Muted notes of citrus and apricot, with a minerally quality. The finish is intensely acidic. Too dry for me as a cocktail wine, better suited with spicy food that can counteract the acidity. Blend of roussanne and grenache blanc.

Berry explosion in your mouth. Fruit-forward with nice acidity and tannins and a touch of oak, but still in balance. Very good QPR at under $10. Blend of zinfandel, syrah and cabernet sauvigon from Lodi and Paso Robles.

This cabernet needs serious decanting to open up. Red and black berries, with generous coffee and toast flavors. Finish is too oaky for my taste. This may integrate better over time but as of now (May 2008) I find this too disjointed.

This bargain-priced chardonnay offers tropical fruit flavors and a pleasing acid profile but the overall roundness is mared by excessive use of oak.

This shiraz from the Barossa Valley is dark, fruit-forward and has no hard edges. It's an enjoyable quaffer and definitely a crowd pleaser, especially if your crowd includes people not used to red wine. Overall, though, it's simplistic, with a short finish. A good value at the price but not something to wow wine aficionados.

First night. Bitter (can you spell OAK MONSTER!), not much fruit flavor. Great color though.
Second night. Slightly more fruit flavor, but still super oaky.
Fifth night. Bottled sat on the counter for three more nights (corked but not evacuated). Bitterness has receded a little bit, allowing the fruit to come through. I'm just noticing how hot this wine is (or seems). This could be a solid value if it were more balanced. Maybe in 6 months. Right now, I would not buy again--even at the Trader Joe's price of $6.99.

Nose of violets and red raspberry. Red berry and cherry flavor profile. This wine would be enjoyable flavorwise but it is way over-oaked. I found it very hard to drink, even with food. Would not buy this again.

This shiraz/cabernet sauvignon blend from the Barossa Valley is a big fruit bomb full of red and black berry flavors. It manages to walk a fine line between fruit forward and over the top. Noticeable tannins on the long finish. A bit on the oaky side.

Very prominent flavor of green apples both on the nose and on the palate. A bit of yeastiness as well, which adds another layer of complexity. Just enough residual sugar to not go completely dry. Overall, a tremendously enjoyable champagne.

Imagine making love on a velvet blanket underneath the Australian summer sun. This is what this wine tastes like. Silky, fruity perfection. Everything is in balance: fruit (huge!), tannins, acidity. This is a back-up-the-truck kinda wine.

Deep purple color, expressive nose of red and blue berries. Well integrated fruit, little tannin, little acidity. A bit on the simplistic side but very enjoyable. Good value.

Solid Barossa shiraz. Lots of rich red fruit on the palate, but no cloying jamminess. Balanced and structured, this is a fruit bomb that stops shy of going over the top. Good value, too.

Very easy-going wine. Popular with our dinner guests. Very dark color, nose of red fruits, but a bit muted on the palate. Nowhere near as full bore as the Mollydooker Booker, which to me is the yardstick by which I measure this kind of wine (and which I happen to like).

As expected, this wine had a velvety and silky mouthfeel but was muted both on the nose and the palate, with a rather short finish. Pleasant enough, especially with food, but not outstanding. At $20, an OK QPR for an Oregon Pinot Noir, but not an automatic buy for me.

Promising nose of grapefruit and green apple but way too much oak treatment. I could not get past the woody taste. Only for die-hard chardonnay fines who like LOTS of oak in their wine. Not a good value.

Dark amber in color, butterscotch and toffee notes with nuts and spices. Finish that goes on forever. This is liquid ambrosia.

In my opinion, simply no better value in $10-$20 champagnes. Elegant rosé color, great balance between dry and fruity. This is a perennial crowd pleaser.

This wine is as silky as it gets. Beautiful notes of cherries, long finish. This is the wine to serve to people who don't like red wine!

After reading a lot of negative feedback about the Smoking Loon line, I was pleasantly surprised by the Merlot. Nice nose, full-bodied, fruity with a pleasant finish. Definitely a decent everyday drinker. Great QPR.