u/DippPhoeny

So i received this email about an research internship Off the bat, it's kind of odd as you're supposed to text your info to a number that is supposed to be CS professor here (don't know i'm allowed to say bc of rule 6). But given it was sent by a Buffalo.edu email, i presumed it was real and decided to apply as what do I have to lose. So i had a text interview and seemingly i was "hired" and they asked how i would prefer to be paid and if i can do mobile deposit, which is when i started to get to get creeped out, and the fact that i would hired without calling or anything. Then they say they need to send a laptop, and printer to my house and if I can receive it by saturday (which i felt odd, but i went along under the chance it could have been real) and then they say "the accounting office" will pay for it. And then, the craziest part is that they wanted me to mobile deposit a $1500 (likely fake) check under the weird reasoning that the equipment had to purchased under my name to know that it would go to the right person. The check was emailed to my personal email account by some random guy saying that it can ONLY be mobile deposit. Of course i did not cash out the check. There were a lot of red flags up to this point but I thought as long as i don't give any crucial information there's no hurt. Just a warning to everybody. I don't get how something like this got through UB's cybersecurity...

Price: $14.99

Region: Ventoux AOC, France

Blend: 80% Syrah, 20% Grenache

ABV: 14.5%

Appearance: Medium Ruby

Nose: blackberry, black cherry, blueberry, red plum, red cherry, black olive, thyme, mint, oregano, lavender, green peppercorn, mushroom, chocolate. Medium+ aromatic intensity

Palate: full body, high alcohol, medium tannin, medium+ acidity. Flavors of black and red fruits, with herbs, spice, earth and a hint of chocolate and olives. Medium+ flavor intensity and medium finish

Score: 89.5 points

A nice dark and savory red wine but lacking in intensity and finish. I feel it would be crowdpleasing and a good compromise wine, something that casual wine drinkers and wine people would enjoy.

Price:$13.49

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand

Composition: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

ABV:13%

Appearance: medium lemon

Nose: lemon, grapefruit, golden apple, passionfruit, guava, honeydew melon, mango, white peach, jalapeno, grass, asparagus, wet stones, saline, lemongrass, green tea, honey, candied citron, white flowers, celery. Pronounced aromatic intensity

Palate: medium- body, high acidity, medium alcohol. Flavors of green and tropical fruits, hint of herbs, green vegetables, and saline. Medium+ flavor intensity. Long finish.

Score: 92 points

Nice to see that a 2022 is still doing well. Really nice nose but a little thin on the palate.

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Price: $13.99

Region: Cava DO, España

Blend: 40% Macabeo, 40% Xarel•lo, 20% Parellada

ABV: 11.5%

Winemaking: traditional method, 12 months on lees, 5g/L dosage

Appearance: medium lemon-green

Nose: lemon peel, orange peel, lime juice pear, golden apple, honeydew melon, white flowers, earth, mint, seashells, celery, green almond, bread dough, wax. Medium+ intensity.

Palate: dry, medium fizz, low alcohol, high acidity, medium- body. Flavors of citrus, pear, minerals, herbs, bread, and earth. Medium+ intensity and medium finish.

Score: 86.5 points

Decent cava with an interesting nose, but unfortunately the fizz disapates pretty quickly. Not sure why I have this problem with cava a lot

Price: $19.99

Region: Rioja Alavesa, España

Blend: 92% Tempranillo, 8% Mazuelo

ABV: 14%

Winemaking: fermented in stainless steel vessels, aged 2 years in New American oak barrels, and at least 1 year in bottle.

Appearance: medium ruby

Nose: red cherry, blackberry, red plum, cola, hay, toast, almond, vanilla, fig, prune, dried cherry, blood orange, wet stones, fennel, black pepper, Pronounced intensity.

Palate: full body, medium tannin, medium+ acidity. Flavors of red fruits, toast, spices, minerals. Medium+ intensity and finish.

Score: 91 points

Above average rioja reserva. Both rich and refreshing. Benefits from a lot air.

Price: $9.99

Region: San Juan, Argentina

Composition: 100% Torrontes

ABV: 13%

Appearance: medium lemon

Nose: lemon peel, orange peel, peach, rose, mint, saline, wet stones, white pepper, chili pepper, asparagus, honey. Medium intensity

Palate: medium- body, medium alcohol, medium acidity. Flavors of citrus, stone fruits, chili pepper, minerals, and a hint of greenness. Medium+ intensity and medium+ finish.

Score: 87.5 points

Nice easy going white but not super complex or interesting. Great for the price.

Price:$19.99

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Composition: Malbec (presumably 100%)

ABV: 13.7%

Appearance: deep purple

Nose: red plum, black cherry, blackberry, strawberry, cranberry, violet, lavender, rose, fennel, wet stones, black tea, cedar, vanilla, chocolate, hay, earth, leather. Pronounced aromatic intensity.

