Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Entrance of Valhalla Vineyards, Roanoke Virginia

Winery visit- Valhalla Vineyards

On Monday, March 13th, 2017, my mom and I went to Valhalla Vineyards in Roanoke, Virginia for a wine tasting!  We did not go on a tour, because they were only offered in the middle of the week.  So Lisa, the woman who gave us the wine we were tasting, told us about the production and which grapes are grown at the vineyard.  I had never been to a vineyard for wine tasting and I knew that Valhalla was really beautiful, so I was very excited to go to a wine tasting here and learn more about the process! 

Grape Vines at Valhalla

Grape Vines at Valhalla

Valhalla is located on Strawberry Mountain in the Roanoke County and overlooks Roanoke County and Roanoke City.  Valhalla has a 21 acre vineyard and produces world class cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot, chardonnay, cab franc and more. Its decomposing granite soils and unique climate (similar to Rhone Valley of France) afford the premier terroir on the East Coast.  This vineyard has wine tastings as well as cave tours, band nights every Friday starting in April through September, and "Salsa Under the Stars" three dates out of the year starting in May.

Booklet given to us describing the wines

and names of wines we were tasting.

My mom and I participated in Valhalla's "Reserve Tasting" Wines, which was explained to us to be the vineyard's older wines.  Because they were older wines, there was only one white wine which was the Rheingold Reserve Chardonnay.  Below, I gave the wine's name, price, vineyard's description, and my notes on the wine.  Some of the wines, one being the Valkyrie, were all aged using the same methods, but had different grape varieties per vintage, making them all a little bit different but they were given the same description by the vineyard.  We got to sample 10 different wines for this tasting and also got to keep the wine glass! 

• Rheingold Reserve Chardonnay, $25- "A taste of France here in Southwest Virginia can be found with the Rheingold. Similar to a French White Burgundy like a Grand Cru Chablis, the Rheingold is a full bodied white with butteriness and oakiness to boot. Barrel fermented in French Oak and aged 22 months before bottling, this wine will take you for an adventure back to the Old World."  This was my favorite wine of the bunch.  It had some pear and apple as well as some slight floral aromas.  There was not much taste except for the subtle pear and oaky taste.  I really enjoyed this white wine!
• Valkyrie (Petite Verdot/Malbec), $30- "Only the best barrels from each production make the final blending for this beauty. Assemblage of Cabernet Savignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Vedot, it reflects the top five Bordeaux varieties. Aged 40 months in French and American oak, this elegant wine earns the distinction of Virginia's best. Integration of dark fruits, tobacco leaf, cassis and cocoa is silky on the palate and lingers lushly. I present it with pride for your ultimate pleasure."  I enjoyed this wine!  I thought that it was a bit dry with a good amount of tannins, but the red berries brought out some sweetness that balanced it out.  This Valkyrie was more dry than the 2007 Valkyrie.  I thought that this would be a good wine to pair with a rich dinner!
• 2007 Valkyrie, $28- "Only the best barrels from each production make the final blending for this beauty. Assemblage of Cabernet Savignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Vedot, it reflects the top five Bordeaux varieties. Aged 40 months in French and American oak, this elegant wine earns the distinction of Virginia's best. Integration of dark fruits, tobacco leaf, cassis and cocoa is silky on the palate and lingers lushly. I present it with pride for your ultimate pleasure."  I would say that this wine was my second favorite out of the ones that we sampled!  It was dry, but had a good amount of sweet flavors to balance it out.  I smelled a good amount of honey as well as some sweet red berries.  I tasted honey as well as strawberries in this wine. 
• 2005 Valkyrie, $32- "Only the best barrels from each production make the final blending for this beauty. Assemblage of Cabernet Savignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Vedot, it reflects the top five Bordeaux varieties. Aged 40 months in French and American oak, this elegant wine earns the distinction of Virginia's best. Integration of dark fruits, tobacco leaf, cassis and cocoa is silky on the palate and lingers lushly. I present it with pride for your ultimate pleasure."  This was my least favorite of the Valkyries, but I still enjoyed it!  It had a strong smell and taste of cranberries and cherries.  There was a good amount of acidity in this wine and I could especially fell it when I swallowed the wine and it went down my throat.  I liked the berry flavors, but this wine was just a bit too acidic. 
• 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, $35- "Our Cabs set new marks for ripeness and tannin maturity. Harvested in late October or early November, they spend 34-40 months aging in a combination of French and American Oak. These lusty dense wines show dark cherry fruit, cedar, spice, and sweet tobacco layer after layer. Velvet tannin feel on the palate, silky cocoa on the finish, these are passionate releases from this Cabernet Girl."  I did not get much flavor out of this wine except for some cherry and pepper.  I thought that this was a very dry wine and was not a huge fan of it. 
• Norton- "Great wine for the money. Thomas Jefferson found this grape growing wildly on his estate which brings a sense of pride among Virginians. Our organically grown grape with its tough skin needs not to be sprayed but rather to be left alone to blossom in the Virginia climate. Highly aromatic of plum and violet, it is dark in color and offers a wonderful flavor. A super everyday wine." Lisa gave us a tasting of pure Norton wine in order for us know what Norton wine tastes like on its own because the Gotterdammerung has a bit of Norton grapes.  It was very interesting hearing about the history of this grape from Lisa!  I enjoyed this wine and it had some strong aromas and dark red berries and cherries. 
• 2001 Gotterdammerung, $26- "On the heels of the great French producer Cheval Blanc, our Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend emulates the master. Truly endowed with French-style aromas of good mother earth, this gracious fruit yielding to harmonious tannins make this the premier dinner wine of choice. Our most highly-rated and written-about wine may be difficult to pronounce but effortless to enjoy. For ease, try 'Gott wine?,' just like 'Got milk?'"  I thought that this wine was much sweeter than some of other wines we tried before it.  I thought that it had a very slight aroma and taste of orange and a stronger taste and aroma of plum as well as some pepper and spice.  I enjoyed this wine and Lisa told us that this was a great wine to pair with dinners, so I bought a bottle! 
• 2001 Syrah, $21- "This is a big red wine that accompanies any meal. Aromas of spice, pepper and dark ripe fruit will be sure to evoke your senses into frenzy. Rich fruit, meaty texture and spice awaken your palate. If you like Australian Shiraz, you'll love our Syrah."  I was not the biggest fan of this wine because of its dryness and strong acidity.  I thought that this wine tasted of dark red berries as well as strong spice flavors. 
• 2001 Cornucopia, $25- "Always a favorite, our striking Cornucopia embraces a distinctive wine that can elevate to pair with bold foods or soften to accompany milder foods. A red wine light enough for a white wine drinker but still with enough depth for a red wine drinker, the Cornucopia is a perfect addition to any family dinner or Thanksgiving Holiday."  I thought that this wine was good, but not my favorite!  It smelled sweet like honeysuckle but tasted dry and had tastes of red berries such as cherries.  I thought that this was a good wine overall!










