Wine Tasting: FORK & CORK

This past Saturday, we had the privilege of going downtown, seeing a bunch of my friends, and getting to spend time with my girlfriend, all while drinking copious amounts of wine! I had been to Brew-Do last semester, and expected Fork and Cork to work similarly, but I was happily surprised to find that you didn't need to only pick ten wines to taste, because you could go to as many booths and taste as many wines as you wanted! I tasted more than 70 wines, but only wrote about some of the more interesting ones.

My Girlfriend and I at Fork and Cork

The driest wine I had at Fork and Cork was the Petit Verdot from Lazy Days Winery. It was so dark, tannic, and dry, that I could barely get any kind of fruit components out of it. Would probably be very good if it was aged first, since it was so dark and bold having just been corked.

The smoothest wine I had all day came from Amrhein's Wine Cellars. It was called ruby, a blended wine made from many different white and red grapes. It smelled very much like cocoa beans, and tasted almost like chocolate covered strawberries. And I don't mean it had hints of some smells that might have been chocolate strawberries, I mean that it smelled like i was holding my nose over a chocolate fondue bowl filled with fruit. I don't know how they managed that with just grapes, but it was impressive.

I also got to try pumpkin mead for the first time from Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery. It smelled very much like pumpkin spice, and tasted like pumpkin french toast, since it was fairly sweet.

The sweetest wine of the day was the bosa bag from White Rock Vineyards and Winery. They were wines in a bag, but tasted like fermented citrus juice, somehow in a good way. It almost tasted like a margarita, and could easily see how mixing tequila with it would be really good. It would't be the first time we've tried that, and it would probably be even better in this.

The best white wine of the day was the Squires Blend from Saude Creek Vineyards. It had a watermelon-jolly rancher taste, but wasn't overly sweet. It was acidic, tart, and really smooth.

The best red wine of the day was the Bordeaux blend from Trump Winery. It was dark, tannic, peppery, with lots of dark berry flavor, everything I look for in a red wine. If I had to use one word to describe it, it would be rustic. Would pair really well with pasta sauce.

The most interesting of the day was by far the Devils Kiss from Peaks of Otter. It smelled extremely peppery, but even the nose on it did not give away how hot this wine was. I've had and love almost all sorts of spicy food, from the hottest wings at Bdubs to pepper sauces that catch your mouth on fire, and this wine was far and away hotter than anything I've ever tasted. It took a good ten minutes for the hotness to go away, even after downing a bottle of water. Would definitely recommend.

I paired the Mountain Rose Cabernet Franc with a lamb and steak gyro from The Cellar. Going to their website, it actually says that the Cab Franc pairs well with greek, which is what I chose to pair it with. Its good to know that I can apply what I've learned in class! The tannins from the wine were cut down by the sauce in the gyro, and like almost all red wines, went well the steak and lamb.

Wine Tasting: Trentadue 34 Old Patch Red Lot 36

Name:  Trentadue Old Patch Red Lot 36
Variety: 85% Zinfandel,  15% Petite Sirah

Region: California

Country: United States
Year: 2011
Price: $15

Shop review: The Old Patch Red Lot #36 is a blend of 85% Zinfandel and 15% Petite Sirah. This one is fruity, juicy and bursting with wild raspberry sweetness. A brambly, underbrush earthiness cuts through the sweet fruit to produce a wine with a bit more character. Not as one-note as the price would suggest. Good Juice!

My review:  This was the first wine I ever bought from the Vintage Cellar, back when we went to the Saturday wine tastings because the wine class Thursday tastings didn't exist yet. Prior to this, the most expensive wine I had ever bought was a seven dollar bottle of sparkling Barefoot Refresh. It really blew me away how rich and bold the wine was, because I had never had anything like it. It instantly became one of my all time favorites, but every week I tried a new wine, and my tastes became more refined. Fast forward to the end of the semester, after almost completing the wine class and learning a lot about wine and my palette. Even after tasting so many other wines, some three of four times more expensive, this is still the best wine I've ever had. It is an intensely dark, red black color, which I now know means that there is a good chance that it is bold and tannic, and bold and tannic it is, although it has a very round taste with lots of fruit. I get dark cherry, plum, pepper, some oak, and a good amount of bell pepper on the nose and to taste. This wine also has a long, jammy finish to it. The first time I had this was with spinach and mushroom tortellini, and the second time with steak fajitas. Both times, it paired excellently with the food. I look forward to seeing their 2012 Vintage, which is supposed to be an even better year than 2011 in California.

