Week 5 Wine Tasting

Alright, more time, more wine! This week is a little different, because all of the wines weren't tasted at the same place or time, so it's a little more varied. Let's see what, if anything, I learned this week!

Wine #1: Sivas Sonoma

Sivas-Sonoma, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County, California, 2009, $14.95

Smell: It was a little fruity, but in a heavier way. It was like if those little candied fruits you get in a fruit cake were heated on a stove and reduced. It had a concentrated smell.

Taste: I was excited, because I could actually taste a whole bunch of different things in this wine! Some of them were more distinct than others, but there were definitely a lot of flavors. It was buttery but still fruity and sweet. There was a hint of chocolate and then a spicy, peppery finish. Granted, this could be a lot of nonsense, especially compared to the actual review, but that's what I got from it.

Established Review: "Fruit driven, with a nice combination of blackberry, red currant, and a background of dark chocolate and cocoa...On the palate, dark chocolate-covered cherry flavors meet hints of mocha, and the dark fruit profile carries all the way through the lively mid-palate...the mixture of French and American oak aging lends light touches of vanilla and cinnamon to this wine's background complexity." Vintage Cellar

Wine #2: Innocent Bystander

Innocent Bystander, Moscato, Victoria, Australia, 2011, $15.95

Smell: Very fruity, melon scent. Also, a bit floral, like jasmine or roses.

Taste: Strong green apple flavor. It's bright with a tang, and sweet, but not too sweet. Pink and bubbly(but still smooth,) light and fun, it says party to me!

Established Review: "Scents of rose and fresh wild strawberries lend this pink, slightly fizzy wine its brisk perfume. Lightly sweet, it is balanced by chalk-like minerality." Wine & Spirits via wine.com

Wine #3: Bella Sera

Bella Sera, Merlot, Sicily, Italy, 2009, $10

Smell: It's a bit buttery/creamy, but still fruity. It has some plum, cherry, and a hint of strawberry. Nothing too harsh, very nice.

Taste: It had a warm taste, if that makes any sense. It wasn't an alcoholic burn, just a warm feel/flavor. It had a tart, cherry flavor, and it was very smooth and velvety. I had this with a dinner of steak and potatoes, and the wine and food went very well together.

Established Review: "The wine delivers ripe red and black fruit flavor, delivering a rich mouthfeel and sweet tannins with a lingering fruit finish." Marketview Liquor via Snooth.com

Wine #4: Cantina Villafranca

Cantina Villafranca, Malvasia and Trebbiano, Frascati, Italy, 2010, $7.95

Smell: Citrus-y smell, very light.

Taste: Buttery and smooth. I think I got a hint of cheese, but that seems odd, so I'm not sure about that...

Established Review: "Intense yellow color with greenish reflections. Characteristic persistent fresh and fruity aromas." Winemaker's notes

Wine #5: Morro Bay White Oaks Estates

Morro Bay White Oak Estates, Chardonnay, California, 2009, $5.95

Smell: It smelled heavily of raisins, with a little bit of oak and spice. Almost like toast made from raisin bread.

Taste: This one tasted very oak-y to me, and was tangy at the end. Not really sure how I feel about this. I will have to try more wines with different levels of oak to see what I can deal with and what I can't.

Established Review: "Vanilla cream soda nose with a slice of fresh cut pineapple. Full body, tropical fruit, spice and pleasing vanilla oak note linger in the finish. Sweet flavor on the palate is from sur-lie aging the wine on the primary yeast lees for 7months." Vintage Cellar

Week 4 Wine Tasting

Alrighty, week #4! Once again, we decided to go to the Vintage Cellar for a tasting, and once again, we walked away with more wine but less money. (Though with the awesome prices, I think the wine gained outweighed the money lost!) So to begin, we have...


Wine #1: Leese-Fitch

Leese-Fitch, Sauvignon Blanc, California, 2010, $10.95

Smell: Light, dry, and fresh. Kind of reminds me of a riverbed. In a good, refreshing, earthy, clean way, though. Not a fish poop and mud kind of way.

Taste: Clean and tart, slightly acidic.

Established Review: "Dry, crisply acidic and clean, with complex citrus, flower and mineral flavors." Wine Enthusiast

Wine #2: Allamand

Allamand, Saint Jeannet, Mendoza, Argentina, 2011, $11.95

Smell: Light, with a hint of freshly cut grass.

Taste: Very smooth, very light. I also thought I tasted a slightly bread-y flavor, but that seemed rather odd, so I kind of second guessed myself. But, I suppose it doesn't hurt to add to the wine blog.

Established Review: "Made very naturally from organically farmed grapes with almost nothing added later, wild yeast fermentation and no oak." Vintage Cellar

Wine #3: Frisk

Frisk, Riesling, Alpine Valley, Australia, 2011, $11.95

Smell: Light, floral, honeysuckle, and jasmine. Smells delicious!!!

Taste: Floral and slightly sweet, but also tart and with a little kick. Also, a few bubbles in there! Very tasty and fun. One of these guys definitely made his way home with me!

Established Review: "A pleasing level of prickly spritz lifting the ample fruity flavors...loads of tropical fruit and jasmine aromas, off-dry fruity flavors...and a sweet/tart finish." Vintage Cellar

Wine #4: Cuilleras

Cuilleras, Grenache, Rhone Valley, France, 2010, $11.95

Smell: Plum hit me first, but then other fruits, specifically berries, came through.