• 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, $24- "Our Cabs set new marks for ripeness and tannin maturity. Harvested in late October or early November, they spend 34-40 months aging in a combination of French and American Oak. These lusty dense wines show dark cherry fruit, cedar, spice, and sweet tobacco layer after layer. Velvet tannin feel on the palate, silky cocoa on the finish, these are passionate releases from this Cabernet Girl."  This was my least favorite wine of the tasting.  I thought that this wine was extremely dry and did not have very much flavor.  One of the only smells/flavors that I got out of this wine was mulch.  I do not think that I would try this wine again. 

Overall, visiting Valhalla was an amazing experience and we had a great time!  Lisa was very helpful, loved talking about the wines, and gave us a lot of information and good tips.  The view and building were both beautiful and made the experience that much better!  I enjoyed the overall atmosphere and would love to go back for the dancing and live music on Fridays!  I am excited to visit more vineyards and try some more great wines!

Tasting room at the vineyard.

View from the tasting room overlooking Roanoke.                                                         My mom and I at Valhalla

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

Tasting- Primes Ruby Port Front Line

Name: Primes
Variety: Ruby Port Front Line
Region: Oporto

Country: Portugal

Year: ?

Price: Regular: $18, Sale: $9.95

Magazine Review: "Ruby colour; red fruit aromas; pleasantly sweet and balanced taste. As the wines used to produce Prime's Ruby Port age, they gain smoothness and elegance while retaining their fruitiness, intensity and youthful ruby colour."

My review: This Port wine was extremely sweet and I could smell that sweetness even far away from the glass.  This wine had a very strong aroma of cherry and other red fruits.  It tasted very much like the cherry twizzler candy, but a much sweeter version.  I also tasted a bit of raisins.  It was heavy on the tongue, as well as very dry.  I did not like this wine at all!  It was very strong and far too sweet. 

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

Tasting- Lindeman's Bin 80 Cabernet Merlot Magnum

Name: Lindeman's
Variety: Bin 80 Cabernet Merlot Magnum
Region: Southeastern Australia

Country: Australia

Year: 2015

Price: Regular: $18, Sale: $7.95

Magazine Review: "Earthy cherry and spice nose. Well structured, with plum and cherry notes dominating its fruit forward flavor. Time to breathe will allow for a nice balance between fruit and tannins."

My review: I thought that this wine was enjoyable and had aromas of dark, sweet red berries with some floral aromas as well.  I also smelled some honeysuckle and some currants.  When tasting the wine, the sweet red berries I tasted became more clearly cherries.  I also tasted a good amount of spice, especially black pepper.  I overall really enjoyed this wine! 

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

Tasting- Domaine du Poujol Coteaux du Languedoc Grenache Cinsault

Name: Domaine du Poujol
Variety: Coteaux du Languedoc Grenache Cinsault
Region: Southern France

Country: France

Year: 2011

Price: Regular: $13, Sale: $5.95

Magazine Review: "A refreshing, aromatic, and affable red that carries a tradition of innovation. Medium-bodied with delightful red berry aromas and flavours, a whisper of spice, and a soft tannin structure."

My review: I thought that the wine had very distinct smells of red berries such as raspberries and strawberries.  I also smelled some oak and smoky aromas.  The taste of this wine was quite good and was of raspberries and some spices such as black pepper.  It was a dry wine, but the sweetness of the raspberry taste balanced it out and made this wine very enjoyable! 

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

Tasting- Pazo de Monterrey Godello

Name: Pazo de Monterrey
Variety: Godello
Region: Monterrei

Country: Spain

Year: 2014

Price: Regular: $15, Sale: $5.95

Magazine Review: "Minerally peach aromas are crisp, firm and inviting. This is juicy and lightweight on the palate, with stony apple, peach and nectarine flavors. Driving acidity and firm citrus flavors bring this Godello to a fine finish."

My review: I thought that the wine had aromas of honey or honeysuckle and green apple as well as some other tree fruit smells such as peach.  I tasted a bit of honey and apple, but there was not that much flavor.  Honey was definitely the strongest taste, but the smell was much stronger than the flavors that I got out of the wine. 

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

Tasting- Domiane de la Foret Rose de Mediterranee Greanche Cinsault

Name: Domiane de la Foret
Variety: Rose de Mediterranee Greanche Cinsault

Region: Provence

Country: France

Year: 2015

Price: Regular: $9, Sale: $5.95

Magazine Review: "A clear salmon pink rosé. The nose is nice and simple, with aromas of strawberry and a touch of minerality. The balance is on the fresh side, a fruity expression and a pepper finale. A simple and fresh wine."

My review: I thought that the wine had some slight aromas of pear and citrus.  I think that there was a subtle pear taste and a little floral tastes.  I could also really taste the acid in my throat, but it was not too strong and overpowering.  This was also a somewhat dry wine.  I didn't think that this wine had much flavor, but I enjoyed it! 

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 16th, 2017

Tasting- Coastal Vines White Zinfandel

Name: Coastal Vines
Variety: White Zinfandel

Region: California

Country: United States

Year: ?

Price: Regular: $15, Sale: $5.95

Magazine Review: "Pink silver color. Delicate aromas and flavors of strawberries and cherries with a soft, crisp, off-dry light-to-medium body and a smooth, rapid finish with notes of melon sorbet and apple sauce. A pleasant off-dry quaffer."

My review: I though that this wine was very good, probably my favorite of the tastings I had today!  This wine was super sweet like candy and had some strong flavors of sweet fruits.  The first thing I smelled was floral aromas such as rose.  I also smelled some orange blossom as well as strawberries.  The first thing I tasted from this wine was strawberries and some sweet melon.  This wine was not dry and had some strong sweet flavors that I really enjoyed!  I would definitely drink this wine again!.

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 16th, 2017

Tasting- Cortenova Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 

Name: Cortenova

Variety: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Region: Abruzzo

Country: Italy

Year: 2013

Price: $7.95

Magazine Review: "Wild berry, chopped mint, sun baked earth and violet aromas meld together on this solid savory red.  The juicy straightforward palate doles out ripe black cherry, crushed raspberry, anise and cinnamon alongside chewy tannins."

