Tasting-La Garnacha Salvaje

Name: La Garnacha Salvaje
Variety: Garnacha
Region: Aragon
Country: Spain
Year: 2019
Price: $15

Winery Review

A wine that is surprising due to its roundness and youth. After 5 months of aging in new French oak barrels, this wine expresses all the qualities of the Garnacha in this area of the Ebro Valley. A fruity, fresh and sweet tannin wine capable of satisfying the enthusiasts of this variety. It is a bright garnet colored wine with great depth. While featuring tobacco and wild berry aromas, its freshness and mineral qualities mix resulting in a surprising wine that due to its roundness and youth.  https://www.mtouton.com/products/spain/ribera-de-queiles/97070-2019/proyecto-la-garnacha-salvaje-del-moncayo 

Wine Folly

Wine Folly describes Grenacha/Grenache as having primary tasting notes of Stewed Strawberry, Grilled Plum, leader, and died herbs. In my tasting, I noticed dark fruit notes, along the lines of plum, as well as some spicy/herbaceousness. 

My Review

The wine was a very dark ruby, and was almost entirely opaque. I got notes of dark cherry and plum on the nose, as well as very sweeet notes of dark fruit on the palate. The wine had a medium body with good balance of tannin and acid. I had this wine by itself with no other food. I enjoyed this wine, as I have most of the Spanish wines I have tried. I would enjoy having this wine again, but I think I will branch out from Spanish reds for my next few tastings.

Tasting-Podere Castorani Cadetto Orange

Name: Podere Castorani Cadetto Orange
Variety: Pecorino
Region: Colline Pescaresi 
Country: Italy
Year: 2021
Price: $15

Winery Review

Pecorino whole white grapes were left to sit with their skins to create an orange hue. the spontaneous fermentation and the time spent on the lees before bottling complete the genesis of the complexity of this wine. Floral and spicy aromas complement this intense wine with delicate tannins. 

Wine Folly

I could not find any information on wine folly on the Pecorino variety, but I did find some on https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-352-pecorino  

Pecorino is a light-skinned wine grape used in Italy's eastern coastal regions, particularly in Marche and Abruzzo. A classic Pecorino-based wine is dry and mineral, straw-yellow in color and has an elegantly floral bouquet of acacia and jasmine.

In my tasting, I noticed the floral notes, but I am not sure I would describe them as acacia or jasmine. 

My Review

The wine was golden orange in color. It had some mild cloudiness, with a large amount of sediment in the bottom of the glass. On the nose, I got very bold floral notes along with some light fruit. On the palate I found the wine to be very light bodies, with mild acid and tannins, along with some notes of apple or pear. The sediment was very fine, and I noticed some of it in the wine which produced an interesting mouth feel. I drank this wine alone without any other food.

This was the first orange wine that I have tried. Overall I liked it. Being between a white and red, I expected it to be comparable to a Rose, but that was not the case.  It was much closer to a traditional white wine, but with some slight hints of tannic features. Overall I liked it, and I plan on including some more orange wines in my future tastings. 

Wine and Cheese #2

 My typical group of wine-tasting buddies decided to take advantage of St. Patrick's day to get some classy and educational drinking done, before the not so classy drinking typical of the holiday. While shopping for party supplies, we picked up a few interesting cheese and some wines to accompany them.

 

First Tasting

Wine: The Little Sheep of France, Chardonnay, 2020, France

Cheese: Sarvecchio Parmesan

The wine was a clear, light gold color. On the nose I got hints of fruit, such as apple and pear, as well as some citrus. Underneath these scents I detected a hint of butteriness. On the palate, I got notes of light fruit, along with some light butteriness, which I found odd since I do not think this wine was aged in oak. The cheese was medium-hard in texture, especially near the rind. It had a mild falvory, with some good saltiness and slight creaminess. Paired, the wine tasted more acidic, with a lighter body and less buteeriness. I honestly was not a big can of the wine, but I did quite like the cheese. I would like to find a better wine to pair with this cheese in the future.

Second Tasting

Wine: Treveri, Syrah, Washington State, USA

Cheese: Murray's Smoked Cheddar

The wine was medium ruby color, with very intense bubbles when poured into the glass. These bubbles dissipated quickly, as they were not present when I tasted the wine. On the nose, I got scents of red fruit and dark berries along with some spiciness. I got decent tannins and good body from the wine, with minimal bubbles. I tasted a lot of dark fruit, specifically blackberry. The cheese was soft, smooth and creamy, as one would expect from cheddar. It was very smoky, and I would say it was my favorite cheese of the whole tasting. Together, the cheese smoothed out the tannins of the wine, and the wine decreased the smokiness of the cheese. The pairing was still good, but since the smokiness was what I liked most about it, I honestly preferred the cheese by itself.

