A Silky Edition: Wine Tasting 8 (Red Blend)

 WASSSUP Reader,

  To conclude my tastings this week, my girlfriend picked out a red blend from the grocery store. As she is attracted to the sweeter, fruity reds (with cute labels), she stumbled upon Acronym's Silk Red Blend. While we only had one glass after the Rosé in the previous tasting (I finished that bottle which could have an impact on this tasting), I enjoyed this wine and am excited to pour myself another glass later this week.

Name: Acronym. Silk Red Blend

Variety: Red Blend

Country: United States

Region: California 

Vintage: 2019

Price: $8

From the Winery (Bottle, their website, and Kroger's website):

    Tasting like fresh strawberry brightness, with silky hints of cherry, this wine has delicate acidity and a soft finish. This wine has rich layers of dark plum, black cherry, and notes of cocoa that lead to complex tannins and a lingering finish. This wine would compliment roast pork, vegetarian portobello mushroom burgers, sausage and cheese appetizers, and most anything that hits the grill. 

From Wine Folly (p. 150):

    This comes from the Cabernet Noir page which is similar to the description on the website.

    The most popular light-bodied red that is loved for its red fruit, spice flavors, and long, smooth, soft-tannin finish, this versatile wine can be paired with duck, chicken, pork, and mushrooms for its lower tannins and higher acidity. It has tastes of cherry, raspberry, clove, mushroom, and vanilla.

My Review of Rosé:

    On the first pass with he nose, I got hit with strawberries hard. This could be a placebo from seeing it on the label and having had a heavily strawberry focused Rosé prior. Also on the nose, I picked up a creaminess, almost as if a little vanilla cream was there. There is also a note of dark cherries. From the tongue, you get a lot of red fruits, led specifically by strawberries. But you also get the sweetness of the vanilla with it. The sweetness also stems from a raspberry taste that one would get from biting a chocolate truffle and getting one with raspberry filling. The taste is quite lasting in the back of the mouth and is really pleasant. 

    In comparison with the winery (Kroger specifically), I disagree with the cocoa and think that they got the opposite flavor. Vanilla seems to be more recognizable. Other than that (and the fact that I cannot truly imagine what a dark plum tastes like), I agree with the rest of the descriptors. I think that the lingering finish is something to note as it really steps this wine up from being a basic, easy drinking red to a more complex red.

    In comparison with Wine Folly, I get the red fruit, especially the cherry, raspberry, and vanilla aromas and flavors. However, I do not get clove or mushroom. I don't know how to look for these flavors so I will try to look for them next time if I was right that this Red Blend is similar to that of a Pinot Noir. 

Final Remarks:

    An easy drinking red, I am excited to finish the rest of the bottle. Especially on its own, this is a wine that would be great to pair with chocolate dishes. While I don't have the best grill skills, I may have to pick up a burger from B37 and see if the wine holds up its side of the pairing bargain. I am also excited to see if this red wine matures a little more as its aged by the air.

Until the Next Drink,

JC

Cville does it AGAIN :( : Wine Tasting 7 (Rosé)

HEYYYYY Reader!

    We are back with my favorite winery, Early Mountain! As I stated previously, I traveled to this winery over winter break with my aunts, uncles, parents, and girlfriend. The experience was fantastic and a great introduction to wine. In addition to the Five Forks (see the blog post about it!), the rosé was a wine that I really enjoyed in house and something that I wanted to enjoy again. Thus, I purchased a bottle :)

    This is my third favorite wine I have tasted from this winery, Five Forks being #1 and Rise #2.

Name: Early Mountain Rosé

Variety: Rosé

Country: United States

Region: Virginia (Charlottesville)

Vintage: 2021

Price: $21

From the Winery (Website):

    With strawberries, white peaches, and red grapefruit to drive the aromas and tastes, this wine will cleanse the palette with its acidity but leave the drinker feeling fresh with energy. The wine is layered with flavor as the notes blend together in harmony bringing poise and completeness to the wine. It is a composition of 72% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 9% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, and 3% Syrah.

