Wine Tasting: Duplin Red Sangria

 

Name: Duplin Sangria (Red)

Variety: Muscadine

Region: Rose Hill, NC

Country: USA

Year: 2020

Price: $9

Critic Review: "For a premade sangria, this is absolutely amazing. I love fruity sweet wines, so this one is right up my alley. I’ve bought it multiple times and will continue to do so. Their prices are great and the alcohol content is higher than many others."

Wine Folly: The text does not have any information on either sangria or muscadine wines.

My Review: I got smells of maraschino cherries, artificial strawberry, cherry cough syrup, and a bit of smokiness. It had an overly sweet and medicinal quality. Upon tasting, I noted that it was similar to a mix of cough syrup and fruit punch Kool-Aid. It was definitely too sweet for my palate. It also had a very thick body that coated the mouth nicely. I do not think that I will try this wine again due to its intense sweetness, but I would recommend it to friends who enjoy such flavors as a dessert wine.

Wine Tasting: French Blue Bordeaux Rose

Name: French Blue Bordeaux Rose

Variety: 70% Cabernet Franc & 30% Merlot

Region: Bordeaux

Country: France

Year: 2020

Price: $13

Critic Review: "French Blue 2020 Bordeaux Rosé is quite simply the belle of the ball. Made from red wine grapes selected and expressly harvested for being made as a rosé wine with a gentle pressing to gain a light hue of pink, with the utmost care taken to preserve the delicate flavors and aromas. With a beautiful robe the color of a pale pink peony, the wine glistens in the glass. The beautiful floral bouquet is reminiscent of lilacs and summer berries, while the palate bursts with bright citrus and luscious strawberry notes." -https://www.frenchbluewine.com/

Wine Folly: Rose does not appear in the text, so I decided to reference cabernet franc as it is the majority grape in the blend on page 86. I did not get any spicy or earthy flavors. I did taste fruit like strawberry and raspberry, but they were very tart. I chilled my wine as it was a rose, and I did not decant.

My Review: I picked up smells of apple and some cherry along with melon and grapefruit, but I also got the smell of a dry erase marker. The taste was comparable to a watermelon jolly rancher as it was a tart, watery, and slightly fruity taste. I also got flavors of green apple and lemon water. I found it to be acidic and bity on the tongue. I think that this wine would be best enjoyed on a hot summer day. Overall, it was a tart wine but enjoyable enough to try again.

DTN Lesson 1

Drink This Now's lesson one is about seeing the difference between wine straight from the bottle and the same wine that has been allowed to oxidize for a short time. I tried to find a bottle of Domaine Grand Veneur Cote-du-Rhone as recommended, but the closest that I could acquire was Chateau de Segries Cotes-du-Rhone. I also got a rosemary and olive oil infused asiago cheese and uncured spicy sopressada.

Step 1: I tried the wine immediately after opening and performed the sniff and swirl. It was a very dark red red, and I could tell just from the scent that it was a very tannic wine. It also had some smells of old fruit, specifically dried cherries and raisins. I then tasted the wine and received a mouthful of harsh tannins; my mouth felt super dry. Despite the boldness, I could pick up some faint flavors of bitter dark chocolate, earth, and paint thinner. Honestly, it was not very pleasant.

Step 2: I decided to pour more into my glass and let it set for about two hours on the kitchen counter instead of simply leaving the cork out because I did not want the whole bottle to spoil if I did not finish it. I tried it after oxidization and still found it to have a lot of tannins, but it had noticeably softened and became slightly less bitter. I could now pick up on some flavors of cherry and plum, but it had also taken on some qualities that I can only describe as dusty or like a really old building. I could not tell if the color had lightened.

Step 3: I tried the wine with the rosemary and olive oil infused asiago, and found that it did help to cut back the harshness of the wine somewhat. I could also now taste more of the grape and cherry. It was not a great flavor, however, but I do recognize that that was most likely from my choice in cheese as rosemary and fruit does not seem like a great combination in hindsight. 

Step 4: I tried the wine with spicy sopressada, and it was also not a great flavor in my opinion. Although, the fattiness and spiciness of the meat did manage to cut through the wine. There is not much else that I can say here because I did not try any more as I found the taste unbearable. However, that is probably because I am just not a fan of tannic wines. I acknowledge that the meat and cheese did there job of neutralizing some of the harshness of the bold wine, but the taste is still simply not for me.

Step 5: I did not allow the wine to age any longer due to time constraints and that I did not really enjoy the wine.

