Frederiksdal Kirsebær Vin 2011 (Denmark)

Nose:  Other than the obvious cherries, woody and a bit damp.

Taste:  Quite thick, semi-sweet, definitely cherries, with a little bit of wood at the end.

Finish:  Doesn't really finish sweet - but no tannins whatsoever.  A short woody finish.

What we say:  S - 'Well, smells like cherries, I guess...'  'It tickles the nose.'  V - 'I think there's some sort of spice on the nose - cinnamon or nutmeg?'  'It's actually quite odd, because there's that definite red wine oakiness amidst the cherries.'  S - 'Does it smell like gum?'  V - 'The nose is like a cherry pie that you sucked the sugar out of'  S - 'And added gum?'  'I wonder what you would drink this with?'  V- 'Man, you wouldn't want to get drunk on this.' S - 'Yeah, but it's good though.  It's interesting.  It's something that you only have a  bit of.  Maybe with a picnic in the park?'

What they say:  Good with blue cheese, salty cheese, pâté, chocolate desserts, or raw sugared summer berries.

Rating:  7

Price: kr. 140,00

Blaxland Estate Verdelho-Chardonnay 2012 (South Eastern Australia)

Nose: citrusy, maybe a very light floral.

Taste: sweet. Melon-y. Exotic fruity and not citrusy at all. Pear maybe?

Finish: a bit of a sour finish, but it doesn't really linger and it's not overpowering.

What we say: V: 'It's quite nice. I like it, which is good 'cause it's in the risotto!' V: 'I think this is one of the better whites we've had.'

What they say: Notes of lemony-citrus on the nose and a palate of tropical fruits, citrus peel, and a well-balanced acidity.

Rate: 7 (S=7, V=7)

Price: £5.50

Marques de Casa Concha Merlot 2012 (Chile)

Nose:  Quite powerful, very big, heavy on the oak, with some dark berries to it.

Taste:  Big flavour, a bit tart in the beginning, and the oakiness carries through.  Big in the fruit as well, but mitigated by the oak and tannins.

Finish:  A bit tart in the finish as well with medium tannins.

What we say:  S - 'Slight hint of pencil crayon... No, wait... It's pretty much the only thing I smell.'  'I'm going to guess from the nose that this is slightly more on the sweeter side.'  V - 'It's a pile of oak, with an aside of dark berries.'  S - 'It's like thick cherry oak, like syrup.  Not in the sense of sweetness though.'  V - 'Yeah, there's nothing subtle about this whatsoever.  If it wasn't for the oakiness this would be fruit-bomb territory, but the oak keeps it down'

What they say:  It abounds in dark fruit aromas that fit perfectly with the generous barrel-supplied vanilla and chocolate notes.  Full-bodied it is a wine of supple, velvety tannins.

Rating:  7

Price: kr. 109

Tesco Finest Awatere Valley Pinot Grigio 2011 (New Zealand)

Nose:  Light and citrusy, not that sweet - maybe a bit of green apple.

Taste:  Slightly sweeter than expected from the nose.  Still at the sweetness level of green apple though.

Finish:  Slight citrus sourness that balances off the apple.

What we say:  S - 'I was expecting some vanilla in there, but I don't think it's there'  V - 'It's a refreshing citrus nose - almost green apple as well though'  S - Yeah, I agree with the apple.'  S - 'For a second I almost thought I tasted black licorice, but that would be unusual, wouldn't it?'  V - 'I think it's simple, but it's well-done' S - 'This is a pretty dry Pinot Grigio - I've had sweeter ones, and I think I prefer this one over the others'

What they say:  Aromas of rose petals and honeysuckle with flavour of ripe pears and quince with a fruity, crisp finish.

Rating:  7

Price:  £9.99

C4 Barossa Valley Chardonnay 2011 (Australia)

Nose:  Fruity, kind of a sweet citrus.  Maybe a bit of vanilla that gives it the sweet element.

Taste:  Almost like a really fresh grape, but not as sweet.  Pretty crisp.

Finish:  Somewhat bitter but not unpleasant - maybe minerals.

What we say: S - 'Wow, it's strong. I think I can smell it from here.... or is that just the flowers?'  V - 'The finish tastes like dessert.'  S - 'It's pretty fresh and refreshing'  V - 'I have no idea what that taste is.'  S - 'It's a bit tangy, or tart.'  V - 'It's sort of like mineral water without the bubbles.'  S - 'It's crisp, like when you have the first coating of ice on something.'

What they say:  Fresh and vibrant with tropical notes and a mid-weight body.

Rating:  7 (S - 8; V - 6)

Price:  £9.99

Spitalkellerei Konstanz Müller-Thurgau 2011 (Germany)

Nose:  Fresh, lively, and citrusy, on the grapefruit side of things - a bit sweet, maybe a hint of vanilla?

Taste:  A bit tart at the beginning, but only a medium-dry overall - there's a hint of sweetness.

Finish: Interestingly, honey - but not overly sweet at all - just a touch.  Perhaps honeysuckle?

What we say:  S - "It's a bit sweet, what is it?"  "It's almost floral, but it's not - definitely honey."  "I think it's good - it's a good summer wine."  V - "This is reasonably unique from what we've had before in white wine - a good combination of citrus with a smattering of sweetness - I like it."

What they say: Nuttin'

Rating:  7

Price:  €7.29

Alianca Dão Quinta Da Garrida Reserva 2005 (Portugal)

Nose:  Smoky wood with sweet berries.  Definitely smokey wood - the wood predominates, actually.

