Tasting - Vortenova Pinot Grigio

Cortenova Pinot Grigio

Variety:  Pinot Grigio

Region:  Veneto
Country:  Italy

Year:  2012

Price:  $7.95

Shop Review:  Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections. Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas. Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste. Pairs well with seafood dishes, risottos with scampi, spaghetti with clams, sole in white wine  Perfect also as an aperitif.

Personal Review:  Smells distinctively like a white wine (floral, fruity, and fresh).  Light fruit taste with almond finish.

Food Paring:  not tasted with food

Tasting - The Key West Winery (40 Karat, King Kiwi, Eleganta Red Raspberry, Florida Sunset-Pineapple, Mango Mamma, and Hot Sun)

 

40 Karat

Variety:  Carrot Region:  Florida Country:  United States Year:  NV Price:  $24.99 Shop Review:  A wonderful buttery semi-dry white wine similar to a Chardonnay but with a lot more flavor. It's a jewel! Made 100% from carrots. Excellent with shellfish and spicy foods. Bronze Medal, Indiana International Wine Competition, 1999, 2004 Personal Review:  Aroma similar to a beer, and tastes like a sweeter beer.  Kind of fruity/sweet, and much sweeter than anticipated for a carrot based wine.  Can't exactly place the flavor or the aroma other than that, but definitely not full carrot! Very good, and possibly my favorite wine from the visit. Food Paring:  Not tasted with food

King Kiwi Wine

Variety:  Kiwi Region:  Florida Country:  United States Year:  NV Price:  27.99 Shop Review:  If you like the fresh, crisp taste of kiwi, you will love…”the king”. This truly unique wine is crowned with flavor and bouquet characteristics, the likes you have never before experienced before. It “rules” Florida seafood dishes—and just about anything else from Florida. Personal Review:  Smells fruit, but not distinctively kiwi, just like slight hints of it.  Sweet, and tastes as the nose smells.  Very light. Food Paring:  Not tasted with food

Eleganta Red Raspberry

Variety:  Raspberry

Region:  Florida

Country:  United States

Year:  NV

Price:  22.95

Shop Review:  Semi-sweet - If you like red raspberries, you will love this double silver medal winner.  A truly memorable wine for any casual or elegant dining experience.  Not too heavy this raspberry wine has a light crisp taste perfect for any occasion.

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Personal Review:  Nose of raspberry jam.  Sweet body, but not as sweet as jam.  Finish is kind of tart, but not in a bad way.

Food Paring:  Not tasted with food

Florida Sunset-Pineapple

Variety:  made from pineapple Region:  Florida Country:  United States Year:  NV Price:  27.99 Shop Review:  Exotic, tropical and somewhat mysterious, this wine stimulates your taste buds as no other. Experience the flavor of fresh pineapple with that slightly sweet/tart finish. Serve with chunks of fresh pineapple in the bottom of your guest's wine glasses. Enjoy their reaction as they discover a wine with flavor and style characteristics that are entirely new to the food and wine experience. Great with ham. Indiana International Wine Competition - Concordance Gold/Best of Show 2003/2004. Epcot Selection 2002/2003. Personal Review:  Smells absolutely distinctive of pineapple.  Good, but not what I would want in the wine.  Too much like fruity acidic zest for a wine.  More like a  fruit juice. Food Paring:  Not tasted with food

Mango Mamma

Variety:  made from mango Region:  Florida Country:  United States Year:  NV Price:  26.99 Shop Review:  A fantastic Florida tropical wine. Made from fresh squeezed mangos, it's a semi-dry to semi-sweet wine with the undeniable taste and bouquet of fresh Florida mangos. Clean and crisp, it's ideal with any seafood dish. Serve with chunks of mango on a skewer for a terrific presentation to family and friends. Unique and delicious! Gold/International Wine Competition 2003/2004. Featured Wine, Epcot 2004. Personal Review:  Smells just like mango and tastes the same way.  Very mango finish that stays with you.  Much more well balanced than the pineapple.  Either my favorite or second favorite wine of the tasting. Food Paring:  Not tasted with food

