Tasting - Roscato Rosso Dolce

Name: Italia Roscato Rosso Dolce Sweet Red

Variety: Croatina, Teroldego, and Lagrein

Region: Lombardy

Country: Italy

Year: 2010

Price: $10.99

Wine shop (Wine Library) review: Brilliant ruby red. Intense aromas of blackberries and ripe wild berries. Fresh, lively, and frizzante with a soft lingering finish. Highly versatile. A great apertif and equally splendid with tomato-based sauces, classic Italian dishes, and spicy foods. Enjoy chilled. 

Wine Folly: pg. 136- I got strong flavors of grape and some dried apricot, as well as lots of sweetness, which is mentioned as the flavor profile Moscatel de Setubal, a similar grape to the Roscato varietals. Also, with the grapes being similar to Lambruscos, I got some hints of blueberry and a touch of mouth-puckering rhubarb, as mentioned on pg. 122.

My review: Strong plum and cherry flavors, definitely high sweetness too. I thought it was pretty light-bodied and very slightly tannic. It tasted a little bit like grape juice. There is a slight acidity to it that I enjoyed, making it taste almost like a sparkling grape juice. I did not try this with food. Overall, I was a bit nervous to try this wine because I don't like overly sweet wines, but I actually really enjoyed this one.

Wine and Dinner Pairing #3

For this wine and dinner pairing, I tried out a few wines with a meal from one of my favorite places to eat in Blacksburg: Roots. I got the Mayweather bowl, composed of kale, bulgar, roasted sweet potatoes, red onions, goat cheese, avocado, and chicken. I chose an appetizer of gouda cheese and Ritz crackers and a dessert of Kinder chocolate shortbread cookies. The three wines I tasted were a Barefoot 2017 California Riesling, Cupcake Vineyards 2023 Monterey County Chardonnay, and Santa Margherita 2023 Pinot Grigio.

             

I started off my tasting with the Riesling. On its own, it was moderately sweet and I thought it tasted like peaches and pineapples. It is very light-bodied and smooth, with just a hint of acidity which I liked. With the cheese and crackers, I thought the fruitiness and acidity of the wine balanced out the creaminess of the cheese. The wine didn't change the flavor of the crackers, even slightly overpowering it so that I could really only taste the cheese and the wine. With the Roots bowl, I thought the wine really brought out the flavoring in the chicken, which I enjoyed. The texture of the lettuce was a little overpowering and made it difficult to figure out all the flavors on my palate. I liked the taste of the goat cheese in the bowl paired with the lightness and sweetness of the wine, making for a nice strong flavor. This was my favorite wine pairing with the Roots. The shortbread cookie brought out strong apple flavors in the wine, which tasted great with the chocolate. The acidity of the wine and the buttery cookie blended very well and made for a nice texture in my mouth. This was my favorite wine pairing with the cookies.

                                                      

Next, I tried the Chardonnay. On its own, it had a nice medium-to-light body to it. I detected a hint of vanilla flavor and some citrus flavor on the aftertaste. It paired very nicely with the cheese and crackers, breaking up the denseness and creaminess of the cheese. No flavors were too overpowering and the wine toned down the saltiness of the cheese nicely. I thought this was a great pairing. I did not enjoy this wine very much with the Roots bowl. The flavors of the goat cheese and sweet potatoes did not blend well with the Chardonnay, resulting in them all canceling each other out. I ended up just getting a strong taste of the red onion, which I did not like. The wine was a bit too oaky and overpowering for the lightness of the salad. When I tried this Chardonnay with the shortbread cookie, the oakiness of the wine and the chocolate flavors clashed a little, making for an oddly bitter flavor. However, I think the shortbread part of the cookie paired very nicely with the wine, resulting in a smooth, rich buttery flavor.

                                                     

Finally, I tried the Pinot Grigio. On its own, it was very dry and acidic with a lighter body and mouthfeel. I tasted crisp peach and citrus flavors as well. With the cheese and crackers, I thought the light, airy quality of the wine paired well with the strong nutty flavors in the cheese. It did not necessarily diminish the creaminess of the cheese, which I liked because it made for a great overall contrast in flavors. I was still getting a bit of that creamy, nutty flavor from the cheese in the aftertaste. This was my favorite wine pairing with the cheese and crackers. When I tried this wine with the Roots bowl, I thought all the flavors didn't really blend with each other. Neither the wine nor the food overpowered each other or brought out any flavors, so it wasn't a very interesting pairing. Lastly, when I tried this wine with the shortbread cookies, I thought the acidity of the wine clashed with the crunchy texture of the cookie, making for a bit of an odd mouthfeel. However, the chocolate flavor actually paired very nicely with the citrus flavors in the wine. It even made the chocolate taste more bitter, which was interesting.

This tasting was a fun experience because I was trying out 3 completely new wines and some new foods, with a Roots bowl and cookies I had never tried before. I would have to say my favorite pairing overall was the Riesling with the chocolate shortbread cookies. The blend of these made for such great flavors and textures in my mouth that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise. I have really enjoyed doing wine and dinner pairings this semester, as I've been able to not only continue finding out what my favorite wines are but also understand the totally different experiences you get when pairing them with food.

Tasting - Black Box Merlot

Name: Black Box Merlot

Variety: 100% Merlot

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2021

Price: $4.99

                                                

Wine shop (The Best Wine Store) review: Black Box Merlot Wine displays aromas of leathery plums and cinnamon-spiced oak. The palate is smooth, medium weight and aged textured with a sweet red currant taste. It has a long finish that is warm with reserved tannins. The acidity in it allows it to be paired with a lot of foods like hamburgers.

Wine Folly: pg. 131- I drank the wine at room temperature, as recommended and I tasted the black cherry and plum that was mentioned. I noticed a slight herbal aroma and flavor, but did not get any vanilla or chocolate.

My review: Strong cherry flavor, also some blackberries and raspberries. Also tasted dried fruit, like raisins, and cherries. I thought it was pretty light to medium-bodied and not too tannic. I got just a hint of acidity, but overall a good balance. However I didn't like the aftertaste. I did not try this with food. This was my first time trying Merlot and I thought it was just okay, but I would like to try some more Merlots in the future.

Tasting - Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Name: Josh Cellars 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon, California

Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2022

Price: $12.99

Wine shop (Total Wine) review: The nose bursts with aromas of intense dark fruits, cinnamon, clove, and subtle oak aromas. The palate is dominated by flavors of black cherries and blackberries, accented by vanilla and toasty oak and finishing long with round, soft tannins.

Wine Folly: pg. 88- I tasted the black cherry and a hint of cedar, maybe some of the black currant too. I did not get any baking spices or graphite. I drank it slightly chilled from room temperature as recommended, but I did not decant for 60 minutes, so that may have affected the flavor profile. On page 214, dried blackberry is mentioned, which I was able to taste as well.

My review: I actually quite enjoyed this wine. I thought it was rich and full-bodied, with a good amount of tannins, but not too overpowering. It was very dry and slightly acidic. I tasted dried cherries and blackberries, with a slight taste of plums. There was a bit of a smoky aftertaste as well. I did not taste this wine with food. Overall, I liked this wine and would try it again.

Wine and Dinner Pairing #2

For my wine and dinner pairing, I decided to cook one of my favorite meals to make, a salmon dinner. As my side for the salmon, I cooked my favorite frozen vegetables, Green Giant Tuscan Seasoned Broccoli. For my third food, I chose some of my favorite chocolates: Private Selection Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels. The three wines I chose were a Kendall-Jackson 2023 California Chardonnay, Cavit Collection 2023 Pinot Grigio, and a J. Vineyards 2022 Pinot Noir.

 

My first wine was the California Chardonnay. On its own, I thought it tasted rich, buttery, and slightly acidic. The initial flavor was pretty strong, but it softened out after a few sips and I began getting some notes of apple. With the salmon, I thought the oaky flavor of the wine mixed well with the salmon's flavor. The salmon also balanced out the acidity of the wine, making it feel lighter and less tangy. I thought the buttery wine paired really well with the parmesan flavoring in the broccoli, making for a stronger, creamier flavor. This was by far my favorite Chardonnay pairing. Lastly, I tried the Chardonnay with the salted caramel chocolates. I actually enjoyed this pairing quite a bit. I think the heavy oakiness of the wine enhanced the salted caramel flavor in the chocolates, making for a rich overall taste. 

The second wine was the Pinot Grigio. This wine was very light-bodied, I primarily tasted lemon flavors, and it was a bit more acidic. When paired with the salmon, I thought the citrus flavor paired really nicely by cutting through the thick, dry salmon and definitely made it more flavorful. Because the wine is so light-bodied, it made for an overall lighter, more airy sensation in my mouth. This was my favorite Pinot Grigio pairing. I did not like this wine paired with the broccoli. The strong pepper and garlic flavors of the broccoli clashed with the lemon in the wine, making for an unpleasant taste. This wine paired with the chocolate was not a good experience either. The saltiness of the chocolate did not blend well with the acidity, making for a nasty taste.

The final wine was the Pinot Noir. On its own, I thought it tasted (and smelled) like cherries with a slight tannic flavor. It was acidic and certainly very dry. When I paired it with the salmon, I thought its acidity helped cut through the dry, meaty texture of the salmon, allowing for a stronger overall flavor. I thought this was a pretty good pairing. Moving on to the broccoli. The slight fruitiness and strong acidity of the wine really brought out the cheesy, garlic flavors of the broccoli and the broccoli brought out that strong deep cherry tannin flavor of the wine, making for a great combination. This was definitely my favorite Pinot Noir pairing. Lastly, with the salted caramel chocolate, I thought the wine overpowered the chocolate's flavors a little bit at first. However, after a few more sips with the chocolate, I realized that I enjoyed how the cherry flavor of the wine complemented the smooth milk chocolate. However, once the caramel taste set in, it made the wine taste particularly bad.

Overall, this was a great experience and again, I loved getting to try out some new wines. My favorite pairing from this experience was the Pinot Noir and the broccoli, which I did not expect because I usually like white wines more than reds. It was interesting to figure out what wines would pair well (or not well) with a meal that I eat pretty often.

Wine and Cheese Pairing #2

I am so excited to do some wine and cheese pairings for this class because I am SUCH a huge fan of cheese and I'd love to discover some new pairings with wine. Today, I am trying out a 2023 Seaglass Central Coast Sauvignon Blanc, a 2023 Ile de Conas Rosé, and an Oliver Winery Sweet Red wine.

 

The cheeses I picked are Murray's Young Manchego, Kroger brand Swiss cheese, and Private Selection's Parisian Style Brie. These are all cheeses I've had before, with Swiss and Manchego being some of my favorite kinds. I am not a huge fan of Brie, but I have had a few that I liked and I thought it might make for a good pairing with some of these wines, so I decided to try it out.

 

I started out my tastings with the Sauvignon Blanc. Alone, it tasted crisp and acidic, with a hint of a lemon-lime taste, which I had also noticed from smelling the wine. It actually smelled fruitier than it tasted. With the Brie, I thought the richness and mushroom-like flavor of the cheese toned down the acidity of the wine, making for a well-balanced flavor. Brie is never my first choice of cheese, but I actually really enjoyed this pairing, it was my favorite for Sauvignon Blanc. With the Manchego, I thought there was a good contrast from the acidity and slight fruitiness of the wine against the heavy, nutty cheese. The Swiss cheese has a pretty mild flavor, so the wine's high acidity and lemon-lime flavor overpowered it a little.

Next was the Rosé. Alone, I thought it tasted fruity, like strawberries, but had a definite presence of acidity and tanginess. With the Brie, I thought the acidity of the wine cut through the rich creaminess of the brie, making for a good pairing, but it had quite a strong flavor. I enjoyed the combination of the Manchego's nuttiness with the wine's fruitiness and I thought the light body of the wine nicely contrasted with the richness of the cheese. This was my favorite Rosé pairing. Lastly, I thought this wine with the Swiss cheese was not a great pairing. The wine overpowered the cheese and the strawberry flavor did not contrast well with the very mild-flavored cheese.

Last, I tried the Sweet Red. On the first sip, I thought it tasted exactly like Welch's grape juice (I guess that makes sense, since it is made with Concord grapes!). After another sip or two, I noticed that it was actually fairly light-bodied and had a hint of acidity. With the Brie, I thought the fruity, grape jam-like flavor nicely complimented the creaminess of the brie. It toned down the strong nuttiness of the brie, making for a perfectly balanced, not too overpowering flavor, which I enjoyed. This was my favorite Sweet Red pairing. With the Manchego, I again thought the sweet, fruity flavor of the wine contrasted with the nuttiness of the cheese, but the Manchego still overpowered the wine more than I would like. Lastly, the Swiss cheese was my least favorite pairing. The strong grape flavor and acidity of the wine actually overpowered the cheese so that I could barely taste it.

This was such an enjoyable activity to allow myself to experience some wine pairings, form my own opinions on the flavors, and to find out which pairings I like and dislike. I was surprised to have liked so many of the Brie pairings and less of the Swiss pairings, as I thought it would be the opposite, so that was interesting to see. My favorite pairing overall was the Rosé and the Manchego.

Introduction Blog

 

Hello, my name is Annika and welcome to my wine blog. I'm so excited to take Geography of Wine and learn all about the origins and traditions of wine drinking, different types of wine, and practice making my favorite wine and food pairings. I have tried wine at special occasions with family members and with dinner every once and a while with my parents. I usually tend to drink whatever my parents are drinking and I don't always pay attention to what kind of wine I'm drinking, so it would be great to learn a little more.

I tend to prefer white wines over reds but I have tried a few reds that I like, such as pinot noirs. I also enjoy a good rose. Additionally, I tend to prefer dry wines over sweet wines as I feel the sweet flavors are sometimes too overpowering . However, as a part of this class, I would like to try more sweet wines because I haven't tried that many and would love to expand my tastes in wines.

I am also excited about the opportunity to keep up with my blog and document my experiences with wine this semester. I think it will be a great opportunity for me to learn more about my tastes and to practice describing and discussing wine with others. It will also be a great resource for me to look back on in the future and remember some of the wines I tried. I can't wait to jump into new experiences and learn as much as possible about wine!