Cocobon 2010 Red Wine California   This is one of those wines I selected based on the label design, and I’m not ashamed. Look at how pretty that brown and beige label is! I love it. The taste ends on mildly sweetened cranberries, and it starts with milk chocolate and pomegranate seeds. Those fruit flavors
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Central Coast Banshee Red Wine 2007 This is a rich wine with a depth to it that makes me happy to drink it despite the fact that it’s not really that great. It’s dark brown in color. Milk chocolate is the dominant taste, which is its main drawback for me. There are healthy doses of
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Dearly Beloved Forever Red 2009 Mendocino County, CA No shame here—I bought this wine because of that freaking awesome label. Seriously, it has texture! And the name of the wine is in the skull’s teeth! I love it. Forever Red contains lots of tart, but luscious, berry. Think thick, juicy boysenberries. Cedar is on the
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Tres Pinos 2009 Red Wine San Luis Obispo, CA This wine is from my stomping grounds, though I didn’t know much about wine back when I stomped there (that’s only been marginally improved). There is a sharp cranberry smell followed by the lush scent of fresh, moist dirt—a great nose, as far as I’m concerned.
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Madria Sangria This is a premixed sangria, which I’m wary to try. I’ve had sangria in a bottle once before, and though the name of the brand eludes me, it definitely wasn’t worth buying again. This time, though, I’m hoping for better results. It ‘s made with no grape varietal known to man—okay, at least
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Novella Synergy 2008 Paso Robles, CA This is a very smooth blend of bunches of varietals. The nose smells richly of ripe strawberries and blueberries. There’s a hint of spice. It’s a lightweight wine and easy to drink. Tannins are light, and the strawberry is in full effect when sipping, with a small amount of
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Wine: ? Wine (Oreana Winery’s Red Table Wine) Region: Central Coast, CA This blend of unknown wine varietals was thrown together by a winemaker who apparently got some barrels mixed up.  It is definitely a flavorful wine. Spice is the dominant presence with a good amount of plum, orange, and leather. There’s also a lingering
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Wine: 2007 Trentartre Rosso Region: Salento, Italy This wine, emblazoned with the #33 on the label, is a blend of 33.3% each of cabernet, merlot, and montepulciano. It smells of dark maple syrup and tastes like you’ve bit into a bushel of dates.  There is also a hint of tobacco.  It’s a bit bracing but
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Petit Caprice Vin de Pays 2007 Other words on the label: Mis en bouteille a la propriete, Vin de pays de vaucluse, Red table wine, Product of France. The nose of this wine is light and plummy, yet the first mouthful is very juicy and tannic. I honestly taste zucchini once the initial punch of
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Other words on the label: Rhone Valley Vineyards Cotes Du Ventaux Appellation Cotes Du Ventaux controlee This wine is a blend of grenache, syrah, carignan, and cinsault. I’ve only heard of the first two before. There are an awful lot of grape varietals in the world, aren’t there? It smells sweet, smooth, and tingly with
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