Palisades Wine Dinner - Italy

Two weeks ago me and some friends went out to the Palisades restaurant for their weekly wine levels. This night was Italian wines and cuisine.

The first course was potato gnochhi with a 2013 La Carraia Orvieto Classico. I had never had potato gnochhi before it was delicious. The wine was nice and floral-y with strong green apple. Very clean and crisp with similar tastes to what you get from the aromas. The wine went really well with the browned butter sauce. It cut the acidity back and brought out the fruits.

Next was braised chicken with a 2013 Tiamo Chianti. The Chianti had strong berry smells and was like biting into a bunch of fresh fruits. I was surprised this was paired with a chicken but it actually went pretty well. The Polenta served with the chicken was really nice and helped bring out the fruits.

Lastly, we had pizza with a 2009 Bonaventura Rosso Toscano. It had a nice floral and cherry smells. Nice licorice and earthy finish. Went nicely with the pizza. The pepperoni on the pizza went nicely with the earthy tones.

This was a really cool assignment and a huge shoutout to the Palisades for some incredible food!

Wine and Cheese Tasting

We did another wine and cheese tasting this week. This time we tried a Chianti Classico, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Champagne with Brie, Parmesan, and Cheddar Jack cheeses. 

The first wine we tried was the Chianti Classico. It had blackberry and mocha smells. Tasted a lot like bitter cherry. Very dry and bold tannins.

Brie- First of all this stuff is nasty. It tastes like I imagine gym socks would. Drier with earthy and fungus flavors.

Parmesan- More fruity especially the cherry. Also much smoother.

Cheddar Jack- Dulls out the fruits. Cheese was too strong for the wine

Next was the Cabernet Savignon. Dirty smelling with dark fruit flavors. Very tannic and very long finish.

Brie- Earthy and moldy. Felts like I was chewing on a used gym sock. This stuff just doesn't get better.
Parmesan- Fruitier with more berries and a peppery finish.
Cheddar Jack- Mellows the tannins. Spicy finish. Over powers the fruit.


The Merlot had a cherry and chocolate smell. Lots of cherry up front on the flavor but melts away into a long smooth finish. Smooth tannins.

Brie- Bitter and more tannic. Still pretty fruity.
Parmesan- Much smoother. Dulls the fruits. Longer finish.
Cheddar Jack- Spicy cheddar over powers the wine again.


We decided to get classy with a nice bottle of Andre Champagne. Smells like citrus candy. Tastes like liquid pop rocks. Tastes like a sweet moscato.

Brie- Sweaty socks and champagne. Brie is gross.
Parmesan- Nothing special. Don't really mix much.
Cheddar Jack- Only time spices didn't over power. Brings down the sweetness.

Attimo Winery Visit

This past weekend a couple friends and I went to Attimo Winery for a tour and wine tasting. I had never been to a winery so it was a really cool experience. We got to go out into the field and see the vineyards and hear about the different types of grapes they grow there.

Then we got to see where they fermented, aged, and bottled the wine. They told us a little about the different wines they had and some of the unique things they do to make some of their wines. 

Next came our favorite part. The wine tastings. We got to taste 8 different wines. It was really cool how they named all their wines after different "moments" after the name of the winery, Attimo, which translates to "At the Moment." The first one we tasted was Yesterday's Song Chardonnay. It had strong pear and citrus aromas. It was really interesting, the first thing I thought when I took a sip was it made me think about biting into a pear. It had nice citrus tastes and was really crisp and clean. I really liked this wine.

The next wine was Sonnet 98 Vidal Blanc. This had a very flowery smell and tasted very similar. It was very smooth but didn't have particularly strong flavors like I prefer but was still a pretty nice wine.

The Wonder was a blend of Viognier, Vidal, and Traminette. It had citrus and fresh fruit aromas. It was pretty dry and oaky but not as strong of fruit flavors as you would expect from the smell.

Just Kissed was a blush blend of Vidal and raspberry. It had a really interesting combination of raspberry and cider smells. It had really strong berry flavors all the way through. Very smooth. Really tastey and I liked it a lot more than I expected I would.

