Rosemount Estate Moscato

Name: Rosemount Estate Moscato

Variety: 100% Muscat

Region: South Eastern Australia

Country: Australia

Year: 2012

Price: $12, sale -- $3.95

Winery Review: Clear, medium-lemon yellow in apppearance; lovely citrus and honeysuckle aromas with lemon, honeysuckle, apple, and ripe yellow plum flavours. Serve chilled with angel food cake or fresh fruit and mild cheeses. 
My Review: I found a serious love for Moscato. This have become my favorite wines! On the nose, I smelled honey, peaches, nectarines, and lemon. When I tasted the wine, there were flavors of honey, melon, and  a hint of plum. It was crisip and easy to drink. This was my favorite wine from this week! 

Food Pairing: None

Angove Viogner

Name: Angove Viognier

Variety: 100% Viognier

Region: South Australia

Country: Australia

Year: 2009

Price: $15, sale-- $5.95

Winery Review:  Bright light straw in colour with some green hues, this wine has a lush ripe tropical fruit aroma. This is a fuller bodied white which fills the mouth with heady flavours of apricot, peach and citrus.  Angove Nine Vines Viognier is perfect for today's relaxed life-style and is the ideal accompaniment to grilled prawns with chilli and garlic or roast pork.
My Review: On the nose, I smelled hint of honey, melon, and floral. The taste of the wine was similar to the smell but everything was dry and sour. I think the sour made the wine a little spicy. It was an interesting wine, not my favorite but still good. 

Food Pairing: None

Ironstone Old Vine Zinfandel

Name: Ironstone Old Vine Zinfandel 

Variety: Zinfandel

Region: Lodi

Country: California

Year: 2011

Price: $15, sale - $7.95

Winery Review: Grown in vineyards that are over 45 years old, this medium-bodied Zin has exceptional varietal character with lovely aromas of dark fruit and blackberry. Subtle pepper spice mingles with richly concentrated fruit flavors of blackberry, ripe plums and fresh red raspberries. Barrel aging created its smooth, silky finish and unprecedented depth.  A wonderful wine pairing for variety of dishes. Any type of meat - whether its pork, beef or game - is ideal with this wine. Cioppino is another amazing complement or try it with tomato-based pastas, hearty stews or a plate of strong, aged cheeses.
My Review: The smell of the wine surrounded darker fruit. I smelt blackberries, cherries, and plums. The taste was very similar with the addition of raspberries and blueberries. There was sweetness to this wine that I liked. However, at the wine was really dry and the aftertaste felt my mouth extremely dry. The midpart of the wine tasting was great, it was the ending and after that left my mouth dry. 

Food Pairing: None

Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico

Name: Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico

Variety: 100% Gagliopoo

Region: Calabria

Country: Italy

Year: 209

Price: $14, sale -- $3.95

Winery Review:  Don’t let the pale garnet color fool you:  this is a substantial wine.  Aromas of red fruits and spice complement undertones of cranberries, wild berries, and plums.  On the palate, ripe tannins and good body make for an incredibly rich, yet easygoing red wine.  Pair this wine with sausage, spicy curry sauces, hot soppressata, and tandoori chicken.
My Review: This wine had scents of blackberry, cherry, and black pepper. The taste was not similar to the smell, which was odd. I tasted cranberries, which were overwhelming. The wine was, also, way too dry for me. I was not a fan of this wine. 

Food Pairing: None

Yealands Estate

Name: Yealands Estate

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Marlborough 

Country: New Zealand

Year: 208

Price: $21,  sale- $7.95

Winery Review:  This aromatic wine show flavours of blackcurrant with underlying notes of wet stone and thyme. The palate is elegant yet full with sufficient weight and texture, balanced by a flinty minerality. This wine is a fantastic match with foods such as cheese salad, poultry dishes and a wide range of seafood dishes including freshly shucked natural oysters, prawns, green lip mussels and creamy scallops.

My Review: On the nose, there were  hints of pepper and other vegetables. The taste of wine was green peppers and lemony. It was an odd taste and I didn't enjoy this wine. Plus, it was a little to crisip and not at all refreshing. 

Food Pairing: None

Fork and Cork

I went to fork and cork yesterday with some of my friends and it was a fun experience. I couldn’t even tell you how many wines I tasted but it was definitely a lot. Fincastle was one of the winery’s we tasted from. I am going to discuss two of the wines from there.

