Woodbridge Chardonnay

Working my through my collection of wine brings me to a bottle of Woodbridge Lightly Oaked Chardonnay.This wine is produced by Robert Mondavi and is a 2011 vintage made in California. At $8 a bottle, this is a pretty inexpensive wine.While this wine is primarily Chardonnay, The Good Wine Guru notes that this wine is also made with Colombard and Voignier. This wine has a very "natural" aroma and kind of smells like the grass in my front yard. It's pretty dry and feels crisp. It's very flavorful and would be great with fish or fresh fruit. Overall, I'd say this is a good purchase.

The Beach House

This South African wine is the next  one I'm finishing that was left over after the party.The Beach House is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon and a 2012 vintage. I spent less than $10 on this wine. This wine describes itself as "stunning, fresh, and delicious" with flavors of "lemongrass and gooseberries." I'm not really sure what a gooseberry tastes like but I think this wine just kind of tastes like wine. There's not a whole lots that stands out in particular to me.It's definitely pleasant, fresh, and easy to drink.It's very balanced and bright. Overall, I'd probably buy this wine again, but I'd plan to drink it with food, to kind of liven it up some more.

Root 1: Carmenere

It seems like I'm going to be drinking a lot of Chilean wine tonight.The second "left over" bottle I'm finishing from that party is called Root 1: Carmenere. The wine is a 2011 vintage, and costs around $10, which, again, is a very reasonable price for a bottle that should last me around a week. This wine describes itself as "complex" with flavors of "ripe plum, blackberry, and spice." This wine doesn't taste very spicy to me. It's a pretty dry wine and my mouth feels a little parched after every sip, but the flavors are very fruity to me. This wine is 13.5% alcohol, but since it is very well rounded, the high alcohol content really isn't noticeable. It's a very accessible wine and doesn't need to accompany any food to be enjoyable. This is a pretty full bodied and satisfying wine. I would definitely get this wine again, especially if I were planning to drink it along with dinner or a chocolatey dessert.

Con Carne! Merlot

So this past weekend, there was a party at my house, which left me with about 10 bottles of wine to finish. Great news for me and for my wallet!
 Tonight I'm about to finish the bottle of Con Carne! Merlot. The label on the back of this bottle describes the wine as "fruitful" with flavors of "cherries, vanilla, and the ideal hint of black pepper." I can definitely taste those flavors in the wine as well. It smells spicy, kind of like peppers or some spicy pepperoni. There's a pretty fruity flavor and a nice round, full bodied taste.I can't really pick out any flavors in particular, but I would describe the wine as smooth and spicy. It's a really smooth wine and I feel like I could drink this without any food along with it. In fact, I am drinking it without any food along with it.
Con Carne! Merlot has a pretty high alcohol content at 13%, but the taste doesn't hint at that.
For the price, this is a really good wine. I only spent around $11 on this wine, which is really reasonable. I would buy this wine again and enjoy a glass of it after work.

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages

So it looks like my favorite wine glass is getting a lot of use tonight. Unfortunately I finished most of this bottle a few days ago, so I only have about half a glass of wine and an episode of SVU worth of time to tell you all my thoughts on this one. This Louis Jadot is made of Gamay grapes and is 12.5% alcohol and a 2011 vintage. This wine smells very fresh and fruity. It is a pretty dry wine that tastes of berries and other fruit.This is a pretty good wine and a really great episode of SVU. The wine is pretty full-bodied and tastes like it would be really good with dinner.But I'm perfectly happy to drink it without any food.

Sutter Home Merlot

On a nice relaxing night of movies and sitcom re-runs, sometimes a cheap glass of wine is the perfect addition to the night. And at those time the Sutter Home merlot is a pretty good choice. and it comes in a cute little four pack of baby bottles!

It's smooth and well rounded, but definitely not the fanciest wine. It feels a little watery and it's hard to pick out any distinct flavors.This is a low commitment wine that doesn't require a lot of thought, but it's perfect in its own way. It's easy to drink and doesn't need to be paired with any food. In fact, when pairing it with some dark chocolate, the wine loses most of its flavor. It feels more watery, and less flavorful. This is really a stand alone wine, something cheap college girls (like me) would drink. Even at 13% alcohol, you don't feel the burn of the alcohol.But with an alcohol content that high, it'll get the job done. The wine is relatively sweet and you can taste a nice berry flavor. It feels like I could drink a bottle of this wine and barely notice

.