My review: I was not the biggest fan of this wine.  The smell of this wine consisted of very dark berries such as black cherries and plums.  It also smelled of some spices such as pepper.  The taste of this wine was very tannic, acidic, and dry.  This wine also had a pretty strong smoky taste that I was not a fan of.  This wine was not that bad, but it was probably my least favorite of the 5 I tasted today.   

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 16th, 2017

Tasting- Rosemount Diamond Label Pinot Noir 

Name: Rosemount Diamond Label

Variety: Pinot Noir

Region: Southeastern Australia

Country: Australia

Year: 2014

Price: Regular: $15, Sale: $7.95

Magazine Review: "On the nose fragrant red berry fruits; red cherries raspberries; supported by sweet earthy spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.  The palate is bright and lively with flavors of cherry and raspberry are supported by a soft creamy texture, providing a long and elegant finish."

My review: I enjoyed this wine and thought that it was a great combination of dry and sweet.  I first smelled some red berries and some dark berries as well.  When I tasted this wine, it was dry and acidic, but the berry taste balanced out the dryness.  I also tasted some oak on top of the raspberries and cherries.  I really liked this wine and would definitely have it again!   

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 16th, 2017

Tasting- Valminor Albarino

Name: Valminor

Variety: Albarino

Region: Rias Baizas

Country: Spain

Year: 2015

Price: Regular: $19, Sale: $9.95

Magazine Review: "Valminor Albarino presents a yellow straw color. On the nose, the wine shows a wide fruity range of aromas with notes of fresh grapefruit, apricot and melon. In the mouth, Valminor combines fruity flavors and freshness with a rounded acidity, resulting in a balanced wine that boasts an opulent taste with elegant aromas and slight spritziness. It is fresh and tasty, boasting a taste of apple and fruit with elegance."

My review: I thought that this wine was pretty good, but was acidic and pretty dry as a whole.  At first smell, I thought that this wine had many floral aromas as well as some citrus.  This wine had some flavors of green apples and melons, but none of the flavors were very strong.  I think that the smells of this wine were much stronger than the flavors.  I enjoyed this wine, but it was not my favorite of the ones I tasted today. 

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 16th, 2017

Tasting- Yellowtail Unoaked Chardonnay

Name:  Yellowtail

Variety: Unoaked Chardonnay

Region: Southeast Australia

Country: Australia

Year: ?

Price: Regular: $7, Sale: $4.95

Magazine Review: "Hints of citrus, grapefruit and light melon flavors. Unoaked Chardonnay has a lighter, more crisp flavor profile than our traditional Chardonnay and has no oak aging, hence the name."

My review: I enjoyed this wine and thought that it was very light as well as sweet.  When I first smelled this wine, I thought that it smelled very sweet and I could also smell a good amount of citrus.  When I first tasted this wine I could taste the citrus even more, mostly orange and grapefruit.  I could also taste some smoke flavor as well as some melon.  I think that this wine was very light with no extreme flavors.  I overall really enjoyed this wine and would definitely drink it again! 

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Monday, February 13th

Wine and Cheese Pairing- Black Box Sauvignon Blanc with Mozzarella  

Name: Black Box
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Valle Central
Country: Chili

Description of Wine of the Bottle: "Pretty floral aromas with peach notes that unfold into bright citrus flavors.  A crisp and refreshing finish."

My Review of only the wine: I really enjoyed this wine by itself and thought that it had great flavors.  I thought that this wine smelled very sweet with strong smells of peach and floral aromas as well as some green apple smells.  I didn't think that this wine was as sweet tasting as it smelled.  I could really feel this wine in my throat, with some grapefruit flavors. 

My Review of only the cheese: I thought that this cheese had a fairly strong smell and tasted very heavy with a good amount of flavor.  I enjoyed this cheese. 

My Review of the wine and cheese pairing:  After trying both the cheese and wine by themselves, I paired them together and thought that they balanced each other out.  Once I ate the cheese, then drank the wine, the Sauvignon Blanc seemed far less acidic and I did not fell it on my throat as I did when I drank it by itself.  This pairing did not really bring out any flavor from each other, but they definitely balanced each other out. 