From Wine Folly (p. 168):

    This comes from the Schiava page which is similar to the description on the website.

    A group of several varieties, the finest of which is Schiava Gentile, this sweetly aromatic light-bodied wine has a cherry candy aroma. It wonderfully pairs with shrimp, chicken, tofu, and southeast Asian cuisines that feature basil, ginger, galangal, and other aromatic herbs. Flavors include strawberry, raspberry, rose candy, lemon, and smoke.

My Review of Rosé:

    This rose is clean, fresh, and overall really easy to drink. On the nose, I really do get strawberries. But secondly, I get minerality or freshness. It's hard to describe but the wine smelled fresh when cold. As it heated up, the scent changed to a more acidic aroma which I enjoyed. One could also get a flower herbal scent on the nose faintly. On the tongue, I got strawberries, some citrus, and minerality. Crisp with acidity initially, which I could pick out as an ugly fruit or a grapefruit, the acidity would increase as the wine heated up. This feature truly makes this wine unique as the strawberry flavor balances with the citrus beautifully. 

    In comparison with the winery, I don't necessarily get the white peaches on the tongue but it is a flavor I will specifically look for next time. However, I do agree with the rest of the descriptors. This wine definitely gave me the energy to continue!

    In comparison with Wine Folly, I get the strawberry, raspberry, and rose candy. Something I didn't really figure out, but the herbal taste did run through the wine. I hope to try this with chicken or shrimp in a pasta dish as it sounds delightful.

Final Remarks:

    While I am not a Rosé connoisseur, I have found myself attracted to their crispness and fresh fruit flavor running through them. This wine is much like this description which I picked up the first time I tasted it. I was in Charlottesville this past weekend and knew I had to scour the area for this wine and its Five Forks sibling. Nonetheless, Whole Foods came in clutch and I got to pick up another bottle (and two of Five Forks!) to enjoy in the future.

Until the Next Drink,

JC

A Mardi Gras Wine + Cheese Pairing: (Pairing #1)

Good Evening Reader,

In this blog I did something a little different...

I TASTED WINES AND CHEESES TOGETHER!

Revolutionary ain't it.

To celebrate Mardi Gras being this week, and before I dive into all of the king cake I just bought, I thought that I, along side my girlfriend and a fraternity brother, would attempt to do a wine and cheese pairing. 

Quickly, how I tasted each of the different wines and cheeses (I took notes at all of these steps):

1. Pour the wine into a freshly rinsed glass

2. Sniff and swirl the wine

3. Sniff, swirl, and swig the wine (not too much however)

4. Go back for one more taste

5. Taste the first cheese (Smoked Gouda)

6. Try the two together (if needed eat another piece)

7. Taste the second cheese (Cheddar+Gruyere)

8. Try the two together (if needed eat another piece)

9. Taste the third cheese (Sharp Cheddar)

10. Try the two together (if needed eat another piece)

11. Repeat steps 1-10 for the second and third wines.

Following Boyer's recommendations for tasting order, we started with a Sauvignon Blanc, then went to a Chardonnay, and then finished with a Merlot. 

The Cheeses:

Smoked Gouda

This smoked gouda was incredibly earthy, and very creamy. Of course it has it in the name, but the cheese was quite smoky, a flavor I really enjoy.

Cheddar + Gruyere

Softer and more buttery, the cheddar gruyere mix was silky on the finish. I assume that the soft, buttery flavor and texture from this cheese came from the gruyere but I could be wrong!

Sharp Cheddar

Hard and acidic, making the cheese almost puckering alone, this cheese was quite tasty. It had a nice nuttiness at the end too.

The Wines:

The Sauvignon Blanc:

Name: Sunshine Bay's Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Country: New Zealand

Region: Malborough

Vintage: 2022

Price: $5-10

Aromas: Floral first and Citrusy second. Got a lot of grapefruit from the scent.

