Drink This Now: Lesson 1

Drink This Now! Lesson 1.
I used a port wine that I had - R.L. Buller & Son NV Tawny Port (Victoria). I know it isn't one of the wines listed in the book, but I have spent a lot of money recently, so I was hesitant to go out and buy another wine when I had a new one right here. This wine is a dark red, and it was see-through. I used the cheese from the wine and cheese pairings, and for the meat replacement, I used the food I got from the 7-11 mix and match 5 for $4 deal.

The first step is to open the bottle and try immediately & make observations. Here are my observations:

Name: R.L Buller & Son
Variety: Port
Country of Origin: Australia
Region of Origin: Victoria
Vintage Year: N/A
Price: $15

Wine Review: "This young tawny, actually garnet in color, is warm and supple. And although this easygoing tawny lacks a bit of complexity, it boasts ample, mouth-filling flavors of black cherry, plum and chocolate."

My Review: One of the bigger body wines I have tried. I would say that it is between medium and full bodied, which makes sense because it's a port wine, with the highest alcohol percentage of any wine I have tried so far, at 18% alcohol content. It is quite sweet, and the alcohol is quite strong. I detect cherries, and it is fruity overall. It has a unique, fruity smell. I would describe it as a fruity, chocolate sharpie smell. While the wine is very sweet, it is rich & intense, which is what I think other port wines would share in common characteristics. It is definitely powerful, and my girlfriend didn't want to finish it. I found it to be enjoyable, but definitely strong.

The second step is to wait two hours for the wine to "open up" and try it once again. After waiting for two hours with the alcohol exposed, it seemed a bit faded, not as strong as I remembered. It was fruitier, and less strength of alcohol. Definitely smoother, with less effects overall, and easier to taste. Still tasted fresh, with good acidity. The wine still shared the same characteristics as my review above, it was just less vigorous.

The third step was to try the wine with cheese. I did this step by starting with eating the cheese, and then sipping the wine, and mixing the flavors while continuously chewing and tasting the flavors. As soon as I started chewing the mozarella balls, my palate was yearning for wine. I wanted a sip, because the cheese was quite tasteless. I tried it with other cheese and it produced a similar result. The cheese makes the wine easier to taste thoroughly, it also made the cheese flavorful. Overall, the wine fulfilled the desire for anything more, it was a satisfying combination.

The fourth step was to try the wine with food. I drank the wine with food from 7-11, specifically a chicken taquito. I did the 5 for $4 mix and match deal to buy a couple hot dogs and taquitos. The Port and the Taquito did not overpower one another. The taquito had individually strong flavors, and so did the port wine. The port wine along with the taquito made my mouth water, but then dry up at the end. Overall, the wine made the taquito sweeter, but the taquitos saltiness was also quite apparent. I could only taste the majority of one or the other at certain points.

The fifth step was to let it sit for several more hours without the cap on the bottle. I left the wine out overnight, and then some. I tasted it and my immediate reaction was that it tasted worse. While it had a smoother mouth feel, it tasted stronger in a different way. If I had to explain it, it would be like drinking apple cider vinegar, but not that extreme.

Dinner and Food Pairing #1

On the same Friday night, after I did the wine and cheese pairing, I enjoyed the wine dinner pairing. The party consisted of me, my girlfriend, my roommate, and his girlfriend. It was a double date, and we all followed through the same order of wine and food pairings. My girlfriend drove down from Maryland for this event, but we drive to see each other basically every weekend.  I bought 8 wines, including the three for this dinner blog. My girlfriend helped me buy the dinner, so big shout out to her for helping out! Sadly, we didn't take a group photo, but the entire group went through the sniffing, evaluating, tasting, and enjoying the process & steps. Pictured below: My roommate and his girlfriend.

We bought the wines for the dinner blog from the vintage cellar as well! Afterwards, we went to the Kroger right next to the vintage cellar to buy our foods. We had plans to buy certain foods, but we ended up changing the Asian BBQ to the spring rolls because of ease of preparation and availability. For the wine and food pairings, we did White Zinfandel with Pulled Pork, Riesling with Spring Rolls, and Gewurztraminer with Dumplings. Specifically, the wines are a Canyon Road White Zinfandel from California with the vintage year of 2018. As for the second wine, it is a Weinhaus Max Ferd. Richter Mosel Riesling with the vintage year of 2018. The third wine is a Kaltern Gewürztraminer from Italy with the vintage year of 2018. All of the wine's vintage years are from 2018, and have now been consumed in February of 2020!

