2007 Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz, $10

Over the course of my wine tasting journey, rarely has a wine completely surpassed my expectations. Usually, I'm either simply satisfied that a wine turns out to be as good as I thought it would, or disappointed that it doesn't measure up. This one, however, broke the mold.

I bought a bottle of Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz at Walmart a while ago, towards the beginning of my quest for budget wine. It caught my eye because I instantly recognized it as one of the wines from "The Wine Trials 2010". Since I was just starting out (and didn't trust my own judgment as of yet), I was relying chiefly on recommendations from wine books for my purchases. A "Two-Time Wine Trials Selection," it was hailed as the Shiraz to go with on the cheap, as opposed to other "fruit bombs" that are cloyingly sweet.

This, however, turned out to be one of the few bottles that has sat in my wine rack for longer than a few weeks, probably because I'd never tried Shiraz...I just wasn't sure what to expect. I'll admit that I was a bit weary that I was going to hate it, mainly due to the fact that I never expected chocolate, a flavor common to Shiraz, to taste good in a wine.

I'm usually excited to open my wines shortly after buying them, but even up until the point that I uncorked this one for a glass one evening, I was just begrudgingly thinking of getting rid of it so I would have another space open on my wine rack. I don't know why I was so halfhearted about trying this one, but in the end, it turned out to be one of my favorites!

To start with, it's a dark plum-red full-bodied wine with a strong, jammy sour cherry nose and a hint of vegetal aromas. On the palate, there is acidity and astringent tannins at the forefront, with plenty of red, jammy berries dominating on the tongue. Dark chocolate, spiciness, and a slight (but not unpleasant) bitterness, come into play to round out the background, and at the end, there's a great, fruit filled finish.

Smooth and supple, Rosemount Diamond Label Shiraz has superb balance, with the perfect amount of acidity, tannins, and fruit. Its flavor profile is round and complex, but it remains easy to drink. Overall, I think this is an amazing wine for the price. This Shiraz evokes luxury, and could even be deemed sexy--it's everything dark chocolate is, embodied in wine. Everything about it, from the dark, square-shaped bottle to the dark plum-hued wine inside, oozes mystery. Speaking of the bottle, it is a little intimidating, but don't let it fool you--the wine inside is perfectly approachable.

My Grade: ++++

2007 Pink Truck, $11

It's been a while since I've had a chance to post a wine review, mainly due to the fact that my husband and I are in the process of trying to buy a house. If you've ever been through that maze, you know how much time is involved in the process, and how stressful it is. It's a good thing that I have a decent wine supply on hand, because it's really nice to have a glass at the end of those especially hectic days!

With that out of the way, I thought I would tell you about the first wine I've bought on recommendation from a friend/family member, a blush/rosé known aptly as Pink Truck. It's an off-dry (slightly sweet), pinkish-rose-red light-bodied wine from Red Truck Winery of California. I purchased it last month on Wine.com for $11.

It gives off aromas of strawberry, raspberry, orange, white grape, and, of course, alcohol. The same notes are found o nthe palate, with an acidic "bite" at the forefront that gradually resides into pleasant fruit flavors. The finish is decent, but somewhat weak.

This wine has fairly good balance, although I would have liked for it to have had just a bit more sweetness (or a little less acidity)--but then again, it's called an off-dry wine for a reason! The fruit flavors are delicate, but harmonious.

Although I prefer the Canyon Wind Desert Rosé over this bottle, it's still a nice, straightforward rose wine. My mom, whom I shared the second half of the bottle with, really loved this one. It definitely has an undeniably universal appeal, and who wouldn't love its creative and nostalgic label?!

My Grade: ++

2007 Smoking Loon Merlot, $6

A Great-Tasting Wine for the Price

I've bought most of the wines that I've sampled over the past couple of months on recommendation from wine books and friends, and I've rarely been disappointed. With this one, however, I have to be honest...I bought it at Walmart out of sheer curiosity, mainly due to its unique name and eye-catching label. Now I'll be the first to acknowledge that you can't judge a wine by its bottle, yada yada; BUT, let's face it--we've all done it at some point. And it's no accident that wineries pour tons of money into marketing their wines--they know that with a striking label and a unique name, they're bound to make countless sales on novelty factor alone.

Nonetheless, I found myself scanning the local Walmart's (rather limited) wine selection with a somewhat-more-trained eye, trying to make an "educated" decision as to which wine to try next. However, as the generic, neutral colored + cursive text + picture of a vineyard labels started to run together, I found my eyes drawn to the Smoking Loon's bold red and gold label, playing right into the wine marketing industry's plan to conquer the wine world through appearances alone. Thus is the route by which I ended up pouring myself a glass of Merlot (the first I've formally tasted) this weekend.

This brick red, medium-bodied wine gave off aromas of spicy, earthy oak, black pepper, red berries, and a hint of leather. On the palate, there were more of the same, along with a touch of milk chocolate and plum. It had nice tannins, was easy drinking, and had a respectable finish for a wine in this price range.

Overall, I was impressed by how pleasing this wine was. It had a surprisingly well-rounded flavor complex and a superb balance. Perfect on its own, it also has enough body to withstand a meaty main dish and is food-friendly enough to pair with cheese and crackers. A true crowd pleaser, I don't see how anyone could not like this wine.

My Grade: +++

Canyon Wind Tempranillo, $20

A Sassy, Spicy Red

Since I finally caved and opened my "intended for a special occasion since I bought it on our honeymoon" Canyon Wind Desert Rosé (on a nondescript Tuesday, nonetheless), I decided I might as well make it two for two and uncork my Canyon Wind Tempranillo to enjoy.

