Cavit Pinot Grigio 2010

On the bottle: Cavit Pinot Grigio originates in northern Italy's picturesque delle Venezie region, source of the world's finest Pinot Grigio. To this ideal terroir, Cavit brings a half-century of winemaking experise and an endless passion for quality and innovation. Elegant, crisp and light, with delicate nuances of fruit Cavit Pinot Grigio is remarkably versatile. Excellent served well-chilled.

750mL, 12% Alc. by vol, left at my house after new years, internet says $10

My first tastes of this are apples and pears. Crisp and acidic, this wine would be great on a hot summer day, or with spicy food. I didn't feel like waiting until summer, so this wine felt a bit out of place on chilly nights, but it was still delicious and not too sweet for me. This wine does seem a bit watery in comparison to the heavy reds I've been drinking lately, but I would buy this again for an outdoor party, in the summer, if I'm short on cash and don't need to impress anyone.

Loosen Up Dornfelder

On the bottle: What do you get when you put the world-famous winemaker, Ernst Loosen, together with skate and surfboard artists, the Froelich Brothers? You'll have to buy the bottle to find our, but here's a hint: a fruity and provocative red wine that is perfect for a night in, a night out, a meal with friends (or after they leave), a spicy pasta or just to Loosen UP.

750mL, 10.5% Alc. by vol, HEB, I lost the receipt but I think it was around $8

My first thought on trying this wine was: blackberries! It was sweet and acidic, but with a mustiness at the end that reminds me of the seeds at the end of blackberries. This wine was sweeter than I was going to be since the grape was originally cultivated to give more body to weak reds in Germany. Most reviews I have read about Dornfelder wines say they are more hearty than Pinot Noir, but this one seemed a bit more sweet and easy to drink. In the end I really enjoyed this wine and now I wanna get the Riesling by the same winemaker. The price was great, the bottle was cute, and it was tasty. I hope to buy this wine again soon!

Prima Perla Prosecco

On the bottle: Italian - sparkling white wine - extra dry

750mL, 11.5% Alc. by vol, left at my house after the New Years party

My first thought when drinking this wine was pears! You get an acidic citrus zing and then the taste of pears. Prosecco is made differently than Champagne in that the secondary fermentation (which makes it bubbly) takes place in large tanks before bottling. Champagne gets it's secondary fermentation in the bottles. Because of this, Prosecco is less bubbly than Champagne. I did some research online and this particular Prosecco is available for about $8.50 online. I really enjoyed this wine. I think it would pare well with lemony chicken or white fish. I would definitely get this wine again for a party, and now I am very curious to try other Proseccos.

Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvree "champagne"

On the bottle: Black tie optional. Barefoot required! Barefoot Brut Cuvee California Champagne sparkles with crisp apple flavors, complemented by a clean finish. Our Brut Cuvee Champagne is perfect with fresh fruit, sharp cheese and buttery lobster. Get Barfoot and have a great time!

750mL, 11.5% Alc. by vol, left at my house after the New Years party

I don't normally drink sparkling wines because they aren't my thing, but since we ended up with 3 unopened bottles after the party it looks like I'll get to have a few and do some reviewing. This one was surprisingly crisp and refreshing. It reminded me of granny smith apples. I did some searching online and it seems that you can get this one for about $10. At that price I would most definitely buy this wine again if I ever needed sparkling wine.

Allendorf Rheingau Spätburgunder

On the bottle: "Rheingau Spätburgunder troken 2010"

Rheingau is the region the wine is from, the Rhine district, troken means dry, and Spätburgunder is the varietal, which is the same as Pinot Noir.

250mL, 12.5% Alc. by vol, free from some hotel in Germany

I got this wine from my boyfriend after he returned from a New Years trip to Germany. It was a free gift in his hotel room. At first I felt that it had very little flavor. I had put it in the refrigerator briefly, so I let it warm and breath a bit in the glass. As I drank the last of it I noticed a bit more acidity and an almost smokiness to it. Pinot Noirs do tend to be light or medium bodied, so this could just be a characteristic of this wine. As a freebie wine goes this one was nothing to complain about. I doubt I'll ever see this wine to purchase, but it was a nice drink. I had a few slices of Pink Lady apple with this and that was a great pairing.

David Stone Pinot Noir

On the bottle: David Stone Vineyards focuses on crafting exceptional wines from premium quality grapes grown in some of the most prestigious regions of California. The wines are best known for their quality and authentic varietal character.

This Pinot Noir is crafted to be medium-bodied with ripe cherry aromas, a hint of brown spice and soft tannins. Black cherry and red plum flavors are prominent in this balanced and distinctive wine.

Enjoy this exceptional wine with your favorite creamy pasta, spicy chicken, or grilled salmon.

750mL, 12.5% Alc. by vol., under $10

This wine was left at my house after the New Years party. I don't know where it came from, but a quick Google search led me to posts about this being a wine "under $10". It has very little smell to it, but I am drinking it almost a week after it was opened. It's slightly sweet, but not too sweet, with very little sticky mouth. I like this overall and it makes me want to try more Pinot Noir despite the fact that they have less body than Cabernet. I don't think I'd drink this with anything spicy, but I could see it going well with creamy pasta or a grilled salmon as long as it wasn't too salty or garlicy. I'd drink this again, and maybe buy it if I ever see it in the store

Columbia Crest Two Vines Gewürtztraminer 2006

*NEWS*
After my New Years party I had several partially finished wines to finish off so tonight will be several reviews!

On the bottle: Columbia Crest Gewürtztraminer enjoys a long, cool fermentation to produce a clean, crisp wine with bright acidity and exotic spice highlighted by citrus aromas and flavors.

750mL, 11.5% Alc. by vol., Albertsons, $8.99

I bought this wine because I really enjoyed a Gewürtztraminer I had from Messina Hof. This one was a bit of a let down, though. It tasted very yeasty and that coupled with the spice notes made it unpleasant for me to drink. This could be an off batch, but I'm not sure. I wouldn't buy this wine again,even though it has a low price because I know I can get Messina Hof Gewürtztraminer for a low price and it's much better. I did not bother to pair this with cheeses.