Wine 1:

Name: Hybrid Vigor

Variety: Hybrids of French and American – Chardonney, Vidal Blanc, Traminette

Region: Virginia

Country: USA

Year: 2012

Price: $15

Winery Review:  A semi-sweet white wine with a citrus finish blended from French-American hybrids Chardonnel, Vidal Blanc & Traminette. You will notice bold tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and mango.

My Review: On the nose, this wine had scents of fruit, such as papaya and pineapple. The taste of the wine was pineapple, papaya, and a nice finish. It was sweet wine so I liked that part of it tons. Plus, the combination of fruit flavors made this wine great!

Food Pairing: None

Wine 2:

Name: Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Virginia

Country: USA

Year: 2011

Price: $14

Winery Review: The Chardonnay grape itself is very neutral, with many of the flavors commonly associated with the grape being derived from such influences as terroir and oak. It is vinified in many different styles, from the lean, crisply mineral wines of Chablis, France to New World wines with tropical fruit flavors and lots of oak.

My Review: On the nose, there were scents of minerals and oak. There was a smoky smell to it, almost like tobacco or cigar; I couldn’t place my finger on it. I tasted minerals, pineapple, bananas, and passion fruit. It was an odd combination of tastes. I, also, didn’t taste the smoky scent. The ending of the wine was crisp. I didn’t like the wine, not enjoy this wine at all. 

Food Pairing: None

Horton Cellar, also, had a lot of wines to taste and some interesting flavors with their wines. I am going to discuss two of the wines I tasted, a red and a white.

Katie and me

Wine 3:

Name: Norton (Native Virginia Dry Red)

Variety: Norton

Region: Virginia

Country: USA

Year: 2012

Price: $15 

Winery Review:  Our Norton has a dark, rich color and an intensely fruity aroma of plums and tart cherries. Ageing in oak for 14 months has given this wine a long, flavorful, spicy finish.  A wine for game, grilled sausages, and spicy ethnic foods.

My Review: The wine had smells of plums, blackberries, and raspberries. I loved the dark fruity smells coming from the wine. The plum was the only taste I got from the wine, it was extremely overpowering. There was an aftertaste of spiciness that lasted far too long for my liking. I didn’t enjoy this one.

Food Pairing: None

Wine 4:

Name: Viognier (Spicy Rhone White)

Variety: Viognier

Region: Virginia

Country: USA

Year: 2012

Price: $20

Winery Review:  Exotic honey and tropical fruit aromas jump from the glass. Full bodied, viscous mouthfeel. Matching the right grape varieties with the right climate is the essence of viticulture.  Our warm growing seasons in Virginia ripens our Viognier perfectly every year, producing a wine full of floral aromas, exotic tropical fruit surrounded by subtle oak nuances from barrel fermentation.

My Review: This was an interesting wine. On the nose, there were scents of peaches, pears, and honey. It reminded me of tea with honey. On the taste buds, there were flavors of honey and citrus, specifically lemon. I was surprised about the citrus. My friend Katie with me didn’t taste citrus at all. She only tasted the honey. So it was an interesting to see the differences we got in the wine.

Food Pairing: None

We, also, we to Virginia Mountain Vineyards and they had some great wines! I am going to discuss two of the wines.

Nick and Chris

The bison

Wine 5:

Name: Cabernet Franc

Variety: Cabernet Franc

Region: Virginia

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Price: $15

Winery Review:  A delightful red wine with soft, gentle tannins and a smooth finish. Aged in American oak barrels. This Cabernet Franc wine is true to the classic peppery flavor of the Cabernet Franc grape. Some may notice hints of blackberry or raspberry on the finish. Serve with beef or pasta dishes.

My Review: When I smelt the wine, there hints of cherry, plum, and blackberry. When I tasted the wine there were flavors of blackberry, pepper, and cherry. This was the wine I paired with a meal. They were serving bison and I tried it. It was an interesting combination. I have never had bison before so I was not sure what I was going to get. But this red pulled more of the varies flavors from the bison. The mushroom and the sauces flavors were increased when I combined the wine and the bison. Also, I tasted the pepper from the wine when I was eating the bison. I don’t think I would drink this wine without some food pairing. The food pairing was what made the wine enjoyable.

Food Pairing: Yes, I paired this wine with bison.

Wine 6:

Name: Petit Verdot

Variety: Petit Verdot

Region: Virginia

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Price: $17

Winery Review:  This single-varietal red wine provides an intense, full-bodied, experience with an aroma of blackberry. A great choice for tannin lovers! Aged in American oak barrels. Pair with red meat, wild game, or aged cheese.

