Tasting: Lady Lola Pinot Grigio Moscato

Wine: Lady Lola
Variety: Pinot Grigiot, Moscato
Region: Sicily, Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $11

Critic Review: Lady Lola Pinot Grigio unfolds into a seductive, fruit driven wine with a great structure, opulent texture and crisp acidity. Lady Lola Pinot Grigio provides a great pairing to typical Mediterranean pasta-based dishes with any combination of seafood or tomato sauce, fresh salads or white meat-based dishes.

My review: For a wine on the sweeter end of the taste spectrum, it was fairly dry. This wine gives a tantalizing smell of fruit and a hint of earthiness. My initial taste of this wine was surprisingly dry. The combination of moscato and pinot grigiot was hard hitting, and I enjoyed the combination of flavors. I was impressed by how much different the wine tasted chilled versus room temperature. I would pair this wine with sweeter food, and I would highly suggest serving it chilled.

Overall, I enjoyed this wine.

Tasting: Astoria Sparkling Moscato Malvasia Lounge

Wine: Astoria Sparkling Moscato Malvasia Lounge
Variety: Moscato, Malvasia, Muscat Rose a Petits
Region: Italy - Piedmont
Year:  2014
Price: Normally $12, on sale for $6.99

Critic Review: Astoria Moscato Malvasia is rich pink in color withsmall soft bubbles. Delicate aromas of strawberries, raspberries, and violets lead into juicy berry flavors with a hint of honey, finishing with a delightful sweetness. 

My Review: This was one of the first wines I have tried where I could honestly say it was just too sweet for my liking. The wine smelled very sweet, and I was able to get a strong raspberry scent. My initial taste was a positive one. There was a burst of fruit flavors, and then a nice taste lingered. After tasting the wine some more, the sweetness really kicked into overdrive. The moscato took on a syrupy sweet taste, and the sugar became overpowering. As much as I love moscato, this one was just too much. I imagine it pairing well with a tart fruit, or maybe something bitter to cut down the sweetness.

Overall, I was disappointed in this wine. It was far too sweet for my liking, and I think it is best enjoyed with tart foods.

Tasting: FlipFlop Moscato

Wine: FlipFlop
Variety: Moscato
Region: Chile
Year: 2014
Price: $4.99

Critic Review:  The 2014 FlipFlop Moscato begins with light floral, citrus, and orange peel aromas. The wine tastes...Sweet! The predominant flavors are apricot, peach, orange zest, and honey with some pineapple on the finish. There's also a nice little bit of underlying minerality. A soft light-bodied wine that goes down easy. One sweet little number -- figuratively (the taste) and literally (the price).

My Review: I was slightly skeptic of this particular moscato because of the extremely low price. While it was not the best moscato I have had, it was surprisingly good given the price. The smell was full of flavors that were both fruity and floral, and I did detect a hint of pineapple. This moscato had a pretty standard taste, and there was not much of a zing to it. Some of the more prominent fruit flavors were a little overwhelming, but overall this was not a bad wine. It was suggested that this wine be drank with spicier dishes, and I agree that it would compliment them quite nicely.

Overall, I enjoyed this wine and its low price! 

Tasting: Ménage à Trois

Wine: Ménage à Trois
Variety: Moscato
Region: California, USA
Year: 2013
Price: $10

Critic Review: The 2013 Ménage à Trois White is a trip to the islands without the worry of sunburn or bugs. It’s undeniably fruity and unabashedly easy. It’s meant to be quaffed, not analyzed. Our white wine brings together citrus and tropical fruit flavors with crisp acidity. Dare we say it’s refreshing? With food or without, alone or with two companions, this is one of the most exhilarating experiences imaginable.

My Review:  I enjoyed tasting and evaluating this wine. It had a nice fruity and floral smell to it. I expected it to taste like citrus, but I was pleasantly surprised when the overwhelming flavor I tasted was apple. As I continued to taste this wine, I was able tot detect a hint of pear in the flavor. All of these flavors seemed to sit on top of a slightly floral layer of flavor. This was a nice crisp refreshing wine, and I can imagine it pairs well with crackers and a sharper cheese. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this wine!

Tasting: Sutterhome Pink Moscato

Wine: Sutterhome
Variety: Moscato
Region: California, USA
Year: 2014
Price: $5.99

Critic Review: Like a fun-loving friend, our Pink Moscato wine will keep the good times coming. Life is sweet indeed, with caramel aromas that lead to a passion fruit and melon finale. Oh, and there's a hint of vanilla that would go great with that lovely berry tart or decadent piece of cake.

My Review: This wine was sweet and fruity with a little bit of a zing. The smell of this wine was aromatic and fruity. When I initially smelled this wine, I was able to detect hints of citrus and flowers. The initial taste of this wine was very fruity, and I could imagine it pairing well with strawberries. The aftertaste on this wine was furity, and it left my mouth feeling refreshed.

Overall, I enjoyed this wine. I would suggest it be drank chilled, and it could pair well with dessert.

 

Tasting: Barefoot Pink Moscato

Wine: Barefoot
Variety: Moscato
Region: California, USA
Year: 2014
Price: $6.99

Critic Review:  Aromas of Mandarin orange and sweet jasmine crash into each other to create a deliciously sweet sea of pink goodness. Subtle flavors of cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate wash ashore in the flavorful experience.