Monday, February 13th

Wine and Cheese Pairing- Beringer Chardonnay and Parmesean

Name: Beringer
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Napa, California
Country: United States

Description of Wine of the Bottle: "Enticing blend of ripe stone fruit and vivid citrus fruits perfectly offsets the honeyed apricots."

My Review of only the wine: I thought that this wine was good even though it was quite dry.  One of the things that I smelled right away was pear and honeysuckle.  My first sip I tasted apricots and a good amount of citrus flavor, my mouth was also very dry after I drank the wine. I overall liked this wine by itself. 

My Review of only the cheese: I thought that this cheese had a moderately strong smell and taste, but nothing to overwhelming.  The taste of this cheese was overall good and enjoyable. 

My Review of the wine and cheese pairing:  After tasting both the wine and cheese alone, I tasted them together and I really enjoyed the pairing.  Because the Chardonnay was somewhat dry and acidic, the cheese really helped to balance out that dryness.  The cheese seemed to absorb the acidity in the wine and made the Chardonnay even more enjoyable.  I would recommend this pairing of wine and cheese. 

Monday, February 13th

Wine and Cheese Pairing- Beringer White Zinfandel with Swiss Cheese

Name: Beringer
Variety: White Zinfandel
Region: Napa, California
Country: United States

Description of Wine of the Bottle: "Fresh red berry, citrus and melon flavors accented by subtle hints of some stone fruit and violets."

My Review of only the wine: I thought that this wine was very good and sweet!  The first thing I smelled was floral aromas as well as some sweet red berries.  I also really smelled honey in this wine, that was one of the most dominating smells and flavors that I got out of this wine.  The wine itself tasted like strawberries and honeydew melon as well as some rose. 

My Review of only the cheese: I thought that this cheese had an extremely strong musky smell and taste.  I was not a fan of this cheese at all and think that it actually smelled a little bit like manure. 

My Review of the wine and cheese pairing:  While I was a big fan of the wine by itself, I did not like the pairing of this wine with the Swiss cheese at all.  I thought that the Swiss cheese had a very overpowering taste and smell of musky, rotten milk.  The flavors definitely clashed because the wine flavor was very subtle while the cheese had a very strong smell.  I think that the main reason that I did not enjoy this pairing was because of my dislike for the cheese.  I would not recommend pairing this wine with this cheese. 

Thursday, February 9th, 2017

Tasting- Jam Jar Sweet White

Name:  Jam Jar

Variety: Sweet White Moscato

Region: Western Cope

Country: South Africa 

Year: 2015

Price: Regular: $15, Sale: $7.95

Magazine Review: "This charming, easy-drinking white offers juicy flavors of peach, litchi and orange blossom in a sweet and sassy style! A lively jolt of acidity keeps it fresh, fruity and fun. Fancy enough for a special occasion toast, yet sweet-natured enough to enjoy every day, this bright and cheerful bottling is sure to capture your heart.

My review: I really liked this wine, I thought that it was a good wine to end on!  I really smelled the floral aromas such as honeysuckle and rose.  I also smelled some strong citrus fruit aromas such as orange blossom as well as peaches.  This was a very light and bright wine with a good amount acidity.  I liked this wine and would totally drink it again!

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 9th, 2017

Tasting- Fox Creek Shiraz

Name:  Fox Creek

Variety: Shiraz

Region: McLaren Vale

Country: Australia

Year: 2012

Price: Regular: $23, Sale: $9.95

Magazine Review: "The wine holds aromas of chocolate, cinnamon, and hints of clove. On the palate, the juice is weighted with flavors of plums and black cherry. It is elegant and creamy with well integrated tannin. The lengthy finish holds notes of chocolate and toasty oak."

My review: I was not the biggest fan of this wine because of the dryness.  It had a very strong smell of dark berries such as blackberries and of dry fruit as well as some spices.  The wine was very dry and actually left my mouth dry after drinking it.  There was a slight taste of oak as well as some cherry.  I could also taste a bit of pepper as an aftertaste in the wine.  This was my least favorite out of the five I tasted today, but it still was not bad. 

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 9th, 2017

Tasting- Candoni Buongiorno Organic Primitica, Syrah

Name:  Candoni

Variety: Buongiorno Organic Primitica, Syrah

Region: Puglia

Country: Italy

Year: 2015

Price: Regular: $15, Sale: $7.95

Magazine Review: "Brilliant violet color. Bright, fresh, fruity aromas and flavors of black raspberries, vanilla mint cookie, delicate spices, and paved road with a silky, crisp, fruity light-to-medium body and a brisk pomegranate, cedar bark, and limestone finish with coating, firm tannins and moderate oak. A firm, juicy beef wine."

