Date of Tasting: January 31, 2013
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95
Shop Review: The inviting apricot preserves, honey, butter, and roasted almond aromas of this semi-sparkler pull you right in. It's on the sweet side, with stone-fruit flavors kept alive by decent acidity. The palate bubbles and tingles and maintains its balance. Fine as an aperitif or with dessert.
My Review: This particular wine may have been my favorite of the day! On the palate, I could detect different fruits such as strawberries and some other citrus flavors. I found it sweet with an almost silky texture. I also enjoyed the light carbonation.Overall, this wine was very balanced with the fruit and acidity.
With or Without Food: Without food
Date of Tasting: January 31, 2013
Country:France
Year: 2012
Price: $3.95
Shop Review: Bright and tangy, offering a classic banana note on the nose, with
flavors of raspberry, wild strawberry and light spice. Modest finish.
My Review: When I had my tasting, I noticed the purplish-pink color of this wine which was very intriguing since it almost reminded me of fuschia with a tint of purple. When I smelt this wine, I could detect the fruity aromas, but mainly those of the strawberries and even some sweet berry notes. Upon tasting this particular wine, it did have a sweet fruity flavor. The fruit flavors were pretty balanced though! I really enjoyed this particular wine.
With or Without Food: Without food
Date of Tasting: January 31, 2013
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $4.95
Shop Review: Rooty, spicy and baked on the nose, with aromas that lean towards raisin. The palate is more gritty and acidic, with raisin, cola, and spice flavors. Darkens up on the finish, which is long and peppery, with adequate juiciness and a final note of tomato.
My Review: For a red wine, I found this to particular wine to remind me of the summer time. On the nose, it did have more of a spicy note, but I was not able to put my finger on what particular spices I was smelling. The body of this wine was not too overwhelming for my palate. At the finish of the wine, I was not able to detect the "final note of tomato" as described in the tasting notes. There was some pepper flavors towards the end as described. I did find this particular wine to be more on the dry side than some of the others tasted that day.
With or Without Food: Without food
Date of Tasting: January 31, 2013
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $5.95
Shop Review: A very nice value Chardonnay that comfortably over-delivers vs. its modest price tag. No oak here, just bushels of clean, crisp, Chardonnay apple and stone fruit with a hint of caramelized pineapple. Juicy and clean, this is a mid-weight white that's just perfect for parties or weeknight sipping.
My Review: Upon smelling this wine, I detected small hints of fruit. When I tasted this wine, I was not able to pick up much on the pineapple flavor as described in the tasting notes. However, I am not complaining because I'm not sure how much I would have liked to taste a wine that had a very powerful pineapple flavor! I did like this wine because it was somewhat fruity but overall very fresh on the palate.
With or Without Food: Without food
Date of Tasting: January 31, 2013
Country:Italy
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95
Shop Review: Bright straw yellow in color. Delicate on the nose, with notes of flowers and almonds. Dry, well-structured and delicately fruity, with hints of bitter almonds on the finish that is typical of Garganega-based wines.
My Review: I found this wine to have a fruity taste but it was not overwhelming. I could definitely taste the acidity towards the finish of tasting this wine. I also felt that this particular wine had a very creamy texture, which I was not used to, but did enjoy. Overall, I felt this wine was very refreshing.
With or Without Food: Without food
Date of Tasting: January 24, 2013
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95
Shop Review: Doesn’t try to hide its warm-climate terroir, with a soft texture framing jammy-sweet black raspberry, cherry, red currant, root beer and sweet tea. Drink now.
My Review: From the tasting notes, I was eager to try this wine due to the "sweet" flavor it describes. My initial reaction was that this was definitely named correctly when called "sweet". I could taste different fruity flavors as well as the sweetness. I did like this wine, but I feel that it may be a little too sweet!