Wine Tasting: Achaval Ferrer Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon

Name:  Achaval Ferrer
Variety: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina
Year: 2011
Price: $50

Shop review: This racy, supple Cabernet boasts a pure core of raspberry, cassis and black cherry coulis notes fortified by bright acidity and a firm, minerally backbone. Long, offering fine tannins and an aftertaste of crushed berries and graphite. Drink now through 2016.

My review:  On sale for $25. Again, I was hoping that this wine would be good, because I was looking to get a case of something to age, but this was fairly disappointing as well. It was very dry and tannic, which I liked, but it didn't have much flavor other than some hints of blackberry and cherry. I've had better wines that were much cheaper, even when compared to the sale price.

Wine Tasting: Trimbach Riesling

Name:  Trimbach 
Variety: Riesling

Region: Alsace

Country: France
Price: $44

Shop review: Beautiful straw color with green edges. Fine mineral fragrance with ginger, caraway seed, under-ripe pineapple and flowers. Flavors of white peach, quince and lemon on the palate with a lingering, clean and dry finish.

My review:  375mL on sale for $12. I asked for a dry Riesling, and this is what I got. The wine was indeed very dry, with lots of dried fruit on the nose and to taste. It also had a bit of a crisp, minerally tinge to it. I enjoyed this wine, but I've had others that were just as good, but cheaper. 

Wine Tasting: Latour Marsanny Pinot Noir

Name:  Latour Marsanny
Variety: Pinot Noir

Region: Cote d'Or

Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $35

Shop review: Light medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; reduction, floral, tart red fruit nose; tasty, tart red fruit, floral, mineral palate; needs 2 years; medium-plus finish.

My review:  On sale for $18. I really wanted to like this wine, but in the end, I couldn't justify purchasing it. The wine was pretty earthy with some hints of berry, but it just sort of fell flat. I was expecting much more of a punch for a wine that should have been $35. 

Wine Tasting: Hacienda Gewurztraminer

Name:  Hacienda 
Variety: Gewurztraminer

Region: Sonoma Valley, California

Country: United States
Price: $12

Shop review: Excellent with fruit, soft cheeses, and roast turkey. 

My review:  This was the first wine I had during the Vintage Cellar's blowout sale. The wine  smelled strongly of  pear and apricot, and tasted citrusy. For only five bucks on sale, I would say this was a pretty good wine.

Winery Tour: Chateau Morrisette

This past weekend my girlfriends and I ventured out to Chateau Morrisette, which is a winery in Floyd, Virginia, which is about an hour away from Virginia Tech. We tried to get there in time to do the tour before the tasting, but got there a little late and had to do the tasting first. 

The wine building

Wine tasting bar inside

The man who poured our tastings for us was extremely knowledgeable about all of the wines that Chateau Morrisette offered, even about the ones that weren't on the tasting menu. We were able to try 15 wines, which was five more than what was on the menu. If anyone asked about a certain wine that wasn't on the main tasting list, he would gladly pour it for us. Chateau Morrisette was almost the exact opposite of Attimo, which wad previously visited. At Attimo, all of their reds were very good, while their whites were fairly bland. At Morrisette, the opposite was true. Even though reds are typically my favorites, the ones we tasted were all pretty tasteless, all lacking a good tannic structure. My favorites of the day were the cherry and blackberry wines, the Angel Chardonnay and Vidal Blanc, and their fortified Heritage wine. 

The wine tasting menu. The rest of their selections were on the back.