Tempranillo is a grape of Spanish origin, and produces a characteristic plum-red wine. This particular bottle gives off aromas of cherry, plum, and smoky spices, along with a hint of oaky vanilla. The texture is velvety smooth, with lots of nice, balanced tannins and a medium-to-full body.

On the palate, the same richness continues: red berries and spice at the forefront, with oak rounding out the background and a hint of red plum to add interest. These flavors remain on a nice, long finish that leaves you wanting more. It's very balanced, low on the spectrum in both acidity and residual sugar, which is definitely not a bad thing--and there's still enough acid to add to the spicy "bite" of this wine.

This wine is everything I hoped it would be. It's complex, balanced, round, and elegant, and although it's more of a splurge than a bargain, I would buy this one again in a heartbeat if ever given the chance.

My Grade: +++

2008 Canyon Wind Desert Rosé, $14

Last night, I decided that rather than finishing the bottle of Barefoot Zinfandel, I wanted to try something a little lighter. I had been chilling my Canyon Wind Desert Rosé in the fridge for the past several days, waiting for an excuse to open it. Figuring that the first Tuesday in March was a good enough reason to uncork a special bottle of wine, I did just that.

Let me just say, what a way to celebrate the first hints of spring! This Rosé evoked the sense of warmer days to come, something that I'm very much looking forward to.

Canyon Wind's Desert Rosé is described on the label as a semi-sweet wine, and that it is--pleasantly sweet, with just enough acidity to balance it out. The nose is ripe with aromas of white grape, strawberries, and just a trace of peach. On the palate, there is plenty of red berry (strawberry & raspberry), as well as a touch of peach rounding out the background.

My Grade: ++++

All in all, this is the best rose/blush wine I've tasted thus far. The bright sweetness and berry flavor pairs extremely well with the rosy pinkish-red color...For some reason, most rose wines are always a tad disappointing for me, just because something that is such a joyfully feminine color should be at least a little sweet, in my mind anyway.

Maybe that's just me, but then again, wine is a highly subjective subject. What tastes good to one person may repel another, as with anything else that draws an opinion. I've stressed it before and I'll say it again--just because I may like (or dislike) a wine, doesn't mean that you will love (or hate) it too. I think that should be Lesson #1 in any wine tasting class--"good" wine is whatever tastes good to you, not what someone else hails as "worthy". Lesson #2, and the whole purpose behind this blog: "good" wine doesn't have to cost an arm or a leg, or even a pinky finger. A $100 bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is worthless to you if you don't like the oaky, dry flavors of Cabernet, and a $5 Riesling can taste better than bottles that cost twice or three times as much. It's all about what you like. And finding out what that may be is a process of trial and error, but I assure you that the journey will be as good or better than the end result.

Barefoot Zinfandel, $7

Proof that first impressions aren't always right...

I bought a bottle of Barefoot Zinfandel (Lodi, California) from Walmart several weeks ago, and finally uncorked it this weekend.

I purchased this on recommendation from "The Wine Trials 2010", which blind-tasted and picked 150 top wines under $15 that beat $50+ bottles to feature in their book. They touted this wine as a rare find--a Zin for $7 that didn't "send you running for the hills". After reading their review, I decided I would give it a try.

I pulled the bottle from the fridge and poured myself a glass on Friday night. Upon sitting down at the table to taste it, I took a big whiff. The first thing that came to mind was that this smelled more like a Cabernet Sauvignon than a Zinfandel...It had the spicy, oak-vanilla-red berry aromas of a Cab, and was about the same color.

After taking a nice big sip, I noted that this medium- to full-bodied Zin also tasted like Cabernet Sauvignon--jammy red berries dominated, with spicy oak rounding out the background. So...It looks like a Cabernet, smells like a Cabernet, and tastes (almost) like a Cabernet, but it's a Zinfandel? I have to say, I felt pretty confused about this one. I knew there must be something more that would distinguish this as a Zinfandel, so I took several more sips.

Almost immediately, I noticed that there was something different about this one...and it wasn't very pleasant. A few sips in, I detected a weird, almost salty flavor that dominated on the palate and made it difficult to drink. After this discovery, I started writing this one off as a failure in my mind, but I also knew there was something "off" about it that deserved more investigation.

The next night, I poured myself a (much) smaller glass of the Barefoot Zinfandel, intent on finding out what "The Wine Trials" saw in this one that I was missing. Then it hit me--It was very similar in all facets to Cabernet Sauvignon, so why not try drinking it like a Cab? This time, I let the glass set out on the counter until it came to room temperature before tasting it, as you would Cabernet. I took one tentative sip, then another...And liked it. Not really liked it, definitely not loved it, but liked it. That weird salty flavor that put me off the night before was gone now, and the flavors were much more balanced as a result. I went back to my wine journal and noted my new impressions, and was glad to have given this one another chance.

I think too often we are quick to form judgments based on first impressions, and take them as our final opinion without revisiting them again. This wine is proof that sometimes, even when our first impression is decidedly negative, a little tweak in method can make a huge difference in the end result, and in our final opinion on the subject. My suggestion? If you don't like a wine (especially a bargain wine), try tasting it at different temperatures instead of tossing it in the trash can...It can't hurt, right? And you never know, you might be (pleasantly) surprised! =)

My Grade: +

P.S.--For some great direction and/or guidance in choosing bargain wines, I highly recommend "The Wine Trials 2010". Its method is completely unbiased, and the results may shock you...Gone are the days when you have to shell out big bucks for a good wine!