I was quite hungry that night, so I wanted food that would be somewhat on the easier side of preparation difficulty. For the food, we had Jack Daniel's Pulled Pork, Vegetable Spring Rolls, and Pork Dumplings from Kroger, which was next to the vintage cellar. The first dish we ate was the Pulled Pork, with the White Zinfandel for the wine. Onto the actual pairings & tastings, I'll start with my notes on the White Zinfandel. It was definitely fruity, I detected cherry upon tasting it. Another fruit that I detected was strawberries. These were the main two that I could sense, and I was pleased to read the label afterwards and see that it has hints of strawberry, cherry, and watermelon. I am definitely learning, along with my girlfriend and my friends who have shared the meal and wine with me. The smell was floral. Specifically, it smelled a bit like roses, but that might be due to the pink color of the White Zinfandel. Overall, the White Zinfandel is kind of like a mix between fruity and floral wines. With the pulled pork, the strawberry of the White Zinfandel comes out a lot more in the taste while eating the bbq pulled pork. The sweet flavors goes very well with each other, and aren't overpowering one another. It was a nice overall complement that added an extra layer of crisp fruitiness to the sweet and rich pulled pork.

For the next pairing, I had the Riesling with the Spring Rolls, which is pictured above. Sadly, I did not take as much photos as I would've liked of everything, but on to the wine tasting: Riesling is definitely my favorite out of the 8 wines I bought that entire night. I didn't notice it because my palette was getting worn out as the night progressed. However, once I tried it with a bit of a break, I realized its potential, and enjoyed it a lot (IT WAS INSANELY GOOD). As for my notes, I wrote that it was quite fruity, and I detected pineapple. While sweet, it was also a bit sour and acidic. To add to that, it was zesty and citrusy. Overall, it was super sweet, which I like currently, and I found that it taste sweeter than it smells. The Riesling was also slightly bubby. I ate it with the Spring Rolls, which came with a sweet and sour sauce. The Riesling and the Spring Rolls with the sauce were an amazingly sweet pairing that added a crunchiness with the Spring Rolls, which we oven baked. The combo didn't overpower the other, but rather created a delicious fusion. I would've enjoyed the food or the wine separately as well. The wine affected the sweetness and salt by making it sweeter, and that made my mouth water.

Onto the third pairing, I had Gewürztraminer with Pork Dumplings. The Gewürztraminer was SUPER floral. I have never smelled a wine that was more floral than this one. It was very rosey, but also it smelled like straight perfume. Definitely the most flowery smelling wine I have ever had. Several people found it hard to finish, due to its powerful effect on the nose. There was a very faint bubble feel. The wine was a very light yellow, with a gold tint. Because no one finished it, I have been sipping on it this afternoon, and finishing the wine. It definitely has a powerful effect on the mouth that is equivalent to a punch, but I have gotten more accustomed to it. As for the dumplings, we had them with soy sauce. I would say individually, the dumpling has a saltiness that leaves you wanting, and the Gewürztraminer fills that void. It adds a fullness that leaves you satisfied with the meal, I would say the Gewürztraminer is somewhat overpowering to the dumplings. However, the dumpling had a strong taste that allowed it to become a complement with the Gewürztraminer. The pork dumplings and the soy sauce made the Gewürztraminer overall less bitter.

Overall, my favorite wine and cheese pairing is, without a question, the Riesling and Spring Rolls. I just love the combination of flavors, and also the Riesling is just awesome. I really hope to get more Riesling, I'll definitely pick it up if I come across it.

Tasting - Red Sangria

Name: Black Box
Variety: Red Sangria
Country of Origin: United States
Region of Origin: California
Vintage Year: N/A
Price: $20

Winery Review: Dusty garnet color. Tropical, sweet aromas and flavors of concord grapes, banana taffy, aromatic bitters, vanilla cream, and peach-pineapple pie with a soft, crisp, moderately sweet light-to-medium body and a smooth, crisp finish with accents of tangerine. A fun n’ fruity sangria to drink now.

