Tasting #4 - Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc

  

Name:  Cupcake Vineyards

Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Marlborough

Country: New Zealand

Year: 2022

Price: $9.99

Professional Wine Review: This Sauvignon Blanc is a vibrant, crisp wine that comes from vineyards in the South Island of New Zealand, where the cool growing season allows our grapes to mature slowly and gain character and complexity. Flavors of Meyer lemon, white nectarine and key lime integrate with subtle hints of grapefruit, gooseberry and citrus, culminating into a long, balanced finish.

Pair oysters on the half shell, creamy lobster risotto or a picnic in the park [1].

Wine Folly Review: The Wine Folly Website states that a Sauvignon Blanc is "loved for its 'green' herbal flavors and racy acidity" [2]. I do agree that the white wine is legendary in the wine world and that it is "racy acidity." I found the wine to be especially acidity, and the Wine Folly taste profile proves that, marking it down as 100% acidic. The taste profile also states that it is a dry, medium-light bodied, and practically has no tannins. I agree with all of these observations. The only observation that I do not agree with is the "green" herbal flavors. It's cited to contain elements of gooseberry, honeydew, grapefruit, white peach, and passion fruit. I strictly found a more lemon flavor and very less "green." It was served slightly chilled as Wine Folly recommends in handling, as well as drinking it via a white wine glass.

Personal Wine Review: At a first glance the sauvignon blanc does not seem threatening at all. Although upon sniffing the wine, a somewhat funky odor is made present that somewhat distracts from the wine itself. Upon drinking the wine, I noticed that the wine coated more of the inner lining of my mouth more than other wines I have had. A strong sense of lemon, as described above, was made known. With this strong lemon flavor came the strong forward punch with drinking. I felt as if my mouth was being attacked, but not in a bad way. I attempted the sucking in more air method as described in the Wine IQ videos, and that only made the wine worse. It made the wine more bitter and less pleasing to drink. I would have this wine again, but I believe that there are probably better sauvignon blancs out there in the world. This wine was drunk without the consumption of food.

References:

[1] https://www.wine.com/product/cupcake-vineyards-sauvignon-blanc-2022/1185766#closePromoModal

[2] https://winefolly.com/grapes/sauvignon-blanc/

Tasting #3 - Barkan Shiraz

 

Name: Barkan Shiraz

Varietal: Shiraz

Region: Judea

Country: Isreal

Year: 2021

Price: $11.99

Professional Wine Review: This wine is harvested in Barkan's vineyards in the center of Israel, has a deep violet ruby color and complex aroma of anise, black cherries, and peppery spice. The wine is medium bodied with an outstanding mouth feel of velvety textured fine tannins blended in harmony to create a smooth, elegant wine and goes well with poultry, pasta and grilled meats. [1]

Wine Folly Review: The Wine Folly website provides and in-depth review of the Syrah grape that is the 100% varietal in Shiraz [2]. According to Wine Folly, Syrah's primary flavors are that of blueberry, black plum, milk chocolate, tobacco, and green peppercorn. As you'll see in my personal review of the wine below, I did find a slightly pepperish aroma when smelling the wine. That being said, I did not find any milk chocolate or tobacco. I could be convinced that I managed to taste both blueberry and black plum, but I feel as if my own intuition of wine told me if was just grape flavor. Now, I do realize that blueberry and black plum were slightly prominent in the flavor, but you'll see below a more in-depth analysis of the wine in my taste buds. I do agree with Wine Folly in that the wine is low in dryness, but I don't agree in the medium acidity. I found the wine to be low in acidity.

Personal Wine Review: After an initial tasting of this wine, and then waiting a couple days to write this review I have come to the realization that the wine was not the most memorable. Not like the previous red, the Summerwind Vineyards The Pagan, that I tasted, I did remember and think of that wine days after drinking it. I would not buy this wine again. That being said, I did notice some distinct flavors and aromas. I found the wine to be enveloped with a pepperish aroma and a slightly lighter tone. In terms of taste, It was as if there was no flavor. No pallet. No TASTE. The wine was slightly dry and sour which was interesting, but no acidity. This wine was consumed without any food or crackers. Overall, I would not try this wine again EVER. 