My Review: This particular pink moscato is best enjoyed lightly chilled and with a sweeter fruit. When inhaling the aroma of this wine, I immediately detected the raspberries in this wine. The taste of the wine was a subtle mix of sweet fruit flavors, and it left me with an aftertaste that was just a little too syrupy sweet. I enjoy this wine with sweet fruit, but I also think it would pair well with something a little spicier. I think it would cut the spice quite nicely.

Overall, I enjoyed this wine. For the price, it is a pretty good bargain.

Tasting: Gum Drop Pink Moscato

Wine: Gum Drop
Variety: Moscato
Region: California, USA
Year: 2013
Price: $8.00

Critic Review: Fragrant, luscious and light-bodied Moscato with just a kiss of red wine. Brimming with exotic notes of orange blossom, honeyed peach and sweet cherry, this wine is love at first blush!

My review:  This wine was light and fruity. I tasted it slightly chilled, which really gave it a nice crisp finish. The aroma from the wine smelled vaguely of flowers, and reminded me of spring. You could also smell the cherries. I think this wine would pair well with some neutral tasting food, or a crisp fruit.

Overall, I really enjoyed this wine!

Tatsing: Canyon Road Moscato

Wine: Canyon Road
Variety: Moscato
Region: California, USA
Year: 2013
Price: Usually $12, on sale for $6.95

Critic Review: Floral, with tea rose and cherry blossom notes, this balanced Moscato shows flavors of ripe white cherry, candied plum and almond on the smooth finish. 

My Review: I really enjoyed this moscato. It was light and sweet, and the fruit flavors came through just enough. Overall this wine left me with a crisp, clean feeling. I think it would pair well with any light food.

I enjoyed this wine, and I would recommend it!

Tasting: Resonata

Wine: Resonata
Variety: Nero D'Avola
Region: Sicily, Italy
Year: 2013
Price: Usually $14, on sale for $6.95


Critic Review: The grapes are soft pressed and the juice is placed in stainless steel along with the skins for a maceration of 8 to 10 days with daily pumping over of the juice to extract more color and sweet tannins. Dense ruby red with violet reflections. Lush and ripe bouquet full of mulberries, blackberries and spice. Harmonious and well balanced with good berry fruit in a spicy background. Excellent with lamb, grilled and barbecued meats, dishes with olives or capers and seasoned cheeses.

My Review: This was a very dark red wine. It smelled very fruity, a lot like cherries and raspberries, but I could also smell that it was bitter. My initial taste of this wine did not go very well. It was much more bitter than I expected, and it burned my throat. My second taste was a little bit better because I knew what to expect. I was able to taste the different berries in the wine, and overall my senses were overwhelmed with the richness of the wine. There was a nice spice aspect of the wine as well, and I think that contributed to the slight burn I got when I drank it. I think this wine would pair well with savory food.

Overall, I did not prefer this wine. The flavors were very bitter for my liking, and I think there were too many things going on in the wine.

Tatsing: Canyon Road Pinot Noir

Wine: Canyon Road
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: California, USA
Year: 2013
Price: Usually $12, on sale for $6.95

Critic Review: Rich, fruit forward cherry flavors, soft tannins, a medium body and a smooth velvety finish. Pairs well with creamy soups, salmon, and savory pork dishes.

My Review: For a red wine, I was pleasantly surprised by this wine. The very first thing that popped into my head when I smelled this wine was earth. It had a very rich earthy smell, and the taste was almost spot on with how it smelled. I thought it was very light for a red wine, and even though it was very dry for my taster, I was still able to get many different flavors through it. It was a rich wine, so I would imagine it pairs well with savory food.  

Overall, I think Pinot Noirs are still too dark for my taste. I was surprised that I tolerated this wine as well as I did, and I hope I will grow to like it more. 

Tasting: Maipe

Wine: Maipe
Variety: Torrontes
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Critic Review: "Spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish."

My Review: This was one of the drier white wines I have had that I could smell and still want to taste it. It smelled very sweet, with a bit of a bite to it. When I tasted this wine, I initially did not like it. It was very bitter compared to  other white wines I have had, and it seemed acidic to me. As the tasting went on, I was able to get some of the fruit flavors, but I was not able to overcome the acidity that came with it. I think this wine would pair well with sweeter foods, and I think the acidity of the wine really helps to clear the palate. 
 

Tasting: Hugl Weine

Wine: Hugl
Variety: Grüner Veltliner
Region: Niederösterreich, Austria
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Critic Review: "A fresh scent of green pears greets the nose. What follows comes in a light, crisp citrus vein, supported by a rounded mouthfeel. A refreshing wine for immediate drinking. - Anne Krebiehl, MW"

My Review: This white wine was nice and fruity. My initial impression was that it was very refreshing and light. The smell was very fruity, and I was expecting it to be sweeter than it was. My first taste was fairly bitter, but as you tasted it became sweeter as the fruits really came through. It was a very refreshing wine, and I enjoyed it a lot. I think it would pair nicely with some crackers or perhaps a harder cheese.