being too heavy. Really it's more like a cross between a Moscato and a rosé. It's very well balanced and I would pick this over a regular Moscato any day of the week. Well done, Barefoot!

I give this 5 out of 5 stars

(Warning, as of this post, Barefoot Red Moscato may not be available everywhere since they just unveiled it a few days ago. But it should be everywhere pretty soon... so keep looking if you don't see it right away.

$5 Rex-Goliath Cabernet Sauvignon California Stater Bros.

This wine label boasts a Giant 47 pound rooster on it which according to them, is a testament to their full-bodied, hearty wines. Let's see about that.

The color is nicely purplish and as I swirl it around, the legs are rather syrupy. It smells a bit generic with a strong essence of cinnamon on a fermented berry/cherry base. The first sip yields tight fruits with a nicely balanced acidity. The tannins provide a nice, dry finish. There are hints of berry pie, nutmeg and blue sweet-tarts. Overall, it is a nice, drinkable wine, and I would buy it again.

I give this wine a 4 out of 5 stars.

$5 Black Swan Merlot 2009 California Stater Bros.

I am a huge fan of the Black Swan Cabernet Sauvignon so I am hoping the Merlot is nicely done as well. The nose is somewhat bland, very little fruit. The first sip is rather nice though... slightly fruity, with a nice grassiness about it. After a few sips I begin to pick up some nice jammy berry flavors with a touch of cinnamon and dried apricot. It certainly lived up to my expectations. I would definitely buy another bottle.

I give this Merlot a 5 out of 5 stars.

$5 Barefoot Pinot Noir California Stater Bros.

It has a nice purple-red tone, but a closed, tight nose. If I really have to dig, it's slightly jammy with a berry. Not any particular berry, just a generic single berry note.

And the taste doesn't vary to much from the smell. A bit of nearly imperceptible fruit, followed by a bitter tobacco flavor. Even though it is lacking flavor, it's still a bold, in-your-face wine but with an immature arrogance. It stutters with the faint taste of green chiles and unripe plums and ends with a long, tart finish. Overall, it is somewhat drinkable but I would not buy it again. Try the Barefoot Zinfandel, which is much better.

I give this wine a 3 out of 5 stars

$5 Barefoot 2008 Zinfandel California CVS

Barefoot is usually a dollar or two out of my budget but sometimes it goes on sale so I like to grab a few bottles when it does. I picked this one up at a 2/$10 sale with a couple of other varietals.

It's got rich, ripe cherries and berries on the nose with a touch of anise. It's very fruity tasting without being too jammy. The tannins are nicely balanced and it has a long finish that begins on the fruity side, and ends with some light nutmeg and cinnamon notes. This is a delicious wine and I will be back for more.

I give this wine a 5 out of 5 stars

Redwood Creek $5 2008 Pinot Noir California CVS

It has a tight nose (not smelling a lot a going on in the glass.) Picking up some cola, prunes as well as some unexpected tropical fruit notes. The first sip yields some minerality and green bell pepper. It mellows out a bit after the first few sips, but then it gets very watery. It lacks flavor and complexity. I am not thrilled with this at all.

I give this wine a 2 out of 5 stars

$5 Barefoot Wine Pinot Grigio California CVS

Summer is coming to an end and so is my love affair with Pinot Grigio. It has kept me refreshed in the summer heat, but as the weather cools, I will turn back to reds for their boldness and warmth. Okay, enough poetic crap- onto the tasting!

It's a very light straw color, in low light it could almost pass for water. It has a tight nose with a quick blink of pears and a fleeting moment of lavender. A few more sniffs reveal some ripe pineapple and subtle notes of honey.

Upon the first sip I get some quiet woodsy notes, with a touch of ripe, yellow pears. It has a very slight effervescence which keeps it very light and refreshing. Overall, not terribly complex or overly fruity but a nice drinkable wine.

I give this wine a 4 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.

$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 Tuscan Moon 2008 Sangiovese California Trader Joes

This is a pretty pinkish purple and very transparent. It smells of berries, spice and grass. I took a sip and it's not bad at all! It's full of fresh, ripe fruit but it has a nice balance of tannins and acidity that all work very well together. (Basically, the fruit balances the dryness.) There is even some residual smokiness on the finish. It is a lighter bodied red, with a medium finish.

I give it 4 stars out of 5

$5 Herding Cats 2008 Merlot/ Pinotage South Africa Stater Bros.

This opaque, deep purple wine smells of grass and damp earth. The first sip is quiet bold with nuances of black pepper. It has a meaty quality to it, I almost want to chew it up like a good steak. The savory Pinotage has completely overtaken the Merlot and there is very little fruit to speak of. Even though the blend missed the mark slightly, this is a very drinkable wine. It is definitely on the heavy side, so I would suggest serving it with an equally heavy dish- lasagne perhaps?

I give this wine a 4 out of 5 stars.

