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!      

Tasting- Feb 9, 2012

 This Thursday at the Vintage Cellar, Rachel and I tried another five wines. The wines were Coastal Vines Brut, Lazzaro Chardonnay, Tres Ojos Garnacha Tempranillo Rose, Into Zin, and Legaris Crianza.
The first wine, the Coast Vines Brut, smelled very grapey and sparkly, almost like the sparkly grape juice you get for kids on New Year's. This wine is a sparkling wine from California, but unfortunately I was unable to find a vintage or the variety. The Vintage Cellar describes this wine as "light colored wine with aromas of apple and citrus. On the palate there are flavors of melon and pear"
This wine tasted spritzy and tart, dry, fresh and crisp. It was very good and I would love to try it again, especially since it only costs $6.95!

The second wine of the night was the Lazzaro Chardonnay from Mendoza, Argetina. This wine is made from Chardonnay grapes picked in 2010. This is another inexpensive wine at $6.95 per bottle. The Vintage Cellar describes this wine as "mellow peach and melon aromas and some oak. The

palate is round, creamy and full. Tastes of spiced, dried apple with
a stalky, pithy accent."
This wine smelled very citrusy and dry. I could not detect any sweetness in the aromas.  The taste was pretty interesting. It was dry, but I could taste oranges. And it felt almost frothy and tasted like lemon meringue pie.

The Third wine I tried was the Tres Ojos Garnacha Tempranillo Rosé 2010 from Calatayud, Spain. This wine is a blend with equal part of Garnacha and Tempranillo grapes picked in 2010. This wine is another cheap option for college students and will only run at $5.95 a bottle from the Vintage Cellar. The Vintage Cellar describes this wine as "medium rose colored rosado boasts a spicy red cherry/plum nose with a soft lush attack of red berry fruit flavors and a crisp dry finish. Simple and refreshing and a natural for tapas."

This wine smelled like meat to me, which was pretty off putting at first, but once I tasted the wine, it was really pleasant! It was peppery and sweet and tasted kind of like those redhots candies. I would definitely drink this wine again, especially if I had a steak to go with it.



The fourth wine I tried on Thursday night was called Into Zin. This wine is a Zinfandel from Lodi, California and the vintage is 2008. This wine only costs $7.95 and the Vintage Cellar described it as "Spicy , jammy, ripe round plum with juicy soft finish." I thought this wine smelled like home depot. It smelled like wood and sawdust and a warehouse and pepper. It tasted really peppery and spicy, just like the Vintage Cellar described. I also tasted red berries, like strawberries. Even though this wine had a lot of bold flavors, like liquid itself felt a little too thin for how much flavor it contained. Overall, it was very delicious!

The Final wine of the night was the Legaris Crianza. This wine is from Ribera del Duero, Spain. The vintage is 2003.
The description the Vintage Cellar gave was "A silky texture carries plum, tobacco, coffee and mineral flavors over ripe tannins in this balanced red. Berry and vanilla notes linger on the finish." It also received 90 points from wine spectator, and for a wine that only costs $8.95 that's pretty notable. This wine smelled weird to me, like chemicals and plastic. It almost smelled industrial, like car exhaust. The taste was pretty good though. It was dry and fruity, and tasted  like berries in particular.
This wine was great!