After Midnight was a blend of Merlot, blackberry, and Zinfandel. The first thing jumped into my mind when I smelled this was these berry fruit snacks that my parents always had around the house when I was younger. It had really strong berries flavors with a peppery finish. A really nice wine.

Deep Silence was a Cabernet Franc. This had a really unique smell and I thought it smelled a lot like a bonfire that someone threw a bunch of spices on. Crazy smooth all the way through. I got hints of pepper with berries and plum.

AD 325 was a chambourcin. I never had this type of grape before to my knowledge but this turned out to be my favorite wine we tasted. I got dry cherry smells and a really similar flavor profile but add some sourness. Bold tannins and a nice long finish.

The last wine was Sudden Downpour which was an apple and white blend. It had an apple and bourbon smell. Tasted like old apple juice with a cider finish but in a good way. It was a pretty interesting wine but surprisingly good.

Wine and Cheese Tasting

 We finally got around to doing our first wine and cheese tasting. I was pretty excited about it. We did four wines, Middle Sister Drama Queen, Duck Commander Red Blend, Vina Borgia, and Wente Riesling. We tried each of them with cheddar, mozzarella, and gouda.

Middle Sister Drama Queen - Green apple, pineapple and vanilla smells. Similar tastes to what you smell but way less flavor than what you'd expect from the strong smells.
     Cheddar: Much more flavor. Brings out green apple and citrus tastes.
     Mozzarella - A little plainer. Brings out lime. Tastes surprisingly like sprite.
     Gouda - First off that's some Gouda cheese! Doesn't really taste like much. Pretty plain actually.

Duck Commander - Plum, berries and mocha tastes.
     Cheddar: way smoother and fruitier
     Mozzarella - Dry and bitter
     Gouda - Smooths the tastes out and brings out fruits like cheddar. Longer finish.

Vina Borgia - Three or four glasses in at this point so things started getting pretty weird but that's when things really got good. Smells like straight up cherries. Tastes like spicy cherries. Not sure what that means but that's what I wrote down so I'm sticking with it. Very hot , 14% abv really comes through.
     Cheddar - Takes away the spice. Crazy dry!
     Mozzarella - Not as dry as cheddar but pretty flat.
     Gouda - Tastes pretty plain. Not a whole lot going on here.

Wente Riesling - Pineapple and citrus smell. Mangos out the wazoo! Delicious wine. My favorite of the four.
     Cheddar - Not as in your face with fruits but a longer finish.
     Mozzarella - And I quote "not good with dis ish. Bitter as butt." Who knows what we were doing at this point but I guess we were really enjoying the wine.
     Gouda - Tones down the mango. Balances everything out. Crisp and clean. That's some Gouda wine! Definitely my favorite pairing.

Tasting - Jam Jar

Name: Jam Jar Sweet White
Variety: Moscato
Country: South Africa
Year: 2014
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: This charming, easy-drinking Moscato offers flavors of peach, apricot, lychee and orange blossom. A lively jolt of acidity keeps it fresh and fruity. Fancy enough for a special occasion toast, yet sweet-natured enough to enjoy every day, our bright and cheerful sweet wines are sure to capture your heart.

My Review: Very fruity smelling upfront. Crazy sweet. Moscato isn't really my cup of tea just because of how sweet it is. Lots of fruity flavors. A little much for my liking.

Tasting - Rare Red

Name: Rare Red
Variety: Zinfandel, Petite Verdot, Petite Syrah, and Merlot
Region: California
Country: USA
Price: $9.95

Winery Review: A multi-vintage blend of Zinfandel, Petite Verdot, Petite Syrah, and Merlot that is full-bodied and fruit forward with a spicy and complex finish. This wine has been partially barrel aged for eight months in American and French oak.

My Review: Great fruity smells and flavors. A bit of peppery on the nice smooth finish. Fruit flavors melt away and the finish has a bit of oak but not overwhelming. I really liked this blend.

