You had me at “rose from the south of France”. This is a great rose. Soft and fruity, featuring notes of cranberry and cassis, with a touch of vanilla and hints of thyme and autumn spice. It is notably lacking in the bitter leafy finish that accompanies many other similar wines. Pair with grilled pork tenderloin.

Rating: 3.60 / 5.00

Oh. Wow. One sniff of this wine and you’ll know it’s a biodynamic wine. Its aromas and flavors shapeshift every time you pick up the glass. It starts crisp and minerally while still cold, and as it warms and opens up shifts to soft, layered and floral. Notes of honeydew melon, kaffir lime leaves, pink grapefruit rind, slate and wildflowers just begin to describe the flavor composition of this wine. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.60 / 5.00

I’ve been tasting a lot of $7 wines recently looking for good bang-for-buck sitting-on-the-porch wines. I’ve found another. The Palazzone Dubini Bianco shows a very fruit forward array of grannysmith apple, lime and watermelon, and is quite crisp and refreshing.

Rating: 3.35 / 5.00

Features a haunting nose of deep forest, wild mushrooms and damp cedar shavings. On the palate, black cherry and hints of pomegranate combine with the forest aromas to create a thoroughly expressive wine. Drink up though, because the mouthfeel is starting to slip just a bit. But all in all this is an outstanding wine – one that is a great display of the depth of a true Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.

Rating: 4.25 / 5.00

This Oregon rose reminded my of some of the best roses from the South of France – specifically of those from Domaines Ott in Provence. The wine was a gentle pink in hue, featured notes of strawberry and white peach, and every single sip was elegant. Pair with light nibbles and an ocean sunset.

Rating: 4.00 / 5.00

A really enjoyable Tuesday night wine, with a full floral bouquet and a fruit profile of pink grapefruit, lime and honeydew melon. Torrontes, in my opinion, is a very underrated grape, and this is yet another example of that fact.

Rating: 3.80 / 5.00

Not impressed with this rose. Stewed strawberries and an overwhelming bitter Campari note. Don’t get me wrong, I love Campari, but I didn’t love it in this wine.

Rating: 1.96 / 5.00

This is a wine that caused everyone to turn their heads after one sip. Now, it might have been because the tasters were all new to German Rieslings. But… I would have turned my head too. An aroma of Bucheron cheese rind permeated the wine, but allowed all the loveliness of a great Riesling to shine through… From the honey and flowers, to the cantaloupe and dried pineapple. $13 is an outstanding price!

Rating: 4.05 / 5.00

A decent showing from the Priorat region of Spain. It’s a straight forward wine that I would consider New World in style. It shows fresh off the vine blueberries, ripe blackberries and heavy body, with persistent new oak tannins and a touch of autumn spices. Pair with a pork roast.

Rating: 3.40 / 5.00