Flavors: Hard green apple at first and grapefruit to follow. Really, really, really enjoyed the citrus brought by the grapefruit. This would lead to me believing this wine was the best we tasted all night.

The Chardonnay:

Name: Ute Chateau Michelle Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Country: USA

Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State

Vintage: 2021

Price: $15

Aromas: Soft fruit, buttery, almost apricot on the second. Everything was quite light on the scent, making me guess that the wine would be light as well on taste.

Flavors: Silky, not very acidic, with pear and apricot on the tongue. It was interesting tasting a chardonnay after a Sauvignon Blanc as the two are drastically different in my opinion. While the body seemed fuller, it wasn't as complex.

The Merlot:

Name: Tilia

Variety: Merlot

Country: Argentina

Region: Mendoza

Vintage: 2021

Price: $13

Aromas: red fruit and black fruits hard. Mocha on the second passing

Flavors: Chocolatey, smoky, mild tannins with lots of cherries. It was hard to distinguish the different fruits in this wine after all of the wine and cheese.

The Pairings:

The Sauvignon Blanc and the smoked gouda had a balance, tangoing across the acidity to make the taste more earthy and delightful. With the cheddar gruyere mix, the Sauv Blanc was creamy and soft, highlighting the acidity at the end with the taste of grapefruit coming to the forefront. With the sharp cheddar, the cheese cut through more than the others. With a smaller bite, the wine was more pillowy on the mouth and brought out a green apple taste that was delightful.

The Chardonnay and the smoke gouda had an earthy, nutty flavor. This may have stemmed from the cheese as its flavors were seen more with this wine.The cheddar gruyere brought out the second flavors of the chard which was delightful and made it feel more fresh! With eh sharp cheddar, the cheese cut through the most but was earthy at the end.

The Merlot was smokier, more velvety with the smoked gouda but it did dry the tongue out. With the cheddar and gruyere, the merlot was eased, allow ing for better tastes of the wine; however, a bitter taste was seen at the end as the tannins fought back. Finally, the sharp cheddar paired best with he merlot: bold canceled bold, making it super rich and brought the nuttiness out.

Overall:

I really enjoyed this entire experience. I do plan to adda goat cheese to the pairings next time and try a different red and white. I plan to keep the Sauvignon Blanc around but possibly add in a rose or a sweet red. I am excited for the next tasting with cheese!

Til the next drink and bite,

JC

Sangriaaaaaaaa: Wine Tasting 6 (Tempranillo)

 OLO Reader!

Last week, I got to concoct a sangria using the base of a Spanish wine. With recommendations coming from my mother, I created a sangria utilizing Campo Viejo's Tempranillo, a sangria packet from Columbia Restaurant in Siesta Key Florida, oranges, limes, lemons, orange liquor, and pineapple. While the sangria could have been better (I added WAY to much fruit), it was incredibly tasty and something that I hope to recreate again. Nonetheless, this red is tasty-ish on its own.

Name: Campo Viejo's Rioja

Variety: Tempranillo

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Vintage: 2020

Price: $10

From the Winery (Website):

    Ripe with black plum and berry fruit, as well as dark/earthy flavors and a cacao finish, this wine has beautiful complexity. Aromatic hints of violet, lavender, vanilla, cedar, and spice, the palate is truly full bodied with plush richness and gentle acidity. Fine grain and ripe tannins also contribute to the structure of the wine across the full length of the palate.

From Wine Folly (p. 175):

    Spain's top variety, made famous by the wines of Rioja, where wines are classified by how long they age in oak. With hints of cherry, dried fig, cedar, tobacco, and dill, this wine can be paired with steaks, burgers, lamb, baked pasta, and other tomato based dishes.

    

My Review of Tempranillo:

    As a wine I typically wouldn't try unless making sangria, this wine was very tasty but not really my style. As always, I try to find appreciation for everything and anything in the wines a try. This wine smelled very much so of jammy and cacao on the nose initially, with hints of vanilla in the second whiff. On the taste, I got the jammy again, with both cacao and vanilla secondly. The jammy could be recognized as fig, I just haven't had fig in wine enough to know. I do enjoy figs however.

