Under $10

Our tour of the world wines has been completed. We've sampled from pretty much every main region we could think of. So what's next on our list? Would that be the end of Tannin Team?

Of course not! Because the holidays are always a tight time for cash, we decided to wrap up our tasting year with a celebration featuring bottles with list prices under $10 at our area wine stores. That's not to say they might not be a little pricier wherever you are, but they're guaranteed to be on the less expensive side.

A. Barefoot Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon - more info
Appearance: Dark, beet juice, "Outstanding!"
Nose: 2.5
Aroma: 3.8
Balance: 4
Complexity: 2.2
Finish: 2.5 - "It's long, but I don't like it."
Comments: "Church wine." "I was gonna go with college, but that works, too."
Haley and Jen liked it.

B. Montebuena Rioja 2010 - more info
Appearance: More cherry-colored, legs look alright.
Nose: 1
Aroma: 2
Balance: 3
Complexity: 2.1
Finish: 2.3 - longer, but bitter, like grapefruit
Comments: Definitely wine, guaranteed. "It'll do." "This wine needs to eat a sandwich [because it needs more body]." Dry. "This is the kind of wine where I really don't like it, but I keep drinking it, because it's so interesting, whatever it's doing to my mouth."

C. Big House Cardinal Zin 2011 - more info
Appearance: Light, too light for a zinfandel
Nose: 2
Aroma: 2 - peppery flowers
Balance: 3.3 - sweet
Complexity: 2
Finish: 3 - short, but sweet
Comments: "And there was a great smacking of lips." Juicy, would be good for sangria, off-dry, the opposite of a flouride treatment.

D. DFJ Vinhos Alta Corte Caladoc Tinta Roriz 2009 - more info
Appearance: Darker, fatter/slower legs
Nose: 4
Aroma: 3.9 - like a country store at Christmas time
Balance: 1.5
Complexity: 1.5 - metal, blood, and NPR
Finish: 1 - not short, but very bitter
Comments: Tastes like "Car Talk."

E. Mirassou Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - more info
Appearance: Straw, coliform failure
Nose: 3
Aroma: 3 - "I dunno..."
Balance: 1.5
Complexity: 1.5
Finish: 2
Comments: "This is not sauvignon blanc." "It tastes like balloons." Sweeter than it should be. Kind of like a chardonnay.

F. Naylor Vidal Perfection 2009 - more info
Appearance: Medium straw
Nose: 2
Aroma: 3.3
Balance: 4 - but a bit sweet
Complexity: 2.5
Finish: 3 - short, but not unpleasant
Comments: Smells less offensive. "This wine is a slut." "Well, her name is NAYLOR..."
Our favorite white.

G. She Flirts Chardonnay 2008 - more info
Appearance: Dehydrated, vibrant, pineapple juice
Nose: 2.5
Aroma: 3.5
Balance: 2.7
Complexity: 2.7
Finish: 2.1
Comments: Not mislabeled. "Why does that make me think of a cow?" "Keep drinking until you find the complexity." "I'd rather Naylor."


Now that we've looked at different regions and gotten an idea of the qualities of various wines, we're going to look a little deeper and focus on varietals. Each tasting will feature one red and one white, just for variety. Our hopes are to discover more subtleties between vintages and vineyards, and maybe discovering that we don't actually hate moscato. Following the varietal features, we'll take a look at blends, organic wines, and do a sangria contest. What fun!