Tasting- "R Wines"

Variety: Riesling

Region: South Island

Country: New Zealand

Year: 2009

Price: $18

Vintage Cellar Review: Our South Island Riesling has a range and combination of flavors unlike any other. 

These flavors span citrus, root ginger, white peach, spices and florals. eco.love Riesling is made in balance to an off-dry style. Food Pairing: Asian Fusion, Seafood, Curry, and anything spicy

My Review: This wine smelled of sweet tarts. This was a really good Riesling which was more dry than most Rieslings I've had. It was quite good. If I had to get a white wine I might go with this. 

Tasting- "Toschi"

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2011

Price: $8.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Well-balanced flavors of dark berries and plums. Spicy fruit finish.

My Review: This wine had some slight flavors of raspberry and cherry. It did have a distinct smell and slight taste of peppers. Interesting. Not my most favorite cabernet sauvignon. 

Tasting- "Canyon Road"

Variety: Pinot Noir

Region: California

Country: USA!

Year: 2012

Price: $6.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Rich, fruit forward cherry flavors, soft tannins, a medium body and a smooth 

velvety finish. Pairs well with creamy soups, salmon, and savory pork dishes

My Review: This wine tasted like strawberry and cherry. More specifically, a cherry tootsie roll pop. It was very good! Yum!

Variety: Chardonnay Semillon

Country: Australia

Price: $7.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Chardonnay Semillon is a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Semillon. It gives a
moderate intensity of melon, guava, apricot and butterscotch aromas. The medium bodied palate provides attractive acidity along with plenty of tropical fruit flavors and a medium-long finish.

My Review: This wine tastes slightly appley and buttery. It was refreshing but had a thicker mouth-feel.

Tasting- "Indwe"

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Country: South Africa

Year: 2011

Price: $7.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Grapes are meticulously sourced from our grape producers along the Coastal region
of the Western Cape ensuring complexity and freshness in the wine. Indwe Sauvignon Blanc is full of layers, balance and persistence. The wine is imbued with tropical and citrus notes, with hints of melon and gooseberry flavors.

My Review: This smelled like flowery peaches and pears. The taste, however, did not match the smell. I expected it to have a bolder taste, but the flavors were much more subtle.

Dinner - "Palisades (Wines around the World... With a Hop!)"

For this wine and food pairing, a few friends and I made the trip to The Palisades Restaurant in Eggleston. The restaurant is very quaint and had a bit of a rustic feel to it. We got there around 6:00, which was a little earlier than most people get there because it did fill up by the time we finished eating. We were seated promptly and all ordered the Wine, Beer, and Food pairing meal which was designed for this class. Check out the menu below!

For the first course, we had a baby kale salad paired with a Cotes du Rhone Rose and Shooting Creek Buffalo Brown Beer. The the nose of the wine was pretty floral and also had some hints of flowers in the taste. The salad was really good. The bits of bacon provided a nice crunch and the pickled onions were a different taste. After eating the salad, the wine tasted slightly sweeter than before taking a bite of food.

The second course of the meal was probably my favorite.  It was a lobster bisque which was amazing. It was very rich so the small mug was plenty. The wine which was paired with the bisque was Dr. Loosen's Sweet Riesling and the beer was Foggy Ridge Handmade Cider. The wine was definitely very sweet and although the flavor did not change much after tasting the bisque, the sweetness seemed toned down slightly which allowed for the flavors to become more pronounced. It tasted like most Rieslings I have had previously with slightly more appley flavors coming through. The cider was also delicious and easy to drink.

The third course consisted of a salmon puff pastry. For my taste, it was a bit too fishy and salty but it was definitely tasty. The wine was Frontier Red which was quite tannic and had a thinner feel than the wines with the first two courses. It did balance the saltiness of the salmon well and the food tones down the tannins as well. The strong flavor of the fish balanced well with the slightly weaker flavor of the wine. The beer was the Parkway Bridge Builder Blonde which was pretty good, slightly hoppy, but not overly so.

Personally, I thought this was a great experience with delicious food and drinks. It was definitely nice to have someone pair wine with the food with thought. Usually I just grab whatever wine is on hand if I am going to drink it with dinner. We are definitely hoping to make another trip to the Palisades for the Wine and Food Pairings later this semester.

Tasting- "First Light"

Variety: Moscato

Country: Australia

Price: $15

Vintage Cellar Review: Ripe lychee, tropical fruits and musk on the nose as you near the glass. Lovely grape and stone fruits and on the palate is highlighted with the subtle sweetness and spritz that makes this such a fun drink. Low in alcohol and nicely balanced acidity ensure you will want more than one glass of this easy drinking wine.

