Tasting - "Bellafina Pink Moscato"

Name: Bellafina Pink Moscato
Variety: Moscato
Region: N/A
Country: Italy
Year: N/A
Price: $9.95
Winery review: "A blend of Moscato and Rabosos grapes it has a pale rose color, notes of red berries (strawberry and raspberry), with the characteristic and fragrant bouquet and palate that is typical of the Moscato grape."
My review: I think this wine would be a perfect dessert wine. On the nose, it had aromas of strawberries and vanilla. The aromas were extremely fruity, but I also detected a rose aroma that balanced out the fruity scents. It kind of smelled like hazelnut, too. The texture of this wine was thick and smooth. On the palate, it tasted like raspberries and very ripe strawberries. Very sweet. This wine tasted like a dessert itself. I think it would pair well with strawberry shortcake or any light pastries. I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting - "2010 Fattori Runcaris Soave"

Name: Fattori Runcaris Soave
Variety: Garganega
Region: Soave
Country: Italy
Year: 2010
Price: $15
Winery review: "From the local Italian word for "to work the soil," Runcaris represents an easy, fresh expression of Soave Classico with lingering aromas of citrus, yellow rose, honey, jasmine and dried herbs." - Wine Enthusiast, 86 points
My review: This wine had very interesting aromas. There were fruity and citrus-y scents, which were mainly orange and grapefruit. I also smelled some honey, which smelled more floral than sweet and sugary. As for taste, I didn't taste too much sweet and sugary flavors. The main flavors on the palate were rose, floral, and some fruits. Overall, this wine was refreshing and cleansed the palate like water. I would love to try this again. I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting - "2013 Chataeu Suau Bordeaux Rose"

Name: Chataeu Suau Bordeaux Rose
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95
Winery Review: "88 points - Stephen Tanzer 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Light, lurid pink.  Tangerine, raspberry and white pepper on the fragrant nose.  Juicy and focused in the mouth, offering zesty red berry flavors with a refreshingly bitter edge.  Closes clean and tight, with lingering spiciness and a touch of orange zest."
My Review: I've never had a pink colored cabernet sauvignon before so I was enthralled to try this wine. The nose was amazing. It had aromas of raspberries and strawberries. There was only a small hint of white pepper as mentioned in the winery review. The taste was nice, but I wasn't a huge fan of the buttery finish. I tried this wine by itself with no accompanying food.

Wine & Cheese Pairing #1

 

When I went home to NoVa for the weekend about two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to do a wine & cheese pairing session with my family along with a wine dinner. The three wines we drank were a merlot, a pinot noir, and a chambourcin. The three types of cheese we paired were pepper jack, swiss, and mild cheddar. There was also colby jack, but we decided to exclude it for the pairing.

First, we paired the 2010 Chateu Ste. Michelle Merlot with mild cheddar cheese. This merlot had aromas of cherries, blackberries, and spice with layers of rich and dark red fruit flavors and a long, smooth, sweet finish. The mild cheddar cheese was less "in your face" with its flavoring and had a much less tangy background flavor than regular cheddar cheese, which tends to be very sharp. When paired together, the mild cheddar took down the spiciness of the wine and really let the rich and dark red fruit flavors shine through. Good pairing. Better than expected.

Next, we paired the 2012 Joseph Drouhin Laforet Pinot Noir with pepper jack cheese. This pinot noir had aromas of raspberries, red-currants, and black-currants. In the mouth, pleasant spicy notes with fresh and fruity berry flavors with light tannins came through. The pepper jack cheese had the intensity of spicy hot peppers. It was spicy, delicate, soft, and had a slightly tart flavor. This pairing was a disappointment, because there was too much spice. I think pepper jack cheese would pair well with sweeter wines.

Lastly, we paired the Rosso Dolce Chambourcin with swiss cheese. This chambourcin had aromas of red berries. The sweetness of the wine was very subtle and pleasant on the palate. The swiss cheese had a buttery and nutty flavor. The bland taste of the swiss cheese complimented the sweetness of the wine very well. However, the after taste of the swiss cheese didn't compliment the wine, which was interesting.

This wine & cheese pairing was definitely a learning experience. I always thought that any wine and any cheese would go together, but I was wrong. Through this experience, I realized how hard it is to match wines with cheeses. 

Tasting - "2013 Rubus Colchagua Valley Chardonnay"

Name: Rubus Colchagua Valley Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Colchagua Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2013
Price: $9.95

Winery review: "The Rubus 2013 Colchagua Valley Chardonnay displays layers of tropical fruit, pineapple, banana and the distinctive mineral character typical of the Colchagua Valley. A long and rich finish with just enough toast and vanilla to complement seafood ranging from salmon to wild trout."
My review: On the nose, this wine had aromas of citrus and grapefruit. I also smelled melon peel and honey. The most extinguishable aroma was the grapefruit. On the palate, I tasted lemon and very citrus-y flavors. This wine overall tasted kind of dry and had some tannins that gave it tartness like lemon. I also noticed hints of tropical fruits and bananas on the palate. I tasted this on its own with no accompanying food.

Tasting - "2010 Peter Lehmann Chardonnay"

Name: Peter Lehmann Chardonnay

Variety: Muscat Blanc

Region: Barossa Valley
Country: Australia
Year: 2010
Price: $9.95
Shop/wine critic/winery review: "The 2010 Chardonnay presents subtle notes of spice apple slices and ripe peaches with hints of freshly baked break 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 wine was surprisingly dry and crisp. On the nose, there were hints of cinnamon, apple, pear, and apricot. Melon peel and apple came through on the palate. The flavors were complemented with a few oaky characteristics such as smoke and vanilla. A little bitter. This wine was nice, but I don't know if I'd go out of my way to purchase it again. I tasted this on its own with no accompanying food.

Tasting - "Barefoot Refresh Crisp White"

Name: Barefoot Refresh Crisp White

Variety: Riesling Blended W/ Chenin Blanc
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: -
Price: $5.99
Shop/wine critic/winery review: "This wine is sweet without being gooey. It is a blend of two of the better white wine grapes, chenin blanc and riesling, so you will know it will have plenty of flavors. It offers melon and pear before ending in crisp citrus."
My review: My friends and I agreed that this wine was a light straw color in the glass. On the nose, it had a very fruity apple aroma. The nose really excited me since I love anything apple scented/flavored. Upon tasting, it had a very crisp and light taste and mouthfeel with bubbles. There wasn't much of a finish, and didn't leave much of an aftertaste. I really liked the lightness of it. My friends and I had lobster risotto for dinner, and we all agreed that it complimented the wine perfectly. It was a nice pairing.