Wine Folly: I could not find any dedicated section for Red Sangria/Sangria in the Wine Folly. However, this is a medium sweet wine, which means there are about 21-72 calories per serving, which can be found on page 16. On page 14, I found information about wine bodies. Red Sangria is a red wine, which means that it contains tannins. Also, the sweetness increases the body of wine, which makes sense because this wine is medium sweet (on the sweeter side) but it also tastes of medium tannins, and has medium body. I would say that it is a bit on the acidic side, which contributes to a lighter body, I found this on page 20 of Wine Folly.
My Review: This is the first wine that I consumed & enjoyed on a regular basis for a time. The box of wine was quite inexpensive, it was only $20 for the same amount as four 750ml bottles, so I was able to have it for some time. The box claims that it can last to up to 6 weeks after opening. I did not pair it with food, unfortunately, but it was good without food. At first sniff, it definitely smells fruity and sweet. When I drank it, it had a medium body, and an initially sweet taste that diminished into a sort of dryness. It is overall medium sweet, which I realized when I tried another sweet alcoholic beverage. The flavor is just overall fruity, maybe some oranges, but definitely a mix of many fruits.

Wine and Cheese Pairing #1

On Friday night, I did a wine and cheese pairing with my girlfriend, my roommate, and his girlfriend. It was a double date, and we all went through the wine and cheese pairings together. My girlfriend and I went to Kroger to get the cheese, and the vintage cellar to get all the wines. I bought 8 wines that night, and it cost me nearly $100, and my girlfriend also spent around that amount. It was an overall very fun night, my girlfriend loves cheese. We started our night with the wine and cheese pairings. Sadly, we didn't take a group photo, but we all did the tastings and learned a lot about what wines and cheeses we like.

We bought the wines at vintage cellar! It was cool to see the store in person after seeing it in the wine IQ quizzes. We even saw the guy who did the lecture with Boyer. As for the wine and cheese pairings, we did Chardonnay and Gruyere, Pinot Grigio, and Mozarella,  and Pinot Noir and Brie cheese. Specifically, it is a Mars and Venus Chardonnay 2017. We've been wanting to try a chardonnay for a while, since it is one of the most popular wines of all time. The Chardonnay was a product of Spain. As for the Pinot Grigio, it is a Santa Julia Pinot Grigio from 2019. It came from Mendoza, in Argentina. Our third drink is a Meiomi Pinot Noir, with a vintage year from 2017. This Pinot Noir comes from California, with a fraction of each coming from 3 different counties in California.

My girlfriend really likes cheese, so she selected some of her favorite cheeses and we paired wines based off of that. We ended up with Gruyere cheese, Mozarella cheese balls, and Brie cheese. Onto the actual pairings & tastings, I'll start with my notes on the Chardonnay. We used the wine wheel, but these are my notes, all of us detected things with variations overall, but also a lot of similarities with each other. For the Chardonnay, it was quite fresh. It was very herbaceous and it just pretty much smelled something like freshly cut grass. It was also sharp. When I first drank the wine, it really had a sharp and crisp taste that quickly went away after the first taste. I also wrote down that it was tangy/acidic. It had a slight sting and burn associated to it. Onto the pairings, the Chardonnay was initally sweeter than the cheese at first. However, once I chewed the cheese, the cheese itself became way sweeter and pulled through with flavors over time. There was a balance that reminded me of a seesaw. Overall, an enjoyable pairing that I would compare to a playground in my mouth, like a swing. The creaminess of the cheese came out once I was chewing more.

Onto the next pairing, which was the Santa Julia Pinot Grigio with the Mozarella cheese balls. I found the Pinot Grigio to be floral. It smelled like a flower, specifically roses. It was about medium floral smell strength. I also thought it to be quite fruity. I detected pears specifically, but also some others, like pineapple. Overall, a wine that wasn't very fruity, but one that you could detect a lot of varieties of fruit from. I found the flavor to be quite dry, it reminded me a bit of straw - like hay. It is a white wine with a medium body. The pinot grigio had way more flavor than the mozarella. The mozarella basically had no taste, and the pinot grigio was quite overpowering. Also, the pinot grigio tingles and the tongue, and definitely stings the nostril. Basically, the pinot grigio was the only thing I could taste, but the mozarella was a nice addition because I was quite hungry. Overall, the wine was too overpowering and I think this is not an ideal pairing.

For the next pairing, I had 2017 Meiomi Pinot Noir paired with the Brie cheese. As for the pinot noir, I detected that it was quite earthy, and reminded me of dust. This was our first red wine, and it was also a medium bodied wine. It tasted like soy sauce, and caramel. A bit salty, yet sugary at the same time. It had a lot of contrasting flavors, which all balanced each other. I found it to be nutty, like a walnut flavor, with the smell as well. The brie was extremely buttery, and the pinot noir brought out that butteriness. The pinot noir was a lot harder to finish than the other wines, because it wasn't nearly as sweet. I think it went well with the buttery brie cheese, but I would rather have had a sweet wine to enjoy the butteriness with the wine. The flavors were quite contrasting. I definitely tasted both, with the wine flavor being overpowering, while the brie's texture was overpowering. I think the pinot noir would've went better with a salty cheese that makes the mouth water, to contrast its somewhat drying effects.