    I somewhat agree with the winery, as stated above, but I do not taste the cedar or lavender in it.

    With wine folly, I agree with everything but dill. I don't necessarily know the exact taste of fresh dill, but I imagine the taste is similar to pickles. It may be something I need to learn how to taste for.

Final Remarks:

    A great wine for the sangria, which was a perfect sugary drink for the super bowl, this wine is not my personal favorite but a good step outside of my comfort zone. I hope to continue to try different wines, especially different tempranillos in the future. I also hope to make more sangria soon too :)

Until the Next Drink,

JC

My Favorite Wine: Wine Tasting 5 (White Blend)

 Hellllloooooooooooo Reader!

Last week, I got to drink currently my favorite wine in the world. Having gone on a tasting trip with my parents, aunts, uncles, and girlfriend this past winter break, I experienced this wine at the winery. Early Mountain, located outside of Charlottesville (ugh), was a beautiful, newer winery with rolling hills and a great tasting room. One of the wines we tasted was named Five Forks after the five vineyards that this wine pulls grapes from. A beautiful white blend, it quickly became my favorite wine and I ended up purchasing a bottle later that trip.

Name: Early Mountain's Five Forks

Variety: White Blend (61% Petit Manseng, 32% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Chardonnay, 3% Pinot Gris)

Country: USA

Region: Virginia

Vintage: 2020

Price: $27

From the Winery (Website):

    Having aromatics of pear, peach, and mango on repeat, with snappy green flavors, both herbs and piquant orchard fruit, this wine has acid precision and a mineral finish. To prevent it from being a fruit bomb, a secondary texture layered over everything from the Malo mellows it out. 

From Wine Folly (p. 165):

    There is no page on petit manseng; thus, I went with sauvignon blanc instead.

    In this wine, one might find strong herbaceous flavors in addition to gooseberry, honeydew, grapefruit, white peach, and passion fruit. It is wonderful to pair with herb-driven sauces, salty cheeses, light meats, and asian food!

    

My Review of Five Forks:

    As I have constantly said, this wine has been my favorite since I tasted it, and this wine continued to be great even after the tasting. On the nose, the minerality and freshness is easy to pick up. A hint of citrus, possibly grapefruit and pear as well is easy to pick up. On the tongue initially, the balance is really easy to tell. Not overly acidic, not overly sweet, hints of citrus, fresh fruits, such as pear, peach, grapefruit, maybe even lime. One can also taste the light herbs running through the wine in the second tasting, making sure that the balance stays put.

    In comparison with the winery, this wine is very well described. While I don't know the taste of piquant orchard fruit or green flavors, I do taste acid precision and the mineral finish. I also taste and smell the pear and peach. Mango is a tough flavor for me to recognize but I will look for it next time I taste the wine. 

    In comparison with Wine Folly, which is hard to do in this case, I taste the peach and grapefruit. I don't know the taste of gooseberry but I personally didn't get honeydew. As I tasted this wine on super bowl Sunday, I can imagine this wine would taste great with asian food as it tasted fantastic with the salty cheeses and light meats we had on the spread.

Final Remarks:

    A high quality wine and my personal favorite, Five Forks did not disappoint in this bottle. While it is a little more expensive, it is worth splurging on. I plan to go back Early Mountain soon and I'm counting down the days til it.

    This is a wine I recommend to all!

Until the Next Drink,

JC

Experiment in the Lab: Wine Tasting 4 (Pinot Noir)

 Howdy Reader!

As stated before, this past Friday, I had the delightful pleasure to go to the Wine Lab in Blacksburg, VA with some great friends to get some great food and drink. After starting with the Paul D Zeigelt Rosé, we decided as a table to share our bottles of wine. After tasting the Sassi Puglia Pinot Grigio (sadly I don't have a picture with it so will have to go back and get another glass oh well), I saw Professor Boyer walk into and around the wine lab. I knew that I had to go introduce myself and ask for a recommendation. After starting with a rosé and a white, Professor Boyer asked if we would be interested in a red of sorts. We all gladly said yes and he came back with a bottle of Pinot Noir from Highway 12.

