2006 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Taste: 4/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $10

I've heard of and seen this wine over the years but had never tried it, until now. The first Gamay wine I remember drinking was a Gamay Rouge from V Sattui in Napa - absolutely fabulous with barbecue! This is a I also never realized that "because Beaujolais Nouveau is released annually on the third Thursday of November -- exactly one week before Thanksgiving -- the two have become as inextricably linked as Champagne and New Year's Eve." I'll have to remember that for this year...also noted to pair well with buttery cheeses such as brie or Camembert, that you may serve before or after! Fresh, smooth and fruity with no bite sums this wine up nicely. Would definitely keep a bottle on hand.

2005 Cigarzin California Zinfandel

Taste: 5/5

Value: 3/5

Price: $24

I bought this wine after describing to my friend who owns The Wine Cellar, a Sangiovese from Delonega GA that had such a divine, smokey taste. He suggested Cigarzin. In comparison, it wasn't really smokey at all, but it was a very good Zinfandel, although not as good as InZinerator from last week. Rich, creamy, concentrated, very fruity, very drinkable, but a bit pricey for everyday drinking.

2005 Souverain Merlot

Taste: 5/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $15-$18

I agree with the winemaker when he describes this wine as, "The core of vibrant fruit balances nicely with the fine-grained tannins, creating a plush and juicy mouthfeel. Baking spice notes from aging in oak barrels meld nicely with the generous black fruit and lead to a long, smooth finish." A very good merlot, but one could probably find a similarly good merlot for a little less.

2004 Inzinerator

Taste: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Price: $18

I discovered this wine at the Smyrna Wine Stroll with my sister-in-law and it was even better than I remembered. From the Scott Harvey website, this is: "A wine made for the “Super Hero”: Forward and luscious, this lively wine almost jumps out of the glass. Briary, blackberry extractive Zinfandel", a blend of 76% Zinfandel and 24% barbera. Tasting Notes: All spice, raspberry, figs, big & user friendly, firm tannins, complete, cherry, lingering finish, mocha. The only other thing I'd add is: fabulous! I'm guessing it's the figs that makes me think of a nice Port, just not so thick and syrupy. And the nice, high alcohol content (14.5%) gives it some sexy legs to boot.

2006 PETs Petite Syrah

Taste: 5/5

Value: 5/5

Price: $14.99

Petite Sirah is a grape I'm not as familiar with. My first exposure was with Concannon Petite Sirah, which I liked just as much, but the bottle was awkwardly large and didn't fit well in my wine cooler. As another option, PETs was recommended by Jim at my local Wine Cellar. In general, Petite Sirah is characterised as spicy, bold and full-bodied with inky black fruit. Petite Sirah was historically a blending grape, adding deep color, tannic structure and jammy blackberry fruit to other varietals, most notably Zinfandel. This wine in particular is bold, fruity and yummy - great slightly chilled for the summer or room temp for other months of the year! Reminds me of a nice, jammy old vine zinfandel. Would definitely buy again and recommend. Added bonus for animal lovers: a portion of the proceeds are donated to the San Francisco animal shelter.

2008 Bodega Uno

Taste: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Price: $10

This Argentinian wine is a blend of 60% Torrontes, 40% Chardonnay, and reminded me of a Sauvignon Blanc due to the crispness. A recommended pairing with Torrontes is Asian food. I'd take Gewurztraminer over this. On the nose, this wine is very tropical and sweet smelling, but on the palate, it is very lemony and crisp. If it tasted the way it smelled, or even if the chardonnay buttered up the lemon a bit, it would be a knock out. Overall, a nice, fresh summer white, IF you like crisp.

2005 Robert Mondavi Vinetta

Taste: 2/5

Value: 3/5

Price: <$10

Vinetta is a red wine blend made with Cabernet, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Described as "elegant yet fruit-forward, offering flavors and aromas of black cherry, dark plum and blackberry, a plush velvety texture and a pleasant, lingering finish". I, however, found it to be tight, astringent and hard to drink, even on day two. Won't be buying this one again. I did rate it average on value simply because it was cheap, and just because I didn't care for it doesn't mean someone else won't.