Palate: medium body, medium+ acidity, medium tannin, high alcohol. Flavors of tart red and black fruits, minerals, tea, sweet spices, and earth. Slight bitterness. Medium+ flavor intensity and medium finish.

Score: 89.5 points

Pretty light and refreshing for a Malbec. Beautiful and intense nose, but unfortunately the palate is a bit lacking.

Price: $22

Region: Óis do Bairro, Portugal

Composition: 86% Baga, 14% Bical

Winemaking: Traditional Method, 9 months aging on lees, unfiltered, unfined, zero dosage

ABV: 11.5%

Appearance: medium salmon

Nose: red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, cantaloupe, watermelon, blood orange, wild red berries, tangerine, cream, yeast, wet stones, honeysuckle. Medium+ aromatic intensity

Palate: medium body, medium+ acidity(though low for a traditional method sparkling), low alcohol. Flavors of red berries, stone fruits, cantaloupe, citrus, cream, and yeast. Medium+ intensity and long finish. Fizz doesn't hold up so well unfortunately.

Score: 90 points

A fun, fruit forward sparkling rosé. I would have preferred more acidity and better integrated bubbles though.

Price: $11.99 (close out deal)

Region: Napa Valley, California

Composition: 100% Chardonnay

ABV: 14.5%

Appearance: medium lemon

Nose: lemon peel, pear, red apple, honeydew melon, banana, wet stones, white tea, white flowers, grass, butter, vanilla, ginger. Medium+ intensity

Palate: medium+ body, high alcohol, medium+ acidity, flavors of lemon peel, tree fruit, honeymelon, baking spices, mineral butters. Medium+ flavor intensity and long finish

Score: 91 points

Quite delicious and surprisingly elegant and acidic for a napa valley chard.

Price: $19.99

Region: Arroyo Seco, Monterey County, California

Composition: 100% Pinot Noir

ABV: 13.5%

Appearance: pale ruby

Nose: strawberry, red cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, red plum, redcurrant, cranberry, blood orange, rose petals, forest floor, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, black tea, coconut. Medium aromatic intensity

Palate: medium body, medium- tannin, medium alcohol, medium+ acidity. Flavors of ripe red fruit, tea, and spice. Medium+ intensity and medium finish.

Score: 87.5 points

Decent for a cali pinot, but their chardonnay is much better, for ~$20, it's not really worth it.

2025 homemade wild grape wine

Price: free, but hours of work

Region: Upstate NY

Composition: wild vitis riparia grapes, yeast, sugar

ABV: unknown

Appearance: extremely dark purple

Nose: black cherry, black plum, blackberries, wild dark berries, grape jelly, chocolate, nail polish remover. Pronounced intensity

Palate: off dry or medium dry, low tannin, high acidity, low alcohol (I'm guessing like 10-11% ABV) medium+ body. Medium+ intensity. Medium finish. Kind of a weird mouthfeel from the lack of tannin and it may have never gone through malolactic fermentation (the sharp acidity feels more similar to a Sauvy B or Riesling rather than a beaujolais)

Score: 80 points

Quite simple (almost all fruit), but barring a touch of acetone, it's surprising clean given my lack of winemaking experience. Might be an interesting addition to a blend but on it's own it's kind of boring. Last of 2 bottles, however I barely got two bottles and one of them had more sediment, this was the cleaner bottle. And I used a Cote Des Rose bottle bc a glass closure was easy

Price: $15.99

Region: Alto Adige DOC, Italia

Composition: 100% Pinot Grigio

ABV: 13%

Appearance: pale lemon

Nose: green apple, pear, lemon peel, white peach, raspberry, wet stones, honeysuckle, acacia blossom, ginger, asparagus. Medium intensity.

Palate: medium- body, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol. Green and stone fruit with a touch of spice and minerality. Medium flavor intensity, medium+ finish.

Score: 87 points

Decent PG, but nothing special. Good balance but lacking a bit in complexity and intensity.

Price: $11.99 (supposedly originally $40, and supposedly it would be $70 under the producers label according to WSJ wine, but who knows how true that is)

Region: Sonoma Coast AVA, CA, USA

Composition: 100% Pinot Noir

ABV: 13.9%

Appearance: pale ruby

Nose: red cherry, strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, pomegranate, rhubarb, black tea, cloves, vanilla, violets, rose, blood orange, fall leaves, mushroom. Medium+ intensity.

Palate: medium body, high alcohol, medium+ acidity, medium- tannin. Flavors of red fruit, tea, baking spices, and mushroom. Medium+ flavor intensity and medium+ finish.

