Tehama Oaks Winery Red Rock Red Wild West Blend 2011

I finally opened the last bottle of wine my aunt brought me from California. The bottle alone gave me the feeling that this was a small, local winery whose wine I wouldn’t be able to find around here, which made me excited. From Tehama Oaks Winery its label read: Red Rock Red, Wild West Blend, 2011 California Red Wine. On it’s website I found out it’s a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Syrah and 5% Petite Syrah. It was named for the famous pro-rodeo bucking bull Red Rock, who is pictured on the label. At 12.46% ABV it cost $24, and I would absolutely pay that for it. While I don’t have specific tasting notes as I brought the bottle to a party and didn’t bother to analyze it closely, I can confidently say it is one of the best wines i’ve had in a long time. Very bold but smooth. It was a delicious blend. If I ever get a chance to visit my aunt I will definitely be checking out the winery and bringing a few bottles home.

Tunnel of Elms Merlot

I finally opened one of the bottles of California wine my aunt brought with her as a gift when we had a mini family reunion in Massachusetts a few months ago. This Tunnel of Elms Merlot is 13.5% ABV and very smooth. Bold and spicy as a Merlot should be, but not too strong of tannins, almost on the sweeter side. Nice finish, not too dry or bitter. Almost fruity. This would be a good introductory Merlot for someone who isn’t used to very dry wines.

Cupcake Pinot Noir 2011

I’ve seen Cupcake wine around but didn’t have the chance to try it until last week when I was visiting my grandparents. They had a Pinot Noir 2011 vintage. The wine is from California’s central coast and this bottle was 13% ABV. I’m not sure on the price but I don’t think it was over $20. It smelled of dark berries and cherries and had a pretty red, burgundy color in the glass. It tasted of red apples and strawberries. It didn’t have too much tannin and was a nice balance of sweet and dry.

Barefoot Refresh Crisp White

I had the chance to try another of California based Barefoot’s wine from their Refresh collection. This one is called Crisp White and is a blend of Chenin Blanc and Riesling. It smells like lemongrass and tastes like green apples. Nice citrus flavor, not too sweet. I think I prefer this one over the Perfectly Pink blend. At $7.99 a bottle it’s a pretty good deal.

Barefoot Refresh Perfectly Pink

Barefoot has some new wine blends for summer that look like they’re worth trying. So far i’ve had the chance to try the Perfectly Pink blend of Grenache and Moscato. ABV is 9.5% and for $7.99 a bottle it’s not bad. It smells flowery with hints of peach and tangerine. The label says “enjoy over ice” and “refrigerate after opening” so this one should definitely be served chilled. I tried it chilled, without ice and it was bubbly like a champagne. It tasted more like juice than alcohol. It was sweet and tasted like it smelled, but almost too sweet because it left that phlegm in your throat feeling after a few sips. This would be a nice, light drink for the beach or poolside.

Barefoot Refresh Perfectly Pink

 

Barefoot White Zinfandel

My mom doesn’t drink wine very often, but when she does it usually something fruity like white zinfandel. This Barefoot brand is pretty good considering it’s about $7 at any grocery store. The label bragged it was the most awarded wine brand so I figured it was worth a try. The bottle doesn’t tell me very much, like the vintage or ABV, but it does tell you it’s from California. It smells fruity like citrus and peach. The taste is a little sweet with a balance of bitterness. Hints of strawberry with a very nice finish. Overall enjoyable, especially for a light summer wine.

Barefoot White Zinfandel

Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc 2012

There’s not much to say about this wine. Yes, I knew what I was getting myself into when I realized it was another Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi wine, but I thought that since it was a Sauvignon Blanc it might be different. Different, yes, better, no. A 2012 vintage from California this one starts out good but gets worse as you drink it. The aroma is amazing with sweet notes of strawberry, but the taste it terrible like bitter petroleum. For $5.99 at Publix it sure did make a great cooking wine for my mom’s tilapia.

Flipflop 2009 California Merlot

My mom makes a delicious beef burgundy, even if she doesn’t use the right type of wine. For this particular batch of beef burgundy she used a wine i’d never tasted before. Flipflop 2009 California Merlot can be bought at Sweetbay supermarkets (or most likely any grocery store) for around $6. This wine is actually much tastier than I was expecting. The thing that threw me off was the fact that the bottle didn’t have a cork, it was a twist off top. To me, a wine without a cork is a red flag for cheap, disgusting wine, but I was pleasantly surprised. It has 13.5% alcohol by volume which is downplayed by the vanilla and berry flavors. It has nice legs and soft tannins which make for a smooth finish. It smelled mostly of blackberry to me but I could hint plum and cherry as well. The back of the bottle says, “Jammy aromas and soft tannins pair well with Texas chili, black & blue sliders or cheddar cheese broccoli.” If you are a Merlot lover on a budget I would suggest you try this wine, it just may surprise you.