With or Without Food: Without food
Date of Tasting: January 24, 2013
Country: Chile
Year: 2009
Price: $7.95
Shop Review: Blackberry and cola aromas are cool and collected. The palate has weight and texture to accompany berry, mint, herb and peppery flavors. Turns more herbal and roasted as it unwinds. Pepper and spice lead the finish.
My Review: The first thing
I noticed with this wine was the dark red-purple hue it had. I
experienced a flavor of cherries as well as hint of tobacco. I was not
able to really pick up on the blackberry flavor as it tasted more like
cherries to me. I somewhat enjoyed this wine, but it was not one of my
favorites.
With or Without Food: Without food
Date of Tasting: January 24, 2013
Country: Portugal
Year: 2010
Price: $6.95
Shop Review: Despite its light touch, this is fruity and full, with its blackberry fruit dominating the warm spice note and acidity. Soft tannins keep the wine together.
My Review: I was very
surprised that I did enjoy this red wine. Usually, red wines tend to
overwhelm my palate. However, this particular wine was very light, and I
could taste some of the berry flavor as well as the juicy acidity of the
wine.
With or Without Food: Without food
Date of Tasting: January 24, 2013
Country: Argentina
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95
Shop Review: Yellow color with green hints. Expressive wine, fresh, very aromatic. This Sauvignon Blanc displays grapefruit flavors, with hints of melon and honey. It finishes with bracing acidity and fresh mouth feels that make it a terrific aperitif and an excellent accompaniment to virtually all seafood, especially shellfish.
My Review: My opinion of
this wine is that I could definitely smell some of the grapefruit and
melon within the wine. I was not able to really taste much of the
grapefruit and the melon initially. After the initial taste, the after
taste did have a strong amount of grapefruit. From this experience, I am not
sure if I would want to drink a glass of this wine due to the strong
power of grapefruit that I experienced on my palate.
With or Without Food: Without food
Date of Tasting: January 24, 2013
Country: Portugal
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95
Shop Review: Pale golden silver color. Bright floral aromas of peaches, raspberry and honeysuckle with a soft, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a crisp, tart citrus and talc accented finish. A delightful sipper that is sure to please.
My Review: My opinion of
this wine was that it was a particularly fresh and crisp wine. It did
have some acid after the initial crisp taste, and I was able to taste
the citrus in this wine. I truly thought this was a pretty good wine since the citrus flavor made it very fresh! I would probably drink this wine again.
With or Without Food: Without food
I was definitely not aware of all of the various wine regions around the world. I decided to pick a region found in Spain. This region is known as the Catalonia region.
Location:
The Catalonia region is located on the north-east coast of Spain.
Size:
The Catalonia region is 60,000 hectares which is just over 148 acres. This particular region is made up 200 vineyards which produce 38 million liters of wine each year. Nine denominación de origen are located within this region. This term simply means designations of origins and are even more specific areas within the Catalonia region!
Climate:
Due to the Catalonia region being located on the coast, it has two distinct climates. The coastal region of this area has dry and hot summers and mild winters. The coastal region also receives moderate rainfall. The inland region is very hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Due to the diverse climate, the Catalonia region is an ideal location for wine making!
History:
One very interesting fact is that this region has been producing wine since the time of the Romans! It was also one of the first areas in Spain to adopt using stainless steel fermentation tanks. Catalonia has also introduced international grape varieties into its landscape.
Wine:
One of the most famous wines of the Catalonia region is the champagne-style wine known as "Cava". Cava plays a very integral role in the success of this region's wine industry since the majority of the grapes grown in this region are grown to make Cava. The second type of wine which is commonly produced in Catalonia is still reds. Due to its close proximity to France, this region does have a strong French influence on most of its wines.
This region of Catalonia is a very dynamic wine-producing area on the Mediterranean. It has a rich history of wine making which draws individuals to wines produced from this area such as the famous Cava.