Tasting - Breca Tovana

Name: Breca Tovana
Variety: Garnacha
Region: Munebrega
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: Gnarled vines, grown without irrigation, are a mainstay of Spain’s winemaking tradition and produce small clusters of perfectly ripe Garnacha grapes. Aromas of blackberries, plums, and cherries fill the glass and develop into luscious flavors of black stone fruit. Long, supple tannins complete this extraordinary wine.

My Review: Strong plum and berry aromas. Cherry taste comes in pretty strong but the bold tannins help balance the fruit flavors out and has a really nice long finish. A nice wine and I haven't had many garnachas before but something I could see myself getting into more.

Tasting - Marques de Caceres

Name: Marques de Caceres
Variety: Verdejo
Region: Rueda
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $9.95

Winery Review: Vivid straw colour. Fresh, clean and intense bouquet enlivened by notes of citrus fruit with a depth of pears and apples. Deliciously fresh and full in the mouth where racy, focused flavours deliver notes of minerals, lemon rind and green apples. Good length and a refreshing finish. Has all the character of the best from its appellation.

My Review: It has nice flowery smells with light fruits. Apples and citrus taste come through pretty strong. A nice fresh wine with a smooth long finish. It was a pretty decent wine. A little bit more flowery than I prefer but overall it was pleasant.

Tasting - Dibon Cava

Name: Dibon Cava
Variety: 45% Macabeo, 25% Xarel-lo, 30% Parellada
Region: Catalonia
Country: Spain
Price: $9.95

Winery Review: The nose offers regal yeast and richness, while the palate has complexity to prop up apple, citrus and grapefruit flavors. Solid from front to back, with health and freshness. Cava, Catalan sparkling wine, is made mostly in the regions of Penedes, and the capital of cava is Sant Sadurni d´Anoia. Dibon is located in Vilafranca del Penedes, aproximately 20 Km from Sant Sadurni. The Dibon vineyard is in the process of becoming fully organic. It consists of 75 hectares of trellised vines 1000 feet above the Mediterranean Sea.

My Review: I haven't had much sparkling wine so I had a bit of a harder time describing this one. It was a pretty dry wine but had nice apple and lemon tastes. It was a really crisp wine that tasted very clean. It was pretty good but I prefer to stick to still wine.

Tasting - Bogle Zinfandel

Name: Bogle Zinfandel
Variety: Zinfandel
Region: Lodi and Amador County
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $15.99

Winery Review: Vibrant, ripe notes of summer raspberry intoxicate the senses, enticing you to take a sip of this lively red zinfandel. Once on the palate, plush and round flavors of pomegranates meld with fresh cracked peppercorn, juniper and anise. Playful and serious at the same time, the mouth-coating tannins relax into a smooth and supple finish: long, lingering and full of enjoyment.
My Review: A nice fruity nose with hints of pepper. Raspberry is very noticeable at first but the fruit flavors melt away into a great finish. Pepper really comes through but is not overwhelming. The strong tannins and fruit flavors help cover the really strong 14.5% alcohol. A really good wine just like all the wines I've had from this vineyard.

Tasting - Wente Chardonnay

Name: Wente Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $15.99

Winery Review: Wine Enthusiast - "Robust in mouth feel, this offers subtlety in flavor and an appetizingly tangy texture. It seems to develop more with each sip. Look for light aromas of apple and fig, flavors that gain a touch of butter and almond, and medium body.Best Buy.

My Review: Nice apple and light fruit aromas aromas. Creamy and smooth all the way through. Very easy to drink wine and definitely would like to try it with some food.

Tasting - Bogle Essential Red

Name: Bogle Essential Red
Variety: Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $10.99

Winery Review: Rich, enticing layers of complexity, starting with that first irresistible sip. Ripe fruit, intense with flavors of boysenberries and sweet cherries.

My Review: I've had this wine many times with my parents and its definitely one of my favorite wines that won't break the bank. Its has tons of great fruity flavors with a really bold tannic structure. Always a great go to wine and in my experience goes really well with nice steak.

Tasting - BelCreme De Lys Chardonnay

Name: Belcreme de Lys Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Central Coast, California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $12.99

Winery Review: Slow down, exhale, and enjoy this rich, creamy Chardonnay. Our winemaker chose California vineyards that yield incredibly lush flavors of tropical fruit, baked apple and citrus. Sur lie aging gives this wine its soft, creamy style. Use of primarily French oak adds hints of vanilla and crème brûlée on the finish, making this wine the perfect reward at the end of your day

My Review: Apples and citrus on the nose. Very creamy and smooth. Strong hints of mango. Not much oak. Nice vanilla flavor on the finish. Drank this wine with chicken Alfredo and the creaminess of the wine works really well with the sauce and brought out more of the fruity flavors. I really enjoyed this wine a lot.

Tasting - Jip Jip Rocks Chardonnay

Name: Jip Jip Rocks Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Padthaway
Country: Australia
Year: 2013
Price: $13.95

Winery Review: Light yellow with a pale straw hue. A classic nose of lemon, fresh stonefruit and melon. The palate is clean and fresh with mineral characters underpinning ripe pineapple and lime flavors. This wine will age beautifully over the next 4-5 years.

My Review: Lemon and apple aromas. A very crisp clean smell. Strong sweetness up front but quickly melts into a clean flavor that has nice light fruits. Very easy wine to drink especially since I've never had an unoaked chardonnay before but it was very good.

Tasting - Shotfire Barossa Quartage

Name: Shotfire Quartage
Variety: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot
Country: Australia
Year: 2011
Price: $16.95

Winery Review: Exellent aromas of creme de cassis, espresso beans, chocolate and menthol jump from the glass of this medium to full-bodied effort. Excellent purity as well as personality and a spicy, moderately long finish suggest it can be drunk over the next 2-3 years. 90. Robert Parker

My Review: Coffee, plum, and dark fruit aroma as well as a hint of spice. Bold tannins and dark fruit upfront. Melts into a nice long smooth finish with a bit of chocolate. Has a pretty high alcohol content at 14.5% which adds a little heat. Overall a pretty nice wine that would probably go really well with a nice steak.

Tasting - Opera Prima Pink Moscato

Name: Opera Prima Pink Moscato
Variety: 97% Muscat, 3% Tempranillo
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: ??
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: A blend of Muscat 97% and Tempranillo 3%. This fine sparkling presents an intense aroma of fresh berries and tropical fruits with hints of white flower petals. Delicate bubbles caress the palate offering a silky and pleasant sweetness well balanced by a crisp, refreshing finish. Ideal on its own, as an aperitif or with all types of sweets and desserts. Serve it very cold, between 7 and 9°

My Review: I'm not a fan of moscato or rose wines so I had a feeling I was going to be in for a rough ride. Straight off the bat it smells like you walked into a flower gallery. Some other light fruits in there I couldn't place. It was an incredible light wine and tasted like I was drinking flowers and fruit juice. Extremely sweet tasting, too much for my liking. I'm not a big fan of sparkling wines either but perhaps paired with the right dessert I might be able to choke down an entire glass of this. 

Tasting - Cortenova Primitivo

Name: Cortenova Primitivo
Variety: Zinfandel
Region: Puglia
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Dark, ruby-red color with violet highlights. Intense and fragrant bouquet with a rich array of red and black fruit aromas and flavors. Harmonious and velvety on the palate. Great balance and structure. 100% Zinfandel.

My Review: This wine was very light on the nose. I struggled to really get much of anything from this wine. Very tight and closed. Light fruits but a biting finish. A little young for my liking but maybe decanting would help greatly.

Tasting - Riebeek Cellar Shiraz

Name: Riebeek Cellars Shiraz
Variety: Shiraz
Region: Swartland
Country: South Africa
Year:  2013
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Often referred to as Shiraz Country, the Riebeek Valley is renowned for exceptional Shiraz wines. The Riebeek Shiraz is a lively rich wine, full bodied with a subdued smokiness on the nose and a pallet of ripe fruit and interesting spice.

My Review: Berry and dark fruits on the nose. Similar tasting fruits to the smell with the addition of pepper. A nice full tannic structure. Very smooth with little astringency. I can imagine that it would be a very nice wine when decanted. This particular wine didn't really do a whole lot for me but that might be partially attributed to the fact that I didn't get to try it all that much since it was at a free wine tasting. I still am not sure where I stand on this one.

Tasting - Le Jade Sauvignon

Name: Le Jade Sauvignon
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Languedoc
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $5.95

Winery Review: Silvery straw color. Lively aromas and flavors of pineapple, yellow apple, melon, and Meyer lemon with a silky, bright, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a tingling, complex, medium-long finish with notes of lemongrass, pear, and lemon with no tannins and no oak. Bright and crisp with layers of juicy pineapple, pear, lemongrass and ripe melon make this perfect for repeated sipping or enhancing fresh farm to table cookery - Beverage Tasting Institute. 89

My Review: This is another wine I got to taste at one of the Vintage Cellar tastings. The first thing I noticed was there was a distinct lemon and apple aroma. It had a very nice light fruity taste with pineapple, lemon, and apple. It was very smooth all the way through. It was a nice refreshing wine that reminded me of sitting around in the summer eating fresh fruit. I was pretty surprised by this wine and for the price it is definitely worth giving it a try. I already had 2 bottles in mind when I went to the store so maybe next time I'll pick up this one to try it a little more.

Tasting - Montebuena Rioja

Name:  Monetebuena Cuvee KPF Rioja
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: Dark ruby. Ripe cherry, red berries and smoky minerals on the nose. Spicy, firm and tightly wound, with very good lift to the flavors of red currant, bitter cherry and licorice. A gripping, lithe midweight, with appealing sweetness and bracing minerality on the long, incisive finish. In an elegant style, with zero excess fat- Stephen Tanzer. 90

My Review: This wine has a very pleasant nose. I got the cherry and berry aromas as well. I haven't had many wines like this so I had trouble placing the flavors but I agree that this wine is fairly tight and would do very well if decanted. It was a little astringent and but as it opened up it mellowed out. It had nice light fruity flavors with a hint of pepper. A very nice wine but I don't see this wine being a 90 point wine but in a year or two it very well might be. It was an easy wine to drink and hopefully the next time I get this bottle I'd really like to try this with food. For the price this wine is definitely a steal.

Tasting - Canyon Road Moscato

Name: Canyon Road Moscato
Variety: Moscato
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2013
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Floral, with tea rose and cherry blossom notes, this balanced Moscato shows flavors of ripe white cherry, candied plum and almond on the smooth finish.

My Review: Again another free tasting wine but I'll let y'all know what I thought anyways. I got a very strong peach smell with floral aromas. It was a very smooth wine with orange in the finish. A very sugary tasting wine and too sweet for my liking.  

Tasting - Gruner Veltliner Hugl Weine

Name: Gruner Veltliner Hugl Weine
Variety: Gruner Veltliner
Country: Austria
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Wine Enthusiast – 89 points "A fresh scent of green pears greets the nose. What follows comes in a light, crisp citrus vein, supported by a rounded mouthfeel. A refreshing wine for immediate drinking. - Anne Krebiehl, MW"

My Reveiw: This is another wine that I tasted at one of the free tastings at the Vintage Cellar in Blacksburg so I was unable to try this as much as I would have liked but here is what I got. It smelled like green apples and that's all I was able to detect. It was a very sharp tasting wine with lemon and light fruits. Still developing my taste for white wines but it was tasted pretty good and easy to drink.

Tasting - Bogle Phantom

Name: Bogle Phantom
Variety: 46% Petite Sirah, 40% Zinfandel, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Mourdedre
Region: Clarksburg, Lodi, and Amador, California
Country: United States
Year: 2011
Price: $19.95

Winery Review: This wine is a fantastic value for the price point. It's round with plenty of fruit and some interesting earth notes. It carries a little bit of structure, but is generally a soft wine with weight. Nice with or without food. I plan to keep a few bottles around for whenever I feel like an easy red. 87

My Review: A very dark ruby color with a fully body aroma. The main smells I picked up were dark fruits, blackberry, and strong pepper. It has a very bold tannic structure that fills the mouth and then melts into an incredibly smooth finish with a hint of vanilla. This wine is extremely easy to drink and the 24 months of barrel aging is very noticeable in the finish. This has been my favorite wine I've tasted so far. Definitely planning to get this again soon.

