Week 9, Wine Blog 2 (JP Chenet Sauvignon Blanc)

                                                                        19 March, 2023

                                                    The Wine: JP Chenet Sauvignon Blanc

Varietal:  100% Sauvignon Blanc  Region&Country: Gascogne, France

Year: 2020 | Price: $4.50 (split)

• Notes according to JP Chenet: "Golden with green highlights. Crisp and zesty, full of freshness and aromas. White flowers, blackcurrant yolk, tomato leaves, citric lemon, grapefruit thiol aromas" (https://www.jpchenet.com/wp-content/uploads/JP.-Chenet-Original-Sauvignon-Blanc-EN.pdf)
  
  
• Wine Folly notes on Sauvignon Blanc: "A popular and unmistakable white wine that’s loved for its “green” herbal flavors and racy acidity." "Notes of  gooseberry, grapefruit, honeydew, white peach, passionfruit"

    This wine made my face pinch upon first sip, but has an interesting depth. On the nose it is very reminiscent of grapefruit and fresh orange. It is relatively high in acidity, hence the face pinch, and it leaves a hot feeling in the throat and chest. The top notes are pretty flat, standard white wine taste. Sort of gasoline-like, with sour green apple taste. However on the finish, it has really fun tropical notes of grapefruit and lychee. Brings it from a 3/10 to maybe 5/10, though. Not the best I've had, but definitely not the worst.

I tried pairing this wine with the same dinner of spaghetti squash and chicken meatballs, but it did not go well with the food either. It had the same effect as the Lambrusco of making the food taste strange and sour. 

Week 9, Wine Blog 1 (Casa Bella Lambrusco Dolce)

 19 March, 2023

                                                          The Wine: Casa Bella Lambrusco Dolce

Varietal: Lambrusco salamino 50%, Lambrusco grasparossa 50%

  Region&Country: Modena-Reggio Emilia, Italy

Year: N.V. | Price: $10 

• Notes according to Casa Bella: "SCENT: Fruity with notes of raspberry and fruits of the forest. TASTE: Sparkling, sweet, rounded, pleasant and characteristic."  (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/597bf334725e2562b8a03e3d/t/5a31c4b38165f59567a6548e/1513211060220/CasabellaLambruscorosso+Techsheet.PDF)
  
  
• Wine Folly notes on Lambrusco: Notes of "Strawberry, Blackberry, Rhubarb, Hibiscus, Potting Soil" "A great food pairing wine with everything from pizza to burgers." (https://winefolly.com/wines/lambrusco/)

This is a nicely balanced red, for once. It has notes of pomegranate and tree bark up front, with undertones of something more savory like olives and roasted red peppers. On the finish it has aromas of earth and soil, but not in a bad way. Overall surprisingly tasty and earthy. On the short list of red wines I actually enjoy. The light carbonation helps accentuate the jammy fruitiness of the wine very well

I tried to pair this wine with my dinner of roasted spaghetti squash and chicken meatballs, but it did not taste great together. Instead of highlighting the savory-ness of the food, it just made it taste sour and strange.

Week 8, Wine Blog 2 (Barefoot Chardonnay)

                                                                   12 March, 2023

                                                       The Wine: Barefoot Chardonnay

Varietal: 100% Chardonnay  Region&Country: California, USA

Year: N.V. | Price: $2 (it's a split)

• Tasting notes according to Barefoot: "bright white wine with notes of crisp green apples, sweet peaches and highlights of honey and vanilla. More dry than sweet, Chardonnay delivers bold flavor with a smooth finish." (https://www.barefootwine.com/ourwines/cellars/000000000210066761.html?position=1)
• Wine Folly notes on Chardonnay: "One of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from lean, sparkling Blanc de Blancs to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak." "Notes of yellow apple, starfruit, pineapple, vanilla" (https://winefolly.com/grapes/chardonnay/)

Fresh grass, hay, and gasoline on the nose, enough to make my face pinch up. On the first sip the taste is sharp and hot, not much fruit flavor but notes of gas and chemicals. It has an earthy quality, kind of like dry dirt and dust got blown into my cup. The label said it had 13% alcohol , so that explains the hot quality. I had to dig deep to describe the vague flavors it had. Any fruit would be watered down apple juice from concentrate- bland and unnatural tasting.