$5 Now and Zen 2008 Alsace White France Trader Joes

Melon and citrus on the nose, with a bit of papaya. Upon sipping, it is a very well-rounded blend. There is a bit of just about everything in there... fruit, crisp flavor with a touch of sweetness. There is a bit of a Moscato-ish flavor with some flavors of Pinot Grigio too. This would be a great table wine, when you are serving a lot of different people with different tastes.

I give this wine a 4 out of 5 stars

For a more in-depth review of this wine, check out Jason's review at Jason's Wine Blog

$5 Black Swan 2009 Shiraz Australia Stater Bros.

I was so impressed with the Black Swan Cabernet Sauvignon I was excited to try the Shiraz. The color is a nice, deep burgundy and it smells of toast and jam. The first sip is bold and brazen with slight jamminess to it that quickly gave way to a slightly bitter finish. There is almost a syrupy texture to the wine which makes it seem very fruity, but the tannins overpower it so it is very conflicting, and not in a particularly good way. After a few sips, my palate adjusted and it became quite tasty. But the finish always came across a bit harsh.

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

$5 Black Swan 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Australia Stater Bros.

Okay, okay, so this one is usually priced at $6.99 (out of my usual $5-or-less budget) but it was on sale this week for $4.99 so I picked it up. It actually goes on sale quite often, so wait for the sale and stock up instead of buying full price. I poured a hefty two ounces and gave it a swirl. It smells of sweet dried cranberries and maraschino cherries. There is a toasty, woody note too. It has a heavy, slightly syrupy mouth feel at first and tastes of blackberries and black cherries. It has a nice contrast of tannins and sweetness with a well-rounded medium finish. I am quite impressed with the complexity of this wine for under $5. I would definitely get another bottle... and soon!

I give this wine a 5 out of 5 stars!

$2 Crane Lake 2008 Sangiovese California Henry's Market

I love a good Sangiovese, so it takes a good one to impress me. Upon pouring I took note of the rich, red, burgundy color. The first sip is bold and fruity. Cherry, blackberry and black currant flavors with a long, expansive finish. This wine is rich, substantial and satisfying. There are undertones of a super dark chocolate (as in 80% cocoa, dark) it really opens up when swished around a bit. The second pour really mellowed out but it never lost it's bold fruit and generous finish. This one's a keeper folks!

I give this wine a 5 out of 5 stars

$5 Black Swan Shiraz-Cabernet South Eastern Australia Stater Brothers

I have been a fan of Black Swan wines for some time now. For the price, they had a lot to offer... this one was decent, but failed to deliver the usual goods. Super-fruity nose... ripe, fresh fruit such as apples and cherries with a few undertones of over-ripe plums (yes, that would be prunes.) It does smell pretty interesting. The first sip renders a mild fruitiness a bit watered down, with a strong bite towards the end. The second sip is more mellow, with a softer berry fruitiness that gives way to an over-ripe plum. All in all, there is not much to this wine.

I give this so-so wine a 3 out of 5 stars.

$5 Merlot Black Swan Australia Albertons

This wine is a pretty standard Merlot. Fruity with berry notes and a slightly mapley finish. A few notes of figs and raisins are noticable after a few sips. This is a pretty decent merlot. I would buy it again.

I give this wine 4 out of 5 stars

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$5 Valpolicella Bollo Italy Safeway

Valpolicella is actually not the grape itself but the area in Italy it is grown in. Valpolicella is typically made from three grape varietals: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Molinara. I've had some delicious Valpolicella and this one unfortunately fell short. It tasted instantly of port followed by what tasted like water with a little bit of wine in it. After half of the glass I headed to the sink to dump it out, but I remembered how good chocolate goes with port. So I ate a couple of nibbles of some dark chocolate and voila! What a difference! It brightened up the flavors and made it drinkable but I had to nibble the chocolate ever other sip.

I give it a 2 out of 5

With chocolate, a 3 out of 5

$5 Merlot Little Boomey South Eastern Australia 2005 Albertsons

This bright red wine smells sweet with hints of chocolate and cocoa. Upon tasting it, I don't pick up any chocolate, but plums and berries are strong. There is even a bit of citrus flavors that pop out towards the end of the sip. There is definitely a grassy quality to this wine, but it's pretty good overall.

I give this decent wine a 4 out 5 stars






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$5 Pinot Noir 47 Pound Rooster California Albertsons

I have yet to find a great Pinot in the value range. This one has some nice peppery aromas with a bit of raspberry buried in there. I was trying to pick up something besides the pepper and I almost inhaled it, so I am now moving on to tasting it. Rich, deep blackberry flavors with that signature pinot peppery-ness greeted my tastebuds followed by a medium finish with a tart bite at the end. This is definitely one of the better affordable Pinots and I would buy it again and probably recommend it.

I give this peppery Pinot a 4 out of 5