Tasting - Maule Valley Sierra Cruz Chardonnay

This is one of the wines that I tasted at the Gourmet Pantry and am just now getting around to posting about it. I wasn't able to try this wine as much as some of the others since this was a free wine tasting which as a poor college student if you say "free" is always greatly appreciated.

Name: Maule Valley Sierra Cruz Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Maule Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2013
Price: $9.99

Winery Review: The Maule Valley, with its cool nights, low rainfall and lengthy growing season allows grapes to reach full maturity while maintaining optimal acidity and good juice concentration. On the nose, this wine is redolent with aromas of dried apricots, stonefruit, and toasted hazelnuts. Nectarines dominate the palate, with interwoven hints of tropical fruit and dried lemon peel. A outstanding example of what a fresh, un-malo’d Chardonnay can be.

My Review: I haven't had that much chardonnay so I had some trouble placing some of the smells and flavors. That being said I got a hints of apple mostly in the smell. It had a light fruity flavor and with apple. It had a nice smooth finish. It was a nice wine and I'd like to try a more at some point soon.

Tasting - Castle Rock Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Castle Rock Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Mendocino County
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $9.95

Winery Review: With a suggestion of New Zealand-style grass, this is a widely distributed Sauvignon Blanc with layers of racy acidity that’s all in all snappy and cleanly linear. The taste is mostly grapefruit rind, crisply rendered. A great wine to have on hand for large gatherings. 85.

My Review: I am not a huge white wine drinker especially fruitier ones but I was actually pretty surprised how much I enjoyed this wine. It had strong smells of apple and pineapple. It was mellow on the tongue with a hint of lemon. The fruity flavors melted away nicely into a lightly earthy finish. I then tried this wine with a caesar salad and the dressing brought out the lemon and sweeter flavors while not being too "puckery". I liked the wine much more with the salad and even more so as the wine opened up more and mellowed out. Solid white wine that I would definitely get again considering the price being under $10.

Tasting - 2013 Parker Estates Pinot Noir

Name: Parker Estates Four Keys Crossing Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Sonoma County
Country: United States
Year: 2013
Price: $12.95

Winery Review: Dark cherry flavors mingle with hints of vanilla, caramel and toasted coffee bean. A fruit-forward mid-palate, followed by soft, mature tannins leads to a smooth, rich finish. Pair with cedar planked salmon with scalloped potatoes, beef tenderloin or eggplant parmesan.

My Review: This wine had a pretty mellow aroma and I was having trouble identifying anything in particular. This might be in part due to the fact that by this point of the night I had already had quite a few glasses of other wines. I found this to be a fairly light wine with a balanced flavor profile with no one flavor over powering the rest. I got hints of dark berries with strong tannins up front but melted away pretty quickly for a very smooth finish. I wasn't able to detect the coffee bean described in the review above. This is the wine I had with dessert (chocolate snack pack pudding cup!) and found that this pinot noir was just not bold enough to stand up to the rich chocolately goodness from my childhood. This wine would more than likely be much better for the main course but was still a fairly pleasant wine by itself and easy to drink. If I get it again I definitely plan to let it open up more because I think that will really help bring out some more of the flavors.

Tasting - 2013 Rubus Old Vine Zinfandel

Name: Rubus Wine Selections Old Vines Zinfandel
Variety: 98% Zinfandel, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Lodi, California
Country: United States
Year: 2013
Price: $12.95

Winery Review: Similar in character to Rubus' Cabernet Sauvignon, warm vanilla and currant were present. It was enjoyable, but lacked complexity to justify a higher rating. Decanting did not result in an appreciable improvement - 86

My Review: A nice fruity smell. Berry and plum aromas. It was very smooth and I thought it had a nice round taste profile. Fruity but not overbearing with a hint of pepper. I then paired this wine with a grilled steak seasoned with salt and pepper. Not only was the steak cooked wonderfully, by yours truly, but it softened the wine and brought out the fruity flavors. The flavors blended extremely well and had an incredibly smooth finish. I really enjoyed this wine and would definitely get it again especially at at this price.

Tasting-Geyser Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: 2012 Geyser Peak Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Sanoma County
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $18.00/$13.00 on sale

Critic Review: Dark black fruit aromas of black currant, blackberry, and cinnamon with some wooded aromas of cedar and forest floor. A strong blend of Cabernet and Petit Verdot, this wine has a fair bit of structure and good fruit flavors, with some savory notes of teriyaki and black olive, clove, cinnamon, black currant and a long finish with chocolate coffee beans and gripping tannins.

My Review: I found strong berry aromas with a hint of coffee. Strong tannins throughout. I tasted bold berry and fruity flavors. A very long smooth taste profile with hints of mocha in the finish. I was unable to taste the teriyaki and cinnamon mentioned in the critic review. As the wine opened up the tannins mellowed out and was a very pleasant wine to drink. I then tried it with a pasta with meat sauce and was very surprised how well it went. It softened many of the sharper tastes and really brought out the fruits and overall rounded the wine out very nicely. A good wine especially since it was on sale.

Tasting - Kenwood Vineyard Merlot

One of the things I'll be posting about are wines I taste each week and so if you're brave enough to trust my taste keep on reading. Hopefully as I try more wines my descriptions will get better so bear with me.

Name: Kenwood Vineyard Merlot
Variety: 98% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Sonoma County
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $14.00

Winery Review: I was unable to find a critic review of this wine so here are the notes from the vineyard about this vintage.

Fragrant ripe fruit aromas of cherry and raspberry combine with aromatic notes of cinnamon, dark chocolate, and vanilla. Well-balanced tannins and rich mouthfeel give way to a long finish. Kenwood Vineyards creates its award-winning Sonoma County Merlot from vineyards located in Sonoma County's best grape-growing appellations. Our Estate Vineyard located in the heart of the Sonoma Valley provides good color and excellent texture. The blend is balanced with grapes from the warmer Dry Creek and Alexander Valley regions which have a more fruit-forward character.


My Review: The smells I picked up were chocolate and fruity aromas. I am still working on getting better at picking out specific fruits so for now that's what I got from the smell. It has a fruity flavor up front with a smooth finish. Not much of a mid-pallete but I tasted hints of chocolate and light oak in the finish. Very pleasant and easy wine to drink. I did not drink this wine with food but I can imagine that it would go great with a nice steak and probably the notes of chocolate would make this wine go well with a chocolate dessert like cake or brownies. Definitely something that I could see myself drinking again.

Let's Talk Wine

It's time to talk about a topic near and dear to my heart. Alcohol. But more specifically wine. My personal experience with wines started mostly because my dad likes to consider himself a wine connoisseur so our family almost always has wine with dinner. I still can't tell whether he likes tasting wine or talking about it more but luckily for me he actually knows what he's talking about. I try to pick up a few things in what originally sounded like another language but as I've started drinking more wine I've found that talking wine pretty much is another language.

When I am home with my parents we pretty much always have a glass (aka bottles) of wine with dinner and throughout the evening. When I'm at school I don't really drink nice wine much but hopefully this Geography of wines class will help change that. I've been lucky enough to try some incredible wines (courtesy of dad) and have been fortunate enough to travel to Europe on vacations and was able to try many wines in the countries they were made and thus found what I like (currently) but I know that's going to change.

My personal preferences in wine is I lean towards red wines, particularly Malbec and Cabernet. I really enjoy full bodied wines with deeper fruit flavors such as plum and berries. I have tried a good deal of white wines as well but do not enjoy the sweeter flavors that are in white wines. That's not to say I don't like white wines. I like smoother wines and really like white wines that have more earthy tastes so I tend to stay away from sweeter wines personally.

I like to think I know a decent amount about wine for a 22 year old guy, but I'm hoping to be able to talk wine with the best of them by the end of this semester. There are a few things that I am really interested in learning about from this class: a more refined understanding about different varieties of wine and what taste profiles are generally associated with them, what wines particular regions are known for, and what goes into the actual making of different types of wine.