Oak Leaf Pinot Grigio NV

Oak Leaf Pinot Grigio NV
Origin: California
Blend: Pinot Grigio (100%)
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Bottle Closure: Synthetic Cork
Purchase Date: January 2011
Purchase Price: $2.97

Our review: Pale gold, nearly colorless, this wine has aromas of tree fruit (apple, pear) with just a touch of honey. Initially quite fruity on the palate, the flavors are well balanced though fade and flatten out very quickly. A hint of spice is present. There isn't much of a finish.

Our rating: Oak Tree wines are available exclusively at Walmart and are value priced. But is it worth the three bucks we paid for this pinot grigio? Most definitely. In contrast to another low-priced wine we sampled recently, this wine has some character to it, is quite drinkable, and could easily serve as an everyday, go-to wine. Price aside, we rate this wine Average, but it's hard to overlook the fact that it's only $3; we're impressed.

No taste profile from the winemaker found.

Winery website: Oak Leaf Vineyards.

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio 2010

Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio 2010
Origin: South Eastern Australia
Blend: Pinot Grigio (100%)
Alcohol Content: 11.5%
Bottle Closure: Synthetic Cork
Purchase Date: December 2010
Purchase Price: $3.99

Our review: A pale straw in color, this wine has aromas of tree fruit, notably green apple, with a slight hint of citrus. On the palate, the fruit/acidity balance is off, with a flavor of unripened apples, maybe some apple peel present. A bit of minerality and an odd bittersweet element (over-ripened fruit?) takes over the finish.

Our rating: Never one to pass up a bargain, this wine was on sale for $4 … but we're not entirely sure it's even worth that. There are several unpleasant aspects to this wine, noted above; it's not undrinkable but we'd be hard pressed to come up with a food pairing that would improve it. We rate it Below Average to Inferior. (Just a couple of months ago we rated the Yellow Tail "The Reserve" Pinot Grigio 2008 Average.)

Taste profile from the winemaker: "Lively green apple and pear aromas with a crisp, clean and refreshing palate."

Winery website: [yellow tail].

Helfrich "Noble Varieties" Gewurztraminer 2008

Helfrich "Noble Varieties" Gewurztraminer 2008
Origin: Alsace, France
Blend: Gewurztraminer (100%)
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Bottle Closure: Screw Cap
Purchase Date: October 2010
Suggested Retail Price: $14.99

Our review: A light lemon yellow in color, this wine has aromas of pineapple, melon, and honey … and maybe just a touch of spice. The spice character comes through more on the palate, complimenting the sweetish fruit flavors, which overall have a good balancing acidity. The finish is very fruity.

Our rating: This is a good brunch wine, one to serve with a buffet featuring a wide variety of foods. We also think it would work well with spicy Asian cuisines, those meals that are typically hard to pair with wine. We're generally not fans of this varietal, but this is a well-rounded example that we rate Above Average.

Taste profile from the winemaker: "Replete with many intriguing aromas of flowers, fruits and spices. It follows with a rich palate and vivid fruit flavors which are complimented by a full body that transitions into a long and pleasant finish."

Winery website: None found.

Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand
Blend: Sauvignon Blanc (100%)
Alcohol Content: 13.0%
Bottle Closure: Screw Cap
Purchase Date: December 2010
Purchase Price: $9.99

Our review: An exceptionally pale green in color, this wine has aromas of gooseberry, lime, and lemongrass with slight herbal notes. Pleasantly crisp on the palate, the citrus flavors are well balanced, initially with some tropical fruit coming through before becoming slightly tart into the finish, which has some mineral character but otherwise is lengthy and rather citrusy.

Our rating: This is a very nice example of this varietal. Though it clearly has a New Zealand signature to it, it is well rounded with some interesting nuances. Probably best paired with seafood, we'd choose grilled whitefish over shellfish, though both probably would work well. It could also be served as an aperitif, which is basically how we enjoyed our bottle. We rate it Above Average, nearly Excellent.

Taste profile from the winemaker: "The wine is light straw in colour with green highlights and displays vibrant fruit aromatics of pink grapefruit, passionfruit and a complex minerality. The palate shows balance, both ripe passionfruit flavours and a tight, fresh acidity."

Winery website: Stoneleigh: Marlborough New Zealand Wines.

Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Origin: Durbanville, South Africa
Blend: Sauvignon Blanc (100%)
Alcohol Content: 13.5%
Bottle Closure: Screw Cap
Purchase Date: January 2011
Purchase Price: $7.99

Our review: Greenish silver in color, this wine exhibits vegetal (asparagus, green pepper) aromas coupled with notes of citrus and lemongrass. Similar characteristics are present on the palate, the flavors crisp and somewhat tart. A slight herbaceousness is also present. The finish is lengthy but doesn't add anything different.

Our rating: This is a nice example of this varietal, but it seems a bit one-note to us, that it needs something to round it out. It's well balanced, acidity-wise, and would pair very well with seafood, but we think it may do better with a vegetarian meal, or possibly a simple pasta or rice dish. We rate it about Average overall.

Taste profile from the winemaker: "Colour: Pale green. Nose: Complex combination of papaya, grapefruit, lime and winter melon with green fig and prickly pear flavours coming to the surface as the wine changes temperature. Taste: The palate is a combination of fruit flavors and green pepper."

Winery website: Durbanville Hills.

Zagarrón Verdgjo 2009

Zagarrón Verdgjo 2009
Origin: La Mancha, Spain
Blend: Verdejo (100%)
Alcohol Content: 11.0%
Bottle Closure: Synthetic Cork
Purchase Date: December 2010
Purchase Price: $6.99

Our review: Pale gold in color, this wine has bright aromas of tree fruit (apple, peach) and apple blossom. A ripe apple flavor come throughs on the palate, initially rather mild though growing quickly in intensity towards the finish. The finish is slightly tart, almost like apple peel in character.

Our rating: This is a very pleasant but not overly complex wine, one that can readily be paired with a wide variety of foods. With its fruit-forward flavor profile and relatively low alcohol content, we think a light lunch or freshly tossed salad would be perfect. We, for example, enjoyed our bottle with cold chicken sandwiches. We rate it on the very high side of Above Average, and at just $7, consider it a terrific value for an ABC wine.

Taste profile from the winemaker: "Yellow with green tonality, bright and clear. Intense aroma with balsamic note. Soft and complex in mouth."

Winery website: Wines Zagarrón.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Origin: Columbia Valley, Washington
Blend: Sauvignon Blanc (89%), Semillon (11%)
Alcohol Content: 13.5%
Bottle Closure: Natural Cork
Purchase Date: December 2010
Purchase Price: $6.99

Our review: This pale straw wine has soft aromas of tropical fruit and lemongrass with slight herbal notes. The citrus flavors on the palate are quite crisp, even tart. There's a dry minerality present as well. The extended finish adds a citrus-zest element.

Our rating: Our overall impression of this wine is one of spicy tartness, and kind of an odd mix at that. The finish goes on forever, usually a strong point for us, but we're not sure in this case. Overall, it's a rather unusual wine and not altogether unpleasant, though it's probably not one we'd buy again. We served our bottle with a broiled white fish dinner, probably a good choice given its general character. On the score sheet, it rates on the low side of Average. (We previously rated the Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc 2007 quite high, Above Average, nearly Excellent, a marked difference from the present vintage.)

Taste profile from the winemaker: "The wine offers fresh aromas of herbs and lavender with a beautiful floral note. A touch of Semillon is added for richness. This wine would pair well with dishes with cream sauce."

Winery website: Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery.