Wine Tasting (Week 9)

Name: Eco LOVE
Variety: Riesling
Region: South Island
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2009
Price: $7.95
Winery Review: "This Riesling's flavors span citrus, root ginger, white peach, spices and floral. eco.love Riesling is made in balance of an off-dry style. A complex fruit-driven style. Special parcels of fruit were selected from the Nelson region of New Zealand, famous for its success with aromatic grape varietals."
My Review: This riesling did not have as much of a fruity scent like most ones I have tasted. It still had floral scent and was very refreshing.

Name: Maipe
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2012
Price: $11.95
Winery Review: "A well made take on a modern style, with liqueur-like red and black fruit that speaks to the ripeness of the grapes. Underneath, there's a tannic base that carries the weight without a problem and acidity that lifts it all, leaving a sense of freshness."
My Review: This wine had an interesting forest smell. The wine went down ok, not too smooth but no heat.

Name: Protocolo
Variety: Vino de la Tierra de Castilla
Region: N/A
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $6.95
Winery Review: "Mostly Airen with a little bit of Macabeo .Greenish gold. Subtle aromas of mint, lemon and orange, with a hint of honeysuckle. Dry, understated and focused, offering clean citrus and melon flavors and slow-building sweetness. Finishes dry and brisk, with an echo of lemon. As usual, this is an outstanding value."
My Review: This wine tasted green if that is possible. I could smell the heat/alcohol in the glass. Very plain wine.











Name: Peter Lehmann
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: N/A
Country: Australia
Year: 2010
Price: $9.95
Winery Review: "The 2010 Chardonnay presents subtle notes of spiced apple slices and ripe peaches with hints of freshly baked bread and melon. Light bodied, clean and refreshingly crisp in the mouth, it offers just enough apple and pear flavor concentration, finishing with medium-long persistence. Drink it now to 2014."
My Review: This was one of the best Chardonnays I have tasted before. It had a very baked and buttery taste to it.










Name: Vina Borga
Variety: Borsoa
Region: Campo de Borja
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $6.95
Winery Review: " 86 Points – Robert Parker Also made from 100% Grenache, the 2012 Vina Borgia was fermented and aged in stainless steel. Its medium dark ruby color is followed by abundant notes of strawberries and black cherries offered in a straightforward, medium-bodied, soft, hedonistic, round style. It is hard to believe a wine this good can sell for $7 a bottle. Enjoy it over the next 1-2 years."
My Review: This wine had a very smokey and stainless steal taste to it. The wine was very dry and had little heat to it. I could also taste black cherries. 

Wine Dinner #1

Name: Blue Fin
Variety: Petite Sirah
Region: California
Country: United States
Price: $5.00
Year: 2012

Winery Review: "Round blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry fruit is nicely balanced by cedar, espresso, and boysenberry. Finishes smooth. An excellent value."

My Review: This is the first Petite Sirah I have ever had. The wine had a dark color to it. It had very distinct black fruit taste with a hint of a woody taste. This wine also had a lot of heat on the finish.

We bought both the wine and the cheese from Trader Joes. The clerk we asked said this particular cheese had been soaked in petite sirah. They ended up pairing beautifully. The cheese had a distinct parmesans taste to it. When pairing the cheese with the wine it ended up heightening the black fruit taste from the wine. 

Name: Les Portes De Bordeaux
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Price: $5.99

Year: 2012

Winery Review: "The nose is very much like a Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc with plenty of herbal, grassy citrus. But, there is some "Old World" civilized restraint as it crosses the palate. Very golden for a Sauvignon. Kiwi nose, but this wine is French! Just barely medium bodied, the weight across the palate is disappointing considering the color and the nose. But, as we get to the finish, this value priced wine gets a big thumbs up with a lingering acid meets fruit commendable character. More time in the glass reveals some apricot and peach."

My Review: The label on this bottle makes the wine have more color. In the glass it is pretty clear. The wine has a small citrus and lemon flavor that paired very well with chicken. 

This chicken was amazing! I have to admit that Ashley, of whom I ate the meal with, did the cooking. The chicken was cooked with union and chive cream cheese, jalapeños sprinkled on top and then wrapped in bacon. The jalapeños went very well with the white wine, especially the herbal and grassy citrus features on this particular bottle. I also enjoyed the lemon flavor of the wine with the chicken.

Name: Ponti
Variety: Vermouth
Region: Italy
Country: Italy
Price: $4.99

Year: 2012

Winery Review: "The color of the Ponti vermouth is a dark, dull red, almost nut brown. The tinge around the edges is a whiskey brown color. The nose is a delight: burnt caramel raisins is an aroma I'd like to smell everyday. On the palate, a very familiar taste appears, one I had a bit of trouble identifying. It's reminiscent of Blackjack gum, something I may not have had since childhood. Clove and cinnamon mingle with charred candy flavors and coffee. The finish reminds me of a marshmallow burnt over a campfire. There is a lot of sweetness here, but the spice profile puts enough of a bitter spin on it that it does not seem overly sugary."
My Review: The vermouth had a light to dark brown color in the glass. It also had a very loud and distinct smell along with a very strong and unpleasant herb scent. The taste was just as strong and I could on sip a couple ounces of it without being disgusted. I don't believe I have ever disliked a drink so much. 

We paired the vermouth with some home cooked banana bread. The bread had baked bananas in the middle. The bread helped take away the herb taste and calm down the flavors however it was still gross. We still have a lot of the vermouth left over and plan to mix it with other things to get a better taste out of it in the future. 

Wine Tasting (Week 8)

Name: Georgies Dubeuf 

Variety: 100% Gamay
Region: Beaujolais
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95
Winery 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. Drink now."
My Review: Very dark colored wine with light fruit aromas. This wine doesn't taste like a normal red wine. The wine had no heat and went down pleasantly smooth but with no after taste. 

Name: Wine Men Of Gothem

Variety: Chardonnay Semillion
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2008
Price: $7.95
Winery Review: "Light and crisp, with a strong floral note to the green pear fruit. Drink now."
My Review: First of all, the name and design of the logo is awesome! The wine had good color but backed some heat. The after taste however was fabulous. 

Name: Trader Joe's Petit Reserve
Variety: Rose
Region: Mendocina Country
Country: California
Year: 2012
Price: $5.00
Winery Review: "This lovely rose is crisp and off-dry with notes strawberry jam, raspberries, and stone fruits. It is full bodied and well balanced with a long lingering finish."
My Review: This is my first rose wine. From the color I thought I was going to really enjoy its sweat taste. Boy was I wrong. The wine was very intense  with lots of heat. It did have some floral aromas but overall a very cheap wine. 

Name: Joseph Handler
Variety: Riesling
Region: Pfalz/Qualitatswein
Country: Germany
Year: 2012
Price: $4.00
Winery Review: "Comines fruitiness and sweetness with racy acidity. Enjoy it with light foods like fish or chicken or just on its own. Best served lightly chilled."
My Review: Love, love and love! Very potent green apple and other fruit flavors. Taste just like apple juice. I could drink this all day long. 

Name: Pancake Cellars
Variety: "Big Day White"
Region: Paso Robles
Country: California
Year: 2012
Price: $5.00
Winery Review: "A freak of nature, the BIG DAY WHITE offers delicious flavors of white peach, apple and cantaloupe, along with orange blossom, honeysuckle and lemongrass. Serve with Thai green curry, turkey sandwiches, chicken apple sausage or pesto anything."
My Review: The color was clear. Not a memorable wine. It had light hints of peach and cantaloupe. I can definitely understand why it would pair well with Thai. Would not buy again. 

Wine Tasting (Week 7)

Name: El Sierro
Variety: Macabeo and Chardonnay
Region: Spain
Country: Spain
Price: $6.95

Winery 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: The color was clear. This wine thrived on the tropical fruit aromas. The wine was very refreshing, well balanced, and went down smoothly.

Name: Arnold Palmer
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: United States
Price: $7.95

Year: 2011

Winery 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: The color was the most clear out of the five wine and could be mistaken as water. I could smell a small fruit component however is was not extremely pleasurable. The taste reflected the same scents from the smell.