 Best served slightly below room temperature.

My Review: On the nose, there were hints of leather, cherry, plum, and raspberry. This wine had really strong scents that felt a bit overpowering for my nose. When I tasted the wine, there were flavors of blackberry and plum. It had unpleasant aftertaste that I didn’t enjoy. I didn’t like this wine.

Food Pairing: None

Peaks of Otter winery was my favorite winery because most of their wines were sweet. I am going to discuss two of their wines.

Wine 7:

Name: Kiss the Devil

Variety: Light Chili Pepper Wine

Region: Virginia

Country: USA

Year: N?A  

Price: $15

Winery Review:  Made from 30 varieties of peppers, including ghost, better for basting than tasting, super hot.

My Review: When I smelt this wine all I could smell was the peppers. The taste of this wine killed my taste buds. We needed chasers after we had this wine. It reminded me of taking a shot because I need a chaser. It had an overwhelming taste of peppers, spices, and was really hot. I didn’t like this wine at all. It took a while for my taste buds to recover.

Food Pairing: None

Katie

Wine 8:

Name: Strawberry Shortcake

Variety: Light apple, strawberry wine

Region: Virginia

Country: USA

Year: N/A

Price: $15 

Winery Review: Smooth Crisp, Refreshing.

My Review: When I smelt this wine, the only scent present was strawberry. It was overwhelming and I loved it! When I tasted the wine, it tasted like strawberry shortcake. I was basically drinking a dessert. It was sweet, refreshing, and had a nice finish. The wine was great; this was my favorite wine of the day. I liked the taste of the wine and how it didn’t leave an intense aftertaste. It would be a great summer wine to just enjoy with my friends. My friend actually got a bottle of it and when we finished before we left. It was great!

Food Pairing: None

2nd Winner Dinner

When I went home for the weekend I had dinner with my parents. We went to a Chinese restaurant near my house called P.F. Chang’s China Bistro. For our meal, we had two appetizers and an entree, which I paired each course with a wine.

My mom with Spring Rolls

For the first appetizer, we decided on spring rolls paired with 2012 Moscato from Valencia, Spain.  The wine scents of floral and peaches. The taste of the wine had fruity flavors like peaches. The spring rolls were crispy and the combination of the vegetables and the dipping sauce made the spring rolls delicious. When I paired them together was pretty good. The pulled some of the vegetables flavors, like the carrots and mushrooms, out. Plus, after paring them, I could taste apricots in the wine, which I enjoyed. This was a wine I would have enjoyed paired with or without the spring rolls. My mom enjoyed the wine as well, but my dad thought it had to many floral tastes.

Me with the Chardonnay

Vegetarian Lettuce Wrap

For the second appetizer, we decided on vegetarian lettuce wraps paired with 2010 Chardonnay from Columbia Valley, Washington. First off, my family was attempting to try something new with the wrap. The wrap was combination of tofu, lettuce, and Chinese cellophane noodles. There were flavors of peppers, onions, mushrooms, and chestnuts within the wrap. I discovered I don’t enjoy tofu at all and I didn’t like the appetizer. The Chardonnay had scents of apples and citrus fruit, specifically lemons. When I tasted the wine flavors of apples and oak emerged. The wine itself was great and I really enjoyed the wine by itself. When I paired it with the lettuce wrap, it made the lettuce wrap more enjoyable. The Chardonnay help draw out more flavors from the lettuce wrap, including a chili taste. However, that didn’t make the lettuce wrap more likeable. The lettuce wrap didn’t help to enhance the wine, if anything it made me dislike like the wine. This was a not a good combination but I like that mostly stems from the food rather than the wine. Both my parents agreed that the combination was not that great.

My dad and me with Sauvignon Blanc

For my entrée, I had sesame seed chicken which I paired with 2012 Sauvignon Blanc “Frog’s Leap from Rutherford, Napa Valley, California. Sesame seed chicken is by far my favorite meal at any Chinese place. The combination of the soy sauce sesame seeds and the drizzling of the butter made this meal great! The Sauvignon Blanc had scents of fruits and vinegar. When I tasted the wine, the vinegar was so overpowering it was the only flavor that was present. The combination of the meal with the wine was perfect! The sesame seed made the wine tangy, crisp, and the acidity on the wine was more noticeable. The wine didn’t enhance the meal in anyway. I don’t like I would drink this wine with the sesame seed chicken. My dad liked this wine the best because it was not as fruity or overpowering with floral tastes as the other two wines.



Overall, the dinner was great! The wine bottle was below