Third Tasting

Wine: Pamiglia Castellani, , Sangiovese, 2016, Toscana, Italy 

Cheese: Pecorino Tartufello

The wine was dark ruby, and mostly opaque. On the nose I got notes of dark fruit, cherry and spice. On the palate I got major flutiness, decent tannins and acid, as well as some plum underneath. The cheese was very flavorful and intense, standing out from the other cheeses we tried. It was very soft and creamy, with a very strong, almost garlicy taste. Paired with the wine, the intensity of the cheese was toned down, but I didn't notice a big difference in the wine. 

This tasting was not quite as good as he previous one. I didn't particularly like the wines we chose, especially the Chardonnay. The cheeses were good, but the last cheese was more intense than I was expecting, and it kind of threw me off. I plan on putting some more time and effort into the wine and cheese. 

Tasting- El Cortijillo

Name: El Cortijillo
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Castilla/ La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2021
Price: $6

Winery Review

Up front aromas of raspberry and cherry fruit, medium to light weight, Rhône wine in character, cherry fruit flavors, followed by bright acidity. Reminds of a mythical cross between a Pinot Noir and a Côtes-du-Rhône. Pleasant and fun, bistro red.

Wine Folly

I detected some notes of red fruit, such as cherry, in this wine. I also detected some spice, which I described as black pepper, but could so be described as tobacco, cinnamon, or some of the other secondary tasting characteristics.

My Review

This wine was a medium-dark garnet color which was entirely opaque. On the nose I got hints of spices initially, such as pepper and cinnamon. I also detected scents of red fruit, including cherry and raspberry. On the palate, I detected some slight notes of tree fruit, such as apple or pear, along with more prominent notes of cherry and red fruit. This wine had good tannins and acid, giving it a medium body. I like this wine better than the Palaci del Burgo Tinto I tried earlier, but it still didn't stand out to me. I drank this wine without any other food. 

Tasting-Palacio Del Burgo Tinto

Name: Palacio del Burgo Tinto
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2018
Price: $8

Tasting Notes

Palacio del Burgo Tinto is a perfect example of Rioja Tempranillo. Deep cherry red color with violet tones. Intense fruity nose of blackberry and liquorice over sweet aromas of mocha. The taste is vibrant with smooth tannins and a long-lasting sensation.

Serving suggestions: best enjoyed with red meat and Spanish tapas at 14-15 degrees C.

Wine Folly

The Wine folly describes the primary tasting nots of Tempranillo as notes of cherry, fig, cedar, tobacco, and dill. I defiantly detected the cherry and fig notes, but not so much of the others.

My Review

The wine was a dark ruby with medium opacity. On the nose I got rich notes of dark fruit, specifically dark cherry. I also got some secondary notes of coffee or chocolate, similar to what is suggested in the tasting notes. On the palate, I got notes of raspberry, cherry, and red/dark fruit. These flavors were somewhat muted, and my friends described the wine as tasting like someone imagined what a red wine should taste like. The muted flavors combined with mild tannins and acid made the wine relatively light bodies.

I liked this wine, but it was not interesting enough to really get my attention. I likely wouldn't have this wine again. I drank this wine without any other food. 

Wine and Cheese #1

Of all the blog assignments, this is the one I was most excited about. I love cheese, and I have always heard about wine-cheese pairing, but have never done it for myself. For this tasting, my typical group got together and went out on shopping trip. We picked up the cheeses first, then headed down the block to the Vintage Cellar to pick up some wines to pair with them. We retuned home, at which time we cut up the cheese, opened up the wine, and got down to the tasting!

First Tasting

Wine: Peirano Estate Chardonnay 2018 Lodi, California, USA

Cheese: Bruggie Comtess

The wine was a medium dark gold, and was mostly clear. It had notes of apple, pineapple, and little bit of barrel must on the nose. On the palate, I got creamy butterscotch and some slight fruit notes, along with a slightly spicy finish. The wine had decent body, given the barrel character and dryness. The cheese was pretty hard, with a very creamy texture and slightly sweet overall taste. I really liked the cheese by itself. Together, the wine and cheese were not greatly changed by each other. The wine had less butterscotch characteristics, allowing the fruit flavors to come forward, but that was about it. Maybe I am just inexperienced and don't know what to look for, but I found this pairing to not be very interesting. 

