Wine Tasting: Oliver Apple Pie

Name: Oliver
Varietal: Apple Wine
Region: Bloomington, Indiana
Country: United States
Price: $7.95
Review: "You'll imagine they spent hours crushing and pressing fresh baked pies. You're almost right. For this seasonal wine, they painstakingly perfected the balance of tart, crisp, fresh apple and creamy sweet vanilla. Oliver Apple Pie wine features fresh-pressed, 100% apple wine (no concentrates!)."
My Review: This wine smelled like apple pie, I could clearly detect the scent of cinnamon, brown sugar, and crisp apples.  The wine tasted exactly like apple pie and I could clearly taste the cinnamon and sugar and apple, it also had a pine undertone. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Hawk Crest Red Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Hawk Crest Red Hills
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Lake County, California
Country: United States
Price: $8.95
Review: "From Stag's Leap winery this is textbook California Cabernet Sauvignon with dark fruit, red cherry and black pepper spice notes. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with inviting blueberry pie and coca flavors. Enjoy this wine with grilled rib eye steak with herb butter, braised beef short ribs, or black pepper-crusted ahi tuna."
My Review: The scent of this wine was cinnamon, cherry, and baking spices such as nutmeg. The wine had medium tannins, an oaky flavor, and a light stewed cherry taste. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Terra del Giglo

Name: Terra del Giglo
Varietal: Chianti (Sangiovese)
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Price: $6.95
Review: "This wine's shy nose eventually reveals black-skinned fruit and a whiff of baking spice, while the palate offers straightforward plum and clove flavors. It's easy-drinking and has mellow tannins."
My Review: This wine had a sweet brandy scent as well as a stewed cherry scent. The wine tasted like oak as well as sweet and tart cherry flavor. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Thorn-Clarke Mount Crawford Chardonnay

Name: Thorn- Clarke
Varietal: Mount Crawford Chardonnay
Region: Eden Valley
Country: Australia
Year: 2013
Price: $10.95
Wine Review:"Brilliant yellow. Dried pear, lemon zest, honeysuckle and a hint of vanilla on the fragrant nose. Fleshy and smooth on the palate, offering fresh melon, pear nectar and tangerine flavors and a hint of bitter quinine that adds back-end cut. Closes on a subtle lees note, showing very good energy and lingering citrus character."
My Review: To me this wine had a musty and earthy scent, which I did not like and was hesitant to try it. The taste of the wine was bit dry and it hand lemon, orange, and mango flavor. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Villa Pozzi Pinot Grigio

Name: Villa Pozzi
Varietal: Pinot Grigio
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Year: 2015
Price: $6.95
Wine Review:"This opens with delicate aromas reminiscent of white spring flower and a whiff of orchard fruit. On the palate, fresh acidity underscores creamy Bartlett pear and nectarine zest that lead to a clean, bright finish."
My Review: This wine had the scent of a crisp Granny Smith apple and lemon zest. The taste of the wine had a strong green apple flavor with a bit of a sour aftertaste and it was sweet from fruit. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Villa Pozzi Moscato

Name: Villa Pozzi

Varietal: Moscato 

Region: Sicily 

Country: Italy

Year: 2016

Price: $6.95 

Review: "This Moscato features aromas of fresh figs, apricot and orange blossoms. This crisp and refreshing wine is slightly effervescent, with a gentle sweetness that invites another glass." 

My Review: This wine was sweet on the nose and reminded me of the scent of sugar and orange blossoms. It was very light on the palate and tasted like bubblegum, however, it was crisp and sweet from fruit and I could make out the flavor of raspberry. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Elsa Binachi

Name: Elsa Binachi
Varietal: Malbec
Region: Mendozza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2015
Price: $9.95
Review: "This Malbec is red-violet in color, with aromas of plums and black cherries and a subtle, smoky scent. The beauty of Malbec in Argentina is its ability to combine a rich, weighty mouth-feel with a soft silkiness normally associated with lighter wines. Elsa Malbec takes the promise of the nose through to the palate, with dark fruits that mimics the aroma. The soft, supple palate and smooth tannins lead to a round and harmonious finish."
My Review: This wine smelled of oak, stewed cherry, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The wine was the slightest bit sweet and had tasted of red fruits, specifically cranberry. It had a very light tannic structure. I did not have food with this wine.

Wine Tasting: Skyfall Red Blend

Name: Skyfall
Varietal: Red Blend (55% Merlot, 22% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Mourvedre, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Grenache)
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Country:United States
Year: 2015
Price: $9.95
Review:"A blend of 55% Merlot, 22% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Mourvedre, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Grenache. Wonderful berry fruit on the nose with integrated oak notes woven throughout. On the palate black cherry and blackberries mingle with spices and oak notes. A broad and rich wine with a long elegant finish."
My Review: This wine smelled like cherry pie and oak. The taste of the wine was surprisingly dry and had hints of chocolate flavor. The tannins in the wine were not overwhelming. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Acronym Chardonnay

Name: Acronym
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: California (no region specified)
Country: United States
Year: 2013
Price: $6.95
Review: "Simple and soft, this Chard is a juicy, forward with hints of tropical fruit and a touch of vanilla. A nice acidity balances the rich fruit flavors."
My Review: The aromas that I detected in this Chardonnay were oak, acetone, and a floral scent that almost smelled liked orange blossom. The last of this wine was surprisingly sweet and reminded me of a fresh and crisp yellow apple. I did not have this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Clara Benegas Chardonnay

Name: Clara Benegas
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Mendozza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2016
Price: $8.95
Review:"A crisp, unoaked chardonnay with a hint of Sauvignon Blanc coming from the cold region of Mendoza in the Uco Valley. Clear and bright with greenish hues. On the nose it is fragrant and elegant with fresh citrus aromas as well as fruit such as passion fruit, pineapple and white pear. Soft on the mouth with gentle acidity and a marked, pleasant aftertaste. Enjoy with seafood dishes, white meats or simply as an aperitif."
My Review: This wine has a lemon scent as well as a granny smith apple and pear aroma. I was surprised with how dry the wine was and the flavor reminded me of a tart sour green apple. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine and Cheese Pairing #2

For the first pairing we had Fragile Rosé with Feta cheese. The Fragile Rosé is a 2016 vintage from Maury, France. The varietal of this rosé was not listed on the bottle. The scent of the wine was strawberry, cherry blossom, and raspberry. On it's own the wine was plain. It did not have a lot of flavor. It was very dry and acidic and had almost a burnt taste.

Feta and Rosé

I do not think that the rosé and the feta paired well together. The wine cut the saltiness of the feta and masked the flavor of the cheese. The feta made the wine more acidic. The wine was overpowering with the cheese. I think that the wine's acidity definitely overpowered the cheese and they did not complement one another.

Bonarda and Brie

For the second pairing we had Tilia Bonarda from Mendoza, Argentina with brie cheese. This Bonarda is described as showing "juicy raspberry fruit flavors and aromas with a touch of licorice and finishes with, soft round tannins." The wine had a strong stewed cherry scent, as well as hints of cinnamon, black pepper, and other baking spices. On it's own the wine had a surprisingly light taste with light tannins and a toasted buttery oak flavor.

When paired with the brie the Bonarda's tannic flavors were brought out. The Bonarda brought out  the creaminess of the brie. I think because the Bonarda had low acid that it did not pair well with the brie it did not cut through the creaminess it made the flavor of the cheese more overpowering. I think that the cheese overpowered the wine when it was paired together ,yes, it brought the tannins but it also diminished the other flavors in the wine which made it a bad pairing.

Tempranillo and Havarti

For our final pairing we had El Conrtijillo Tempranillo from the 2016 vintage paired with Havarti cheese. The Tempranillo had a cherry, earthy, vanilla, and tasted oak smell. On its own the wine tasted like stewed cherry and had light tannins and the taste reminded me of unsweetened iced tea.

The wine brought out the flavors of the havarti and made the cheese creamier, it did not impact the fattiness or saltiness of the cheese. The cheese brought out a stronger cherry flavor in the wine and brought out the tannins in it as well. The cheese definitely made the wine more fruity. This was not my favorite pairing because the cheese was too overpowering for the wine.

I was not a big fan of any of the pairings at this cheese and wine pairing. They just did not complement each other or balance each other. However, even though I wasn't a fan of the pairings it was still a fun night.

Wine Dinner #2

For our second Wine Dinner my friends and I decided to have a carb heavy meal, this was not the initial plan but as we curated the menu we realized it consisted of a lot of our favorite carbs.

My favorite paring breadsticks and Riesling

The first course in our dinner was bread sticks, that were coated in creamy garlic butter. Since these breadsticks had a creamy butter on them we decided to pair it with a white wine. We chose Hedgeline Vineyards  2016 Riesling from Washington state. The tasting notes of this Riesling said it"brings lovely aromas of ripe apricots and peaches to the nose, woven tighter by abundant fresh fruit flavor."

The Riesling had a subtle scent and I could detect hints of pear and orange. Tasted on it's own the Riesling was sweet from fruit. The flavors I could taste in the wine were pear and Granny Smith Apple. The wine was very smooth and had a heavy mouthfeel.