Overall, I understand the point of this experiment and still thought that it was a fun activity. I hope to find a wine that I enjoy later and can use to repeat this process to further my enjoyment of the complexity of wine.

My First Wine and Cheese Pairing

Pinot Grigio with Mozzarella

On its own, the Sutter Home Pinot Grigio from California smelled of honeysuckle and other floral components but also had faint chemical notes as well. Mozzarella is not a cheese to coat the tongue and, in my opinion, sits on the mild side of the cheese flavor spectrum. When combined, I could taste that the flavors were being enhanced by the fats in the acid melting away from the acids in the wine. The result was that the mozzarella became much bolder and the grapes of the Pinot Grigio were more pronounced. However, I felt that the acids in the wine were still too strong and needed to be paired with a fattier cheese.

Sweet Red and Smoked Gouda

I first tasted the sweet red blend by Oliver Winery and Vineyard in Bloomington, ID by itself, and it is my favorite red wine that I have tried so far. It was sweet with strong fruity flavors of cherry, strawberry, and the classic red table grape flavor. I also detected notes of nuttiness. Smoked gouda is a firm and somewhat salty cheese with hints of nuttiness that melts slightly in the mouth to provide a nice coating. When combined, I was greeted by a melody of fruity flavors enhanced by the perfect amount of salty and nutty as the harmony, creating a symphony of natural flavors that may have just triggered my "wine awakening." The strong cheese was dulled by contrasting yet complementary flavors of the wine. It was truly and perfect pairing.

Red Moscato and Blue Cheese

Last was the Barefoot Red Moscato from California which smelled of ripe cherries, raisins, and some plum notes. The blue cheese, as was described by the friend experiencing this with me, was salty and funky and coated the mouth to an extreme degree. When paired, the acids in the wine definitely cut through the fats in the cheese to seemingly wash it from the mouth, but it was still pretty acidic afterwards. It was not the best pairing and not the worst; however, we did find that the blue cheese paired better with the sweet red blend described above.

Overall, this was a very fun experience that I look forward to having again and again even after leaving this class. The sweet red blend and gouda was by far my favorite pairing, and it has me excited to share with a larger group of friends at social gatherings.

Dinner - Green's

 

I decided try pairing wines with a meal ordered from a local restaurant in Blacksburg, VA --- Green's. As it is known around town for its Asian fusion and seafood entrees, I figured that I should sample from that part of the menu, but I supplied my own wine for a fun trial-and-error pairing test. From Green's, I ordered a Greek salad with sesame ginger dressing, Hawaiian grilled tilapia with mango and rice, and pita bread. For the wine, I selected a Barefoot white Moscato from California with the salad, a Barefoot Chardonnay from California with the tilapia, and a Dauntless Bordeaux-style blend from Yakima Valley in Washington with the pita bread.

For the Moscato, I started by swirling and sniffing to detect strong scents of grape and honey. I then tasted the wine alone and found it to be very sweet and much like plain grape juice. I very much enjoyed it alone, and I will probably enjoy it as such in the future. Paired with the Greek salad and sesame ginger dressing, I found the flavor combination was overly sweet and on the verge of unpleasant. I think that the meeting of leafy vegetables with sweet and nutty dressing with sweet grapy wine was too stark of a difference to leave a nice result. I hesitate to say it, but it had an aftertaste resembling how paint smells. Looking back, I should have paired this wine with either a salty and savory meal or a tangy dessert.

For the Chardonnay, I again started by swirling and sniffing to pick up some unsettling notes of chemicals and urine. Maybe it is because Barefoot is said to be more of a lesser quality brand, but I did not care for the scents that it produced. Nonetheless, I tried it and thought it was bitter and vinegary with the ability to coat the tongue. After tasting it with the tilapia, mango, and rice, the flavors became more pleasant. It seems that the freshness of the food cut through the artificial-seeming, chemical notes of the wine. The salinity of the fish was complemented by an aspect of the wine that I cannot quite describe. It made the wine much better.

For the Bordeaux-style blend, I swirled and sniffed to get a strong oaky smell with notes of plum. Upon tasting, I got flavors of plum and cherry backed by strong tannins. I am not a big fan of red wines, so the tannins prevented me from fully enjoying the wine. I then tried it with the pita bread, being inspired by the Biblical pairing of bread with red wine, and it did improve the wine flavor. When the pairing first hit my tongue, I got a smokey flavor that was unexpected. It was not the best smokey taste, but it was far from bad. After swallowing, I got a very strange and rather unpleasant aftertaste, but I was surprised when it developed after a few seconds into a buttery flavor which I found surprisingly nice.

