Tasting - Cobetckoe Penhym

Name: Cobetckoe Penhym
Varietal: Sparkling Red Wine
Region: Moldova
Country: Europe
Year: not specified
Price: $9.95

Online Review: I found it hard to find an online review of this wine, especially since it is so  hard to spell and pronounce. The wine label describes this wine as a semi sweet red sparkling wine

My Review: This red wine was sparkling and semi sweet. It didn't really have much of a smell to it, but tasted light and fruity. This wine would have been better chilled, but overall it was enjoyable, better than the other wines we tasted today

Tasting - Quercia al Poggio

Name: Quercia al Poggio
Varietal: Colorino
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2009
Price: $9.95

Online Review: An online review described this wine as having "a distinct smell of leather and the taste is full of dark berries, leather and oak and some tannins. A slightly bitter taste" 

My Review: This red wine had a slightly brown tint to it. It smelled very leathery to me. When I tasted it I found it to be very tannic and acidic and medium bodied. Overall it was light and easy to drink but I think it would have been better with food to cut the taste of leather.

Tasting - Terra dei Trulli

Name: Terra dei Trulli
Varietal: Primitivo
Region: Manduria
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $9.95

Online Review: The wine label describes this wine as "Trulli are ancient stone dwellings with cone shaped roofs only found in the magnificent Puglia region of southern Itay. At the pinnacle of these cone roofs sit magic symbols of good fortune known as Pinnacoli. Pinnacoli Primitivo is the pinnacle of this classic grape varietal, full bodied with rich, concentrated fruit flavors."

My Review: This red wine smelled like dark cherries. Overall, it had a light mouthfeel and was very easy to drink. It tasted slightly bitter and slightly leathery but those flavors were not overwhelming and did not impact the overall taste of the wine.

Tasting - Lo Fi

Name: Lo-Fi
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Santa Barbara California
Country: United States
Year: 2015
Price: $9.95

Online Review: An online review described this wine as "nicely balanced with apple and citrus combining with toasty touch of oak for medium rich Chardonnay. Pleasant on its own and nice complement to cheese and lighter foods."

My Review: This wine smelled earthy and herbal to me. It tasted smooth and buttery and slightly oaky, but also had a bitter aftertaste. I am typically not a very big fan of Chardonnay but this one was generally pleasant to drink.

Tasting - Cantina di Gambellara

Name: Cantina di Gambellara
Varietal: Garganega
Region: Soave
Country: Italy
Year: 2017
Price: $6.95

Online Review: The wine label describes this wine as "named for the Basaltic out cropping on which the golden garganega grapes that make this wine are grown. Produced from 100% garganega on hillsides using Pergola trellising, this fresh and lively white wine goes best as an aperitif or with fish, salad or chicken dishes.

My Review: This white wine smelled very herbally to me. It tasted bitter and slightly sour and was not my favorite. My boyfriend, however, who is not much of a wine drinker really took a liking to this wine, but I did not agree. Maybe it would have been better with food like the wine label suggests.

Wine and Cheese Pairing #3

This week my friends and I decided to go to the Blacksburg Wine Lab for office hours with Boyer and decided to do a wine and cheese pairing while we were at it. I am now just a few points away from finishing the class with an A, and I can't wait to continue to use my newly acquired wine knowledge in the real world!

Name: Koster-Wolf 

Varietal: Muller-Thurgau

Region: Rheinhessen

Country: Germany

Year: 2017

Price: $17.99

The first wine we tried was a German white wine. This wine smelled sour and very acidic to me. It tasted like lime and citrus. This wine was paired with a sharp green sage cheese. I really liked the pairing. I thought the cheese helped to cut the acidity of the wine and made the wine taste much fruitier and sweeter, and much less sour.

Name: Monte Alegre

Varietal: Rose

Region: Palmela

Country: Portugal

Year: 2017

Price: $15.99

The second wine we tried was a Rose from Portugal. This wine smelled strongly of peaches and grapefruit. This wine was very light and fresh. I could definitely taste the grapefruit in this wine. I typically don't like roses because they are too floral for me but this one was much lighter and fruitier and I enjoyed it. This wine was paired with a smooth sheeps milk cheese. The cheese was very light and nutty and I thought it paired well with the wine. The cheese helped to soften the strong citrus flavors of the wine.

Name: Saltan Tannat

Varietal: Tannat

Region: Campanha

Country: Brazil

Year: 2013

Price: $14.99

The third wine we tried was a red wine from Brazil. This wine smelled very strong and very leathery. I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it that it didn't taste quite as strong as it smelled. For a red wine, this had a fairly light mouthfeel. It tasted slightly dry and leathery with hints of sour cherries. This wine was paired with a tangy blue cheese. I do not like blue cheese so I did not like the pairing together. I would have preferred to drink the wine by itself.

Also shoutout Boyer for the free wine swag!!

Tasting - Crane Lake Moscato

Name: Crane Lake
Varietal: Moscato
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2017
Price: $7.95

Online Review: The wine label describes this wine as having a sweet flavor profile, and also having tastes of orange blossom, peach, and honey suckle

My Review: This wine didn't have much of a smell to me. It tasted sweet kinda like gummy bears. It definitely tastes better chilled and is nice and sweet and fruity and enjoyable.

Tasting - Mt. Monster

Name: Mt. Monster
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Limestone Coast
Country: Australia
Year: 2014
Price: $8.95

Online Review: The label described this wine as "made to express the best of the Limestone Coast, where not only the ancient soils, but also the maritime climate are ideal fro growing grapes, particularly our beloved Cabernet Sauvignon.

My Review: This wine smelled juicy and like berries to me. It tasted more like tar than berries though. It had a slightly heavier mouthfeel, and was a little strange for the typical Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tasting - Figaro

Name: Figaro
Varietal: Tinto
Region: Calatayud
Country: Spain
Year: 2016
Price: $8.95

Online Review: This wine is described in an online review as "bright ruby in color. Spicy cherry and dark berries on the nose. Juicy blackberry and blueberry flavors are firmed by fine grained tannins and tangy acidity.

My Review: I thought this wine smelled like berries and cherries. This wine was very light and easy to drink but also tasted slightly acidic. Overall it was an enjoyable red wine from Spain.

Tasting - Chakana

Name: Chakana
Varietal: White Blend
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2016
Price: $8.95

Online Review: This wine is 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Chardonnay, and 20% Viognier. The wine label describes this wine as "blend of international white varieties possesses lots of pineapple, honeysuckle, peach and apricot notes, medium body, and a savory fleshy mouthfeel with excellent purity".

My Review: I thought this wine was very floral smelling. It tasted light and fresh and also flowery. It was slightly dry and a little bit acidic and had a medium mouthfeel to me. Overall it was easy to drink, but not my favorite wine.

Tasting - OnePio

Name: OnePio
Varietal: Trebbiano di Lugana
Region: Lombardy
Country: Italy
Year: 2017
Price: $8.95

Online Review: An online review of this wine describes it as "odd grape Turbiana. Some tropical fruit but quite stringent with good minerality and freshness. Cirtus and pear. A little smoky but no oak. Fresh and ok length. Some skin bitterness and creaminess adds weight. At less than a year from harvest it feels young, may improve. I like it, interesting".

My Review: I thought this wine smelled nutty and earthy. It tasted slightly buttery and had a bitter aftertaste. Overall it was easy to drink, and was a refreshing white wine.