Name: Weinkeller Erbach Flonheimer Adelberg
Variety: Silvaner
Region: Rheinhessen
Country: Germany
Year: 2010
Price: $18
Shop 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: This was the last wine of the day that I tasted, and it was a good one to end with. The wine smelled like peaches, and tasted like peaches and apricots. This wine was extremely sweet, and had I not have just drank three dry wines beforehand, it would have been too much. I could see this wine pairing well with some food, but by itself it would be far too sweet for me. Still, this was one of my favorites of the day, and will definitely drink it again.
Name: Montebuena Cuvee KPF
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $8.95
Shop review: 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.
My review: This wine smelled very strongly of blackberry with faint hints of black cherry, but then tasted more of black cherry than of blackberry. This wine had was fairly dry, but no so much that it detracted from the experience. I enjoyed this wine, and would definitely order it again.
Name: Anne Delaroche Cotes du Rhone
Variety: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache,
10% Mourvèdre
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
Shop 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!
My review: This wine smelled very creamy and buttery. These scents and tastes overpowered almost all of the other sensations, although it did taste slightly more fruity than it smelled. This wine was also very dry. I probably would not order this wine, as having a buttery red wine was strange to me, and not what I was expecting.
Name: Chakana Wines Maipe Torrentes
Variety: 100% Torrontes
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95
Shop 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 smelled and tasted strongly of honeydew, with some hints of apple. The strength of this white wine surprised me with my first taste, and had a noticeable kick. Despite the boldness, the aftertaste was fairly fruity and pleasant. I would order this wine again, although it is not a favorite.
Name: Cortenova Pinot Grigio
Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: Venezie
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $7.95
Shop 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: After a class lecture about how it is impossible to make wine from bananas, it was coincidental that the first wine I tasted at the Vintage Cellar in Blacksburg smelled somewhat like banana. It did not have a banana taste however, and instead had more of a pear taste. The aftertaste was stranger still, and it made my mouth dry, which was something I was not expecting from a white wine. I doubt I would ever order a glass of this.
My name is Chris Nesaw, and I am a Mechanical Engineering Undergrad at Virginia Tech. This is the first post in my wine blog for A Geography of Wine Class taught by professor Boyer. First, a brief background about myself and my history with wine. My first experience with wine was in Sonoma Valley, California. Although I was under the drinking age at the time, I was able to go on many of the winery tours throughout the area, such as the Kendall-Jackson and Korbel Wineries. It was here that I first learned the basics of wine and wine-making. While the rest of my family was tasting the local wines, I was left to my sparkling grape juice, which was fine with me. Wine is an acquired taste, and I had no inclination to try it after having spit out numerous times at family dinners. It wasn't until another family vacation shortly after my 21st birthday that I first began to like the taste. It was a selection of extremely lavish wine: white and red Barefoot Refresh and a few bottles of Sutter Home. I enjoyed it so much that I now make sure to have a bottle of wine on hand for home-cooked meals.
Most of the the wine I purchase is the bottom-shelf, sub $10 wine. My two go-to's are Barefoot and Sutter Home, both of which are family favorites. Neither of these wines have very distinct tastes, but I enjoy them and the price is hard to beat. I drink both red and white wine equally, and try to pair them with whatever I'm eating, typically red with steak and white with chicken and fish. Of all the wines I've tried, red zinfandel is my favorite. I like the heat of the wine, which i think pairs nicely with just about anything.
There are a number of reasons I took the Geography of Wine course, the most important of which is to get educated about wine. Right now when I go to buy a bottle, i typically only get what I've had before, which isn't much of a range. I'm hoping that I'll gain some tools that will help me to go shopping for wine with a bit more knowledge. I'm also looking forward to all the free win tastings that I'll be attending this semester. Hopefully by the end of the class, I'll have a few more favorites to add to my list.