Name: Highway 12 Pinot Noir

Variety: Pinot Noir

Country: USA

Region: Sonoma, California

Vintage: 2020

Price: On the house from Professor Boyer :) ($21 online)

From the Winery (Back Label):

    The micro-climates of Northern California diversify this wine. The fruit sources for the Pinot Noir hail from the iconic wine country that weaves through California's State Route 12. Having notes of bing cherry, cedar, and allspice, this elegant Pinot Noir is great for all. 

    From City Vino: 100% Pinot Noir, Bright red fruit aromas of bing cherry, allspice, cranberry relish. Subtle cedar and green tea leaf on the finish. Balanced and clean. Soft minerality and light tannins. Pairs well with duck breast with fig reduction and savory wild mushroom risotto with dried cherries.

From Wine Folly (p. 150-151):

    The world's most popular light bodied red is loved for its red fruit and spice flavors that are accentuated by a long, smooth, soft-tannin finish. Thus, it pairs well with duck, chicken, pork, and mushrooms. Some flavors one might see in this wine are cherry, raspberry, clove, mushroom, or vanilla. Being from California, one might see sweet fruit and softer acidity, leading from tastes like raspberry sauce, plum, gun smoke, vanilla, and allspice. 

    

My Review of Highway 12:

    To end my time at the Wine Lab with a glass of pinot noir after I was not expecting to drink a red was a delight. A classic and easy red, the wine had a medium ruby color. On the nose, I got a lot of cherries and possibly some plum. After a second run, the nose got some earthiness to it although I couldn't pick out a true scent. On the tongue, the body was semi-full, giving some tannins at the beginning along with the cherries I expected. In addition to the cherries, almost a tarter jam taste was found on the second taste as well as the earthiness I smelled prior. A great and easy wine to drink for those trying to get into reds, this wine would pair very well with the duck rillette that I had earlier.

    In comparison to the Wine Lab Menu and City Vino, I vaguely agree with them. I am not experienced enough to recognize bing cherry from a regular cherry or a sour one but I do recognize cherry in the wine. Also, I don't know how to recognize allspice and cedar, but I do get notes of the earthiness. I do agree with City Vino that the balance, light tannins, and soft minerality bring a smoothness to the wine.

    In comparison with Wine Folly, I agree with the long, smooth, soft-tannin finish. These words perfectly describe this wine's mouthfeel. I can imagine that the wine would complete a chicken meal with its cherry, vanilla, plum, and allspice flavors. I hope to one day taste gun smoke in a pinot noir as it could be a lovely addition to the wine.

Final Remarks:

    Easy to drink and a great one for beginners, Highway 12's Pinot Noir is a deliciously smooth red for all. With relative simplicity, this wine is easy on the nose, tongue, and soul. I hope to imbibe different Pinot Noirs soon and compare them against each other.

    This is a wine I hope many try on their path to learn this liquid!

Until the Next Drink,

JC

Testing in the Lab: Wine Tasting 3 (Zweigelt Rosé)

 Hello Reader!

This past Friday, I had the delightful pleasure to go to the Wine Lab in Blacksburg, VA with some great friends to get some great food and drink. The night started by dwelling over the eclectic menu after a frigid walk to the building. After much deliberation amongst the table on what to eat, we were greeted by a familiar face; my fraternity brother Hayden. Hayden has been working at the Wine Lab for around a year now and guided us on this voyage of grapes and grub. 

After learning from the videos that we should start lighter and then move to reds, we strayed from Hayden's recommendation of the sweet red and moved to the Paul D Zeigelt Rosé 2020.

