Tasting - Weinkeller Erbach Flonheimer Adelberg Silvaner

Name: Weinkeller Erbach Flonheimer Adelberg Silvaner
Variety: 100% Silvaner
Region: Rheinhessen
Country: Germany
Year: 2010
Price: $18.00

Winery Review: “The fruity, mouthwatering wine has a nice acidity-sugar balance and comes from the so called 'Rheinhessen-Switzerland', the heartland of Rheinhessen. It has a floral bouquet and is full of lemon zest, hint of passion fruit, and smells like yellow fruit, lemon-grass and green tea, all wrapped around a pleasant creaminess and a semi-dry profile. The finish is zippy and refreshing. Perfect for party on the deck as it comes in a liter bottle!”

My Review: Personally, I was not very fond of this wine.  Right from the start, there seemed to be something odd about it.  The nose of the wine reminded me of a very earthy, oak-like smell.  In addition, I tasted very few of the descriptors provided in the winery review.  To me, the wine tasted almost moldy, though I will say that it had a somewhat tangy finish.  Overall, I wasn't thrilled with this particular wine.

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting - Montebuena Rioja

Name: Montebuena Cuvee KPF Rioja
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: "(100% Tempranillo, raised entirely in American oak): Vivid ruby. Ripe cherry and blackcurrant on the nose and in the mouth. Pliant and seamless in texture, with good heft and back-end energy. Finishes smooth and sweet, with fine-grained tannins providing shape and grip. Still on the young side but this wine drinks very well with an hour or so of decanting; it's an excellent value for Rioja." - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (September 2012), 90 pts

My Review: This wine was rather bland and didn't really impress, as far as nose or taste.  I found it particularly difficult to detect very much besides a hint of cherry in the nose.  In addition, I found the taste of the wine to be very mellow, with mild hints of earth and plum.  As a whole, I thought the wine was very light and could have used a little more punch.

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting - Delaroche Cotes du Rhone

Name: Anne Delaroche Cotes du Rhone
Variety: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: "This semi-opaque ruby, custom cuvée of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre is made specifically for Fran Kysela. It exhibits very fresh, ripe dark red fruit with very good palate weight and depth and ends with rich fruit notes. Made from organically grown grapes. Incredible value!" - I-WineReview (December 2013), 90 pts.

My Review: This wine from the south-east of France exhibited a very mellow nose that gave off a mild earthy smell.  My first taste provided me with a rush of cherries, blackberries, and plums.  With a very supple texture, this wine provided an excellent variety of dark fruit notes that certainly tempted me to buy a bottle.  A great selection for the value!

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting - Maipe Torrontes

Name: Maipe Torrontes
Variety: 100% Torrontes
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Winery 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. Best enjoyed in its youth either by itself, or as a wonderful partner with smoked meats, mild to medium-strong cheeses, seafood and a great partner for spicy food as well.

My Review: This wine had a wonderfully vibrant nose that reminded me of fresh apples.  It was a very refreshing wine that had a smooth, delicate taste.  I was particularly struck by the floral hints present in the wine, as well as the acidic finish.  I think the winery review was spot on when it suggested that this wine be paired with spicy foods - I imagine that it would pair wonderfully!  Overall, a very nice wine!

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting - Cortenova Pinot Grigio

Name: Cortenova Pinot Grigio
Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: Veneto (Venezie)
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections.  Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas.  Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the finish.  Pairs well with seafood dishes, risottos with scampi,spaghetti with clams, sole in white wine.  Perfect also as an aperitif.

My Review: In my opinion, this was by far the best wine that I tasted at the Vintage Cellar on January 30th.  I found it to be a very light-bodied wine with smooth tropical flavors.  I particularly noticed the essence of pear in the wine, while I didn't detect as much of an apricot taste as the winery review would suggest.  In addition, I tasted some very subtle melon notes in the wine, which made it all the more enjoyable.  Excellent wine for the price!

I tasted this on its own with no food.

First Blog Assignment - My Experience with Wine

So far in my life, I have had very little experience with wine, mainly because I just recently turned 21 years old.  However, I have attended two wine tastings at the Vintage Cellar and enjoyed them very much.  As a result, I have discovered that I tend to gravitate towards white wines, as opposed to red wines.  Despite this, I walked out of the Vintage Cellar with a bottle of 2009 Casa de Cambres Douro red wine from Portugal.  After two glasses, I had already begun to discover new things about the wine that I didn't realize after a first taste.

Thus far, I have noticed that my palette is quite immature.  I have difficulty differentiating between certain wine tastes or ingredients.  However, I am confident that with more experience I will begin to discover new angles to wine that I never before realized.  As far as tastes that I enjoy, I particularly like cherries, blackberries, apples, and pears.  I enjoy tastes that are sweet and smooth, rather than those that are bitter.

There are many things that I am looking forward to learning about in Geography of Wine.  First of all, I would really enjoy learning about the many different food/wine pairings, particularly cheese/wine pairings.  In addition, I would like to learn more about wines from lesser known regions, such as the Middle East or Asia.  Finally, I think it would be interesting to learn about the wines of Virginia, especially some of the characteristics that make them unique to the Commonwealth.

Overall, I am extremely excited about the upcoming semester in Geography of Wine.  I believe that it will be a fun, educational experience that will help me become more knowledgeable about wine-drinking.  Hopefully, this blog will provide a great medium for me to share my experiences and insights about the world of wine!