This was the first time I had ever had non-grape fruit wines, and they were all pretty good. We tried the cherry and blackberry wines, which each tasted like their respective fruits, unsurprisingly. Our server recommended using the cherry wine when cooking dessert, which I thought was a great idea, and plan to do so. The blackberry wine tasted like blackberry cobbler. I ended up buying a bottle of this at a later date, and mixed it with some red zinfandel. It was actually very good mixed with an extremely bold and tannic wine. My favorite of the day was the Heritage wine, which was fortified with brandy and aged in oak for 27 months. It was very dark and smoky and alcoholic, but was very smooth and even a little sweet. Although it was also pretty expensive, so I opted to take home a bottle of the Angel Chardonnay. Typically, I find chardonnay to be very bland and unispiring, but this was mixed with small parts of riesling, viogner, and vidal blanc, and was very good. It might even be one of the best white wines I've ever had. Afterwards, we sat out on the patio while my date drank a glass of wine and I watched. Someone had to be the designated driver. 

                                                

My date and I.

After we finished tasting the wine, we went a a quick tour of the winery. The loading and storage area for all of the barrels of wine was in a large room behind the tasting room. We learned that the entire building was made from reclaimed wood, and when it was built was the largest reclaimed building in the world. The dog on the label of all of their wines was inspired by Hans, the family dog, who drank all of the wine spills and sat around in their cellars drunk all day. Most of their wines were fermented in large steel tanks, and then aged in either American or French oak, depending on the wine. Only 10% of their wines come from their own vineyards, while the rest come from other areas in Virginia.

                                                  

Fermentation tanks

In the back of the building, we were shown where they bottle, label, and package the wine. On operation days, they can process over 20 thousand bottles of wine. This occurs year-round, because different wines come of age at different times.

Bottling room

I had a lot of fun at Chateau Morrisette, and would definitely go back. Now I know two great places in Virginia to get wine!

Wine Dinner: Wine and Food Pairing Date Night

A few weeks ago, my girlfriend and I somehow ended up with three different bottles of wine, and figured it would be the perfect time to complete on of the wine dinners. 

Wines of the Evening

The first wine we had was a Peter Mertes Platinum Riesling from Pflaz Germany, which we paired with brie and rosemary and olive oil crackers. The wine was fairly sweet, and smelled like honeysuckle and flowers, and was pretty bubbly, but not overly sweet, which I found surprising for a German Riesling. The wine paired extremely well with the cheese, although the crackers were a bit strong, and some of the flavor of the cheese was lost behind the very noticeable rosemary taste of the crackers. Otherwise, this was a very good pairing.

Brie, rosemary crackers, and Riesling

Next, we had the main course with an Entrada Malbec. We made cheddar turkey burgers, which had cheddar cheese mixed in with the ground turkey, which was then topped with avocado and tomato and served with sauteed zucchini. The Entrada Malbec was very warm and vegetal, which paired extremely well with the turkey, avocado, and zucchini, while the cheddar cheese melded well with the wine helped balance out the high amount of tannins. I would say that this was an even better paring than the Riesling and brie, and definitely the best of the night.

Turkey Cheddar Avocado Burgers with Malbec

The burgers were very thick

The last pairing of the night was Ghirardelli Cabernet Matinee Chocolate with Sycamore Lane Cabernet Sauvignon. The chocolate was really dark, with 72% cocoa, and had grape and raspberry flavors mixed in with the chocolate itself. The chocolate was very good, however, it didn't pair well with the Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was very earthy and peppery, while the chocolate was really fruity. It would have been better with a Cabernet Franc than the Sauvignon, which was probably what the name was supposed to suggest. 

Ghirardelli Cabernet Matinee with Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine Tasting: Chateau Morrisette Heritage

Name:  Chateau Morrisette Heritage
Variety: Chambourcin, Tannat, Fortified with Brandy

Region: Virginia

Country: United States
Year: 2011
Price: $40

Shop review:  The wine was brightened with a bit of fresh Chambourcin, while the structure was augmented with the addition of Tannat.  Entrancing aromas of plum and black cherry presage the intensely fruity entry, layered with the character of black tea, baking spices, vanilla and cocoa.  The texture of this deep ruby colored full-bodied wine is silky and emollient; lingering aromas will persist on the palate.  Like all Port-style wines, heritage is fortified and finished sweet, and pairs well with chocolate. 