Name: Paul D Zeigelt Rosé 

Variety: Rosé (Zweigelt Grape)

Country: Austria

Region: Wagram

Vintage: 2020

Price: $28 (1 L)

From the Winery (Wine Lab Menu):

    A dry, light bodied rosé with high acidity. Notes of strawberries, raspberries, rose petals, herbs and great minerality. 

    From Great Grapes: A berry, fruity wine that caresses the palate, has nice mouthfeel and is wonderfully balanced.

From Wine Folly (p. 191): One may taste red cherry, raspberry, black pepper, licorice, or chocolate

    Austria's most planted red wine grape is a cross between Blaufrankisch and St Laurent, tasting almost like a pinot noir, that provides bright, tart, and fruity flavors. Something to pair with barbecue, chicken, macaroni, or salad, it is the ultimate picnic red. 

    

My Review of Paul D Zweigelt:

    To start of the night with this beaut was a joy. This wine has a beautiful medium salmon color that truly catches the eye after it is poured. On the nose, I got hints of rose petals on the first whiff. On the second passing, I got some of the strawberry that was aforementioned. On the tongue, I got the raspberries and rose petals that were all blended together to create a fresh, healthy wine to start the night off. Minerality is a great word to describe how clean the wine tasted. The raspberries taste came almost as if the raspberries were barely not ripe yet. However, I really enjoy that taste and thought that it made the wine unique in comparison to other rosés. As I came back to the wine more and more, I got cherry tastes which was pleasant. Also, the acidity was welcomed with arms open.

    In comparison to the Wine Lab Menu and Great Grapes, I really agree with everything that has been said except for the herbs. I may not be experienced enough to get those tastes but I can say that the other descriptors were spot on

    In comparison with Wine Folly, I agree with almost all of it. While I didn't necessarily get tastes of black pepper, licorice, or chocolate, I can imagine some would. And the minerality may stem from the black pepper. I can imagine this wine will liven up any meal.

Final Remarks:

    Of the wines I've tasted so far, I think this one might be the winner. Easy to drink, clean taste, the perfect way to begin a night with wine. When paired with the adventurous charcuterie board (duck gillette, hot capicolla, bamboozle, valden blue, and accoutrements), it delivered as a great pairing. It allowed the foods to shine through while retaining its flavor.

    This is a wine I hope many try as I know I will be looking for this bottle around Blacksburg.

Until the Next Drink,

JC

A Brand Worth Noting: Wine Tasting 2 (Prosecco)

 Hello Readers,

It was a busy, bubbling week in my life, leading to my second of two wine tastings having bubbles in it. Preceded by two beers, a mango wheat from Tafts Ale House (one of my favorites) in Cincinnati and an orange stout from Brewdog, the Prosecco was the third drink of the night. 

Name: La Marca Prosecco

Variety: Prosecco (Glera)

Country: Italy

Region: Veneto and Friuli-Venezia-Giulia regions

Vintage: Unknown, possibly 2021-2022 (supposed to drink while young and fresh)

Price: $12

From the Winery (La Marca):

    La Marca (appears as Lamarca on the label) Prosecco is described on its as a crisp, refreshing drink with a delicate, floral palate. With fruity aromas of green apple, juicy peach, and ripe lemon and hints of mineralogy and a light finish, this Prosecco pairs well with seafood, mild cheese, rich pasta dishes, and decadent desserts. On the bottle, it suggests that one might find honeysuckle or citrus within the wine.

    Lucky for me, I paired this wine with a lighter pasta dish known as caprice pasta. With Roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, cracked black pepper, and olive oil (sadly I forgot the basil) along with a basic salad, the bright Prosecco helped bring out the other flavors of the pasta.

From Wine Folly (p. 155):

    From Wine Folly, Prosecco is Italy's most popular sparkling wine created with Glera grapes grown in Veneta and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In addition to charcuterie styled foods, spicy asian foods might serve as a good pairing. With high acidity, medium sweetness and light body and tannins, one might taste green apple, honeydew, pear, lager, and even cream in their Prosecco. There are five major quality levels of Prosecco, ranging from Valdobbiadene Superiore Di Cartizze Docg, Prosecco coming from a micro region of just 265 acres just outside of Valdobbiadene, to Prosecco Doc, which is basic quality Prosecco made in 9 provinces from Veneto and Fruili-Venezia Giulia regions.

