Grenache Syrah Blend, Little Canyon

A blend of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah this wine is very fresh with forward, full-bodied plum, tobacco and herb notes. All of the Domaine de Couron wines are made by the husband wife team of Jean Luc and Marie - a family owned and worked vineyard and winery in Southern France.
[taken from Wines by Wednesday website]

 

This was part of the May wine club and is a great little red. It has a wonderful fragrance. It's showing at around $10 online. I would definitely pick this one up again.

Argentina Malbec

Another great Mother's Day selection by my husband [seriously, selecting a wine based in the label can produce winners]. And 2 of my favorites: Malbec & Argentina!! The Alamos winery in Mendoza Argentina is off the foothills of the Andes. These vineyards have been cultivated by the same family for over 100 years and are among the highest in the world. I think that is a trip for my bucket list.

This is a full bodied Malbec, fruity, with a nice long finish. Rocky told me he didn't spend more than $10 on any of the wines, so I will definitely pick up more of this one.

Barefoot Pinot Noir

When it comes to cheap wines, many experts turn up their noses at wines like those with the Barefoot labels. They are cheap, mass produced, and available pretty much anywhere. But at $5.97 a bottle, I find these are great every day wines. I never feel bad about opening one on a Tuesday or forgetting a bottle at a friend's house. The Pinot Noir is one of my favorites, especially to cook with. This is a medium bodied silky Pinot. I try to keep a bottle on hand all the time as I have found it adds a lot to my cooking (and not just because I'm drinking while cooking). It's my favorite to make Beef Burgundy. The beef, bacon, butter (and onions & peppers) meld beautifully with this wine and the juices make the BEST gravy.

Riebeek Cellars Rose

So, what wine goes best with homemade chicken nuggets? Not sure this is the exact best match, but rose goes with just about everything in my opinion. 

This is a South African Pinotage Rose. It's a bit dry, but has a nice fruitiness that makes me think this will be a nice deck wine, and who doesn't like a nice deck wine?

This was part of wine club, which almost automatically makes it a splurge. I saw online prices ranging from $8-$14. If I saw this for under $10, I'd definitely pick up a couple of bottles.

Once Upon a Vine

For Mother's Day, when Rocky asked me what I wanted and, well, did he really have to ask? Mother's Day morning, I awoke to 3 new bottles of reds he picked out at Albertson's.

 

I love this label. So much fun! This is really a great Tuesday evening Pinot Noir.Medium bodied, fruity, this went down easy and I had to cut myself off before I drank the entire bottle.

 

The Once Upon a Vine label has 4 other wines (a red Blend, a Chard and a Sauvignon Blanc), which I think would be fun to theme a party around.

 

This is, obviously, a grocery store find, so definitely affordable. As it was a gift, I'm not sure of the exact costs, but online searches put this between $8.99 - $14.99. I don't think I'm going to call this a splurge, though I reserve the right to change my mind should I start to see it consistently at a higher price.

Wicked White - More Middle Sister

Yes yes yes more Middle Sister. This is the one we were unable to locate for our wine tasting. I like it and think it will be a great summer, deck wine. Clean, crisp, fruity: a mix of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and Other Whites. 100% California fruit with 23% from cool climate Monterey, CA. Great melon smells and flavor highlight this wine. I love whites fermented in steel as it seems to give them an added crispness.

I picked this up at CVS for $9.99 and of course, Middle Sister is on my must purchase again list.