Tasting- Heinz Eifel Shine Riesling

•Name Heinz Eifel Shine
•Variety Riesling
•Region Mosel-Saar Ruwer
•Country Germany
•Year 2010
•Price $8.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Flint and mineral notes accent pineapple and lime aromas, while on the palate, the wine shows plenty of ripe, citrusy fruit flavors.  Tangy acids on the long finish provide balance.

My Review:  This wine was smooth and sweet, with a lot of residual sugar.  I detected pear and apple on the nose.  I also tasted some citrus flavors.  The sweetness of the wine was balanced by a subtle tart acidity.   I did not taste this wine with food

Tasting- Don Ramon Tinto

•Name Don Ramon Tinto
•Variety 75% Grenache, 25% Tempranillo
•Region Campo de Borja
•Country: Spain
•Year Not listed
•Price: $7.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Aged 3 months in American Oak casks.  Ruby red in color, with creamy aromas of earth and cherry.  Flavor turns toward deeper and darker black cherry and raspberry on a medium framework. A subtle earthiness underneath the bright fruit adds some depth and complexity.

My Review: This wine had an earthy tones on the nose, as well as deep fruits.  I could taste cherry and raspberry prominently.  This wine was very dynamic and opened up upon second taste.  

Tasting: Resonata Nero D'Avola

•Name : Resonata Nero D'Avola
•Variety Nero D'Avola
•Region Sicily
•Country Italy
•Year 2010
•Price $6.95

Vintage Cellar reviews: Dense ruby red with violet reflections.  Lush and ripe bouquet full of mulberries, blackberries and spice.  Harmonious and well balanced with good berry fruit in a spicy
background.

My Review: I detected a lot of dark fruits, such as blackberry on the nose.  This wine had a lot of spice flavor.  I tasted black cherry as well as different berry flavors.  The wine was smooth on the palate, and had a light tannic component

Tasting- Protocolo Blanc

•Name : Protocolo Blanc
•Variety: Blanc
•Country: Spain
•Year : 2010
•Price $6.95

Shop Review: Greenish gold. Subtle aromas of mint, lemon and orange, with a hint of honeysuckle. Dry, understated and focused, offering clean citrus and melon flavors and slow-building sweetness. Finishes dry and brisk, with an echo of lemon. As usual, this is an outstanding value.

My Review: This wine was very light.  I enjoyed the dynamic hints of flavor.  The wine was smooth and easy to drink.  Overall this wine was dry, and I tasted some citrus flavors.  It was not overpowering, and I feel it would pair well with salad or be suitable on its own.  I did not have this wine with food

Tasting- Santola Vinho Verde

•Name : Santola Vinho Verde
•Variety: Vinho Verde
•Region: Mealhada
•Country: Portugal
•Year : Not listed
•Price $7.95

Shop Review: Soft and creamy, although with just the right Vinho Verde bite, this is a crisp and clean wine, boasting light pear and pink grapefruit flavors. Off dry and very fresh.
My description: This wine smelled very fruity with a bit of an alcohol under the fruity elements.  When tasting this wine, I picked up a little fruit that the Vintage Cellar pointed out in their review.  I thought that this wine was crisp and had citrus flavors.

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine.  It was crisp with a little bit of carbonation.  I detected green apple on the nose.  There were refreshing citrus flavors, and it had a dry, tart bits.

Tasting - Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Novelty Hill
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: $28.95
Year: 2008
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State
Country: USA

Shop Review: Bright and expressive, offering a velvety mouthful of raspberry, cherry, blackberry and sage flavors, finishing with a hint of smoke. Shows depth and persistence.

My Review: This was my favorite wine of the tasting.  If it did not have such a high price tag for my college budget, I definitely would have walked out with several bottles.  It has received consistently high ratings from Wine Spectator in the low 90's.  The dynamic flavors of dark fruit tasted very smooth on the palate.

Tasting - Glop Priorat

Glop Priorat
Year: 2010
Variety: a blend of Syrah and Cabernet
Region: Priorat
Price: $20.95
Country: Spain   
Vintage Cellar Review- Glop is a customer favorite in our retail store and it has a very memorable name which means 'sip' or 'gulp' in Catalan.  Glop is an inky red wine from Priorat with a deep plum and blackberry flavors perfect for pairing with grilled chorizo or lberico pork.

My Review: This wine was very enjoyable.  I tasted a lot of dark fruits, including blackberry on the palate.  I did not have this wine with food, but agree with the review that it would pair well with meats such as pork.  This wine had a slight lingering after taste.