After seeing a photo of a wine bottle with Hello Kitty on the label in class on Tuesday evening, I began to become interested in which grape produced that particular bottle of wine. It turns out that the grape used was the Gamay grape. In order to learn more about this particular variety of grape, I learned about the history of the Gamay grape, where it is grown, distinguishing characteristics, and good food pairings for this wine.
History:
The Gamay grape originated in the Gamay village in France during the mid 14th century. This specific grape helped the region recover after the Black Death had plagued the area. The full name of this grape is Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc which means Black Gamay with White Juice. An interesting fact which I learned upon my research of this grape variety was that the dukes of Burgundy tried to outlaw the production of this variety in order to make the more popular Pinot Noir. However, the grape stayed in the region due to its prolific growth in the area.
Regions Grown:
The Gamay grape is mainly grown in France, particularly in the Beaujolais village. It is also grown in Maconnais, Savoie, and Touraine. Approximately 95% of its use comes from France! This map shows some of the major areas in France where the grape is grown. The second most popular area where this grape is grown is in Switzerland. In Switzerland, the locals like to blend wine produced from the Gamay grape with Pinot Noir. Also, the Gamay grape is gaining popularity in Canada due to its flavor and overall freshness. One cool fact I learned about the Gamay grape is that it grows excellently in granite and limestone soils.
Characteristics:
The Gamay grape is a thin-skinned, red wine grape.It often is described as having fruity aromas and tasting of red cherries and strawberries. Yum! It can often have notes of bananas as well. This particular grape can give off a very acidic flavor; so, the process of carbonic maceration is used to decrease the acid and up play the fruit of the grape. The Gamay grape is also known to produce wines with a low tannin content. Something I was not aware of with wines is that if a wine has a low tannin content it should be consumed early rather than aged for a while. Wine connoisseurs recommend drinking these bottles within two years of bottling. The color of wine often has a distinctive bluish-purple hue from the carbonic maceration process. A very positive aspect about this grape for college students is that the wine produced from it is often at affordable prices!! From all of these characteristics, I believe that this may be a red wine that I would enjoy drinking!
Food Pairings:
Since I enjoy cooking, I decided to look up some recommended pairings with Gamay grapes. This wine is supposed to pair nicely with a light lunch of pasta or salad. It is also known to work well with roast turkey with cranberry sauce! I think that this qualifies as a holiday timed wine to go along with all of the turkey. It is also known to work well with a grilled salmon fillet with roasted fennel.
After learning so much information about this particular wine variety, I am very interested to try wines produced from Gamay grapes.
Taking a class called "Geography of Wine" can get many quizzical looks, especially from my Animal Science peers. I saw this class on the timetable a few months ago, and I decided that it would be an interesting class to take during my final semester as an undergraduate student at Virginia Tech. After tonight's lecture, I am pleased with my decision to take this class!! While my involvement with wine is not extensive, I do enjoy having a glass of wine.
Growing up as a Catholic, I had the pleasure of tasting a sweet red wine every Sunday after my First Communion in third grade. Ever since then, my passion for drinking wine has continued. Being a college student, I cannot afford the highest quality wines though. My friends and I usually settle for a Barefoot Moscato. This particular wine is a very sweet flavored wine, which I thoroughly enjoy! Being the girly-girl that I am, this fruity aroma and citrus flavored wine is one I continue to reach for.
While I have ventured out somewhat in wines, my palate is still becoming use to the more robust and deeper flavor of red wines. One particular red wine which was a more recent venture was the Yellow Tail Cabernet Sauvignon. The first sip was particularly bitter, but after a few sips, I began to get more used to this wine. Due to the bolder flavor of red wine, I am excited to learn more about this type of wine as well as certain foods to pair it with.
I would not even venture to call myself someone who knows a lot about different types of wines. Hopefully, through this class, I will gain more knowledge on the process of wine making and how the grapes used can affect the flavor of a particular wine. Since I enjoy cooking, it will be great to see which wines pair perfectly with a certain meal!! I look forward to where this course will take me!