My review: I enjoyed this wine more than I thought that I would from the initial smell.  At first, I smelled some dried fruit such as prunes and other jammy fruits as well as dark berries.  My initial taste was that of wood such as oak and fir and darker berries such as elderberries.  I also got a pretty strong aftertaste of spices.  Despite the darkness of the components in the wine, the overall brightness made me enjoy this wine. 

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 9th, 2017

Tasting- Maipe Torrontes

Name:  Maipe

Variety: Torrontes

Region: Salta

Country: Argentina

Year: 2016

Price: Regular: $13, Sale: $7.95

Magazine Review: "Spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well-balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish."

My review: I enjoyed this wine very much!  It was also very light, similar to the Viognier, but with much stronger fruit and floral aromas.  I could really smell the peaches right off the bat as well as strong florals such as rose and maybe some orange blossom.  I could taste slight bits of clementine and strong tastes of peaches.  I definitely think that this is a summer wine based off of the lightness of the wine as well as the strong fruit and floral accents.  This was my favorite wine during the tasting and I would definitely drink it again!

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Thursday, February 9th, 2017

Tasting- Oxford Landing Viognier

Name:  Oxford Landing

Variety: Viognier

Region: Southern Australia

Country: Australia

Year: 2014

Price: Regular: $13, Sale: $8.95

Magazine Review: "A  pale straw with lime green hue, the Oxford Landing Estates Viognier 2011 has a lifted musk and honeysuckle aroma, with a hint of poached quince and mandarin peel. The wine is richly textural on the palate with classic grainy Viognier minerality complemented perfectly with ripe flavors of late season peaches and apricots. This is great drinking now and with careful cellaring this wine will continue to exhibit these generous Viognier flavors and textures for at least two to three years."

My review: I really liked this wine!  It was very light and had the aroma of tree fruits such as pear and apple and also some slight tropical fruit aromas.  The wine had some floral aftertastes and I could really taste the pear.  I overall thought that this wine was good and would definitely drink this again!

I drank this wine on its own with no food.

Wednesday, February 1st, 2017

Dinner- Palisades Restaurant

Every week, the Palisades Restaurant in Eggleston, VA has wine pairings of four different wines with four small plate meals.  Each week is a different theme of wine, this week's theme was Old World (France) versus New World (United States).  I have been to the Palisades once before and was super excited to hear about this opportunity to try their wines and pair those wines with their amazing food!  Another cool part of this opportunity was being able to hear Greg White, a former Geography of Wine student, talk about how he became interested in becoming a Sommelier and the differences between Old World and New World styles. 

Wine and Small Dish Menu

Pork Loin with Cranberry Chutney

The wines I had in order were: Domaine Jean Touzot, White Burgundy, Michael Pozzan, Chardonnay, Bourgogne, Red Burgundy, and Ballard Lane, Pinot Noir.  The food served with the wines included Apple Fennel Salad, Roasted Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce and Sautéed Vegetables, Sliced Beef with Ratatouille Sauce and Caramelized Onions, Pork Loin with Cranberry Chutney. 

Domaine Jean Touzet,

White Burgundy

The first wine I tasted was the Domaine Jean Touzot, White Burgundy which paired with the Apple Fennel Salad.  At first scent, I definitely smelled apple and some other light ruits. One of the first things I tasted was a little bit of apple cider vinegar with an aftertaste of yeast.  The wine really brought out the small pieces of apple in the salad and the salad brought out a stronger taste of apple in the wine.  I really enjoyed this light, sweet wine and I think that it paired extremely well with the apple fennel salad. 


The second wine I tasted was Michael Pozzan, Chardonnay which paired with the Roasted Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce and Sautéed Vegetables.  I initially smelled some citrus with some floral aromas.  When paired with the chicken, some sweeter tastes came out of the wine.  The chicken meal was very tasty, but I did not think that the wine brought out much from the dish.  I enjoyed this wine, and thought that it had some stronger flavors compared to the White Burgundy. 

