1) Martini & Rossi, Asti, Sparkling Wine (Italy) - I remember back when I was growing up I saw "Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante, that's nice" commercials.  Now years later I'm into wine and it occurred to me I should actually try this.  Granted this is Asti, not Asti Spumante, and I think that's supposedly a step up in quality.  Well, Nancy and I absolutely loved this.  It's a sweet wine, but not like candy, it has classy carbonation, and much to my surprise it has one of the lowest alcohol contents of all wines (it's 7.5%).  We loved it.  Nancy already has asked me to stock it regularly so she can have it often.  Good stuff.  Sure I know it's mass marketed average stuff, but it's good stuff.  6 out of 10 for upper average.

2) Beauzeaux {bo-zo} Red Wine (Beaulieu Vineyard), 2005 (Sonoma, California) - OK, I bought this on a whim.  The label has a juggler in a derby hat in 4 poses, and the back label is packed with pretension including a claim it tastes like black cherry pie.  The blend is 8 different grapes including Lagrein which I haven't heard of before.  When I opened it the first glass I thought was boring and I was ready to rip this wine.  But the 2nd and 3rd glasses were progressively better and I think this had concentrated at the bottom.  It was good, not the best I've had but good.  Forget about that black cherry pie claim though - too imaginative.  Anyway 6 out of 10 for upper average.

3) Chateau Lafayette Reneau, Emperor's Blush, year ? (Finger Lakes Region, Hectar, NY) - OK this is the first Finger Lakes wine I tried, and I also bought it because the back label says it's a blend which includes hybrid (i.e. native North American hybrid) grapes and I thought that was interesting.  The back label also claims it has strawberry and watermelon tasting notes, and that it's a nice step up from white zinfandel (? an amusing benchmark).  Well, I taste a nice light strawberry taste.  I don't get the melon.  I'll note this is a good wine when very cold but as it warms it's a little foxy.  In general though this was just a very ordinary inexpensive white/blush wine so I'm not overly impressed.  Still, not bad.  5 out of 10 for lower average.