Taste:  Dry.  Smokiness comes through in the flavour.

Finish:  Medium tannins with a lingering smokiness.

What we say:  V - 'It's a nice combination with the smoky wood and the cherry.'  S - 'It's that familiar flavour again that I can't place.'  'It's like a bonfire.'  'It reminds me of whiskeys.  It has that sophistication about it.'  'The colour is like thick, fresh blood.'  'If you feel like a smoky wine, I say this is the one you take.'  V - 'I imagine it would be good with beef and stuff.'

What they say:  Subtle balance between fruit flavour and elegant tannins with a long finish.

Rating:  7

Price:  £8

Le Dolci Colline Prosecco (Italy)

Nose:  Light, vaguely citrusy and sweet.  Fresh.

Taste:  Citrusy in initial flavour.  Medium-dry.  A bit of bitterness to it, like lemon rind.

Finish:  Minerally, with baked lemon rind.

What we say:  L - 'It smells like pee, but just my pee, because I pee Prosecco.'  V - 'Is there liquorice in the smell?'  L&V - 'No!'

What they say:  Oodles of apple and peach on the nose and an interesting soft finish.

Rating:  7

Price:  £8.99

Targus Creek Shiraz and Trincadeira 2011 (Portugal)

Nose:  There's quite a bit of oak in there - S smells nothing but 'pencil crayon.'  Almost no berries whatsoever.

Taste:  Very smooth, with some berry-like properties, but relatively light overall.  Spicy?

Finish:  Has a bit of a buzziness at the end, maybe pepper.  Almost semi-sweet, with moderate tannins.

What we say:  V - 'The nose is really unusual.' S - 'Is there pepper in the nose?  I don't know - I could just be making this up.  There has to be something other than oak right?  I mean, at the end of the day it's based on grapes...'  'Even thought I can't really pinpoint many of the flavours, it's still really nice - quite subtle, perhaps.  Like the quiet one in the room.  Still waters run deep.  Something about books and covers.'  'It's not like explosions in your mouth, but it's very good - I like it in its simplicity.'  'A decent wine to bring to someone if you don't know their preferences (unless they're wine snobs)'

What they say:  Medium body that combines red fruit characters with pleasant spiciness.

Rating: 7 

Price:  £5.99

Viña Ecoyen Navarra Reserva 2002 (Spain)

Nose:  Sweet - definitely cherry.  With some type of spice, maybe cinnamon or nutmeg?

Taste:  Quite smooth, with Christmas spices - nutmeg or cloves?

Finish:  A little bit of tannins on the finish, maybe a little peppery?

What we say:  V - 'The nose almost reminds me of cherry pie.  It's quite nice.'  S - I like it, particularly the Christmassy bit.'  V - 'There's just the right amount of sweetness'

What they say:  Red cherry and black fruits mellowed by creamy vanilla.

Rating:  7

Château Tour Saint-Germain Cuvée Prestige 2010 (France)

Nose:  Sharp, red fruit

Taste:  Dry, with berries

Finish:  Light - a little bit woody

What we say:  S - 'It smells like a new batch of pencil crayons'  V - 'As soon as you get your initial hit of the nose, there is not that much going on'  S - 'Berryish - still a little bit of pencil crayon in the taste.  I've only chewed in the ends of them while  drawing but....'  V - 'I would buy this again just to drink'

What they say:  An intense nose with fruit.  A soft taste with a good tannic evolution.

Rating:  7

Malbec Vino Tinto 2010 (Argentina)

Nose: There is very little that is immediately distinguishable about it. It isn't particularly strong. Maybe peppery? Mossy?

Taste: There's something initially berry-like to the taste, but then it goes to something less fruity. There's something earthy about it.

Finish: Well balanced, though not complex.

What we say: S - 'It smells red.'  'Weird....That was weird.' V - 'It's not the type of wine that you open, pour a glass and can smell from five feet away.' 'It's super drinkable, but I would have given it a higher rating if it had more complexity to it. It's on the level of the generic Châteauneuf-du-Pape one that we bought at the grocery store - a solid choice.'

What they say: Nuttin'

Rate: 7

Star & Vine Shiraz 2010 (USA)

Nose:  Sweet, maybe syrupy.  Nutmeg or cloves - smells like Christmas - maybe lingonberry?

Taste:  Remarkably close to the nose - spicy or lingonberry.

Finish:  Smooth - not really different from the taste.

What we say:  S - "It's interesting, because it has some sweetness, but only slightly.  I feel like I know this flavour - that we've had it before, but I can't place it"  "It's certainly good and unique, but maybe not something you would want to drink all evening."

What they say:  Rich and full, with ample briar-fruit.  A lingering finish with luscious vanilla-edged hints.

Rating:  7

Tarragona Gran Reserva 2005 (Spain)

Nose: Woody, with berries.

Taste: Full, smooth, with berries.

Finish: Very little bitterness.

What we say: S&V - "L picks out good wine, one of the better wines we've had to date."

What they say: Rich and full-bodied.

Rating: 7

Vega Del Cega Valdepeñas 2010 (Spain)

Nose: Sweet, definitely fruity, full

Taste: Smooth, a little bit sweet, a little bit bitter, but not like the previous ones. Like red fruits.

Finish: A cherry finish?

What we say: S&V - "We're biased, we drink this all the time. Possibly the best value for money in the UK"

What they say: Balanced and fruity wine with a flavour reminiscent of red berries.

Rating: 7 (V - 6; S - 8)