Name: Villa d'
Variety: Rosso Toscano
Region: Montepulciano
Country: Italy
Price: $6.95

Year: 2012

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

My Review: The wine did not emphasize much color being light red. The smell was very sweat and had a brown sugar component to it. There was not much taste to the wine and it was a medium dryness.

Name: Maipe
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Price: $8.95

Winery 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: The wine did emphasize a lot of color being dark red. However I smelled no fruit component as the winery review stated. The finish was indeed long and it did pack a little heat at the end.

Name: Loredona
Variety: Riesling
Region: Monterey, California
Country: United States
Price: $7.95

Winery 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: It seems to be a theme this week with the wines being as clear as water. I could not smell any fruit component however could taste a grape fruit component in my mouth. This wine was very sweet and is my favorite of the five. 

Wine Tasting (Week 6)

Name: Floriana
Variety: Gruner Veltliner
Region: Hungary
Country: Hungary
Price: $5.00

Year: 2012

Winery Review: "2012 Floriana Grüner Veltliner poured into the glass in a very light color. On the nose, there were prominent apple and citrus aromas. On the palate, it is dry, with apple and citrus persisting, but eventually herbal aromas coming in, which made it a really nice partner for the schnitzel, which is traditionally served with some lemon to squeeze over it and a salad as a side. The wine was light and refreshing. The herbal aromas did give it a different feel, though. Definitely worth trying if you are looking for a refreshing dry white."

My Review: I tasted this wine at Trader Joe's this past weekend in Richmond. The aromas I got was that of lemon and citrus flavor (they do tastings in little shot cups vs a glass). The wine was very light, not too dry but was not memorable. 

Name: Tribunal
Variety: Red Wine Blend
Region: North Coast California
Country: United States
Price: $10.00

Year: 2011

Winery Review: "The final value red wine making the Thumbs Up WineFinder cut is the 2011 Tribunal, a red blend from the North Coast of California.  The $16.00 wine is available to Trader Joe’s customers for only $10.00.  This value wine tastes of blackberry, raspberry, plum and chocolate."

My Review: This wine had a very strong scent of dark fruit flavor. I am really starting to enjoy blended wines from California. This was a full-body wine that had a chocolate element to it. It did pack a little heat on the end.

Name: Trader Joe's Grand Reserve
Variety: Merlot
Region: Napa Valley California
Country: United States
Price: $12.99

Year: 2011

Winery Review: "This wine is a deep, dark red hue, bursting with vibrant cherry, ripe plum and currant notes, undertones of vanilla & oak, and a very long, lingering finish. Aged in oak barrels for 24 months, it's a complex & rewarding wine."

My Review: This was the last of the three I tasted at Trader Joe's. I felt that it was a standard Merlot. The smell on the nose was very rich with vanilla instead of fruit. The wine had a long lasting aftertaste to it.

Name: Blue Fin
Variety: Petite Sirah
Region: California
Country: United States
Price: $5.00

Year: 2012

Winery Review: "Round blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry fruit is nicely balanced by cedar, espresso, and boysenberry. Finishes smooth. An excellent value."

My Review: This is the first Petite Sirah I have ever had. The wine had a dark color to it. It had very distinct black fruit taste with a hint of a woody taste. This wine also had a lot of heat on the finish.

Name: Les Portes De Bordeaux
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Price: $5.99

Year: 2012

Winery Review: "The nose is very much like a Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc with plenty of herbal, grassy citrus. But, there is some "Old World" civilized restraint as it crosses the palate. Very golden for a Sauvignon. Kiwi nose, but this wine is French! Just barely medium bodied, the weight across the palate is disappointing considering the color and the nose. But, as we get to the finish, this value priced wine gets a big thumbs up with a lingering acid meets fruit commendable character. More time in the glass reveals some apricot and peach."

My Review: The label on this bottle makes the wine have more color. In the glass it is pretty clear. The wine has a small citrus and lemon flavor that paired very well with chicken. It also had a very buttery and smooth finish.