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.