    

My Review of La Marca:

    At first glance, the Prosecco appears as a medium straw at first glance. With a slight yellowish tint, the bubbles were the main show, constantly moving after the pour occurs. From the smell, one can get apricot (I think) and lighter fruits on the first pass. On the second pass, floral notes (possibly roses) and pear occur. These smells did not change much as the wine progressed through the air after these first two smells. The tasting began strong, reinforcing notes of apricot (once again I think) and pear, floral petals, and possibly honeysuckle(?). The flavors have dryness and are tart on the outside middle of the tongue. The bubbles make it hard to aerate properly and taste all of the flavors of the Prosecco. Also, when sharply inhaled, one can get the Prosecco's flavors not he front of their tongue.

    In comparison to La Marca, I can taste a little peach and a little lemon; however, my tongue is not trained to look for green apple yet. I do believe that this wine would taste great with seafood and that is something I hope to try in the near future. 

    In comparison to Wine Folly, I completely agree with the wine pairing well with charcuterie styled foods as I have paired the two in the past and had a delightful time. I do intend to pair it with spicy asian food as that intrigues me. I do feel twinges of honeydew, pear, and maybe even cream could be found in this Prosecco but I don't necessarily agree with lager. I would like to try higher levels of Prosecco eventually but that may appear to be out of my pay grade.

Final Remarks:

    I plan to try many many foods with this wine as it would pair so well with most that are mentioned above. I am also excited to try different Prosecco's to see what different qualities I can find in each wine. Also, determining the green apple taste may prove to be vital to future tastings of Prosecco so that I can greater enjoy this style of wine. 

    This is a wine I hope to drink more of in the future and one that I constantly love as an option for drinking.

Until the Next Drink,

JC

A Glass of Terra, but not Sweet Earth: Wine Tasting 1 (Sangue di Giuda)

 Hi Reader,

    For my first WINE TASTING (wooooooo) I chose to go with a sweet red wine named Terra, a Sangue di Giuda, out of Vitea Winery. 

    This wine tasting occurred in the middle of my dinner, consisting of a sandwich (nut bread with turkey, Swiss cheese, lettuce, and dijon mustard) and a smoothie (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, banana, peanut. butter, chocolate protein powder, and water). 

    This food would have impacted the beginning of the wine tasting, possibly swaying my initial tastes towards the dark fruits found in the smoothie. Thus, I rinsed my mouth with water before I tasted the bottle below.

Name: Vitea "Terra"

Variety: Sangue di Giuda (45% Croatina, 45% Barbera, 5% Ughetta, 5% Uva Rara from a different Sangue di Guida)

Country: Italy

Region: Montú Beccaria, a commune in the province of Pavia in the Region Burgundy

Vintage: 2020

Price: $13

From the Winery (Vitea):

    Terra is a naturally sparkling wine with an intense crimson-red color. Full bodied and vinous, with notes of violets together with raspberry and blueberry jams, this wine is smooth and fragrant, delicate and fresh. It is best enjoyed while the wine is young. One thing to note is that this wine is Naturally Effervescent!

    It is well combined with all kinds of desserts, fruit tarts, and fine pastries.

As Sangue di Giuda is not found in Wine Folly, I searched up what wines are similar to this unique dessert wine. I was pointed to the wine type Lambrusco as a similar cousin.

From Wine Folly (Lambrusco p. 122-123): 

    Meaning "wild grape", this light red is from a family of eight closely related grapes native to Italy. The wines are typically sparkling and range from dry to sweet. It has hints of strawberry, blackberry, rhubarb, hibiscus, and potting soil. A relatively inexpensive and young wine. Amabile and Dolce are two words to describe the high sweetness level found in the sweet side of the wine. It is a great pairing dessert, particularly with milk chocolate. Some other hints you may find include blueberry, berry sauce, red currant, raspberry, orange blossom, oregano, and creme fraiche.