My review:  Extremely oaky, vanilla flavored, and earthen on the nose, which makes since it was aged for 27 months in oak and fortified with brandy. The wine was somewhat spicy, with raspberry cinnamon, and cocoa bean flavor, and very alcoholic (18%). Our tasting guide said to pair this with cayenne-chocolate, which seems like an excellent idea. I enjoyed this wine quite a bit, and would even say it was my favorite of the day. 

Wine Tasting: Chateau Morrisette Blackberry Wine

Name:  Chateau Morrisette Blackberry Wine
Variety: No Grapes, Only Blackberry

Region: Virginia

Country: United States
Price: $11

Shop review: Sweet and smooth, our Blackberry Wine is packed with the vibrant fruitiness of succulent, sun drenched berries. Made from 100% blackberries. 

My review:  I was very much looking forward to this wine, since blackberry is my favorite berry. Of course, it smelled like blackberries, but also smelled a little sweet. The tasting guide we had described it as "sweet, smooth, and vibrant," and I would have to agree. It was like eating a blackberry cobbler. I enjoyed this wine very much, and have already bought a bottle of it. 

Wine Tasting: Chateau Morristte Cherry Wine

Name:  Chateau Morrisette Cherry Wine
Variety: No Grapes, Only Cherries

Region: Virginia

Country: United States
Price: $11

Shop review: This wine pairs well with spicy grilled meats and is simply amazing with chocolate.  Try drizzled over pound cake for dessert!  Serve lightly chilled.

My review:  This was the first non-grape wine I had ever had, and it was surprisingly good. It smelled like a bowl full of cherries, unsurprisingly, and very sweet. Surprise, it tasted like cherries. It was not acidic at all, and had a very round texture. It had an extremely long cherry finish, almost like a cough syrup that actually tasted good. The server recommended replacing water with this when baking deserts, and I could easily see how that would be a fantastic idea. Would easily get this again, if only to try that. 

Wine Tasting: Chareau Morrisette Our Dog Blue

Name:  Chateau Morrisette Our Dog Blue
Variety: Riesling, Traminette, Vidal Blanc

Region: Virginia

Country: United States
Price: $11

Shop review: This popular white wine is a semi-sweet Riesling-Traminette blend, using Vidal Blanc for added depth. Aromas of melons, citrus fruits, apricots, and delicate flowers highlight the soft finish of this soothing wine.  

My review:  This wine was also very smooth, but lacked some of the flavor and boldness that the similar Angel Chardonnay had. It smelled very much like melon, mostly cantaloupe and honeydew. It tasted somewhat sweet, and was very light. I enjoyed it, but like I said, the flavors in this were much more muted than in the Angel Chardonnay. 

Wine Tasting: Chateau Morrisette Angel Chardonnay

Name:  Chateau Morrisette Angel Chardonnay
Variety: Primarily Chardonnay, with Vidal Blanc, Riesling, and Viognier

Region: Virginia

Country: United States
Price: $13

Shop review: Featuring citrus and pineapple aromas, this light Chardonnay delights the taste buds with a soft entry, entrancing apple character, and lingering acidity. A fruit forward wine bestowed with a heavenly smooth finish, Angel is a blend of tank and barrel fermented Chardonnay, lightened with Vidal Blanc.  

My review:  This was easily the best "Chardonnay" I've ever had. I know it really shouldn't count, because it is blended and not a varietal Chardonnay, but I was very impressed with this. The wine smelled somewhat fruity, with some citrus and pineapple, and was very refreshing after tasting some fairly lackluster reds right before this. The wine was extremely smooth, with a small amount of acidity with the fruit. I enjoyed it so much that this was the wine that I ended up selecting at the end of the day.

Wine Dinner: Wine and Food Pairing Party

My girlfriend's running buddies held a wine tasting dinner party a few weeks ago (or months now, this took forever to finish and post), and I was invited to attend. There were a total of seven wines, each paired with a different appetizer. There was a good sized crowd that showed up, and we put all 14 bottles to good use.

My date and I.

The Menu, listing each wine and what it was to be paired with.

The group photo.

The first pairing was Bluestone Chardonnay with shrimp dip and chips. The chardonnay was fairly bland and acidic, but the acidity did go nicely with the cheese and shrimp in the dish. I'm not a fan of chardonnay, which is mostly why I didn't like this wine. The dip was excellent though.

