Benaz, 2010, Mencia, Spain

Benaz, 2010, Mencia, Spain

Price: $11 per bottle

Dark red wine, not much of a nose, however a little fruit is present. The wine was smooth, well balanced and dry. There was some dark fruit on the taste buds, some spices and earthy tones. For a dry red wine it had very little tannins. This was enjoyable when sipping alone, but this wine would be best with a nice meal. We had a simple meal of spaghetti and sauce. This pair very well with the Mencia, more fruit came out on the palate. The wine was a sweeter, while drinking the second glass. I am not certain if this was the food pairing or the wine had more time to breath.


I am going to buy another bottle or two of this wine.

Santa Alicia 2010, Reserva Malbec, Chile

Santa Alicia 2010, Reserva Malbec, Chile

Price $7 per bottle

Fruit, lots of fruit on the nose, black berries and black cherry. The Malbec is smooth and flavorful, with some dry tannins on the finish. We had this with Turkey Ruben sandwiches and dill pickles on the side. The Malbec went well with the sandwich, but not the dill pickles. I can not think of any wine that would pair well with dill pickles, but the pickles did go well with the Ruben sandwich.

This is a very nice everyday wine, not hard on the budget, very good on the taste.

Cheteau Pesquie Terrasses, 2010, Ventoux Rhone Valley France

Cheteau Pesquie Terrasses, 2010, Ventoux Rhone Valley France

Price : $15 per bottle

Very dark, almost black, red wine. Tones of black cherry were found on the nose. The Rhone valley wine is a medium body wine that was smooth and well balanced. Black cherry and other fruits also came through on the taste buds, along with some spices. The wine has a slightly dry finish. We had this wine with garlic and fennel chicken breast and veggies. The wine and the fennel flavors complemented each other nicely.

70% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 14% Alcohol

I recommend the wine to anyone who is looking for wine to sit back a sip with a nice weekend evening meal.

Layer Cake, 2010, Shiraz, South Australia

Layer Cake, 2010, Shiraz, South Australia

Price: $15 per bottle

This dark purple Shiraz, has a fruity bouquet. Raisin and blackberry tones were found on the taste buds. I also noticed a little cedar flavor on the finish. There was almost no tannins and the Shiraz was smooth and well balanced. Brown Sugar Chicken cooked over charcoal briquettes, along with baked bean and broccoli was evenings meal, that we enjoyed with the Layer Cake Shiraz. The Shiraz went well with the flavorful chicken.


This wine is a good value, the quality and price match.

Santa Alicia, 2009, Carmenere, Maipo Valley, Chile

Santa Alicia, 2009, Carmenere, Maipo Valley, Chile

Price: $7 per bottle

The Carmenere was a dark ruby red wine, with a fruity aroma. Blackberry and plum flavors came through nicely. The wine was smooth and well balance. There was a touch of tannins on the finish. This was a delightful wine to sip, even after a half a glass, the fragrance of the nose was still enjoyable. We drank this bottle over two evening meals. The first night we had a pasta salad, the second night a veggie pizza. It went well with both.

I will be looking for this wine again.

Manos Negras, 2008, Pinot Noir, Argentina

Manos Negras, 2008, Pinot Noir, Argentina Price: $13 per bottle

This was  medium body red wine. There was  some tones of cherry on the nose and on the taste buds, but not as much as other Pinot's I have drank. A little alcohol came though on the finish, but the wine was smooth and tasty. There was also some earth tones on the finish. We had this with pan seared salmon, which was a very nice pairing for the wine. All in all this wine was good, but not one I would repurchase at $13 price point.