Greystone Cellars Chardonnay

Tonight I'm drinking a chardonnay made my Greystone Cellars.This chardonnay is a 2011 vintage with some very well rounded and balanced flavors. The wine is light and fruity but not too crisp. It has a "warm" feeling to it. The back of the bottle mentions flavors of "vanilla and caramel apple" which lend to the balanced, well rounded taste of the wine. Overall this is a very enjoyable wine to relax with, and for only $10, it's something I'll probably pick up again. I would love to have this at a girls night in or with a big salad for dinner.

Wine Dinner: Palisades- Old World, New World, March 29. 2012

Free noms :)

 This Thursday Lizzie, Rachel and I went to the Palisades for another delicious wine dinner! The them was Old World, New World, like it is on the last Thursday of every month.All of the wines we tried were different types of Pinot Noir. The first was wine the Closerie des Lys 2010. The next was Ponga, which also was a 2010 vintage year. The final wine was called Rainstorm, which was a 2009 vintage.

So much wine!

The food this week was also the best we've had yet! We got a free appetizer of pita bread and hummus, and for the main appetizers, we had a poached pear with cherries and walnuts, herbed goat cheese  crostini, and mushroom stuffed chicken.

 The first wine, Closerie des Lys, was a very clear, ruby color and smelled like currants, and red berries, and was a little nutty. It was a little hot, and pretty light bodied. It definitely tasted spicy and fruity. With the pear, the wine just tasted like sugar, and was still very light, but felt more alcoholic, and the strawberry flavors were very noticeable. With the herb crostini, all I tasted was herb! It was very earthy and tangy, and they complemented each other very well. Finally, with the chicken, the wine felt fuller, smoother, and tasted oakey and spicy. Even though it seemed to get better with food, it also seemed to get less bold as we ate more.
The Ponga, which was the second wine we tried, was almost exactly the same color as the first wine. It was a dark pink, ruby color, and again very clear. It smelled very sweet, and I could smell apple, and blood orange. It tasted  very sweet and alcoholic, and tannic. I also tasted blackberry in it. With the pear, it was sweet, but tannic, and tasted like fruit juice. With the crostini, the alcohol really showed itself! And with the chicken, it was fruitier, and not as sweet, but still very tannic.


Rainstorm was the final wine we tried and it was very different from the other two. The color was a lot darker and fuller, and was more of a garnet color. The smell, was dark, deep and seductive.
 It tasted tannic, and very oakey, with noticeable blackberry flavors. With the pear, the wine was very fruity and the berry flavors stood out. With the crostini, the wine tasted sugary, and sweet, kind of like fruit or berries with sugar on top. With the chicken, the wine was more alcoholic and very oakey.
This was my favorite wine of the bunch, and the Palisades was great time!

Beringer Red Moscato

I bought this Beringer Red Moscato because I have never seen a red moscato before. It was only $5 at Kroger, so it was a pretty good price. The vintage of this wine is 2010, and the beringer website says "This innovative blend is the perfect harmony of Moscato, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. It brings together the vivid aromas and flavors of the Moscato grape with the classic red berry characteristics of Zinfandel and ripe black cherry flavors of Petite Sirah."
The grape varietals in this wine are moscato, zinfandel, and petite Sirah.
You can definitely tell that this wine is a lot more complex and full than the other moscatos I've tried.
It smells very fruity and it tastes like red berries, mostly like cherries. The alcohol in this wine is a lot more noticeable than it has been in other moscatos that I've had before. Overall I think it's pretty good, even though I probably would rather drink it with food than just on its own.

Rex Goliath Moscato

This bottle of Rex Goliath Moscato I bought from Kroger for only $5! This wine does not have a vintage year, and was made in Rex-Goliath Winery in Acampo, CA.
The description on the back of the bottle reads "Our moscato is like sipping on liquid gold, deliciously sweet and refreshing with pretty floral aromas." Their website has a quotation from Nebraska Beverage Analyst describing the wine as "a flavor of perfumed aromas, medium sweet with stone fruit and citrus flavors."
I definitely agree with the "floral" tastes in the wine. It almost feels like I am drinking flowers and it smells like perfume. It's also very, very sweet.
It's a pretty simple wine, but delicious and easy to drink. I would probably drink this wine again.