Taste: Light at first, then very peppery. It had a smokey aftertaste.

Established Review: "A wine with great lively acidity which gives it great freshness. You'll taste lots of black cherry and currant fruit with some notes of licorice and minerals." Vintage Cellar


Wine #5: Antano

Antano, Crianza, Rioja, Spain, 2008, $8.95

Smell: This smell surprised me, because usually with red wines, I have a difficult time smelling anything floral, but that was the first smell that hit me. It was also a little fruity. It smelled warm, if that it possible.

Taste: There was some spice and it was a bit peppery, with just a little heat. There was also something tart, like a black cherry.

Established Review: "Loads of fresh, spicy black cherry and hints of vanilla and toast combine with fresh acidity in a medium-bodied, textbook crianza that is perfect for a nicely balanced, delicious house red." Vintage Cellar

I think I'm slowly developing my palate. It will probably take a lifetime of improvements, but I feel like I can already taste, smell, and talk about wine in a more intelligent way. Although, I may have taken a step back with the first description of the day by including the words "fish poop"...oh well, it's a learning process!

Week 3 Wine Tasting

Ok, so an actual week has passed, but this is the third week of wine tasting, so I'm going with it! This time, instead of doing an at home tasting, we decided to go to an actual tasting and let people pick wines out for us. It will be interesting to see how our wine choosing abilities change throughout this course! Now, to the reviewing...


Wine #1: The Royal

The Royal, Chenin Blanc, South Africa, 2009, $4.95

Smell: Sweet, light, and a little bit of fruit, possibly apple

Taste: This wine is very light, crisp, and a little tart. There is an citrus/acidic taste, but then a sweet finish

Established Review: "Packed with upfront melon fruit, the nose charms with an abundance of guava and gooseberries as well as the signature hint of honey. The palate follows through with fruit flavors balanced by a crisp acid to ensure a fresh and fruity style of wine." Kysela.com

Wine #2: Coldstream Hills

Coldstream Hills, Sauvignon Blanc, Yarra Valley, Australia, 2009, $7.95

Smell: At first, I couldn't put my finger on the scent, but it was very familiar. It wasn't until someone said "grapefruit" that I realized they were right. The grapefruit hit me right away, but there was also a little musty, earthy smell.

Taste: This had a very light taste, even lighter than the Royal wine from earlier. It was tangy and zesty. I suppose the best way to describe it would be light, but with a kick.

Established Review: "The nose shows fragrant gooseberry characters with underlying passionfruit and lychee aromas. Minerally, stalky notes are evident and provide additional complexity. The palate is a fine and elegant style with zesty lemon acidity and length. Varietal characters of passionfruit pulp and gooseberry dominate with hints of lemon peel in the background." Vintage Cellar

Wine #3: Marques de Moral

Marques de Moral, Crianza & Tempranillo, Valdepenas, Spain, 2007, $7.95

Smell: Very sweet, definite caramel scent (for me, at least)

Taste: This wine was also light. It had either a cranberry or cherry taste, though I couldn't decide which. Maybe both? It was tart, anyhow. There was a little bit of heat, and it ended with a peppery taste. I was definitely thrown off, because the smell and taste were so different.

Established Review: "Medium red. Aromas of redcurrant and cherry, plus a hint of dried rose. Fleshy and smooth, with moderate depth to its slightly bitter red fruit flavors. Finishes with decent breadth and grip, with the redcurrant element joined by a hint of white pepper." Stephen Tanzer via Kysela.com


Wine #4: Le Lapin

Le Lapin, Multiplicity, Paso Robles, California, no vintage, $6.95

Smell: Sweet with plum and some sort of berry, though I can't put my finger on specifically which ones, and a hint of spice

Taste: Flavorful but not too harsh. Spice and a little woody. I'm surprised to say that I really enjoy this wine. I never thought I would enjoy a beverage that tasted like wood.

Established Review: "The nose is black cherry, blackberry, a little plum and some spice, with a touch of forest floor. The palate is full of fruit and spice, with flavors of black cherry and a slight cranberry note. Nice firm tannins and a medium finish." Vintage Cellar

Wine #5: Opera Prima

 Opera Prima, Moscato, Spain, no vintage, $5.95

Smell: Honeysuckle, light melon, and something floral (I think jasmine, but I can't be sure)

Taste: This one was sparkling, which automatically makes it more fun! Bright, citrus-y, melon, and very sweet. Floral aftertaste (again, probably jasmine, but possibly a little rose too.) This wine had by far some of the easiest scents and flavors to detect. They were very distinct, yet still blended well together. A couple of bottles of this may have come home with me...

Established Review: "Its bright fruit aromas of lychee and lime are apealing and the flavors of honeydew, lime, and lychee are delightful." Vintage Cellar

What I have noticed so far is that I am smelling and tasting things that are not in the wine review. I'm not sure whether this is because things taste and smell differently to different people, or my inexperienced nose and palate are mislabeling things. I suppose it could be a combination of both. Well, even if I'm wrong, at least I'm having fun doing it! Plus, who can say they're right about everything after a couple of drinks?!