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!

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.

Lucky Duck Riesling

On the bottle: Lucky you! We searched the globe to create a collection of authentic, great tasting international wines, with layers of flavor.

Sweet notes of citrus and apricot. Enjoy Lucky Duck alone or paired with white meats, fresh vegetable dishes, or spicy Asian cuisine.

750 mL, 9.5% Alc. by vol., Wal-Mart, $3.97

I've had this wine before and I picked it up again on a Wal-Mart trip where I had to deal with frustrating employees who were no help. It was less than $4 so it went in the cart. I remembered having this before and liking it, but I didn't remember how cheap it was! The Riesling is very sweet, but not too sweet to make it into Boone's Farm territory. It has a nice citrus smell, no alcohol burn in the scent or the taste. This would be a great wine for a budget party, or to introduce non-wine drinkers into wine. I'd buy it again for a party or if I needed to reduce my budget, but it doesn't have alot of flavor so I wouldn't seek it specifically.