Mirassou- Reisling

 This Reisling I bought mostly for fun since we watched the Gary V. video about Reislings. This was pretty inexpensive at around $8 from Kroger and the vintage year is 2009. www.mirassou.com says this wine is

"Our Mirassou California Riesling is distinctly soft and approachable yet crisp and fruit-forward. The wine offers aromas of peach, apricots, and spice with intense fruit flavors of red apple and peach." 

To me the reisling just smells kind of sweet and floral. It seems to be more fragrant when it is room temperature rather than just straight out of the fridge.The alcohol in this wine is more noticeable than I would like, but it is not too bad. It is very fruity and I can taste the apple flavors the website mentioned, but like the smell, none of the flavors are particularly pronounced. This wine is ok, but I'm not sure I would buy it again.

Gallo Family- Pinot Noir

I bought this wine so I could get a little more experience with drinking red wines with dinner at home. This is a Pinot Noir made by the Gallo family winery in California. It costs about $5.50 in Food Lion. Winediva.com describes this wine as "Black cherry and crushed purple floral aromas, cedar chips and fine spice with vanilla... flavors of berry fruit... roasted coffee bean, cedarbox and fine spices."
This is a pretty ambitious description of this wine. To me this wine just kind of tastes like red wine. It is pretty thin, and dry but not overly so. I can taste the oakey/ woody flavors described. I would not go so far as to say I can smell purple flowers though....
With bruschetta,  the wine is much more flavorful and almost a little sweet.  I think it tastes pretty good though, especially for the price. This wine is much better quality than the price would lead you to believe, and even though it isn't amazing, it is well worth the price.

Dinner- Palisades: Old world, New world

 This Thursday night, I went to the Palisades for an "Old World, New World" style wine dinner with Michelle, Rachel, Joe, Laura, Justine, Steve, and Caroline. The Palisades gave us three wines: Barnard Griffin Rose of Sangiovese 2010, Tiamo Organic Chianti 2009, and Ingleside Sangiovese 2008. They also gave us Parmagianno Reggiano with olive oil & crostini, Chicken and Mushroom Ragou't, and cauliflower in Bagna Cauda to accompany the wines.
The first wine I tried was the Barnard Griffin Rose. This rose was  made by the Barnard Griffin Winery in Washington state. It "boasts of gorgeous melon, pomegranate, and cherry fruit with hints of pineapple and rose petal. Dry and flavorful with a pleasant underlying minerality."  This wine was a very pretty dark pink color, and very clear. On the nose, I could smell strawberries and cranberries. Without food, it was crisp, dry, and tasted of cranberry and pomegranate.With the cauliflower, which one its own reminded me of crab and seafood, the wine tasted still of berries, like blackberry, and it tasted like cherry, but it was more toned down, and almost felt calming. It was made the food taste sweeter and fruitier. With the bread and cheese, the wine burned a little more, but still tasted of strawberries and cranberries. Finally, with the chicken and mushrooms, the wine was a little sharper, but not as dry as it was on its own.

The second wine I tried Thursday night was the Tiamo Organic Chianti 2009. In Italian, "tiamo" means "I love you." The Palisades described this wine as "intense and fruity" on the nose “with persistent aromas of spices and licorice. On the palate, it is full-bodied, with great acidity and balanced tannins.” I thought the chianti smelled spicy and woody, and I could taste a hint of the licorice.
The wine without food was dry, and astringent, but still very full bodied. It definitely smelled stronger than it tasted, but I could taste the woody flavors the most. I think this wine smelled a lot stronger than it tasted. The wine was a dark purple color, and was a little cloudy. In Steve’s glass we could see some of the cloudy, organic wine material. The garlic in the cauliflower toned down the spiciness of the wine, and the alcohol was sharper and more noticeable. The berry flavors were more prominent and the wine felt fuller. With the bread, the wine was not as dry and tannic, and not as spicy. I could taste dark berries like blackberries, and cherry. With the chicken, the wine was a lot smoother, and spicier, and again, not as dry as it is on its own, and the cherry flavors were significantly more noticeable.
The final wine I tried was the Ingleside Sangiovese. This wine was actually made inf Virginia which is was a pretty interesting wine for us to try at the dinner. This wine “exhibits wonderful aromas of dried fruit such as prunes and dark cherries” with “soft tannins and good depth on the finish.” This wine smelled fruity, like strawberries, and had a little bit of a metallic, coppery smell. It was redder than that chianti, and more clear, but still a very dark color. Without food it was dry, fruity, smooth, and full bodied. It tasted like cherries, blackberry, and vanilla, with noticeable oak flavors. With the cauliflower, there was not much change in the taste of the wine. It made the cauliflower much more pungent and the wine was a little fruitier. With the bread, the wine felt “deeper.” It was full, and very woody, and almost tasted like meat in a way.
With the chicken, it reminded me of chicken soup and was very smooth. It wasn’t as dry and it was fruitier.
This wine dinner was fantastic. I had an awesome time hanging out on our mini-study abroad reunion. The wines were a lot better than the wines from the South Africa themed dinner and the bread was such a great complement to the wines. All of the wines paired with the food very well and it was just a great time!