Overall, I had a fun time testing different wine and food combinations. I feel now that I have a better grasp on how to better discern good and bad pairing ideas. At the end of the day, however, drinking wine is a social activity, so more experimentation and nights of fun pairing are sure to come!

Wine Tasting: Hogue Late Harvest Riesling

 

Name: Hogue Late Harvest Riesling

Variety: Riesling

Country: USA

Region: Columbia Valley, Washington

Vintage: 2020

Price: $10 (on sale)

Critic Review: "A bright, refreshing Riesling from Columbia Valley with lots of happy flavor intensity. Pale-intensity lemon in color, this wine has a Mosel-Riesling-reminiscent nose and aromas of green apple, chalk, petrol, blossom and quince. On the palate the off-dry, medium-plus-bodied Riesling reveals medium-intensity flavors suggested on the nose supported by medium-plus acidity. The wine is creamy in texture and is balanced. Unlike some Rieslings that are one-trick ponies, this late-harvest Riesling from Hogue offers some midpalate complexity and depth of flavor." - 2016 - https://winecasual.com/hogue-late-harvest-riesling-2016-lots-of-happy-flavor-intensity/

Wine Folly: Typical characteristics of Riesling include notes of lime, green apple, beeswax, jasmine, and petroleum (page 158). The wine may be dry or sweet, but the one that I sampled was sweet. The text recommends that it be served between 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit. It is also characterized as low in tannins, body, and alcohol yet high in acidity. The book also includes a section devoted specifically to wines of Washington, USA including Riesling (page 298). It adds that notes of this specific style are Meyer lemon, green melon, gala apple, honeycomb, and lime.

My Review: This is my favorite wine that I have tried thus far! I chilled my in the refrigerator for about a week (because I forgot about it; oops), but I set it out a few minutes before cooling to aim for the recommended temperature. I detected aromas of honeysuckle, apple, and apricot. Upon tasting, I was taken aback by the sweetness of the wine! I picked up on a big apricot taste followed by apple and, maybe, pear. At first, I thought that the Riesling may have had some carbonation but quickly realized that it was the strong acidity of lemon that had deceived me. The last main impression that I got from this particular wine was that it does not coat the tongue and goes down like water. I did not drink it with food, but I would like to in the future. Overall, I really enjoyed this wine, and I would definitely buy it again!

Wine Tasting: New World Camelot Mead Honey Wine

     

Wine Name: New World Camelot Mead Honey Wine

Varietal: Mead made from Orange Blossom Honey

Region: Bloomington, Indiana, USA

Vintage Year: 2021

Price: $10

Online Critique: "The first thing I noticed when drinking this wine is that it has a smooth gelish texture as it slides down your throat which differentiates it from other types of wines.  CAMELOT MEAD HONEY WINE also has a nice citrusy taste with a refreshing honey twist to it.  Oliver Winery and Vineyards accomplishes this unique flavoring by only utilizing bee hives that produce honey from orange blossoms.  So you know there is some real craftsmanship and effort put into producing these wines." - 2017 https://www.ageekdaddy.com/2017/05/camelot-mead-honey-wine.html

Wine Folly: Honey wine is not covered in the text. I think that it may be comparable to Muscat Blanc (page 138) based on the book's flavor profile. I tasted the sweetness of honey combined with the floral aroma and flavor of orange blossom. There was a slight acidity as well that I predict may have been from an added citrus --- perhaps lemon. 

My Review: I chose to let my wine chill in the refrigerator over night as it is a light/white colored wine. Before smelling, I set my glass of wine aside to decant for about 10 minutes. I then swirled it, and I smelled the sweetness of honey. I thought that the honey smelled like clover honey, but the label claims that it comes from orange blossoms. I also detected gentle floral aromas, but it was masked by a degree by the scent of alcohol. My friend, who sampled it with me, said that he smelled paint thinner, but I did not agree. Upon tasting, the first thing I noted was the sweetness of it; this surprised me because I thought that honey wine was supposed to be on the dry side. Interestingly enough, I did not taste much honey at all but a fairly strong floral taste. It left a film in my mouth after swallowing and a slightly acidic taste in the back of my throat. In general, it was a very smooth wine. It also had an after taste that I can only describe as graham crackers. I did like the wine, and I feel that it was a great starting point for my wine journey. I would probably buy it again because it was decent tasting for a cheap price. If I were to pair it with a food, I would try a light cheese as it feels too much like desert to pair with a full meal.