The Spanish Quarter Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo 2006

Price: $8.99 @ Gary's Liquors
Recommended by: We like Spanish wines!
Comments: This inexpensive red is a tasty mix of Cabernet Sauvignon (55%) and Tempranillo (45%). Flavors of berries (mainly cherry) and chocolate dominate the palate with a bit of spiciness, and the wine has a longer finish than you typically find at this price range. We enjoyed it tonight with pizza with mushrooms and spinach and it was tasty. Not too fancy but very good.
Rating: 6.75/10

d'Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier/Marsanne 2006

Price: $15.99 @ Gary's Liquors (West Roxbury, MA)

Recommended by: Wine Spectator (90 points)

Comments: Frickin' Almond Husks. That's right. Almond husks. Who the hell knows what almond husks taste like??? I'll tell you who. A pretentious idiot whose opinion about wine you definately do not want to trust. And yet, it's the winemaker that lists among this wine's flavors . . . almond husks. Also (and not surprisingly), the winemaker finds an array of tropical fruits with quince, ginger, and lees. Speaking of which, what the hell does a lee taste like? Denim? But nevermind, we're here to review a wine. And it's a good one, although we're not sure it deserves its place in the top 100 wines of 2007 by Wine Spectator. Although we didn't note almond husk, we did enjoy its pear and grapefruit flavors. The smell is "minerally" apparently, although Rob isn't sure it doesn't have a faint scent of cat pee (but in a good way!). The finish is fairly long and buttery, and a tad bitter, but also in a good way. We would get this one again but we're not sure it's worth the price when some really fantastic Sauvignon Blancs cost less and would pair equally well with similar food (seafood, particularly shellfish).

Rating: 6.75/10

Russell Orchards Blueberry Wine

Price: a gift
Recommended by: our neighbors (fellow Buckeyes)
Comments: You never know what you're gonna get with a fruit wine, but we were pleasantly surprised! This wine from Russell Orchards (Ipswich, Mass.) has a really tasty blueberry flavor with a nice cinnamon finish. It's made with wild Maine blueberries, and the orchard's website recommends that you try it with roast beef or leg of lamb. (We had it as a dessert, after our first bottle of wine!) If you're in the Boston area, pay them a visit! (and partake of the amazing Ipswich clams, too!)
Rating: 6.75/10

Enate Gewurztraminer Somontano 2003

Price: $13.99 or $14.99 @ Wine and Cheese Cask (?)
Recommended by: We love Gewurz and never had one from Spain
Comments: Tonight we had . . . wait for it . . . SUSHI! Gewurztraminer is among our favorite wines to have with sushi (perhaps only Sauvignon Blanc is better), and this one did not disappoint. It's a dry wine, with a flowery taste (and maybe a hint of honey) and spicy finish. For the price, however, it would be worth buying an Alsacian Gewurz, and still the best value is Chateau Ste. Michelle. This one was definitely worth trying, though!
Rating: 6.75/10

P.S. Go Buckeyes! Beat the Gators!

Foris Gewurztraminer 2003

Price: $14.99 @ Luke's Liquors

Recommended by: We wanted to try an Oregon Gewurz

Comments: We had this wine with Indian cuisine, and it was a perfect match. The spiciness of the food really brought out the spice in the Gewurz. The Foris is a bit flowery with a hint of citrus, which together hide the dryness of this wine behind sweet flavors. It's not as spicy as the Chateau Ste. Michelle, but it is definitely worth trying. If you are new to Gewurz, try the Chateau Ste. Michelle, but if you want to try a new American one, we recommend this!

Rating: 6.75/10

Red Diamond Merlot 2003

Price: $8.99 @ Gary's Liquors
Recommended by: great price, and we wanted to try another Washington State merlot.
Comments: For the price, this is a great wine. In fact, we were pleasantly surprised. However, after we found out that this wine is produced by our friends from the Ste Michelle winery, it made perfect sense. We've enjoyed all of their wines that we've tasted. This is not a hugely complex wine, but it has a nice cherry flavor and a smooth, pleasing finish. If you don't usually drink red wine, this might be a good one to start with. Order some pizza and enjoy.
Rating: 6.75/10

Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc 2005

Price: $8.49 @ Blanchard's
Recommended by: the price (plus, we want to try more sauvignon blancs from this region)
Comments: We were worried that this Chilean sauvignon blanc would be as unimpressive as Casa Lapostolle's, but we were pleasantly surprised. This wine has a bold grassy and citrusy flavor, with a nice acidity. We had it with Indian food, and it was a perfect match. Considering the price, this is a wine worth trying!
Rating: 6.75/10

Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Price: $8.99 @ Luke's Liquors
Recommended by: reputation of the winery
Comments: This Chilean Cabernet was a bit young, but we let it decant for a few hours; it certainly got better as we drank it. It is a tasty wine, with strong cherry and plum flavors and a nice, oak finish. We did not enjoy it as much as the Casa Lapostolle Cabernet, but we look forward to trying some other Concha y Toro wines!
Rating: 6.75/10

Kenwood Sauvignon Blanc 2005

Price: $9.59 @ Trader Joe's
Recommended by: one of Wine Spectator's 100 Best Buys of 2005
Comments: In our quest to discover great domestic sauvignon blancs, next up is Kenwood (Sonoma). It's a solid "savon blanc" (that was for you, bro!). It is quite lemony with a little bit of grassiness and a smooth, oaky finish. The flavor won't knock you out like a Matua, but we would enjoy drinking this again, and it's fairly easy to find.
Rating: 6.75/10