Schmitt Söhne Liebfraumilch 2010

Schmitt Söhne Liebfraumilch 2010

Origin: Rhine Region, Germany
Blend: Riesling, Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau and Kerner (unknown percentages)
Alcohol Content: 9.0%
Bottle Closure: Screw Cap
Purchase Date: August 2012
Purchase Price: $4.99 (750ml bottle)

Our review: Light straw-gold in color, this wine has aromas of peach and flowers, with notes of orange. Soft on the palate, the fruit flavors — and orange seems to be the primary one here — tend to be on the sweet side but there's a nice moderating acidity that balances the sweetness. The finish is quite clean.

Our rating: We had forgotten that two years ago we reviewed the 2008 vintage of this wine. It wasn't until we were preparing this review that we found our previous one … and obviously we were not altogether impressed back then. However, that's not at all what we think of this bottle, which we found delightfully refreshing. We elected to enjoy it as an aperitif, a simple end-of-afternoon/pre-dinner glass, and found it just about perfect as such. Indeed, we think it would make for an ideal friends and family gathering-style wine, one to serve with appetizers or hors d'oeuvres, a wine that would pair well with almost any food. Overall, we rate it well Above Average and, given its very attractive price, highly recommended.

No taste profile from the winemaker found.

Winery website: Schmitt Söhne GmbH.

Villa Pozzi Pinot Grigio 2011

Villa Pozzi Pinot Grigio 2011

Origin: Sicilia, Italy
Blend: Pinot Grigio (100%)
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Bottle Closure: Screw Cap
Purchase Date: October 2012
Suggested Retail Price: $9.99 (750ml bottle)

Our review: Light yellow-gold in color, this wine has aromas of tree fruit (notably peaches) with notes of spice. On the palate the wine is soft, almost creamy, with flavors of apple, perry, and citrus zest. The slightly aggressive finish has quite a bit of mineral character to it, though it tapers off nicely.

Our rating: We chose to enjoy our bottle with a meal of chicken tenders, asparagus, and farfalle tossed in a bit of olive oil, with which it paired very well. Unlike Pinot Grigios from northern Italy, which tend to be lighter and can typically be enjoyed alone or as aperitifs, this wine needs food to bring out its best qualities, and is probably best served with relatively simple, lightly seasoned poultry and/or vegetable dishes. (We don't see it pairing as well with seafood or with spicy cuisines.) A good family dinner-style wine, we rate it Above Average.

Taste profile from the winemaker: Bright aromas of peach and cream, apple and nougat with a silky dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a crisp, orange, melon, and straw accented finish. Delicious and balanced.

Winery website: None found.

This bottle of wine was received as a sample for review. No promise was given or implied that it would be the subject of an endorsement or review, either positive or negative.

Jean-Claude Debeaune "Special Selection" Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Jean-Claude Debeaune "Special Selection" Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Origin: Pays d'Oc, France
Blend: Sauvignon Blanc (100%)
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Bottle Closure: Natural Cork
Purchase Date: August 2012
Purchase Price: $9.99 (750ml bottle)

Our review: Light yellow with significant tints of green, this wine has aromas of tropical fruit — mango, banana, pineapple — with just a hint of spice (vanilla). Rather crisp on the palate, the flavor profile is similar to that of the nose, with maybe some green apple blended in. The finish is slightly astringent with a bit of an earthy character.

Our rating: This is an interesting example of this varietal. We enjoyed our bottle with grilled fish fillets, with which it paired nicely, though possibly not as well as some of the more citrusy examples from New Zealand or Chile. We think Asian cuisines might be a better pairing overall. The finish was a bit disharmonious, lowering it score a bit, but still we rate it Above Average.

No taste profile from the winemaker found.

Winery website: None found.

Saladini Pilastri Falerio dei Colli Ascolani 2011

Saladini Pilastri Falerio dei Colli Ascolani 2011

Origin: Italy
Blend: Chardonnay (50%), a blend of Pecorino, Sauvignon Blanc, Fiano, Pinot Biano, and Falanghina (50%)
Alcohol Content: 13.0%
Bottle Closure: Natural Cork
Purchase Date: September 2012
Suggested Retail Price: $8.99 (750ml bottle)

Our review: Light golden yellow in color with green highlights, this wine has aromas of apples and other tree fruit (notably pears) with just a hint of citrus zest. Crisp on the palate, the flavor profile is a cross between a Granny Smith and a Gala apple, some tartness balanced with a touch of sweetness. An earthy, almost smoky character develops into the moderately long finish.

Our rating: We're bending one of our rules here, reviewing a wine that has as its dominant grape Chardonnay. We typically limit its presence in wine we review to 30% or less, but we were unfamiliar with this Italian blend and agreed to accept a sample for review. We assumed — incorrectly — that it would consist primarily of more typical Italian grapes. (As an aside, we do drink Chardonnay on occasion, and would never refuse a glass if offered, but prefer ABC-style wines.)