When paired with the breadstick the Riesling muted the garlic taste of the breadstick ,however, it enhanced the buttery fattiness of the breadstick. The acidity of the wine complemented the breadstick and made the flavor of the butter more rich. I did not think the Riesling overpowered the food and I do not think the breadstick overpowered the Riesling. They complemented each other really well. The butter on the breadstick helped to make the Riesling more tart and lessened the wine's sweetness. It was my favorite paring of the night.

Chicken parmesan,roasted potatoes, and Merlot

For our second course we had Chicken Parmesan and roasted potatoes with green pepper and onions. We paired the second course with Dr. Henry John Lindeman's 2016 Merlot from South Eastern Australia.  The wine had a strong cherry scent with hints of chocolate. On it's own the wine tasted of oak and dark chocolate and I could barely detect tannins in it.

When paired with the chicken and potatoes more of the oak flavor was brought out of the Merlot as well as hints of tobacco. I did not enjoy this paring.  The wine did not compliment the flavors of the dish it did not cut through the heaviness of the tomato sauce on the chicken and just made it taste worse.  The Merlot muted the flavors and saltiness in the chicken and the potatoes. It did nothing to the fattiness of the dish and instead the food brought out a stronger taste of cherry in the wine. The wine greatly overpowered the food in this case and when paired I could only make out the cherry oaky flavor of the wine and could barley detect the taste of the chicken and potatoes.  The food made the wine taste more bitter and it was just an underwhelming pairing.

It was so good we forgot to take a picture of the bottle before we finished it! 

Though it may not look good in the pictures this  the strawberry cheesecake and Rosa Regale Sparkling Red was an excellent paring

For our final pairing we had Sara Lee's Strawberry Cheesecake paired with Rosa Regale Sparkling Red. Rosa Regale Sparkling Red was the 2016 vintage and is from Montalcino, Italy. The wine notes describe it as  "a soft and deliciously luscious Red Sparkling Wine with charming hints of rose petals and raspberries."

The Sparkling Red scent remind me of bubblegum and rose petals. On it's own the wine was extremely sweet and tasted like bubblegum and raspberry. It was delicious and sweet with a hint of carbonation and was a perfect aperitif.

When paired with the strawberry cheesecake the flavors of raspberry and bubblegum in the wine were muted as well as the carbonation in the wine. However, the strawberry cheesecake perfectly complemented the wine and the wine perfectly complemented the cheesecake. They did not overpower one another. The acidity of the wine cut through the creaminess and richness of the dense cheesecake. The wine made the cake less sweet but also enhanced and brought out the flavor of the strawberries on top of the cake. Though the wine was sweet it was still a bit dry and the cheesecake cut through the dryness of the wine. Though both the cake and wine were sweet they were not too sweet for each other and the sweetness balanced each other. This was a good pairing and perfect for anyone that loves to indulge in sweets.

Overall my favorite pairing was the Riesling and the breadstick the wine and the butter complemented and enhanced one another. However, the meal as a whole was delicious and I cannot wait to continue to pair more wines with my favorite dishes.

We had such a fun night! 

Wine Tasting: Relax Cool Red Blend

Name: Relax
Varietal: Cool Red Blend (No varietals or percentages were available)
Region: Rheinhessen
Country: Germany
Year: Not Available
Price: $7.95
Wine Notes: "A pleasant alternative to traditional reds, RELAX Cool Red Blend is an approachable sweeter style red wine with flavors of black cherries and plums, complemented by soft tannins and a touch of velvety sweetness. Serve chilled."
My Review: This wine had a basil, pine, and musty scent to it. Based off of the scent I was afraid to try it but it was surprisingly delicious. The taste was sweet and it had hints of basil in it. I did not try it with food.

Wine Tasting: Terre dei Savoia Nebbiolo d'Alba

Name: Terre dei Savoia
Varietal: Nebbiolo d'Alba
Region:  Piedmont (Alba)
Country: Italy
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95
Wine Notes:"It perfume is quite complex, with spicy notes of cinnamon and vanilla, pleasant and characteristics; at the same time it is also fruity, with cherry and strawberry notes, and at the end we find dried fruit and a pleasant toasted almond aroma. The palate has an interesting structure, characterized by soft tannins, which together with alcohol and acidity create harmonic and elegant sensations."
My Review: This wine had a smoky cherry scent as well as a slight acidic scent. The taste of the wine reminded me of cedar and it was tannic and dry. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Eikeboom Pinotage