I did not pair this wine with food. It was one dimensional and fleeting like the Pinot Noir from this brand. I don't think it would do anything to enhance food, other than get me drunk and make fast food sound really appealing.

Week 8, Wine Blog 1 (Barefoot Pinot Noir)

12 March, 2023

                                                          The Wine: Barefoot Pinot Noir

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir  Region&Country: California, USA

Year: N.V. | Price: $2 (it's a split)

• Tasting notes according to Barefoot: "medium-dry wine with fruity notes of red cherry layered with hints of raspberry jam and dark cherry. A touch of molasses balances the wine for a velvety mouthfeel and hint of sweetness. This wine pairs well with lamb, grilled salmon, and creamy pasta dishes" (https://www.barefootwine.com/our-wines/cellars/000000000210052150.html?position=1)
• Wine Folly notes on Pinot Noir: "the world’s most popular light-bodied red wine. It’s loved for its red fruit, flower, and spice aromas that are accentuated by a long, smooth finish." "Notes of cherry, raspberry, mushroom, clove, hibiscus." (https://winefolly.com/grapes/pinot-noir/)

Smells strongly of Greek yogurt, a little vanilla, yeast, and bread. Individually would be not terrible smells, but in combination is quite unpleasant Muscatel. Overwhelming top notes like someone smoked a cigarrettes and then breathed on me. Also if grape flavored yogurt was a thing. Ew! I got some vague hints of cherry, but it is overall one dimensional and bland. It had a hot sensation going down, and left nothing on the tongue after you swallow- no aromas.  Total experience averages out to when you go to a cherry farm and the wind strikes it wrong and you smell the rotting hot fruit on the ground.

I did not pair this wine with food, although I think this is one of those wines that could make the food worse by just being open in the same room. It lacked any dimensionality that could enhance food.

Week 7, Wine Blog 2 (Rinaldi Redream Sweet Red)

                                                                      5 March, 2023

                                                The Wine: Rinaldi ReDream Sweet Red

Varietal: 100% Malvasia Nera  Region&Country: Piedmonte, Italy

Year: N.V. | Price: $36 for the bottle at Wine Lab, $9 per glass

• Tasting notes according to Spirits and Spice: "Gorgeously fresh and frothy, with loads of cherry, honeysuckle, spice box and spring flowers, this is an exciting party wine that is brilliantly packaged, and I doubt a person can be found who would dislike it."  (https://spiritsandspice.com/products/rinaldi-redream)
• Meant to be drunk in its youth, about 6-12 months
• Wine Folly notes on Malvasia Fina (The white grape sibling to this Nera (red) varietal): "White peach, wildflowers, green almond, basil, seashell" (https://winefolly.com/grapes/malvasia-fina/)
• Malvasia Fina, or Boal, as it is known on the island of Madeira is one of the four main grapes used in Madeira production. In table wines, full aromatics and alcohol are of note."

 I had this wine at Boyer's Wine Lab as part of the "Slightly Sweet" flight of 3 wines. 

This is the first red wine that I have fully enjoyed drinking! I know it only sort of counts since it's a young, sweet red, but it was still delicious. On the nose it had heavy hits of muscatel, blackberry, and cherry jam. Lovely cooked fruit and pie smells. Boyer introduced me to the word "unctuous" while I was at the Wine Lab, and I think this wine's taste falls into that category- it really made my mouth water. It had a hearty, woody, and jammy body with a hint of something yeasty like fresh baked bread. The light fizz in this wine really helped to get the flavors around my mouth and keep things light and refreshing. This honestly might be one of my new favorite wines, period!

Like the blue Verdejo, I had this wine with a dip trio of whipped sundried tomato feta, hummus, and olive tapenade. In contrast to the previous wine, this one tasted delightful with all of the dips in that platter. It especially worked with the olive tapenade- the acidity of the olives just accentuated the heavier, jammy notes of the wine. Yum!