My Review of Terra:

    After struggling with the cork, the wine popped open with a hint of carbonation on the ear. This carbonation was seen on the pour, bubbling lightly but the bubbles recede after 2-3 seconds in the glass as seen in the picture above. The wine appeared as a dark and deep purple, gathering a red color when held to the light. 

    On the nose, I first got dark fruits, blackberries and overripe strawberries. Going back to the nose, cherries were the next fruit I got. I could also tell how sweet the wine was to be on the tongue just from the scent!

    From the tongue, you get hit very hard with cherries and the sweetness in the thin glass seen above. When poured into the metal wine tumbler below, I continued to taste cherries but raspberries snuck through. The tastes hit on the back middle and sides of the tongue. When drank quickly, the carbonation hits on the front end of the tongue and provides a nice sensation. 

    From the days of listening to my mother talk about wine, I tried to find a dark chocolate square to pair this wine with. I found this Ghiradelli 86% Intense Dark Cacao (seen below) in my brother's stash of chocolate. When the two were paired together, blueberry notes were brought out of the wine. I really really enjoyed this pairing and I think that adding the chocolate improves the taste of the wine.

    In comparison with Vitea, I did taste the raspberry and blueberry; however, the blueberry came to me at a later time.

Final Remarks:

    One cool thing to note is that Sangue di Giuda stands for Jadas' Blood for the color and legend surrounding it. This is a wine I hope to come back to later in the semester and properly pair it with different desserts. I think that this wine is generally simple, with minimal secondary layers found for the average wine drinker. I would recommend this wine to those that are sitting down with something chocolate based and want to add a fruit element to it. I would also recommend this wine to new wine drinkers as it is sweet and easy to drink.

Until the next drink,

JC

First Blog Assignment: My Experience with Wine!

 Hello Readers,

I am Jackson Comer, a senior in biomedical engineering here at Virginia Tech, and am incredibly excited about the semester ahead. My personal experience with wine began in college, specifically surrounding moscatos (white or pink), a bottled sangria (black label), and wine mixed drinks stemming from boxed wine. While a very juvenile approach to wine, I had always been fond of sweet tasting drinks. Along with discovering that I do like wines, I began to drink wine a little more often as the price per alcohol content is more efficient when grabbing the proper bottle. 

As I have lived through college, my parents, friends, and peers introduced me to different wines. Whether it was a new boxed wine because that was what was on tap for the night or grabbing a different bottle that had a sale tag on it, my wine palette began to develop more rapidly. I began to appreciate different whites, roses, and reds. On the side of whites, I highly enjoy blends, sticking to fruit tastes such as peach or pear, and Pinot Grigio. With roses, I highly enjoy grapefruit and strawberry flavors. With reds, I highly enjoy blends with flavors stemming from red and black fruits. I also really enjoy both fresh white and red sangrias (something I was introduced to early)! I also enjoy sparkling wines as well. I am not a huge fan of overpowering red wines but can appreciate them when necessary with food pairings.

As of right now, I tend to try to keep my mind open when tasting wines, trying to find something to appreciate in each wine I taste (or why someone else might enjoy it more). Thus, I don't want to say I don't like certain wines. I just think I can't appreciate them yet. From this course, I want to learn what to expect from wines with the same names (Pinot Grigios and chardonnays) and how to distinguish their tastes based on where the grapes are grown. Thus, I would like to directly compare and taste the same grapes coming from two very different regions. I would also like to learn about the different tastes that can be induced/seen in wines and how to distinguish these tastes (the proper way to "diagnose" the wine's flavors). In addition to everything else, I am excited to learn about the production of wine and what it might take to get a winery/vineyard up and running.

May the wine flow this semester,

Jackson Comer