Tasting- Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante

Tasting- Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante

Name: Barefoot Bubbly
Variety: 100% Moscato
Country: United States
Region: California
Year: 2014
Price: $10.99

Winery Review:

Sweet as a peach! Apricot and peachy flavors mix it up with a crisp acidity that hangs around with a really nice finish named tangerine

My Review:
As a preface, I have absolutely no idea what Spumante is but my guess is that it has something to do with the carbonation. Anyway, despite the big bubbles on this one, I did manage to get some of the flavors with this one. This one was acidic and usually I don't really like that in my wines (if Gnarly Head was any indication) but instead of tasting like a sour apple, some really nice citrus-y flavors complemented it very well. I got orange peel and some tangerine. Got hints of the peach but the apricot is still MIA. I really did like this wine, reminded me of alcoholic orange soda. 

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting- Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato

Tasting- Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato

Name: Barefoot
Variety: 100% Moscato
Country: United States
Region: California
Year: 2014
Price: $8.99

Winery Review:

Deliciously sweet and bubbly with flavors of red tree fruit and fresh berries. A creamy finish collides perfectly with candied cherries and sweet citrus flavors making it the sweetest Bubbly we’ve got.

My Review:
The bubbles were toned down here some so I was able to get some of the flavors with this one. I got hints of something like raspberry and vanilla of all things. Crisp and sweet while still be smooth, I really liked this wine.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting- LaMarca Prosecco Glera

Tasting- LaMarca Prosecco Glera

Name: LaMarca Prosecco
Variety: 100% Glera
Country: Italy
Region: Veneto
Year: 2014
Price: $14.99

Winery Review:

This sparkling wine is a pale, golden straw in color. Bubbles are full textured and persistent. On the nose the wine brings fresh citrus with hints of honey and white flowers. The flavor is fresh and clean, with ripe citrus, lemon, green apple, and touches of grapefruit, minerality, and some toast. The finish is light, refreshing, and crisp.

My Review:
So the local Kroger was having tastings on sparkling wines this weekend and I couldn't help but try a few to see what the deal was with this wine which I really have no experience with. Anyway, I really got apple and bubble here. I really missed out on a lot of other flavors I think but the bubbles were really difficult to get past. I mean, they weren't bad or anything, I felt they really made the apple flavors open up but I completely missed any hints of citrus, lemon or grapefruit and no way was I ever going to be able to guess that there would be hints of toast.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting- Chalkboard Malbec

Tasting- Chalkboard Malbec
Name: Chalkboard
Variety: 100% malbec
Country: Argentina
Year: 2013
Price: $9.99

Winery Review:

This sinfully rich malbec has concentrated plum and black current flavors topped with spicy cinnamon and nutmeg notes. The perfect match for a classic rib eye steak with chimichurri.

My Review:
Well, I really liked the moscato I had last week so I decided to give chalkboard another go with their malbec this week and once again, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got strong hints of blackberry and the plum. I wasn't really able to pick out the nutmeg but what I did pick out was a vanilla-y kind of after taste from what I can only guess is the hallmark of being stored in oak. All-in-all, I found this wine to be absolutely fantastic.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting- Gnarly Head Pinot Grigio

Tasting- Gnarly Head Pinot Grigio

Name: Gnarly Head
Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Country: United States
Region: California
Year: 2013
Price: $9.99

Winery Review:

Gnarly Head Pinot Grigio is crafted for the adventurous—boldly fruit-driven, with bright flavors and zesty acidity. Our winemakers carefully select grapes from California’s finest growing regions, choosing only the best fruit. Gnarly Pinot Grigio proves that white wine can be bold and racy. It’s a refreshing, mouthwatering wine with bright acidity and mineral notes, the perfect sipper for every occasion.

My Review:
Admittedly, my introduction to Gnarly Head was a bit botched. First, there were issues opening the thing (which is an issue I haven't had yet) but then on an initial taste I was not a fan at all. I found the acidity to be too overwhelming, disguising other flavors and just being flat-out repulsive. However, after a quick chill, the wine turned into another creature entirely and I got hints of apricot, apple, and even some pear. However, I still found the wine a bit dry but chilling it did cause the wine to improve significantly.

I did not have this wine with food.

Fun bonus
So here's a picture of the state in which the cork was in when I finally was able to extract it:



Yeah, traditional methods just didn't work. Eventually, after I had used the usual screw one too man times, enough cork had been eviscerated to make it impossible for the screw to find any purchase. So I did the reasonable thing and decided to attack the sides of the cork with a knife to pry it loose enough for extraction. It worked and amazingly enough got absolutely no cork in the wine.

Tasting- Be. Bright Pinot Grigio

Tasting- Be. Bright Pinot Grigio

Name: Be. Bright
Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Country: United States
Region: California (specifics are iffy)
Year: 2013
Price: $8.99

Winery Review:

 This is an effortless Pinot Grigio with sun-ripened citrus and stone fruit flavors and a crisp, fresh finish. An instant taste of optimism, perfect for setting a carefree mood. Serve chilled.

My Review:
Simple and elegant. I got a very strong hint of apple from this one. Not much else but I'm sure overtime I'll be able to pick these subtleties up as I knew there was something else there, I just couldn't really pin it down. Very easy on the palette, I greatly enjoyed this wine and wouldn't mind something more than just a sample.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting- Root:1 Carmenere

Tasting- Root:1 Carmenere

Name: Root:1
Variety: 100% Carmenere
Country: Chile
Year: 2012
Price: $8.99

Winery Review:

 Root: 1 Carmenere is a deep red color with gentle tannins and rich flavors of plum, blackberry and spice.

My Review:
This wine, true to the review, was really easy on the tannins and while I wasn't able to get a whole lot on the palette at first. The finish was spicy with, despite what the review claims, liquorice. I definitely did get other hints of blackberry on a second taste but never really got the plum. I had this wine with some grilled chicken and while it may be blasphemy (I wouldn't know yet), I thought the two worked together quite well.