In the photos below, this wine is the red of the three (to the right of the neon blue one).

Week 7, Wine Blog 1 (Principe Verdejo Frizzante)

                                                                      5 March, 2023

                                                The Wine: Principe Verdejo Frizzante

Varietal: Verdejo  Region&Country: Rueda, Spain

Year: N.V. | Price: $28 for the bottle at Wine Lab, $7 per glass

• Source of blue color according to Taylor's Wine Shop: "In most cases the blue wine is a white wine, colored with a natural substance, called anthocyanins. It can also be obtained if you add a chemical called indigocin. This substance anthocyanin, is found in the skins of red grapes and in some fruits such as blackberries, plums or blueberries. Blue wines can also be obtained from rosé wines, or red wines, although it is normal to obtain white wines, usually dry." (https://taylorswineshop.com/products/principe-verdejo-frizzante)
• Tasting notes according to Ibero Wine: "Nose: tropical aromas and floral notes. Mouth: soft and pleasant with its touch of carbon." (https://www.iberowine.com/wine/principe-azul-frizzante-verdejo)
• Notes on Verdejo wines from Wine Folly: "flavors of lime, Meyer lemon, grapefruit, grass, fennel, and citrus blossom", "...continues to improve over several years of bottle-aging, where it gains a rich texture and flavors of toasted Marcona almonds, supported by sparkly acidity. The bitter flavors of grass and fennel come in on the finish and almost make the wine taste crunchy." (https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/tasters-guide-to-verdejo-wine/)

  I had this wine at Boyer's Wine Lab as part of the "Slightly Sweet" flight of 3 wines. I even got to meet Boyer and talk to him for a bit that night! 

The wine was startlingly, very very blue. Melted Jolly Rancher blue. It had an interesting nose- hints of things like citrus, shuttle pops, Windex, and blue raspberry candy. I wonder if it was psychosomatic though, since my brain has learned to expect that raspberry smell with things this color. The inital taste was similar to the smell- blue raspberry candy, sweet mandarin orange, and a hint of cherry. It also had a bit of a chemical/gasoline finish.  Overall, a very strange but tasty wine!

I paired this whole flight with a dip trio of whipped sundried tomato feta, hummus, and olive tapenade. This bright blue wine wasn't a great pairing, but of the three, I'd say it tasted best with the hummus. The starchiness of the hummus helped to ground the crazy flavors of the wine.

In the photos below, the wine is (obviously) the blue one in the center of the three. You can see a friend across from me was also brave enough to get a whole glass of it.

Week 6, Wine Blog 2 ( Castello del Poggio Moscato)

                                                                      Feb 26, 2023

                                                The Wine: Castello del Poggio Moscato

Varietal: Moscato  Region&Country: Pavia, Italy

Year: N.V. | Price: $14.99

• Tasting notes according to Catello's website: "Perfectly ripe grapes highlight the bright fruit expression of this delightful Moscato, beloved for its notes of fresh orange blossom flower, white peach and honey that lead to a crisp, lingering finish." (https://castellodelpoggio.com/wines/moscato-igt/)
• Notes on Moscato from Wine Folly: "Notes of Meyer lemon, mandarin orange, pear, orange blossom, honeysuckle" "[still Moscato] Wines are often dry to taste, but since the aromatics are so sweet and fruity your brain tricks you into thinking they’re sweet." (https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/moscato-wine/)

Another Moscato, which I'm learning is a favorite! Green apple, honey, pear, and gardenia on the nose- very fragrant. Top notes of apple, vanilla, plum- very "green" tasting. Middle has mineral and gasoline tastes, but not strong enough to make my face pinch up. Sweet honey/brown sugar finish. Aromas of orange blossom and ripe apples linger. Very yummy. Further confirms Moscato's as a favorite, even if they are typically sweet and fizzy. They're just so dang refreshing.

I paired this wine with pasta in red sauce and garlic bread. It was a nice offset to the heaviness of the food, and the acidity of the tomato sauce made everything pretty cohesive. Good pairing in my book!