Bluestone Chardonay

Cream cheese dip and potato chips

The next pairing was Kilaurwen Riesling with shrimp cocktail. This pairing was alright, not helped by the fact that this wine was fairly bland too. It had hints of citrus, which is why the paring was OK, but didn't have any richness to it. The shrimp was good of course, but the two together didn't really stand out to me. 

Kilaurwen Riesling

The third pairing was Cupcake Pinot Grigio with pepper jack cheese and brie. Like the previous two wines, this one didn't have a bold taste either that stood out over the food we were eating, but the acidity did pair well with the cheese. The light, fruity wine balanced out the spicy pepper jack fairly well.

The fourth wine was Turning Leaf Pinot Noir, our first red of the evening (finally).  It was paired with both firecracker shrimp and spicy beef that was taken out from P.F. Chang's. The wine was fairly light and mellow for a Pinot, with lots of fruit and berry flavors, which was disappointing after having three light whites. It paired well with the spicy shrimp dish, but a darker red would have been better with the steak.

Turning Leaf Pinot Noir

Pairing number five was a Mandolin Merlot with pulled pork. The wine was fairly smokey and peppery with some hints of cherry, but following the trend of the evening, was not very dark. The paired well with the barbecue pork, which was very good, but again, it could have been darker and more tannic.

The meat aisle.

After the first five light wines, I was relieved when we finally got to the darker, bolder stuff. Maybe I was just sick of light wines by this point in the night, but the Cooper Cabernet Franc was far and away my favorite. There was lots of blackberry and raspberry flavor, with strong tannins. It was paired with cheddar cheese, which the wine cut through extremely well. 

2010 Cooper Cabernet Franc

The last wine was a Cooper Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was earthy and woody, with some plum and dark berry flavors. It was paired with Italian style meatballs, which were definitely my favorite food of the night. They paired especially well with the wine, which is to be expected for such a tomato sauce- heavy dish. 

Balls of meat, in sauce.

After seven wines, it was amazing that I remembered an of this to even write about it (which should explain why my wine descriptions are not nearly as detailed as usual), but it was a surprisingly fun time with some really great food.

Wine Tasting: Heinz Eifel Shine

Name: Heinz Eifel Shine
Variety: Riesling

Region: Pfalz

Country: Germany
Year: 2013
Price: $10

Shop review:  This drier-styled Riesling is bright, fruity and floral with crisp acidity and clean flavors of apple, pear and peach that compliment its stony minerality and earthy complexity. It serves well as an aperitif and matches a wide variety of foods, like lighter salad dishes, shellfish, cream sauces and also anything with a touch of spice.

My review:  Peach and melon nose. The wine was sweet, but not so much that it wasn't enjoyable. Tasted mostly of peach and honey.

Wine Tasting: Atlas Cumbres Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Atlas Cumbres
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Lagarde

Country: Argentina
Year: 2010
Price: $15

Shop review:  Intense red color with violet highlights, with clean, fresh and complex aromas of berries, plums, figs and pepper. Strong personality is in perfect balance with a medium body and pleasant tannins. Ideal for: red meats, cheeses and strong sauces.

My review:  Smelled of blackberry and raspberry. Had an earthy, woody taste at first, as well as black cherry. Bold flavors, tannic, with a strong finish. I enjoyed this wine, but it was nothing remarkable.

Wine Tasting: Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau (2)

Name:  Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau
Variety: Gamay

Region: Beaujolais

Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $15

Shop review: Balanced and lightly creamy, offering pretty flavors of plum sauce and raspberry coulis threaded with hints of ground spice. Elegant, with a floral finish. Drink now.

My review:  This is the second time I've tasted this wine. I said in my previous post that I would be interested in trying it again, because it was so complex. I regret that decision. Before, I had tasted menthol, plum, and raspberry jam, where as this time I tasted what I could only describe as a forest floor that was littered with raspberries. There was not much flavor, but there was a strong alcohol finish. It also smelled like dark cherry and feet, which wasn't the most appetizing thing in the world. After two tries, I can say that I would not get this wine.