References:

[1] https://shopkosherwine.com/products/barkan-classic-shiraz?variant=34102077751427

[2] https://winefolly.com/grapes/syrah/

Tasting #2 - SummerWind Vineyards The Pagan

  

Name: SummerWind Vineyards The Pagan

Varietal: Red Blend (Merlot, Chambourcin, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc)

Region: Virginia

Country: United States of America

Year: 2019

Price: $32.00

Professional Wine Review: This lavish red blend is what we like to call our “off dry” wine.  With 2% residual sugar, this heavenly blend of Merlot, Chambourcin, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc produces a semi-sweet velvety mouth feel with pleasurable flavors of strawberry and red raspberry.  Sitting at an ABV of 13% and aged for 8 months in neutral oak The Pagan is for the sweet and bold lovers alike!  I know, it’s hard to believe but whatever your palate is, this wine is sure to whet it! [1]

Wine Folly Review: On the Wine Folly Website, I found this red blend of wine to be most similar to a Bordeaux style of blend [2]. The website cites flavors such as blackberry, cedar, bell pepper, violets, and clove. I found the aroma of blackberry to be notable in the wine, but not bell pepper or any of the other flavors. The benefit of finding a vineyard that is up and coming is that it is fairly unknown in the critic world, thus it is up to my own analysis on the taste and experience.

Personal Wine Review: This was a red blend wine that was made right here in Virginia at a small vineyard. I have not experimented that much with red blends mainly because I had this feeling that it was not "original" wine. That being said, I did enjoy this wine. It was smooth with a hint of sweetness with every sip. While not being completely dry in taste, the addition of dryer wines like Cabernet Sauvignon is clear. Prior to consuming the wine, the aroma that the wine provided was almost blackberry. It was a strong and powerful sense of smell that added in the sweetness. This was consumed without any food. Overall, like most red wines, I would drink this wine again if it was not too expensive. This is the most expensive wine I have tasted.

References:

[1] https://www.swvsmithfield.com/the-wines.html

[2] https://winefolly.com/wine-regions/united-states/virginia/

Tasting #1 - Ninety Plus Cellars Riesling

 

Name: Ninety Plus Cellars 

Varietal: Riesling

Region: Mosel

Country: Germany

Year: 2020

Price: $12.49

Professional Wine Review: Some bone-dry styles, even in the Mosel, are so high in acidity (due to the cool climate) that some people find them difficult to drink. For that reason, an off-dry style like 90+ Cellars Lot 66 Riesling is a great option. The acidity and off-dry style create a rhythmical balance on the palate. The mouth-watering sensation is comfortable and refreshing.
Tasting notes of white peach, nectarine and pear arise on the nose and across the palate for me when tasting Lot 66 Riesling. While quite affordable, this wine exceeds most other halbtrocken Rieslings I’ve tasted within the same price point, in terms of quality. It’s just barely sweet and low in alcohol, so I would recommend pairing it with blue cheese or Prosciutto and sipping on a warm afternoon.
Surely a Riesling drinker would agree when I say that it is inarguably one of the most food-friendly wines you can drink. The grape flourishes alongside an array of dishes from appetizers to dessert. Perhaps the most memorable Riesling pairing I experienced was an off-dry style with spicy, Korean Barbeque ribs. A close second would be salmon tartare, followed by the classic blue cheese and apple — as you can see from those three dishes alone, Riesling is incredibly versatile.
If you have a misconception about Riesling, I urge you to try a style you haven’t tasted, and make sure it’s from the Mosel. Of course, there are several countries producing this extraordinarily grape, but the many versions in Germany are sure to make a Riesling lover out of you. [1]

Wine Folly Review: From the Wine Folly website [2], the primary flavors are listed as lime, green apple, beeswax, jasmine, and... petroleum?? These flavors were not the flavors that I mention below, although now I can convince myself that perhaps I tasted lime and green apple primarily and confused them with peach and pear. Additionally, I have to mention petroleum! What is that? I did not find that flavor AT ALL. The Wine Folly website also states that Riesling is high in acidity, buy I did not find the wine to be acidic to a high degree. Perhaps a second tasting is needed to reclarify these findings?

