Dark, middle-aged. Beautiful stereo-typical Merlot color and opacity.

​Deep cherry oak

Smooth cherry plum, hint of toasted oak

Very smooth, dry but not tannic

KISS...Keep It Simple Stupid. Michigan Reds are not known for lasting a long time, at the time of this review this wine is four years old. A four-year-old Michigan wine is generally reaching its peak or has already started to decline. With this wine not having a large tannic smell, taste or finish on it I don’t believe it has reached its peak yet, it’s still embodies a beautifully crafted Merlot. The winery like I said above, embody the statement of KISS. The color and opacity of the wine are near perfection. They didn't try to make a top-shelf Merlot. Their crop was already first class, all they had to do was let it age. Brys Estate Merlot is a smooth but full body Merlot with typical cherry and plum taste, strong cherry flavor all the way through the tasting process. If you get up to Traverse City in Michigan, this is probably the first winery you should visit.

Clear. Young wine with light color

Dry leaves, Lemon

Lemon, Green Pepper, Jalepeno

Dry, short finish with low complexity.

This wine is not your average Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Marlborough (pronounced just like the cigarette company) is a region in New Zealand and is very famous for Sauvignon Blanc. What makes this region's wine different from any other Sauvignon Blanc region in the world is the terroir. This region is very famous for having a impactful citrus flavor, most common is grapefruit. Now what makes this particular wine different from the rest is it doesn't have that typical flavor (although one could argue that it is slightly there on the finish, but you have to have a very advanced palate to detect it). Instead of grapefruit there is a fairly large impression of green pepper with a slight finish of the spiciness of jalepeno. These two pepper flavors are not very common for this region so we can infer that the winemaker did something special when crafting this wine to have the peppers taste appear. The aroma of this wine reminds me of a late Autumn evening, every time I take a whiff I am transported back in time to pregame practice when I played high school football. This makes for a nice conversational wine as it is truly out of the ordinary. If pairing this wine it will go great with any grilled or smoked fish, do not fry the fish as the oil from frying will amplify the pepper and not make for a good pairing. Normal SRP is $23.99.

Opaque, Young wine with dark color.

Cherry, Blackberry, Black Pepper.

Black Pepper, Blackberry, Cedar, Cherry.

Dry, Medium finish with medium tannin content and medium complexity.

Virgils Vineyard The Smuggler's Son has an aroma of the typical full body California Cab, big robust flavors of blackberry and black pepper being most prominent with subtle cherry. The terroir of California is also present in the palate. Typical flavors of black pepper, blackberry and cherry. What you don't normally get in a typical California Cab is a slight cedar taste that gives the wine a nice creamy vanilla finish. If you are looking for a typical California Cab with a slight variation from the rest this is a great buy. Price comes in a little higher than the standard Cab at a normal SRP of $29.99. Great value for your date night splurge will surely impress your significant other.

Opaque, Middle-Aged wine with dark color.

Cherry, Cedar

Cherry, Black Pepper, Blackcurrant.

Dry, medium finish with low tannin content and low complexity.

This wine is what is called a GSM blend. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre(A.K.A. Monastrall). Typical blend of 70%, 20%, 10%. The bright purple on this wine means that it is still to young to drink. Hold off on this bottle for at least another year to fully enjoy. Bright cherry on nose that follows through to the palate. Added to the cherry are bold black currant flavores and a touch of ceder, which this appellation is famous for. Medium dry finish with very subtle tannins. This wine is for the casual wine drinking that likes fruity but not sweet, bold but not dry type of wines. Enjoy at a young age but wait too long and the tannins will start seeping through and the flavor profile described here will change. Pairs well with any grilled meat or roasted chicken and heavy h'orderves. Normal SRP is about $15-$17.

Opaque, Middle-aged wine with dark color

Cherry, Cedar, Coffee

Cedar, Licorice, Plum, Redcurrant.

Dry, Medium finish with medium tannin content and medium complexity, spicy.

This wine starts off with big fruit of cherry and plum but well balanced with the supple tannins. This wine has been aged for 32 months in 100% French oak which gives the wine a slight leathery finish which is very typical of big Cabs like this. The oak is very well pronounced in both the aroma and palate as well. Very good wine for a finer meal with red meat. Normal SRP is $60.

Clear, young wine with light color.

Butter, Black pepper, Apple.

Apple, Pear, Oak.

Dry, short finish with low complexity.

This is a French wine from the Costieres De Nimes region, which is located between the Rhone Valley and Languedoc. The blend of this white wine is 60% Roussuanne, 20% Grenache, 20% Viognier. Bright acidity from the Grenache and Viognier. Slightly oaked  which will give it the oak taste with butter and black pepper aroma. Light flavor, high acidity white wine paired well with fish will make this wine easy drinking. By itself the acidity may overpower your tastebuds, unless you like Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc wines. Normal retail $20.99

Semi-opaque, young wine with medium color, deep ruby red.

Blackberry, Tobacco, Alcohol.

Blackberry, Tobacco, Tannins, little spicy.

Dry, medium finish with low tannin and medium complexity.

There is no photo of this wine because this is a wine that I crafted. Using a sugar experiment this is 100% blackberry with piloncillo sugar being fermented. Blackberry is very noticeable on both the aroma and palate. The sugar added a nice sweet tobacco flavor and a spicy finish. For a blackberry wine this is very complex. The classification of this wine would be dry. If wanting to try something new and exciting this wine will dance all over your taste buds. If interested in this wine please contact me, there is a limited supply and I am willing to let go of a couple bottles. 

Semi-opaque, young wine with medium ruby red color.

Blackberry, Cherry, Oak.

Blackberry, Strawberry.

Dry, Medium finish with low complexity.

There is no photo of this wine because this is a wine I crafted. Using a sugar experiment this is 100% Blackberry with fructose sugar being fermented. On the aroma, oak is detected despite never seeing oak. Strong blackberry smell with subtle cherry. On the palate, nice strong blend of blackberry and strawberry. the finish is dry and medium with very low complexity. Nice easy drinking wine, can be served either chilled or room temperature. If interested in this wine please contact me. I am willing to let go of a couple of bottles. 

Clear, young wine with light color.

Apple, Apricot, Oak.

Oak, slightly buttery, apple.

Semi-Dry, short finish with low complexity.

This wine is naturally fermented. Which means that no cultivated yeast was added like other commercial wines. Being natural fermented and a nice slumber on oak, this wine does taste different than other commercial wines. Strong oak taste and smell with a dry apple finish. Low complexity and short finish make for a decent Chardonnay. Normal retail is $11.99.

Clear, young wine with light color.

Apple, pear, pine.

Apple, Apricot, Pineapple.

Dry, Short finish with low complexity.

This is a great bright and light tasting wine. Grenache is typically a red wine grape, however, very little people know that when grapes are pressed the juice is always clear. Red wine gets its color from being aged on the skins of the red grapes. The appearance of this wine looks like any typical chardonnay. The aroma has a nice blend of apple juice and pine tree smell, with a hint of pear. The taste is pretty simple with the main flavor being pineapple then apple. On the finish the apricot can be detected. This is a very dry wine with a nice mix of fruits so it tastes slightly sweet. This wine is 80% stainless steel and 20% french oak for 6 months, which is where it gets its slight sweetness and pineapple flavor. Great, easy drinking, non-traditional white wine. Normal retail price $21.99.