Wine Tasting 6:Piattelli Reserve Malbec 2019

Name: Piattelli Reserve Malbec 2019
Variety: Malbec
Region:  Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2019
Price: $15.99

Wine Tasting Review: (93 rating reviewer) Rich and juicy, bursting with blueberry and blackberry flavors, this blend of equal parts tannat and malbec manages to present both varieties without overpowering either.Tense in its structure,it captures the syrupy-violet richness of malbec without losing the tannins of tannat, though those tannins take a few days to coalesce. (https://www.wine.com/product/piattelli-reserve-malbec-2019/706170) 

Wine Folly: As mentioned in Wine folly, there was a strong blackberry and plum taste(specifically the plum). The plum taste wasn't overpowering but it was very noticeable. There was also a bit of spice and maybe some cocoa as an aftertaste.(https://winefolly.com/grapes/malbec/)

My review: This was a good starter Malbec wine. It had a distinct plummy taste, with a very rich blackberry/blueberry taste. It was well-balanced and had some cocoa and spice aftertaste. It was slightly dry on the palate and the acidity was very moderate. Pleasant to drink alone and had many slightly softer tastes that were present but I couldn't exactly identify.

I tasted this on its own with no food. 

Wine Tasting 5: Menage a trois Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Menage a trois Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region:  North  Coast, California

Country: USA
Year: 2019
Price: $14.00

Wine Tasting Review: Ménage à Trois Cabernet Sauvignon blends grapes from outstanding North Coast growing regions. Its lush, dark berry flavors, silky tannins and long, sumptuous finish are truly regal.(https://www.onestopwineshop.com/product/menage-a-trois-cabernet-sauvignon-2019) 

Wine Folly: It was very bold and dark red as mentioned in Wine folly. In terms of taste, I did get the black cherry and some spice. I am not sure if I got any graphite or cedar taste, in fact I am not sure what taste those two flavors exactly are.(https://winefolly.com/grapes/cabernet-sauvignon/)

My review: It was not too expensive but had a very rich and bold taste. It was my first time having Cabernet sauvignon and the darker taste was interesting as it had a very dark like raspberry like taste. It also had a unique oak or woody like taste. The acidity was perfect and wine was super smooth to drink.

I tasted this on its own with no food. 

Wine Dinner(with family) Blog 2

2020 coutada Velha Red Blend       

Last week was spring break which allowed me to go back home to my family in northern Virginia. My dad is very enthusiastic about wine and I was able to have a wine dinner with him and my Mom last week. For the wine, my dad had a 2020 coutada Velha Red Blend that he had bought from Costco a while ago and for the food, we prepared some Indian food of biryani rice with fried masala chicken and fish. The wine was a red blend of various varietals such as 30% Arogonez, 30% Trincadeira, 30% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet sauvignon. It also had a 92 score from wine enthusiast so it appeared to be a very high quality wine.

Biryani, is a common dish in India and is a flavored basmati rice and meat dish made with lots of spices and masala. It is savory,spicy and full of flavor. As for the other dishes, there was chicken pieces grilled with traditional south indian spices as well as some deep fried fish in kerala spices. As the food was very savory, the wine chosen was also picked with the intention that it would best suit a savory and flavorful meal.

As for tasting notes for the wine, it had a fruity taste such as cherry/raspberry but had a spicy or savory like aftertaste. There was a hint of cocoa taste and some spice taste that oddly lingered after a sip or two(it was nice but unique!).

I paired it with the biryani rice first and the rich and sweet cherry taste complemented the masala taste of the biryani exquisitely. The acidity of the wine helped to cut down the richness of the masala. The slight spice aftertaste that the wine had was very pronounced as the biryani was already very spicy. Since I like spicy food, I still enjoyed the food but I did find myself having to drink water much more often. 

The grilled chicken was cooked with garam masala and other indian spices and the wine helped to bring a lot more of a fruity pop to the meat. The meat had a rich taste and taking a sip of wine after every bite helped cleanse the palate and enjoy the rich masala taste without being overwhelmed by the masala taste.

The deep fried fish(salmon) in coconut oil was a lot more interesting as typically seafood is paired with white wine but the deep fry and the masala rubbing made the fish far more savory. It was very well complemented by the wine and I felt as though the soft texture of the fish absorbed the wine flavor exquisitely nicely. The acidity of the wine also made the salmon texture of the fish seem very soft as though it melts in your mouth. I believe masala helped prevent the wine from overpowering the fish taste and led to both complementing each other well. The spiciness was a slight issue though but drinking water helped with that.

Overall a very tasty meal that I got to enjoy with my family and I had a lot of fun doing so.

Wine Tasting 4: Winemakers Selection Classic Series Pinot Noir

 

Name: Andrian Fog Oppenlander Vineyard Mendocino County Pinot Noir
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region:  California (James foster - Winemaker)
Country: USA
Year: 2020
Price: $ 12.99(friend bought)

Wine Tasting Review:  Garnet color. Aromas and flavors of cocoa powder, canned cherries, and raspberry with a velvety, lively, dry medium body and an interesting, medium-length finish with impressions of chocolate raspberry nougat, milk chocolate, green herbs, and vitamin c tablet with a suggestion of oak flavor. A ripe and juicy Pinot Noir with tangy tannins and fresh acid.(https://www.tastings.com/Wine-Review/Winemakers-Selection-2020-Classic-Series-Pinot-Noir-California-USA-12-04-2022.aspx)

Wine Folly: I did get the fruity tastes as well as a little sweeter almost cocoa like taste(like chocolate). Didn't get any traces of earthiness and spice that they mentioned. Also did not do the decanting for 30 mins that they recommended. Something to try next time.(https://winefolly.com/grapes/pinot-noir/)

My review: It was cheap but flavorful. The juxtaposition of fruity cherries and raspberry flavors with almost chocolate like undertone was very interesting. It was not too alcoholic but there was a sense of fresh acidity. I'm not sure if that fresh acidity is what the reviews considered the vitamin c tablet taste(oddly specific).