Score: 90 points

Decent Cali Pinot, but a little bit too alcoholic tasting for me, might need some time to age

Price:$17.99 (4th of July sale)

Region: Côtes de Provence AOC, France

Blend: Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, and Rolle (aka Vermentino) (can't find percentages)

ABV:13%

Appearance: pale pink

Nose: watermelon, peach, cantaloupe melon, red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, grapefruit, pear, saline, banana, cream, white pepper. Medium intensity.

Palate: light body, medium alcohol, high acidity. Flavors of light red berries, peach, and citrus. Medium intensity. Medium+ finish.

Score: 89 points

Decent provencal rosé, but def not worth the full price.

Price: $15.99

Region: Rías Baixas, España

Blend: 100% Albariño

ABV:12.5%

Appearance: pale lemon

Nose: nectarine, green apple, pear, white peach, apricot, honeydew melon, lemon peel, grapefruit, brioche, seashells, grass. Medium+ intensity.

Palate: medium- body, medium alcohol, medium+ acidity. Flavors of ripe stone fruits and citrus, with some mineral and yeasty flavors.  Medium intensity and finish

Score: 87 points

Was expecting a lot more minerality, but this wine was quite ripe

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Price: $13.33

Region: Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT, Italia

Blend: 100% Pinot Grigio

ABV:13%

Appearance: pale lemon

Nose: lemon peel, pear, green apple, peach, honeydew melon, wet stones, honey, white flowers, basil, eucalyptus, grass, brioche. Medium intensity.

Palate: medium body, medium alcohol, medium+ alcohol. flavors of lemon peel, pear, green apple, peach, wet stones, honey, white flowers, basil, eucalyptus, grass, brioche. Medium intensity, long finish

Score: 89 points

Pretty nice for a PG. Not so impressive at first, but the finish is finishing and I have to bump it up for at

Price: $21.99

Region: Long Island, USA

Blend: 54.5% Merlot, 14% Chardonnay, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 5% Pinot Meunier, 2% Cayuga, 1.5% Pinot Gris, 1.5% Pinot Blanc, 1% Gewürztraminer, 0.5% Semillon

ABV: 12.4%

Appearance: pale salmon

Nose: watermelon, red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, grapefruit, orange peel, orange blossom, saline, white pepper, wet stones, rose, asparagus, cream. Medium aromatic intensity.

Palate: medium body, medium alcohol, medium+ acidity. Lots of watermelon, citrus and light red fruits, slightly spritzy and creamy. Hint of minerality. Medium+ flavor intensity, Medium+ finish.

Score: 90 points

A bit pricey, although probably one of the best I've had so far. Perfect for sipping on the porch during a heatwave

Price: $35 (but i got an already opened bottle for free from work)

Region: Napa Valley, California

Blend: presumably 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV:14.1%

Appearance: deep purple

Nose: blackcurrant, black cherry, blackberry, strawberry, coca cola, vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, cedar, graphite. Medium+ aromatic intensity

Palate: off dry, full body, medium+ (soft) tannins, high alcohol, medium acidity. (though low for Napa cab). Medium+ flavor intensity, medium finish. Dark fruit and oak flavors.

Score: 87 points

Not as bad as I expected, but it's fairly unidimensional, pretty much all dark fruit and oak, which makes it a little boring. Wouldn't ever buy, but still drinkable.

Price: $35.99

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Region: Rioja, Spain

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Blend: 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo

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ABV: 13.5%

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Appearance: medium garnet

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Nose: red cherry, raspberry, cranberry, blood orange, red plum, leather, earth, fig, prune, vanilla, cloves, tobacco, red meat, thyme, violets, lavender, toffee, minerals, fennel, walnuts. Medium+ intensity

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Palate: medium+ body, medium+ (velvety) tannin, high alcohol, high acidity. Sour red fruits, citrus, dried red fruits, earth, leather. Medium+ intensity medium+ finish

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Score: 91.5 points

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A fun, red fruit dominant, oxidative wine with lots to discover on the nose. Although, I feel it's a little unbalanced, it's quite sour and alcoholic tasting, but I have heard about bottle variation in regards to LdH. This didn't blow my mind or anything, but my mom and grandma who are casual wine drinkers really enjoyed this.

Price: $12.99

Region: Sicilia DOC, Italia

Blend: 100% Nero d'Avola

ABV: 13.5%

Appearance: medium ruby

Nose: strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, red plum, red cherry, redcurrant, tomato leaf, fennel, cayenne, cinnamon, forest floor, potting soil, vanilla, cedar, cigar box, chocolate, Medium intensity.

Palate: medium+ body, medium- tannin, medium alcohol, medium acidity. Red and dark fruit, spice, and chocolate. Medium+ flavor intensity. Medium finish.

Score: 88.5 points