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!

Week 6, Wine Blog 1 (Takara Hana Sake, White Peach)

  Feb 26, 2023

                                           The Wine: Takara Hana Sake, White Peach flavor

Varietal:  Rice Wine, rice from Sacramento Valley  Region&Country: Berkley, California (Sake is originally made in Japan)

Year: N.V. | Price: $13.75

• Tasting notes according to Takara Sake website: "just-ripe white peaches in cream, full bodied, and sweet" (https://www.takarasake.com/sites/default/files/hana-white-peach.gif)
• Notes on sake tasting from Nippon: "identifying notes of apple, pear, dried herbs, grain, vanilla, cedar", "The flavor of good nihonshu is a balanced mixture of sweetness, acidity, astringency, bitterness, and (most importantly, perhaps) umami" Aromas should have "The fragrance of fruit, such as apple, pear, banana, lychee, and lemon, may combine with floral, herbal, grainy, or woody notes. Sake that has matured for three years or more can take on the fragrance of oranges, plums, or nuts. " (https://www.nippon.com/en/guide-to-japan/gu002004/)
• From Wine Folly: Sake is involved in the rigorous testing to become a sommelier, and must be identified and understood the same way grape wines are. (https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/wine-sommelier-levels-what-they-mean/)

I have been told that we are allowed to do a couple non-grape wines per semester! I have never tried sake, but heard many good things from friends and family. I like that it has a lower ABV, since higher percentages tend to hurt my stomach. The nose was hard to read, but past the peachiness, it had a lovely heavy scent of cooked rice and mochi. Flavor wise, this one was very white peach forward as expected, which I loved, but I know there is more to sake than its added flavoring. It had light notes of wood, something fragrant like cedar, as well as heavy cream and honey crisp apples. The finish was sweet and creamy, but not too heavy. It had a very smooth texture and felt light compared to the way some grape wines sit when I drink them. I will definitely try this again sometime.

I did not pair this wine with food, since I wanted to experience sake without the interference of food for the first time, but it seems like an absolutely refreshing drink for heavy, umami meals like soup or beef.

Week 5, Wine Blog 2 (Segura Viudas Brut Rose)

 Feb 19, 2023

                                                             The Wine: Segura Viudas Brut Rose

Varietal: 40% Trepat, 40% Pinot Noir,  20% Grenache | Region&Country: Catalonia, Spain

Year: N.V. | Price: $6.99

• Tasting notes according to Segura Viudas: "Youthful fruit aromas of strawberry, redcurrant and grenadine. Refreshing on the palate, full of cherry fruit and a light acidity. A soft finish to the back of the palate ." (https://seguraviudas.com/usa-en/products/cavas/brut-rose/)
• Wine Folly notes on Rose's: "bright acidity and soft, subtle aromas of crabapple, watermelon, raspberries, strawberries, and wet stone. The grape can produce earthy-but-elegant wines that are cool, crisp, and dry." (https://winefolly.com/tips/guide-styles-of-rose-wine/)

    Okay, so I bought this wine just before watching the lecture video that told me what "brut" meant, and you know I don't like most dry wines. The prosecco was a lucky strike. This wine smells like straight up dirty dish water, with no pleasant floral or fruity notes. The taste had a significant yeasty quality, enough so that my friend and I wondered if we bought a spoiled bottle. Tasted exactly as it smelled- like the Ohio River. I tried hard to get past these pungent notes but I was really getting nothing else. The "Brut" nature of it meant there was no redeeming sweetness, just strange dish stink.

I did not pair this wine with food, and thank God for that! Hopefully there is a better rose out there for me to try- only then will I even consider pairing it with food.

Week 5, Wine Blog 1 (Risata Prosecco)

 Feb 19, 2023

                                                      The Wine: Risata Prosecco

Varietal: 100% Glera | Region&Country: Veneto, Italy

Year: N.V. | Price: $5.99

• Tasting notes according Risata's Website: "aromas of peach and pear that lead into juicy flavors of Pink Lady apple, citrus and white peach" (https://www.risatawines.com/wine/prosecco/)
• Wine Folly notes on Italian Prosecco: Flavors of green apple, honeydew, pear, lager, and cream. Has medium-high acidity. Italy's number one sparkling wine- take that Champagne!