We guessed right and enjoyed our bottle with roasted chicken. This is not a delicate wine by any means, and can hold its own against a more substantial meal. We suspect it would pair well with most roasted meats, in particular turkey or pork, though we don't see it as a seafood wine at all. We liked the depth exhibited here, but knocked off a couple of points for the rather heavy and somewhat intrusive finish. Overall, we consider this family dinner-style wine to be Above Average.

No taste profile from the winemaker found.

Winery website: Saladini Pilastri. This wine is made with organic grapes. Though this wine is mentioned on the winery's website, the sample we reviewed is very different from that described on the website (as of the date of this review). We're guessing that this is one of those blended wines that receives a different composition every year, depending on the quality of the available grapes.

This bottle of wine was received as a sample for review. No promise was given or implied that it would be the subject of an endorsement or review, either positive or negative.

Bellini Frascati 2011

Bellini Frascati 2011

Origin: Italy
Blend: Malvasia Bianca di Candia (50%), Trebbiano Toscano (40%), Malvasia del Lazio (10%)
Alcohol Content: 12.0%
Bottle Closure: Natural Cork
Purchase Date: August 2012
Purchase Price: $8.99 (750ml bottle)

Our review: Pale greenish yellow in color, this wine has aromas of green apple, citrus zest, and a hint of spice. Nicely balanced on the palate, the fruit flavors are crisp and just slightly tart, and lean very much towards apple in character. The lengthy finish adds a soft touch minerality.

Our rating: This is a very nice wine, light and refreshing. The blend may be slightly different than that indicated above as we took it from a previous vintage, but it strikes a lot of right notes. We chose to serve our bottle with grilled chicken and vegetables, and found it paired very well. We think lighter dishes probably are best here: salads, vegetarian meals, simply prepared chicken or fish. Overall, we score it well Above Average.

Taste profile from the winemaker: A crisp, fresh white with vibrant acidity, brimming with notes of melon, apple and quince. Easy to enjoy, this crowd-pleasing Italian blend will enhance shellfish, light pasta dishes and fresh salads.

Winery website: Cantine Fratelli Bellini. This wine is not mentioned on the winery website.

Hermes Roditis 2011

Hermes Roditis 2011

Origin: Patras, Greece
Blend: Roditis (100%)
Alcohol Content: 11.5%
Bottle Closure: Synthetic Cork
Purchase Date: August 2012
Purchase Price: $7.99 (750ml bottle)

Our review: Exceptionally pale straw in color, this wine is very lightly scented, with aromas of tree fruit (apple and pear) and possibly a hint of spice. The palate seems very thin at first, with almost no flavor whatsoever … and it really doesn't develop much afterwards, reminiscent at its peak of weak cider or perry. A slight smokiness appears in the finish, nothing too dramatic, but definitely present.

Our rating: We're not quite sure what to make of this wine. We served our bottle with a simply prepared chicken dish, which was fine but the wine did little to add to the meal nor did the meal enhance the wine in any way. We'd be hard pressed to say what we think would pair well here. The wine is light and dry and really rather timid. We didn't not like it, we simply didn't find it memorable in any way. We score it on the very low side of Average, but we're wondering if that's being generous.

Taste profile from the winemaker: Soft and fresh with subtle flavor and hints of creamy finish. A gentle wine with attractive body.

Winery website: None found.

Forever Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Forever Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Origin: Monterey, California
Blend: Sauvignon Blanc (100%)
Alcohol Content: 13.5%
Bottle Closure: Synthetic Cork
Purchase Date: August 2012
Purchase Price: $8.99 (750ml bottle)

Our review: Straw in color with gold highlights, this wine has aromas of lemon and citrus zest, with fainter notes of grass and tree fruit, notably pears. The initial sensation on the palate is one of sweetness but that is rapidly replaced with a rounded citrus character, not quite tart but not sweet either. There isn't much of a finish.

Our rating: This is an unusual example of a California Sauvignon Blanc. It has received no oak yet it has a softness that gives it depth. It is really quite flavorful, but the flavors vanish almost as quickly as they develop. We enjoyed our bottle with simply prepared chicken, which in terms of protein we think is the right choice here, though we're guessing it would have been better had it been an Asian-inspired meal. We can also see serving it at a brunch, where a variety of foods might be available. The bottom line is, it's quite versatile, more so than with many others from this region. We rate it Above Average.

Taste profile from the winemaker: Beautifully balanced with flavors of lemon, citrus and pear. Aromas of lemon meringue and grapefruit carry through to the palate for a juicy finish. Pairs perfectly with fruits, cheeses, seafood and poultry.

Winery website: Forever Vineyards.