$5 Reisling 2005 Yellowtail South Eastern Australia Safeway

Hmmm... I have to be honest I was not impressed with this Reisling at all. After a few sips, the barely-there Reisling flavor was completely overpowered with sour notes and strong Sauvignon Blanc dryness. While German Reislings are known for being dry, this was not dry in a good way. So to sum it up, this one is better left on the shelf. However, I do have to point out that Yellowtail on the whole is a decent brand, but as far as the Reisling goes, it's only going to get a paltry 2 1/2 stars.

$5 Reisling Black Oak 2005 California Sprouts Farmers Market

This Reisling was very unusual. I didn't neccesarily dislike it, but it had some "off" flavors for a Reisling. The nose was somewhat heavy, not light and crisp like usual. Flavors of Coca-Cola came through which was very odd, but it wasn't so terrible that I could not make it through the glass. It was caramel-y and maple-y in such a way as to not be off-putting, but in a way to cause you to do a double take, to make sure you're actually drinking a Reisling.

I give this unusual Reisling 3 out of 5 stars.

$4 Reisling Ulrich Langguth 2005 Germany Trader Joes

My first love of wine came from tasting a Reisling, they are very sweet and my husband loves them. Reasonable Reislings are usually in the $8-$10 range, so I was quite surprised to find a $4 bottle. This one in particular I didn't have high hopes for, and I don't really know why- other than it was an affordable Reisling and I'm not a big sweet-wine drinker. This particular brand is made from grapes in the Hessiche Bergtrasse region in Germany which means nothing to me, but is fun fact for you wine buffs. Upon the first pour, I was intrigued by the unusual initial scent of soap, which gave way to pear. My husband even said "Pear!" when I asked him for some input. It had a very brisk fruit flavor on the first sip. On the second and third sips there was a definite pineapple overtone as well as layers of the usual Reisling players of apple and pear. There was a subtle maple flavor that came through on sips 4 and 5. After that, the flavors all melded together nicely and I was quite impressed. I would definitely recommend it, especially at this bargain price.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars