Tasting - The Federalist

The basics:

• Grape Variety - Zinfandel
• Country of Origin - United States
• Region of Origin - Lodi, California
• Vintage Year - 2019
• Price - $18.99

Wine Enthusiast Review:

"Made in a big, ripe style with a tannic bite, this wine is creamy and thick on the palate, sanguine with accents of blackberry jam, iron, and black olive." (Virginie Boone)

Wine Folly Reference (189 - 190):

The wine is fruit-forward, bold, and loved for its jammy fruit and smokey, exotic spice notes.  The fruit is originally from Croatia and has notes of blackberry, strawberry, peach preserves, cinnamon, and sweet tobacco.  The Lodi Zinfandel has special notes of raspberry jam, peach preserves, blackberry bramble, hickory, and star anise. 

My Review:

Before I drank the wine, I poured a glass and let it aerate and warm up for a few hours while I was finishing some other work.  The wine's color is a pretty rich red with a slight magenta tint. I don't have to stick my nose too far into the wine glass to smell the wine, which smells quite tannic and rich - hinting of blackberry, blueberry, and clove-ish spice (and oddly metallic/iron as commented in the review).  The wine is quite rich on first taste and easily coats my mouth.  The blackberry and strawberry taste come out as well as the strong tannins which made the drink taste quite strong (14.1% alcohol by volume).  Finally, the metallic and cinnamon notes appear with a sweeter finish.  No food was consumed before tasting, though I did add it to some beef stew I was reheating and it made the meat and sauce more complex with hints of bitterness while enhancing the flavor of the beef.  

This wine had a lot of flavor notes that made the wine quite rich and almost overwhelming in flavor at times.  I wonder if the wine would taste any different when being eaten alongside food, but I think this bottle is too rich and complex for my palate at this time. 

     

Tasting - Mind and Body

  The basics:

• Grape Variety - Pino Grigio
• Country of Origin - United States
• Region of Origin - California
• Vintage Year - 2020
• Price - $11.99

Wine Chateau Review:

"Light, crisp, and refreshing, bursting with tropical fruit flavors and aromas.  Delicate floral notes mingle with ripe pear, peach, and melon on the nose, leading to bright citrus, white peach, and tropical fruit flavors."

Wine Folly Reference (149):

The grape is a pink mutation of Pinot Noir.  The wine should feature flavors of zesty dry to sweet with notes of white peach, lemon zest, cantaloupe, almond, and crushed gravel.  

My Review:

When I poured the wine into my glass, I realized how light the color of the wine was - it really did look almost clear with a slight yellow-green color to it with a sweet, lemony smell.  The wine tasted really light and dry, but there was definitely a fruity taste (while I couldn't place the taste, it was definitely not citrusy).  The wine barely had an aftertaste with a hint of sweetness, lemon, and alcohol.  I thought it was interesting that this wine was only 90 calories, gluten-free, vegan, and with no added sugars yet had as much flavor as it did.  No food was consumed before tasting.

I really liked this bottle as a light, refreshing wine to start a night off with.  While the flavors weren't very complex, I think it would be a great wine to introduce to those with less wine experience and who may be health conscious too.  

     

Tasting - Dark Horse Pino Noir

 The basics:

• Grape Variety - Pino Noir
• Country of Origin - United States
• Region of Origin - California
• Vintage Year - 2021
• Price - $7.99

Total Wine Review:

"California - Smoothness, complexity and a great price are the strong points of this medium-bodied wine.  It has wonderful raspberry, cedar, and red-cherry flavors, light tannins, a polished feel on the palate, and lingering finish."

Wine Folly Reference (150):

The wine is from a red fruit with a light body.  Flavors include spices and long, smooth, soft-tannin finish with notes of cherry, raspberry, clove, mushroom, and vanilla.  

My Review:

Visually, the wine is a lighter red, closer to a garnet-y color, than I was anticipating.  I can smell the tannins/bitterness of the wine right after pouring the wine, with a hint of sweetness too.  The first taste of the wine I get is a slight richness and bitterness, but not a heaviness which was really pleasant.  I was able to taste some hints of fruitiness at the beginning and then the cherry notes came out, but I wasn't able to taste any other notes at any point.  The wine finishes off with a light sweetness and the feeling of tannins on your tongue afterward.  No food was consumed before tasting.  It may be important to note that I had this wine opened a few days before I drank it since I used it in cooking, so the wine had plenty of time to aerate before I drank it for the tasting.  

Overall, it was really pleasant to drink and wasn't overwhelming, which made it really easy to finish my glass and want another.  I liked the flavor profile of the wine, although I wish the fruitier notes were more present. 

     

Introduction

 Yay first blog post!  I'm really looking forward to this class - and especially to learn firsthand the language of wine.  I recently turned 22, so I've had some experience drinking wine, although I haven't been able to explore wines as much as I'd like.  Most of what I've drank consists of cheap wine I find from the grocery store with a somewhat familiar-looking bottle or something from my parent's wine rack back home.  The things my parents have pulled out at family dinners have mostly left a positive note on my tongue, but usually not satisfying my tastes perfectly (which is alright).  Many times it's a dry white wine with my mom while cooking dinner, and then a richer, slightly bitter red with dinner (especially when there's beef on the menu).  

When it comes to my drinking preferences; I'm pretty open to what, when, and how much I drink.  I've always been the type of person who prefers to drink to feel buzzed (or as mentioned in one of the first lectures - a social lubricant) in smaller settings with friends; not so much being out on the town for hours on end.  Over the past couple of months, I've also taken risks of trying "new" drinks beyond seltzers in cans - one of which is wine.  Whites and roses were more approachable to me because of their sweeter, fruitier, and less intense flavor, but reds have been slowly growing on me (keyword being slowly).  The major turnoff for me when it comes to wines is their bitter aftertaste and also when the drink feels quite heavy on my tongue (not sure how else to describe that feeling at the moment).  

When it comes to my personal learning objectives from this course, there are three big things I'd like to gain:

1. Gain a better knowledge of wine so I can be more knowledgeable about the types of wine and speak about drinking in a more informed manner. I'd like to be able to buy bottles too based on their flavor profile rather than a pretty label (which is definitely not how I pick wine now...).   

2.  Be better informed about the wine industry, especially when it comes to ethical issues.  This is so I can be a more informed, ethical buyer and speaker when it comes to others.  

3.  Learn more about the culture of drinking wine in both formal and informal settings.  I've experienced a few meetings and trips with colleagues involving wine after working hours; and with more coming in the future with higher stakes, the last thing I'd like to do is embarrass myself in front of important colleagues/bosses when it comes to ordering drinks.  

*** Though not a picture of me drinking wine, one of my favorite memories was exploring Charlotte, North Carolina during a summer internship and navigating the drinking scene outside of Blacksburg.  It was definitely different, to say the least. ***