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Wine Tasting 3 - Apothic Pinot Noir

Name: Apothic Pinot Noir
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Lodi-Delta region in California
Country: USA
Year: 2020
Price: $11.99

Shop review: A flavorful Pinot Noir with rich, smooth layers of dark fruit character and an intriguingly lighter-bodied style. Apothic Pinot Noir offers notes of ripe raspberry and black cherry, with a touch of caramel and vanilla from the oak. Long and lingering on the finish, this is a bright red wine with endless possibilities. It’s a perfect pairing for an interesting night in with friends or perhaps to savor alongside a date night dinner - (Apothic.com)

Wine Folly: I got the fruity tastes such as raspberry and grape as well as some secondary tastes such as vanilla and oak. Wine folly was correct about it being very fruity. Interestingly they mentioned that some Pinot Noirs from California have a coca-cola secondary taste(https://winefolly.com/grapes/pinot-noir/)

My review: It was great! Had a good amount of acidity and felt smooth to drink but rich in flavor. The fruity taste of raspberry and grape was tasty and I certainly enjoyed this for the price.
I tasted this on its own with no food.

WINE DINNER BLOG 1

Steak and Mushrooms with Shiraz

This week I decided to try out this new Australian Yellow tail Shiraz that I bought from food lion(it apparently won a lot of awards). The note below it mentioned it having a very fruity taste and pairing well with red meat. So I bought some Ribeye as well as made sides of mushrooms,toasted dinner rolls and carrots.

Yellow tail Shiraz is quoted by shopwinedirect for having "impressive spice, liquorice and black currant aromas". It has a lower tannin content but is very fruity. Pairing it with red meat with lots of fat such as ribeye seemed ideal and was a combination suggested at food lion's wine section.

The wine certainly elevated my meal. The fruity punch of the wine along with its subtle hints of vanilla and raspberry helped bring out the rich flavour of the meat. In particular I felt that it played in very well with the ribeye's fat content. The mushrooms as well seemed to pair well as it didn't let the savory tastes overwhelm my palate. Most importantly the wine helped balance the rich,saucy and meaty taste of the steak and mushrooms and after every sip of the wine my palate was cleansed with a juicy natural taste that made the next bite of steak ever so tasty. Essentially the acidity and fruity nature of the wine cut through the ruch dense meat and its sauce.The sweetness of the wine and the savory of the meat and mushrooms were an amazing juxtaposition of flavors. On another note, the carrots also tasted extra flavorful with the wine. I threw carrots in there as a last minute veggie but the fresh carrots were complemented by the fruity punch of the wine. Tasting the fresh carrots after a sip of wine made me feel as though I was tasting the juiciest and most aromatic carrots. In many ways I think the carrots were imparted some flavor by the wine.

Overall this was a super exciting meal and I cannot wait to try another wine dinner soon.

Mandatory Blog Post

I'm fairly inexperienced with Wine. I have really only had it at weddings or at special dinners. However, did go to a Wine tasting in Greece which was really cool but that was 9 years ago. I am definitely looking forward to another wine tasting as part of this course. 

One thing that I assumed earlier was that wine tasted mainly of grapes so I thought it wasn't that interesting of a drink. It was only later that I realized that Wine can have so many complex tastes. In many ways this course will teach me the complexities of taste that different kinds of wines offer and I am super excited to learn about that.

That being said I do like white wines though. Chardonnays and champagnes are usually pretty great though I've only really had them at weddings. I find them less bitter than red wines and many are less alcoholic as well. Regarding the specific wines I really do not
know much , as I usually used to just differentiate wines by whether it was red or white and didn't bother too much about the grape variety and the region it came from.

Lastly, Here's a pic of me below!

Wine 2: St. Chateau Michelle Chardonnay

 

This week I tried a chardonnay my roommate had. It was a wine that he had bought for his birthday at olive garden so it was a little more expensive than the wines I've usually drunk.

I had the wine with some white sauce pasta I had made. The wine had a very distinct taste compared to other red or white wines. It had a fragrant aroma which was very pleasant. It was smooth with not much of an alcohol burn. Taste wise it had a grape flavor but it was sweet. It had a slight viscosity to it and left a sweet aftertaste. Tasting it really reminded me of being in an outdoor winery tasting some wine. I really enjoyed it.

Wine 1: Dark Horse Double Down Red

This was my first time reviewing a Wine and I was pretty excited. I decided to take this class with a few friends and this week one of them bought the wine and we all drank and tasted the Wine together after our dinners. The Wine we had was called a Dark horse double down red, which was a blended wine from california. The packaging looked really cool and it wasn't too expensive either at $8. Here's a photo of the bottle of wine below.

 

The wine had a raspberry like taste to it and was very rich and dark. Despite the 20% alcohol content, it did not generate much of a buzz and was surprisingly very smooth to drink. Compared to the cheap beers and Vodka my friends and I usually drink, this felt like a huge step up.

Next time I intend to get some nice Wine glasses and slowly pair the wine with some good food as well. Super excited to try more wines!