This wine had a very refreshing nose of apples, raspberry, and other fresh green plants. It had a powerful mineral top note, but with the following tastes of apple and honey, it felt balanced. As  I have said before, I'm not usually too big on dry wines, but this one was very well balanced and flavorful rather than mouth puckering. It seemed to taste sweeter the more I sipped on it. Despite having 11% alcohol, it did create a warm feeling in my chest after drinking it.

I did not pair this wine with food, but I imagine it would be a nice pairing for something fatty and full bodied, like smoked meats or funky cheese. I would definitely like to drink this wine again!

Week 3, Wine Blog 2 (Dear Mom Oregon Rose)

                                                                         Feb 5, 2023

                                                      The Wine: Dear Mom Oregon Rose

Varietal: 50% Syrah 50% Malbec Blend | Region&Country: Applegate Valley, Oregon, USA

Year: N.V. | Price: $3.99

• Tasting notes according to Dear Mom website: Mouthful of bright fruit. The nose shows fresh picked strawberries with the stem still attached. Vibrant with a subtle floral tone. The palate is bright with characteristics of strawberries and watermelon sorbet. (https://dearmomwine.com/pages/shopper)
• Wine Folly notes on Syrah Rose's: "The ‘Saignée Method’ is typically used in making American Syrah rosé, which means it will have deeper colors of ruby and notes of white pepper, green olive, strawberry, cherry, and peach skin —definitely on the funky side." On the bolder end of the spectrum (https://winefolly.com/tips/guide-styles-of-rose-wine/)

      I also got this wine as a split (or rather, a can). I was not a huge fan of how dry it was, but I still enjoyed the other notes I could detect. It didn't say "brut" anywhere, so I was not expecting it to be 100% dry like it is. It had a chemical nose, something like gasoline, which was off-putting, but it had a vegetal, fruity body like fresh grass and strawberries/raspberries. It also had an almost savory finish, that I can only describe as yeasty. Despite this, I still found it pretty refreshing and tasty! The strange combination worked out nicely.

I didn't pair this one with food, but I think it was better that way. It had a lot of strange flavor and aroma combinations that I think would have been overshadowed by food. However, I've seen lots of girls my age do whole charcuterie spreads paired with rose, so maybe I'll try that with whatever rose I get next.

Week 3, Wine Blog 1 (Villa Jolanda 'I Love You' Vino Spumante)

  

                                                                      Feb 5, 2023

                                     The Wine: Villa Jolanda 'I Love You' Vino Spumante

Varietal: 100% Muscat Blanc Blend | Region&Country: Piedmont, Italy

Year: N.V. | Price: $7.99

• Tasting notes according to Vivino: minerals, honey, earthy, citrus, marmalade, elderflower (https://www.vivino.com/US/en/villa-jolanda-saint-valentine-i-love-you-spumante-vino-da-tavola/w/5378431)
• Wine Folly description of Asti Spumantes: sparkling Italian wine, one of the sweeter wines you can get, highly perfumed and frothy (https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/sparkling-italian-wine/)

I have finally realized I should just be buying splits, and they definitely save me money on tastings, so I will definitely continue from here out. This wine had an interesting sweet nose, a little on the funky-sweet side rather than candy-sweet. The body was light and not acidic, but also not very complex. It had hints of peach, honey, citrus, and fresh green grapes. Nothing really on the finish. It also seemed to have a LOT of carbonation- enough to froth up for several seconds before looking like liquid when I poured.

I had this wine with some fruits and soft cheeses like brie and goat cheese. It was a nice pairing: very summery and light. The bubbly wine made the flavor of everything pop, and the sweetness was nice to balance out the tart fruit.