Second Tasting

Wine: Summarroca Brut Bubbly Piont Noir Rose Cava, Spain 2020

Cheese: Sartori Bellavitano Garlic and Herb

This wine was a golden-pink color, which was mostly clear and had medium-fine bubbles. On the nose it was light and fruity, with notes of raspberry and strawberry. I had a hard time getting a good smell off this wine, since the carbonation would cover up much of the other smells. On the palate it had notes of strawberry and pear. The carbonation and dryness gave it good body and kept it from being overly sweet. The cheese had a lot of flavor, mostly from the herbs on the outside. It was softer than the previous cheese, and was less sweet. Together, I can't say I noticed a profound difference. With the cheese, I though the wine tasted drier and had less fruit notes, but that's about it. I'm not sure this was the best pairing, but it was still enjoyable.

Third Tasting

Wine: Palacio de Arganza Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Cheese: Sharp White Cheddar

The third and final wine was probably the best we had that night. It was a very dark, opaque ruby color. On the nose it had rich notes of blackberry and other dark fruits along with a little smoke. On the palate I got mostly dark fruit, like blackberries, along with chocolate and a slight spiciness on the finish. Decent tannins and slight acidity gave the wine good body. The cheese was typical sharp cheddar, soft and creaming with some acidic bite to it. It was not as sharp as I typically like, but it was still very good. Together, I thought they did pretty well. The wine become less tannic and smoother with the cheese, while the cheese got an extra boost to the sharpness that I really like. Overall this was the best pairing we did, and I would not hesitate to have it again in the future.

Overall, I had a great time with my first wine and cheese tasting session. I got to have good food and good conversation with good friends. I am looking forward to the next one!

DTN! Lesson One

 The objective of Drink This Now! Lesson 1 was to taste a red wine at different times after opening it, as well as with cheese and meat, to discover and learn more about how these factors impact the taste of the wine. My friends and I decided to do this lesson together, so we made a journey down to the wine store to pick out one of the bottles from the list. We settled on a Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone from 2019. I will start from Step 1, a basic wine tasting, and then work my way through the lesson step by step

Step 1: Wine Tasting

Name: Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone
Variety: GSM Blend
Region: Rhone Valley    
Country: France
Year: 2019
Price: $15

Winery Review

The color is purple-tinged garnet. The bouquet of aromas offers fresh berries (wild raspberry, blackcurrant, blackberry) and hints of spices. The palate is big and full-flavored, with silky-smooth tannins and red and black fruit flavors. The finish introduces touches of licorice and pepper. A Côtes-du-Rhône with great complexity for everyday drinking.

My Review

We opened up the bottle and immediately pour ourselves a glass each. The wine was a dark ruby, and was completely opaque in the glass. On the nose I got hints of strawberry jam, cocoa, as well as some spiciness. On the palate I noticed  dark cherry and blackberry. It had decent body, with good tannins and a medium length finish. 

Step 2: Let it breath

The second step of the lesson was to leave the bottle open and out of the counter to allow oxygen in to "open up" the wine. We did just that, and upon tasting it we did notice a change to the wine. The tannins were less harsh, making the wine a bit smoother and allowing other flavors, like fruit and spice, to come through. The wine was still recognizable; there wasn't a radical change, but defiantly a noticeable one.  

Step 3: Mouse Style

The third step challenged us to then try the wine with some cheese. We chose to go with an Asiago cheese for this tasting. The pairing of wine and cheese brought out a significant change in the wine. Overall we described this as "mellowing out" the wine. The tannins become much less harsh, and some fruit and spice notes which had previously been muted came forward. The cheese greatly changed the character of the wine, I would say for the better. 

 

Step 4: Bring out the Meats

The fourth step of the lesson instructed us to try the wine with something spicy. We chose pepperoni for this step, and shortly after the cheese was tasted, we dug into the meat. The pepperoni, though not as spicy as we had hoped, still had a profound effect on the wine. This effect was equal, but opposite to that of the cheese. The tannins became heavier, and the wine overall less sweet. Many of the weaker, fruiter notes were gone. Though I found this pairing interesting, I think I preferred the cheese. 

Step 5: One Day Later...

For the final step, we had to leave the wine out overnight and taste it to see how extended periods of oxygen exposure impacted the wine. So the next evening my friends and I reconvened and gave the wine another try. The color was the same as the day before, but the smell was very different. Overall it was stronger, and some pickle or olive notes to it. behind that was increased notes of dark fruit compared to earlier. The taste was likewise very different from the day before. The wine was overall lighter bodied, with lower tannins and more fruity notes. However, the finish was much harsher at this point, which some of my friends found very off-putting. I personally didn't think it was that bad. 

I found this lesson the be an interesting and enjoyable experience. I was honestly skeptical of the whole concept of oxygen changing the nature of the wine. I thought at most there would be a slight difference after a day, or else it would be completely ruined. However, I learned that in the right conditions, oxygen, and especially food, can have a positive impact on the wine drinking experience.