Bourgogne, Red Burgundy

Next, I tried the Bourgogne, Red Burgundy which paired with the Sliced Beef with Ratatouille Sauce and Caramelized Onions.  I could really smell the red berries and fruit smells.  The wine tasted of darker berries and definitely oaky.  It had a very strong taste and paired really well with the red meat.  I thought that the wine brought out the spices in the beef dish.  I overall was not a huge fan of this wine, but I really enjoyed the dish! 

Finally, I had the Ballard Lane, Pinot Noir paired with the Pork Loin with Cranberry Chutney. This wine smelled a bit sweeter compared to the Red Burgundy with some sweet floral scents.  The initial taste was of some dark red berries and spice.  The spice I tasted the most was pepper which really complemented the pepper spices on the pork loin.  The sweetness of the wine paired very nicely with the cranberry on the pork loin.  I thought that this was the best wine and dish pairing because they both really complemented each other and brought out different flavors. 

I really enjoyed this experience at The Palisades!  I think that the roasted chicken dish was my favorite, however I think that the Red Burgundy was the strongest and best wine during the meal.  I thought that the whole presentation was amazing and they really laid out the small plates with the wine well.  I am looking forward to coming back here again!

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Tasting- Dona Sol Shiraz, Petite Syrah and Symphony

Name: Dona Sol
Variety: Shiraz, Petite Syrah and Symphony
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: ??
Price: $6.95
                 
Winery review: "Shiraz has a unique jammy fruit character that is well represented in the Sweet Red. Both on the nose and on the palate, jammy fruit, like strawberries, cherry pie and red licorice, entices the senses and pair well with cheeses and desserts."

My review: I liked this wine!  My initial smell of this wine was red fruits such as raspberry and strawberry.  This wine was very sweet and smooth. After smelling it for a good amount of time and finally tasting it, I detected a hint of honey.  I enjoyed this wine and would definitely try this wine again!  

I drank this wine on its own with no food. 

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Tasting- Avery Quinn Zinfandel

                                                     
 Name: Avery Quinn
 Variety: Zinfandel
 Region: Santa Rosa, California
 Country: USA
 Year: 2013
 Price: Regular: $15, Sale: $6.95
                 
 Magazine review: "Just the thing for winter warming or summer cookouts, this is a classic California Zinfandel with plenty of body, richness, and fruit.  Aromas show briary dried red fruit - raspberry, cherry, and cranberry - with hints of chocolate and spice.  Juicy and fleshy on the palate with brambly fruit and plenty of pepper and spice.  Finishes juicy and easy and fun."

My review: I did not really like this wine very much.  Right off the bat I smelled tropical fruits such as pineapple and some red fruits such as raspberry.  After smelling a little bit more, I detected some scents of flower.  It tasted very earthy and had a mulch-like after taste.  I would probably choose a different wine over this one! 

I drank this wine on its own with no food. 

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Tasting- Finca del Castillo Tempranillo

Name: Finca del Castillo
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2015
Price: $4.95
                 
Magazine review: "Medium garnet color. Bright aromas and flavors of cherry, blackberry, vanilla, and plum with a lightly tannic, vibrant, dry medium-full body and a sleek, complex, medium-long finish with notes of cigar box, baking spice, cocoa, and iron with chewy tannins and moderate oak. This tempranillo delivers on several cylinders with juicy and generous cherry plum flavors up front that then turn into chewy tannins and a complex web of iron, chocolate and cigar box."

My review: I thought that this wine was fairly good!  My initial smell of this wine was raisins and cherries.  It definitely tasted dry with some earthy tones and very strong cherry flavors.  I also tasted a bit of yogurt.  Overall, a pretty good wine. 

I drank this wine on its own with no food. 

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Tasting- Pieter Cruythoff Chenin Blanc

Name: Pieter Cruythoff
Variety: Chenin Blanc
Region: Swartland
Country: South Africa
Year: 2015
Price: Regular: $9, Sale: $4.95
                 
Magazine review: "A wonderful nose of bananas, oranges and melons jumps from the glass of this 100% Chenin Blanc, which is finished with a screw cap. Another great value from South Africa, this wine is medium-bodied, fresh, lively, and a terrific dry white to drink over the next year."

My review: I was not a huge fan of this wine, but it was not terrible.  My initial smell of this wine was some fruit and a little bit of woody/earthy. At first taste, the wine was a bit bitter with a woody dry taste.  Later, I tasted a bit more of some tree and tropical fruits.  This would not be my first choice in wine!

I drank this wine on its own with no food.