Hot Sun

Variety:  Tomato Region:  Florida Country:  United States Year:  NV Price:  $25.99 Shop Review:  A very smooth dry white wine with a slight tomato taste and a hint of peppers. Feel the warmth...a delightful surprise. Serve with crackers & cheese, nachos, enchiladas, oysters, salads and bread. Use in cooking for a gourmet touch. Silver Medal Indiana International Competition, 1999. Personal Review:  Smells tamotesque, but like the marketed flavor not the actual fruit.  Far too dry in the body.  Spicy finish that was interesting and worth tasting, but not something I would want to drink normally. Food Paring:  Tasted with an oyster cracker http://www.thekeywestwinery.com/

Tasting - Monte Aman

Monte Aman

Variety:  100% Tempranillo

Region:  Arlanza

Country:  Spain

Year:  2009

Price:  $5.95

Shop Review:  Fermentation of selected grapes in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature.  Aging in American oak caskets for 5 months followed by 3 months in the bottle before being released in the market.  Inky ruby.  Ripe cherry and plum on the nose.  Smooth and fleshy, with deep dark fruit flavors complicated by bitter chocolate and anise.  A spicy quality adds lift and focus to the weighty fruit.  Offers an appealing mix of power and energy and drinks very well right now.

Personal Review:  Smell is also not discernible.  First taste is not exactly something I like, but I really like the finish (slight hint of bitter chocolate).  There is a hint of spice (maybe the anise?).  First taste accumulates on the tongue and the more you drink the more it overpowers the finish.

Food Paring:  Not tasted with food

 

Tasting - Cortenova Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Cortenova Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Variety:  100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Region:  Montepulciano

Country:  Italy

Year:  2010

Price:  $6.95

Shop Review:  Deep ruby red color with violet highlights and a pleasant and fruity bouquet.  Full bodied, soft tannins and good acidity.  Excellent with pasta dishes and red meats.

Personal Review:  Definitely smells like a red wine, but can't really distinguish anything in the aroma other than that.  Instant taste of dry.  The taste is also confused and undistinguishable like the smell.

Food Paring:  Not tasted with food

 

Tasting - Maipe Chardonnay

Maipe Chardonnay

Variety:  85% Chardonnay, 15% Viognier

Region:  Mendoza

Country:  Argentina

Year:  2012

Price:  $7.95

Shop Review:  30% malolactic fermentation, 30% was aged in French oak barrels.  Brilliant yellow golden color with green hints.  The wine is crisp and filled with white peach, pear, green apples flavors, toasty vanilla.  Elegant and luscious wine, well blaanced.  Crisp and long finish.  Pairs well with creamy soups, pork, veal, vegetables.

Personal Review:  Smells slightly fruity but barely.  Taste has a slight spice hint, which I wasn't fond of.  It might be the oak, and lingers after and actually gives a warm feeling on the tongue.  Definitely a long finish.

Food Paring:  Not tasted with food

Tasting - Villa d'Orvieto

Villa d'Orvieto

Variety:   Grechetto, Procanico (Trebbiano), and Malvasia

Region:  Orvieto

Country:  Italy

Year:  2011

Price:  $6.95

Shop Review:  It's a blend of Grechetto, Procanico (Trebbiano), and Malvasia.  Fresh and cris, it has a beautiful, floral bouquet.  It is wonderful with appetizers, fish, chicken, and salads.

Personal Review:  Smooth smell with floral tones.  Kid of a watery taste.  Gets better but also a little more water the more sips you take.  Finish is kind of dry leaving an after taste, but this disappears after two sips.

Food Paring:  Not tasted with food

 

Tasting - Dibon Cava Brut Reserve

 

Dibon Cava Brut Reserve

Variety:  45% Macabeo, 25% Xarel-lo, 30% Parellada

Region:  Penedes

Country:  Spain

Year:  NV

Price:  $9.95

Shop Review:  Light gold with plenty of bubbles, this wine has aromas of apples and pears with pleasant floral notes. Crisp and light-bodied on the palate, stone fruit flavors are accompanied by a mild minerality and balanced acidity.  A delicious sparklers for a great price!

Personal Review:  Smells pleasantly of fresh apple and pear.  Tastes a bit off, but generally good.  Light and bubbly.  I think that it is the stone side I do not quite like.

**I actually tried this again chilled and it was much better.  The slightly off side of the taste was very minimal. Possibly because I had been drinking a pina colada beforehand and that affected the taste?

Food Paring:  Not tasted with food