Tasting- Feb 11, 2012

On Saturday, at the Vintage Cellar, there was another wine tasting where six wines were offered. The wines were Don Rodolfo Torrontes, Grayson Chardonnay, Monte Antico Tuscan Blend, Woop Woop Cabernet, Black Chook Shiraz/ Viognier, and Emeri Pink Moscato.
The first wine I tried was the Don Rodolfo Torrontes. This wine is from Argentina and made from Torrontes grapes picked in 2010. The Vintage Cellar said it was "Light yellow-gold color with hues of green. A very fruity, floral nose with white peach and hints of citrus. Good volume in the mouth with complexity and balance, and an excellent fresh finish." I thought this wine was crisp and dry. It was very fruity and tasted like apples and grapes in particular. This is a pretty well priced wine at only $9.95.
The second wine I tried was the Grayson Chardonnay. This wine was also $9.95 like the Don Rodolfo was. This wine is from California and is 100% chardonnay grapes picked in 2010. The website described it as "brilliantly ripe and shows aromas of bright, brisk acidity with notes of peach and Asian pear. The palate offers green apple with a crisp finish showing gentle hints of apple pie and tropical fruit." This wine was aged in french oak barrels which was pretty noticeable in the flavor. It was very earthy and oakey. It was also smooth, crisp, and bright, and tasted a little like apples.

The third wine of the day was the Monte Antico Tuscan Blend. According to the website, Monte Antico is from Tuscany, Italy and is "85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. The best selections are blended and aged 1 year in oak (80% in Slovenian barrels, 20% in barrique) with at least 6 months bottle age." The Vintage Cellar describes this wine as "Plenty of blackberry and chocolate character, with hints of plums. Full and very velvety with a bright and fruity finish." This wine reminded me of berries, especially strawberries and was kind of earthy. It was dry, but had low tannins and was sort of acidic. Overall I liked this wine and since it is only $13.95, I might buy it again to have with food.
The Woop Woop Cabernet was the fourth wine I tried. This wine is from south eastern Australian and made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes picked in 2009. This is another reasonably priced wine at only $12.95. The Vintage Cellar described the Woop Woop as "smells like a $50 Napa cabernet. Lush, pliant and sweet, with a layered, chewy texture to the flavors of red and black fruits, bitter chocolate and spices. This is really packed with fruit but there's a litheness to it as well."  I thought this wine was pungent and smelled fruity, like berries. It was a little woody and tasted like berries and plums. This was a pretty good wine too.


The fifth wine I tried was called the Black Chook Shiraz/ Viognier. This is a noticeably more expensive wine as $18.95 and because of that I would be hesitant to buy it in the future. This wine is from Australia and is a 2010 vintage and made from 95% Shiraz grapes and 5% Viognier grapes. The Vintage Cellar described this wine as "Inky purple. Vibrant, intensely spicy aromas of blackberry, boysenberry, cracked pepper and fresh flowers. Elegant, full-bodied black and blue fruit flavors expand nicely, with refreshing mineral bite adding vibrancy. Very clean, focused shiraz, with excellent energetic finishing lift and cut." This wine was not very pungent and it was definitely the dark dark color the Vintage Cellar described. It was acidic and spicy and the cracked pepper flavors stood out above anything else.

The final wine I tried was the Emerei Pink Moscato. This Moscato is non-vintaged, and it is made by an Italian family (the DeBortoli's) who makes the wine in Australia from Muscat grapes. The Vintage Cellar described this wine as "Pale translucent pink. Fresh fruit aromas with strawberry and musk. Velvety and full with a persistent bead and fresh finish." This wine is pretty well priced at $13.95. I thought this wine was really good. It tasted like berries and grapes and was really sweet. it reminded my of the sparkling grapes juice you give to kids. It was really bubbly too and tangy. Definitely delicious!