Name: Eikeboom
Varietal: Pinotage
Region: Western Cape
Country: South Africa
Year: 2015
Price: $8.95
Wine Notes: "This dark-colored 2015 possesses cranberry and cherry richness intermixed with some spice box, earth and herbs. It is fresh, medium-bodied and could be served chilled if readers desire, given its Beaujolais-like weight and texture."
My Review: This wine had a cherry scent with hints of chocolate and undertones of cedar. The taste of the wine reminded me of dark chocolate and it had light tannins and was dry. The wine left me with a dry mouthfeel. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Skyfall Pinot Gris

Name: Skyfall
Varietal: Pinot Gris
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Country: United States
Year: 2014
Price: $9.95
Wine Notes: "Pale straw in color with notes of mango, citrus blossom and tangerines on the nose. On the palate a medley of tropical fruit unfolds into mango, grapefruit and tangerine flavors. These tropical notes continue throughout the long and lingering finish."
My Review: This wine had a sweet, orange, and floral scent to it. This wine had a pleasant taste that reminded me of an orange and was slightly sweet. It also had hints of pear in the taste. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Wildlife Chardonnay

Name: Wildlife
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Swartland
Country: South Africa
Year: 2015
Price: $4.95
Wine Notes: "This unoaked Chardonnay is an accessible wine with the body of the Chardonnay grape but without the oak and buttery flavors often associated with this cultivar. The wine displays notes of orange rind, apple skin, crips pear and melony fruit in a medium-bodied naked style."
My Review: This wine had a sweet smell that remind me of a Granny Smith apple pie as well as sweet cream. The taste of the wine was surprisingly sweet as well as dry. It tasted like fresh apples and pears. It was very good and refreshing and would be perfect to sip on outside once the weather gets warm. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Villa Jolanda Moscato The Blue

Name:Villa Jolanda
Varietal: Moscato
Region: N/A
Country: Italy
Year:N/A
Price: $10.95
Wine Notes:"The nose has scent of ripe peaches. It is sweet with peach apricot and floral notes on the palate."
My Review: This wine looked like mouthwash and made me hesitant to try it. The scent of the wine was peach and it reminded me of canned peaches that come in syrup.  The wine had a light sparkling fizzy taste, which surprised me. It also had a peach taste and the flavor and sweetness reminded me of Kool Aid and a Fruit Roll Up. I did not try this with food.

Wine Tasting: Skyfall Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Skyfall
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Country: United States
Year: 2015
Price: $9.95
Wine Notes:"Inviting aromas of boysenberry, vanilla and dark chocolate swirl in the glass. Rich flavors of ripe black cherry coupled with hints of crème brûlée sugar crust and butterscotch weave through the palate. Balanced acidity and polished tannins on the finish."
My Review: This wine had a strong cherry smell and also a cedar wood scent. The taste of the wine was very earthy and bitter. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Tres Ojos

Name: Tres Ojos
Varietal: Garnacha
Region:Calatayud
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price:$6.95
Wine Review by Stephen Tanzer: "Bright purple. Blackberry, plum and peppery spice aromas exhibit good vibrancy and power. Firm cherry and dark berry flavors are subtly accented by a peppy nuance, picking up a hint of licorice with air. A candied plum note lingers on the warm finish, which is firmed by gentle tannins."
My Review: This red wine had the scent of cherry, oak and dark blackberry. It did not have an overwhelming taste and was hard to pick up most of the flavors. It was smooth and had light tannins and the mouthfeel reminded me of cardboard. I really enjoyed this Garnacha. I did not try this with food.

Wine Tasting: Ch Montauriol Rigaud Corbieres Rose

Name: Ch Montauriol Rigaud
Varietals: Blend of Grenache and Syrah (percentage was not specified)
Region: Corbieres
Country: France
Year: 2016
Price:$7.95
Wine Notes: "The white raspberry and peach notes have a creamy but fresh profile in this rosé. Hints of spice and apricot meld together on the lingering finish."
My Review: This wine had a very subtle sent but I could detect a hint of sweetness that reminded me of candy. The taste of the wine was subtle as well it had a floral and raspberry taste. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting: Maipe Torrontes

Name: Maipe
Varietal: Torrontes
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2016
Price: $7.95
Wine Notes: "This is an aromatic floral Torrents with hints of air freshener and bath oil on the nose. A palate with zesty acidity frames crisp flavors of citrus pulp and peel. A racy finish tastes of lime before showing patented varietal bitterness."
My Review: This wine had a strong scent of pear with hints of lemon and minerality. The taste was surprisingly bitter and dry and also had strong hints of pear. I did not try this wine with food.