My Review: This was a very sweet wine with a little bit of carbonation. Sweet and delicious.

Tasting- "CalNaturale"

Variety: 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5%Voigner

Region: Paso Robles, California

Country: USA

Year: 2009

Price: $10.95 - 1 Liter

Vintage Cellar Review: 95 % Cabernet Sauvignon with 5% Viognier this certified organic winery produces outstanding quality at reasonable prices offering classic Cabernet flavors of fresh herb, olive, cedar and cassis. Focused and intense, with a charming rustic side and broad tannins that firm up on the finish.

My Review: This wine had a smell which was slightly reminiscent of banana bread and tasted like a light, smokey jam. It was slightly tannic and interesting to have a wine out of a carton. I've had better Cabernet Sauvignon for the price.

Tasting- "Georges Duboeuf"

Variety: Beaujolais Nouveau, Gamay Grape

Region: Beaujolais

Country: France

Year: 2013

Price: $15

Wine Spectator Review: An aromatic red, with floral and white peach notes accenting the black raspberry and plum flavors. This is open-knit and fresh, offering light tannins on the finish.

My Review: This wine had a ruby pinkish color. It's aroma reminded me of a strawberry banana smoothie and had a light taste.

Tasting- "Beltrame"

Variety: Friulano

Region: Friuli

Country: Italy

Year: 2009

Price: $9.95

Vintage Cellar Review:  100% Tocai Friulano Straw-coloured yellow with a pale green tint express an intense, delicately aromatic and floral bouquet.The flavour is dry, soft, slightly fruity, with slightly bitter nuance in its almond aftertaste, and suggestion of peach.

My Review: This wine had a smell which reminded me of old flowers. It smelled like it would have a strong flavor, but the taste was not very strong.

Tasting- "Mas Llunes"

Variety: Grenache

Region: Emporda

Country: Spain

Year: 2011

Price: $16

Vintage Cellar Review: This Grenache Blanc is exquisitely sculpted with sharp acids and pinpointed minerals, and offers orange, melon and vanilla-honey flavors. A delight to drink, at a great price.

My Review: This wine had a very fresh refreshing taste. It was also slightly acidic with a hint of citrus.

Tasting- "Loredona"

Variety: Riesling

Region: Monterey, CA

Country: USA

Year: 2011

Price: $15

Vintage Cellar Review: If you like your Rieslings on the sweet side, this pretty wine is for you. It’s brisk in Central Coast acidity, with citrus, peach, honeysuckle and spice flavors that finish clean and long.

My Review: This was a very sweet and refreshing wine. It would be perfect to drink chilled sitting on a porch in the summer time.

Tasting- "Maipe"

Variety: Malbec

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2012

Price: $8.95

Vintage Cellar Review: Deep purple color with violet tints, complex plum, fig, strawberry, spices and floral
aromas; rounded and velvety tannins, excellent length with a distinguished character. Excellent when paired with game, roasted red meats, pasta or pizza.

My Review: This wine, to me, was a very generic red wine. It didn't have any distinct smell or taste besides a slight cranberry flavor.

Tasting- "Villa d'Rosso Tescano"

Variety: Sangiovese

Region: Montepulciano

Country: Argentina

Year: 2012

Price: $6.95

Vintage Cellar Review: 100% sangiovese grapes and is a wonderful rendition of a velvety Tuscan red.

My Review: Upon first selling this wine, it smelled like the produce section at the grocery stores. It's taste also reminded me of some vegetables as well. Overall, this was not a great wine for me.

Tasting- "Arnold Palmer"

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: California

Country: United States

Year: 2011

Price: $20

Vintage Cellar Review: A vibrant Chardonnay from vineyards in cooler climates of California. Chardonnay is well known for its characteristic fresh apple fruit aromas and rounded, rich flavors. Weather during the 2011 harvest provided ideal growing conditions for lush, yet perfectly balanced fruit. 

My Review: This wine smelled slightly like apple with other typical white wine aromas. It was also slightly buttery are creamy, yet dry.

Tasting- "El Sierro"

Variety: Macabeo / Chardonnay

Country: Spain

Year: 2012

Price: $6.95

Vintage Cellar Review: In the glass, there is a bright and shiny white wine with an incredibly welcoming, fresh appetizing aroma reminiscent of ripe tropical fruits. The flavor is rich, balanced and extremely comfortable. The near-perfect all-purpose white wine. As an additional benefit, and good evidence that El Sierro reflect the new Spain, the bottle is sealed with the technical viewed perfect screw cap that at once eliminates any risk of cork flavor and keeps the fruit and the wine fresher for longer time.

My Review: This wine had a rather typically white wine scent and taste. Both were slightly tropical with hints of apple. Not anything particularly memorable though.