Wines had during Vernon Party

Saturday evening in Sussex County was a backdrop for a birthday celebration of two cousins. It was also a platform to partake in some vino--with wine supply exceeding demand in recent months in my house, it was high time to tap into a few bottles that have awaited their chances to be showcased. Keeping with the theme of 'trying new wines' that we've all adopted this year, I kept true to this, and pulled out and dusted off two reds and one white.

This was shocking--you have to expect that for trying several wines in a sitting you're apt to find one or more that disappoint, and hope to find a diamond in the rough. But, what if you encounter three diamonds?

Ranked from worst to first, below are my results:

3. 2005 Cortese Piedmonte Il Cascinone (Italian Cortese, $12.99)--this fruity smelling treat bore the nose of green apples and ripe fruits. The taste was dry and well balanced, having flavors of sour candy. The incredible length of this light treat made the experience an enjoyable one. Score: 3.5

2. 2006 Tasmorcan Barbera D'Asti (Italian Barbera, $16.99)--having a very vanilla and caramel candy aroma to it, this slightly brown colored gem had a very pronouned oak and cream taste to it. It had a very smooth flavor and lasted especially long. In the end I could pick up hints of black cherry soda. All in all, wow. Score: 4.0

3. 2002 Merlot Umbria Falesco (Italian Merlot, $14.00)--also having a very oaky and candy aroma to it, this wine had a more pronounced fruity bouquet on the nose than it's competitors in this comparison. The taste quickly reminded me of cream soda mixed with maraschino cherries, but slightly lower on the sweetness scale. It was a light to medium bodied wine with a nice all around profile and very enticing but not prolonged length. Another terrific find, and the best of class. Score: 4.0

Let's just hope we have that kind of luck next time!