Week 2 Wine Tasting

Week number 2 of wine tasting. Hopefully we will have learned something in the intervening days to improve the tasting experience and vocabulary, but we'll see...


Wine #1: Arido

Arido, Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina, 2010, $8.60

First Impression: Hot, peppery, slightly rubbery smell, and a hot, peppery taste.

After time, with food: Smells slightly sweeter, but still peppery. With cheese, it tasted bitter and still peppery, but had a hint of cherry on the end.

Established review: "Intense ruby color. Delicate red fruit and violet aromas interact with classic Malbec spiciness. Soft and round in the mouth with balanced acidity and sweet tannins." Delavin.com

Wine #2: Fish Eye

 Fish Eye, Cabernet Sauvignon, Southeastern Australia, 2010, $6.90

First Impression: Smelled light, slightly rubbery, and a bit of blueberry. Tasted dry but fruity, with a slightly buttery aftertaste.

After time, with food: Smelled the same, tasted hotter with a stronger berry flavor, and the aftertaste was more buttery.

Established review: “Aromas of eucalyptus leaf, sweet pickle relish and raspberry-blueberry jelly with a silky fruity-yet-dry medium body and juicy, cedar and peppery spice accented finish.” Tastings.com

Wine #3: Dellatorri

Dellatorri, Chianti, Italy, 2010, $8.69

First Impression: Smells a little fruity, slightly rubbery, but not hot. Tasted hot initially, but then more tangy and acidic.

After time, with food: Smelled sweeter and fruitier, tasted lighter and still tangy, but with a fruity aftertaste.

Established review: "This rich Chianti offers hints of violet, cherry and spice. It is soft, fresh and pleasantly balanced." Dellatorri website

Wine #4: Funf

Funf, Moscato, Longuich, Germany, no year listed, $8.00

First Impression: Smells of peaches, melon, pear, and apple. Tastes like apple and pear with a zingy aftertaste.

After time, with food: Still smelled fruity, but more tart. Tasted more fruity, less tangy, and a bit citrus-y.

Established review: "Funf Moscato has a peach and honeysuckle aromas with fresh, sweet flavors of juicy tropical fruit, honeydew melon, Fuji apple, and ripe citrus. Refreshingly sweet but not cloying, this wine is well balanced with a clean, mouth watering finish." Funf website




Biggest lesson learned this week: Pasta tastes good with garlic bread. Wine does not.

Wine Tasting, Part II

Ok, so at this particular juncture in my life, it seems like a good idea to complete the post on this first wine tasting adventure.  Erudite be damned, I will blog now!


Wine #1: The Little Penguin
So, for our first wine, we tried some Little Penguin Merlot. Not knowing much of anything about choosing wines, we invariably picked bottles based on what looked cute, pretty, or cost the least. At $6.99 a bottle, this was actually one of the more expensive bottles we purchased. It is a 2010 Merlot from Southeastern Australia.

When 4 women look for a bottle of wine, a bright blue label with a cute animal is what you get!

First Impression: it doesn't have a strong smell, but has a very slightly fruity hint. It tastes tart and strong, and there is a definite alcohol burn afterwards.

After time, with food: still smells light and slightly fruity, with a little spiciness. With a hard, aromatic cheese, it tasted more acidic and bitter. Basically, this was not a combination I wanted to repeat. With a softer cheese or buttery cracker, it tasted fruitier, like black cherries. I hope it sounds like I know what I'm talking about, because I definitely don't. This is a wine novice's take on wine tasting. So far, my opinion is the sweeter, the better!

Wine #2: Crane Lake

Crane Lake, Petite Sirah, California 2010, $4.59 a bottle (classy stuff, right?!)

First Impression: Stronger smell than the Little Penguin, more fruity, with some berry-ness (that's a word, right?) It tastes fruity, a little sweet, and a little plum-y (again, a word?)

After time, with food: smelled a little lighter than it did originally, but still fruity, maybe with the addition of a bit of spice. It tastes a little more tart and acidic, but less intense with the addition of food. From what I understand, this is not what I am supposed to be tasting. With the addition of fatty foods, the acidity should be slightly cancelled out, and the wine should taste sweeter. I guess I just need to practice more, oh well!

Wine #3: FlipFlop

flipflop, Moscato, California, 2010, $6.19 a bottle

First Impression: smells floral, fruity, with a hint of apple. Tastes sweet with a little apple, a little citrus, a little tang, and a slight floral aftertaste. The Moscato is sweet, SURPRISE!!!

After time, with food: smells lighter, still fruity and relatively bold, and peachy. Tastes a little more tangy, with a zing of the end.

And finally, wine #4: Villa Wolf

Villa Wolf, Gewurztraminer (all I can think of when I read this is "rhymes with itHURTSmyweiner"), Wengerohr, Germany, 2010, $11.29 a bottle (this must be the good stuff!)

First Impression: smells slightly mossy and musty. The tasting part after that lovely scent description was met with some resistance from the group. I did not find the taste as offensive as the rest of the group. I found it to have a clean, tangy, citrus-y taste.

After time, with food: smelled fruitier, and the taste was tangier and more citrus-y. Also, by the end of this tasting experience, the alcohol became both more and less apparent, if that makes any sense.

And this concludes my first foray into wine-tasting and blogging. I thoroughly anticipate looking back on this post with complete and utter embarrassment, so thanks for bearing with me!

Wine Tasting: Attempt #1

Starting the wine tasting tonight, but 4 glasses in, it looks like the erudite blogging will have to wait for tomorrow. Tonight is just a short intro...and maybe some pictures.

Part of our spread, early on in the night