Overall, my favorite wine and cheese pairing is definitely the chardonnay and the gruyere. They had the best balance out of the three, even though individually they wouldn't shine as bright as the other wines and cheese.

Tasting - Ruffino

Name: Ruffino

Variety: Prosecco

Country of Origin: Italy

Region of Origin: Veneto

Vintage Year: N/A

Price: $12

Winery Review:Ruffino Prosecco DOC Sparkling White Wine is an Italian sparkling wine meant to be sipped and enjoyed. This creamy and crisp extra dry white wine offers fruity aromas accompanied by hints of wisteria, with an intense peach and golden apple flavor. This Italian wine begins in the hilly area of Valdobbiadene, with glera grapes that undergo a traditional wine vinification. The winemakers then use selected yeasts in a natural refermentation process to create this clean and delicate Ruffino prosecco wine with refined bubbles and a pleasant finish. Enjoy this Italian prosecco as an aperitif, mix it into your favorite cocktail or pair it with margherita pizza, seafood, shellfish and white meat dishes. For the best quality and taste, drink this Ruffino wine young. Refrigerate for three to three and a half hours and serve at a temperature between 45 and 48 degrees.

Wine Folly: Information on Wine Folly can be found on page 155 for Proseccos. The alcohol content is supposed to be medium-low, no body, lower side of sweetness, low tannins, and medium-high acidity. It is grown in the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The flavors are green apple, honeydew, pear, lager, cream. It is best served in a flute glass, ice cold, without decanting, spending ~$15, and in the cellar for 1-3 years.

My Review: I definitely could taste the pears on this prosecco. It was quite an intense pear flavor, and just like the other prosecco it was dry, but this one did not have that much of an after taste. I should really start to serve prosecco chilled, instead of at room temperature. It was $12, so just under the ~$15 average. I thought I hated proseccos but this was a pleasant experience. It had very minimal body and tannins.

Tasting - Robert Mondavi

Name: Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Variety: Red-Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon

Country of Origin: United States

Region of Origin: California

Vintage Year: N/A

Price: $8

Winery Review:

"Walking through To Kalon, admiring its contours and vines, smelling the richness of its soil, I knew this was a very special place. It exuded an indefinable quality I could not describe, a feeling that was almost mystical."

-- Robert Mondavi

Robert Mondavi established his namesake winery in 1966 with a vision to create Napa Valley wines that would stand in the company of the world's finest. He chose To Kalon Vineyard in the heart of the Napa Valley as the home for Robert Mondavi Winery. This first-growth vineyard, located in Oakville, California, is renowned for producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines in the world, as well as for its Sauvignon Blanc grapes, from which Mr. Mondavi crafted his signature wine, Fumé Blanc.

Along with To Kalon Vineyard, Robert Mondavi Winery sources grapes from some of Napa Valley's finest vineyards, including Stag's Leap (Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc) and Carneros (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay).

Mr. Mondavi believed that wines should reflect their origins, that they are the product of the soil, the climate, and the careful stewardship of those precious resources. He also believed in combining the newest techniques and technology with time-honored winemaking traditions.

Our winemaking and vineyard teams are proud to carry on our founder's mandate to always strive higher, to pursue Robert Mondavi's goal of excellence with the same passion and innovative spirit, moving forward with programs that break barriers and open new frontiers.

Leading this initiative is Genevieve Janssens, Director of Winemaking. Genevieve, whose relationship with the winery began in 1978, was selected Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast in 2010.

We are located at 7801 St. Helena Highway in the town of Oakville at the edge of the To Kalon Vineyard.

Wine Folly: Information on Wine Folly about Cabernet Sauvignon can be found on page 88. The book indicates that it is Big bodied, low on sweetness, high on tannins, medium acidity, and medium high on alcohol. Just like what I learned in the video lecture, it is a cross between Cabernet Franc and souv Blanc. There is a rich flavor and high tannin content. The flavors listed are black cherry, black currant, cedar, baking spices, graphite. It is best served in oversized glasses, in temperatures of 60-68 degrees Fahrenheit, decanted for over an hour, costs about $20, and in the cellar for 5-25 years.