Personal Wine Review: This was the first white wine that I have ever tried, and I've got to say that it was a very pleasant experience. I was not expecting the wine to be so smooth for my throat. Previously having only tried red wines, this was something I was not expecting. For some reason I had this misconception that white wine had a stronger, more piercing taste. The white wine, the Ninety Plus Cellars Riesling, was surprisingly lightly acidic and carbonated. I have never been a fan of carbonated beverages, so this wine being lightly carbonated was a nice surprise. Prior to consuming the wine, I inspected the smell and aroma of the wine. A strong sense of peach was notable in the aroma of the wine. That being said, the wine itself tastes more like a pear. This leads me to believe that the wine was created with a mixture of peach and pears, and possibly some other fruits. Overall, I would drink this wine again as I found it most enjoyable. This was consumed without any food.

References:

[1] https://www.ninetypluscellars.com/blogs/news/beyond-the-glass-riesling

[2] https://winefolly.com/grapes/riesling/

#1 Blog Assignment

 

Sebastian Giro-Martin

    I would make the argument that my previous experience with wine is more than the traditional American college student. My family emigrated to the United States from a small South American nation called Uruguay. This country borders both Brazil and Argentina. Just like the Argentinean culture, wine plays a pivotal role in the day-to-day consumption of food. I have never gone a single dinner in Uruguay without a bottle or two of red wine. That being said, I was not drinking the wine when I was young. Just like in the United States, most kids start their experience with alcohol with beer. This was the same timeline for me. I had my first drink right when the Covid-19 pandemic started. Recently graduated from high school, my father invited me to have a "cold one" with him. Since then, I have experiment and tasted various alcoholic beverages. The two main beverages being beer and wine. The wine that I started drinking, which is my favorite variety currently for its flavor and richness in the grape, is an Argentinean Cabernet Sauvignon. I tasted many different brands of Cabs, but my favorite was Trapiche.

    As I evolved my knowledge of wine, I tried different regions of Cabs. Specifically a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile by Casillero Del Diablo, which is my current favorite bottle to buy. It is the go to. For reference, every wine that I have consumed has been in a dinner or when enjoying the company of friends and family with food. Now, I couldn't always just drink Cabernet Sauvignon so I explored the Malbec variety as I was encouraged by my mother. My bottle of Malbec of choice is currently the Argentinean Alamos Malbec. I have since tried different varieties, but both of these, the Casillero Del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon and Alamos Malbec are my favorite wines. I have always enjoyed the more dry and bitter of taste in my alcohol hence my selection. Now you are probably asking yourself, "Sebastian? why have you not tried Uruguay's staple wine Tannat? Tannat is known to be an intense wine and more dry and bitter than both Cabernets and Malbecs." Well, it's just the Tannat is an expensive wine for me currently. That being said, I have purchased a bottle of Tannat just for this class. It ran me about $19. The specific bottle that I bought as a Uruguayan Pisano Tannat. A little interesting trivia, Tannat is only grown in either France or Uruguay.

    You have probably noticed that I have made no mention of white wines. This is because no one in my family enjoys white wine to be frank. I am looking forward to this class forcing me to remove myself from my comfort zone and try new varieties of wine. My current theories are that I will not be entirely thrilled about white wine and less thrilled with any other wines as I'm not one to experiment. ESPECIALLY, if a wine is mixed with any interesting flavors like citrus. Now to speak on the frequency of my consumption of wine or just alcohol for that matter. I rarely drink wine in a excess fashion. I'm not one to binge drink or just drink to get drunk. I use drinking as an event that allows for relationship building with friends with FOOD. It is very important for me to have food while drinking as this allows for better enjoyment of the alcohol and of the taste. Flavor is very important to me, hence my reason for not drinking mixed drinks. I like to drink very flavorful wine, rich scotch, and good beer, especially not watered down beer. This is a little intro into my mind of alcohol and wine. I look forward to this class and learning more of wine!