Armento Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2008

Armento Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2008
Origin: Abruzzo, Italy
Blend: Trebbiano (100%)
Alcohol Content: 12.0%
Bottle Closure: Natural Cork
Purchase Date: February 2011
Purchase Price: $5.99

Our review: Medium, almost amber, gold in color, this wine has aromas of spiced (cider-like) tree fruit with strong notes of citrus and honey. The palate is surprising thin, flavor-wise, with little depth. It is a bit acidic and slightly reminiscent of unripened citrus fruit. There is little finish.

Our rating: This wine disappointed us, and we're wondering if maybe it might be past its prime here and not aging well. We served our bottle with a chicken and rice dish, which helped soften some of the rough edges, but didn't really improve it much. Sad to say, we didn't even finish our bottle and rate it Inferior.

No taste profile from the winemaker found.

Winery website: None found.

Riff Pinot Grigio 2009

Riff Pinot Grigio 2009
Origin: delle Venezie, Italy
Blend: Pinot Grigio (100%)
Alcohol Content: 12.0%
Bottle Closure: Screw Cap
Purchase Date: February 2011
Purchase Price: $8.99

Our review: Light gold in color, this wine has aromas of tropical fruit (papaya, banana, melon) with notes of spiced cider. The fruit flavors on the palate are almost immediately masked by a strange bitterness, not at all reminiscent of the bouquet. The finish is lengthy, but adds little else.

Our rating: This is, simply put, an unpleasant wine. We're not exactly sure what went wrong here, but the bitter fruit flavors are hard to get past. We served our bottle with a chicken dish, decided we wanted to enjoy our meal, and quickly opened something else. A later sampling confirmed our initial impression, that this wine is Inferior.

No taste profile from the winemaker found.

Winery website: None found.

Pinot Evil Pinot Grigio NV

Pinot Evil Pinot Grigio NV
Origin: Hungary
Blend: Pinot Grigio (100%)
Alcohol Content: 12.0%
Bottle Closure: 3L Box
Purchase Date: September 2010
Purchase Price: $17.99

Our review: Medium gold, nearly amber in color with aromas of apple, honey and spice, with faint floral notes. The flavor profile on the palate is similar, of spiced apples -- but there's also some initial bitterness that gradually fades ... but never entirely, extending into the rather undistinguished finish.

Our rating: We didn't enjoy this wine (and we had nearly three litres of it that we tossed, if that gives you any idea what we thought of it). If it were in a bottle, we'd almost say it was corked, but it is really its earthy spiciness that overwhelms here. Nearly undrinkable alone, its harsher characteristics are subdued a little -- a very little -- when consumed with food. It scores a few points for its nose, but otherwise, we rate it Inferior and do not recommend it.

No taste profile from the winemaker found.

Winery website: Octavin Home Wine Bar.

Grand Cru Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Grand Cru Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Origin: Sonoma County, California
Blend: Sauvignon Blanc (100%)
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Bottle Closure: Natural Cork
Purchase Date: January 2010
Purchase Price: $3.99

Our review: Yellow gold in color, this wine has aromas of tropical fruit and honey with significant spice notes. Somewhat (and unexpectedly) sweet on the palate, the fruit flavors aren't very expressive and are unbalanced. The finish, though quite lengthy, is flat and a bit chalky.

Our rating: We're attracted to sub-$5 wines, always on the lookout for one that might be considered an everyday wine, one to serve with a quick meal. This isn't it. It's not dreadful by any means, but it's not an altogether pleasant experience either. The most significant problem may be that its best days (if, indeed, they ever existed) may have long since passed; though we rarely choose ABC wines that are more than a couple of years old, we mistakenly purchased this thinking it was non-vintage (as most bargain wines are). We rate it Inferior.

No taste profile from the winemaker found.

Winery website: None found.

Folio Pinot Grigio 2007

Folio Pinot Grigio 2007
Origin: Veneto, Italy
Blend: Pinot Grigio (85%), Pinot Grigio delle Venezie (15%)
Alcohol Content: 11.5%
Bottle Closure: Synthetic Cork
Purchase Date: June 2009
Purchase Price: $9.99

Our review: A strong aroma of golden delicious apple and peach (maybe apricot?) is exhibited by this yellow-gold wine. The fruit flavors are muddled on the palate though, and accompanied by a flat, unpleasant chalk-like character. The finish is completely unbalanced and really quite distasteful.

Our rating: We're not sure what went wrong here, but there is little to recommend this wine. We tried different temperatures, with food and without, to no avail. It was one of the few bottles that we couldn't finish. From a scoring perspective, not undrinkable, but very, very close.

Taste profile from the bottle label: "Colour: Straw yellow with greenish shades. Bouquet: Vinuous, delicate, fruity. Taste: Dry, medium body, slightly bitter."

Winery website: None found.

Sartori Villa Sarti Pinot Grigio 2005

Sartori Villa Sarti Pinot Grigio 2005
Origin: delle Venezie, Italy
Blend: 100% Pinot Grigio
Alcohol content: 12.0%
Bottle closure: Natural cork
Purchase date: February 2008
Purchase price: $7.99

Taste profile from the winemaker: "Aromatic with citrus and white-flower notes, light bodied with crisp lemon-zest flavors and a clean lingering finish, this classic Pinot Grigio elegant when served as an aperitif or provides the perfect pairing for seafood appetizers, fish, white meats, and grilled poultry."

ABC Wines review: Lightly scented with citrus aromas, this pinot grigio's tastes are dominated by a very tart, almost bitter, grapefruit flavor. There's a bit of mineral crispness but it's hard to discern. The wine is very dry, exceedingly so. The finish is acidic and unpleasant. Not quite undrinkable, but close. Our score: Inferior.

Winery website: Not found. An image of the bottle could not be located.

Pepperwood Grove Viognier 2004

Pepperwood Grove Viognier 2004
Origin: California
Blend: 100% Viognier
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Bottle closure: Synthetic cork
Purchase date: September 2006
Purchase price: $7.99

Taste profile from the winemaker: "Pale straw color with aromas of lemon zest and jasmine with a hint of pink grapefruit. The palate is full with green apple, light cinnamon & clove flavors which underscore the ripe apricot and peach nectar and finishes with honeyed tropical notes."

ABC Wines review: Another wine found in the back of the cellar, this viognier is deep golden in color with an aroma of overly ripe fruit and somewhat rancid honey. The spicy, almost smoky, flavors are nearly overpowered by a tart acidity. The finish is somewhat unpleasant. Possibly well past its prime at this point in time or maybe never very good in the first place. Our score: Inferior, nearly undrinkable.