My Review: I actually found that the body was more medium-bodied, instead of full-bodied. I bought this wine for around $8, which was very cheap in comparison to other Cabernet Sauvignon. I could taste a good amount of tannins, it was quite dry, somewhat similar to red sangria. I definitely got a dark berry flavor. It was not overly dry, much to my surprise.

Tasting - 14 hands

Name: 14 Hands
Variety: Merlot
Country of Origin: United States
Region of Origin: Columbia Valley
Vintage Year: 2016
Price: $12

Winery Review: This wine poured plum colored in the glass with edges of strawberry. Legs were apparent and slow to drip down the sides of the glass. Light barely penetrated this wine.

The aroma of the 14 Hands Merlot was very pleasing. It started as dark and earthy, but then revealed notes of cherry with a light tinge of alcohol in the nose. On the palate, the wine exhibited lush flavors of mocha, black cherry and blackberries. A bit of oak, as well. Mouthfeel was smooth and milky. However, firm tannins were noted especially on the sides of the tongue.

The finish was long and brought about a very interesting and enjoyable transition from smooth and milky to slightly dry. Likely due to the blend and the structure of the tannins.

Wine Folly: pg. 131 Merlot - I definitely got the dry herbs flavor, and plum as well. However, I did not get the cherry or chocolate mentioned in the Wine Folly book. I did get a little bit of vanilla.

My Review: As soon as I tried it, it made me realize how much I liked the Prosecco sparkling wine that I just tasted. It was very dry and felt sharp, like a mini punch to the mouth. It was definitely earthy, but I don't think I'm a fan of dry & earthy tasting wines. It was bitter, but also felt clean - silkyish like water.

Tasting - La Marca

Name: La Marca
Variety: Prosecco
Country of Origin: Italy
Region of Origin: Veneto
Vintage Year: N/A
Price: $15

Winery Review: The delicate La Marca Prosecco has a pale, golden straw color and sparkles with lively effervescence. Opening with aromas of fresh-picked citrus and honeysuckle blossoms, the crisp, clean palate brings fruity flavors of green apple, juicy peach and ripe lemon, framed by hints of minerality. The finish is light and refreshing with a tantalizing hint of sweetness.

Always serve La Marca Prosecco chilled between 46-50°F. A versatile Italian Sparkling wine, La Marca Prosecco can be served in sparkling flutes or white wine glasses. A full bottle serves approximately 5-7 glasses. After pouring the first round, seal the opened bottle with a bottle stopper to keep remaining wine fresh and effervescent and keep the wine chilled to 46-50°F. An opened bottle should last about 3-4 hours with the bottle closure.

La Marca Prosecco has the charm to stand alone as an aperitif, but it also has the body and the acidity to pair well with a range of foods, from seafood and mild cheeses to rich pasta dishes and decadent desserts.

Wine Folly: pg 155 Prosecco - I definitely got the acidity that's listed in the book. I don't think we got cream, but we did get honeydew and pear. Only a little bit of apple and the lager & pear seemed to be the strongest overall.

My Review: When I first tried it, I didn't like it very much, but then I realized that it was because all I had been drinking lately was Sangria and other fruitier drinks. Over time, it became pleasant and enjoyable. It was definitely floral, and very crisp. Also, it was light-bodied. This was the first sparkling wine that I tried.

Intro Blog

Hello! Welcome to my wine tasting blog. I am a BIT DSS Option at Virginia Tech. Currently, I'm a junior, but I will be a senior next semester. I am most likely one of the younger people taking the course because I turned 21 on December 21, 2019. As for my experience with wine, I have very limited experience with wine. I tend to not like drinking alcohol too much. Recently, I have bought and shared wine for this class. So far, I have bought 2 black box wines that were both the Red Sangria type.

I have also been keeping up to date with the quizzes, lectures, and videos. I took Boyer's World Regions class and I loved it. This class seems to be structured similarly and reminds me of World Regions. I enjoy Boyer's videos, and I learn a lot from it. Personally, I wish other classes were as entertaining so I would be more motivated to pursue and learn the content that they teach. I have been trying wine every week since this class has started, and I will probably continue doing so throughout the course.

I think the Red Sangria wine was pretty good in comparison to other wines. I have tried some other wines, and they were really dry, and hard to enjoy. In contrast, the Red Sangria was fruity, and sweet. I hope to learn anything new about wine, I don't know much about it currently. Wine has such a wide variety and I would like to test the extremes and things in between. That concludes my first post, I hope to learn a lot more about Wine and its influence.