Tasting: Rosemount Estate Moscato

Name: Rosemount Estate Moscato
Variety: Moscato
Region: N/A
Country: Australia
Year: N/A
Price: $12
Sales Price: $3.95

 Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda) "Clear, medium-lemon yellow in appearance; lovely citrus and honeysuckle aromas with lemon, honeysuckle, apple and ripe yellow plum flavors. Serve chilled with angel food cake or fresh fruit and mild cheeses."


My Review: This moscato was pretty interesting to say the least. It had a strong lemony, floral nose with hints of other fruity aromas. The taste however was overwhelmingly sweet and sour. It had a strong honey taste that wasn't bad but did not make me a strong believer in this wine. The wine had a clean, crisp texture that had a long, decent finish. 

Tasting: Ironstone Old Vine Zinfandel

Name: Ironstone Old Vine Zinfandel
Variety: Zinfandel
Region: Lodi, California
Country: United States
Year: N/A
Price: $15.95
Sales Price: $7

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): "Grown in vineyards that are over 45 years old, this medium-bodied Zin has exceptional varietal character with lovely aromas of dark fruit and blackberries. Subtle pepper spice mingles with richly concentrated fruit flavors of blackberry, ripe plums and fresh red raspberries. Barrel aging created its smooth, silky finish and unprecedented depth. A wonderful wine pairing for variety of dishes. Any type of meat - where its pork, beef or game - is ideal with this wine. Cioppino is another amazing complement or try it with tomato- based pastas, hearty stews or a plate of strong, aged cheeses."

My Review: This wine did remind me of an old vine/old world type of wine . It was a full bodied Zinfandel with an Earthy, full smelling wine. The wine was tasty and was smokey and thick and was pretty awesome on the finish. the wine was rather dry and you could feel the tannins  dry out your palate.  

Tasting: Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico

Name: Librandi Circo Rosso Classico
Variety: Gaglioppo
Region: N/A
Country: Italy
Year: N/A
Price: $14
Sales Price: $3.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): "Don't let the pale garnet color fool you: this is a substantial wine. Aromas of red fruits and spice complement undertones of cranberries, wild berries, and plums. On the palate, ripe tannins and good body make for an incredibly rich, yet easygoing red wine. Pair this wine with sausage, spicy curry sauces, hot soppressata, and tandoori chicken."

My Review: This Gaglioppo was phenomenal. It had one of the best noses I have ever smelled on a wine. It had a powerful cherry nose along with hints of plum and cranberry. The wine had a strong berry taste that would be phenomenal with the correct food pairing. Overall a very good with at a reasonable price. 

Tasting: Angove Viognier

Name: Angove Viognier
Variety: Viognier
Region: N/A
Country: Australia
Year: N/A
Price: $15
Sales Price: $5.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): "Bright light straw in color with some green hues, this wine has a lush ripe tropical fruit aroma. This is a fuller bodied white which fills the mouth with heady flavors of apricot, peach and citrus. Angove Nine Vines Viognier is perfect for today's relaxed life-style and is the ideal companiment to grilled prawns with chili and garlic or roast pork."

My Review: This white wine was a very boring wine that really did nothing for me. It had a very weak aroma that was very floral and tropical. The wine was even less interesting on the palate. It had overtones of peach, citrus, and sour.  The wine had a clean, crisp texture that saved whatever was good in this wine. Very mediocre. 

Tasting: Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blanc Seaview Vineyard
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: N/A
Country: New Zealand
Year: N/A
Price: $21
Sales Price: $7.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): "This aroma wine shows lifted flavours of black currant with underlying notes of wet stone and thyme. The palate is elegant yet full with sufficient weight and texture, balanced by a flinty minerality. This wine is a fantastic match with foods such as cheese salad, poultry dishes and a wide range of seafood dishes including freshly shucked natural oysters, prawns, green lip mussels and creamy scallops."

My Review: This Sauvignon Blanc had a very powerful pear aroma and "cat pee" smell.There were hints of honey and an overall Earthy smell that opened up the wine. The wine had a spicy and sour taste that was rather overwhelming. The wine had a very tart taste and a short, but decent finish. Overall not a bad wine, but I most definitely have had better. 

Winery Visit #2: Attimo Winery

Attimo Winery's Winery License

        


  My friends and I visited the Attimo Winery in Christiansburg, Virginia on Friday, April 18th, 2014. I thought this Winery tour was much more educational and interesting than the Winery visit we did to Beliveau Winery Estates two weeks ago. The owner of the winery Rick Obiso, actually was our tour guide and he was phenomenal! This experience was awesome and I would definitely recommend a trip out there when Rick is in town.

One of the many Vineyards at Attimo Winery

   Rick Obiso, the owner and part-time operator was a phenomenal tour guide and taught us much more about their vines and scientific wine processes than the other tour which I really appreciated. Rick told us about his past and that he was a Hokie alumni who had a Doctorates degree in Biochemistry. He also told us about how he got kicked out of the dorms for making wine in his room when he was an RA. We all got a good laugh out of that one. He noted that they had over 60 thousand vines and over 15 thousand bottles sold. He noted that some of these vines could live up to 50-75 years and the root of the vine was of Vitis Labrusca while the vines themselves were Vitis Vinifera.

Rick Obiso showing us this Vidal Blanc vines

   Some of the types of grapes they grew were Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Bordeaux, Reisling, and many other types of vine grapes. Rick taught us about the different levels of fruit wires, what times they usually harvest the grapes, and that the vineyard brush gets so thick in the summer you couldn't even here someone shout three hedgerows away. It was a very impressive presentation.

Vidal Blanc wines and the "Fruit Wires"

  After showing us around some of the winery's vineyards, Rick took us into the winery's housing and storage area. He probably had anywhere from 50-75 wine oak barrels and plastic wine containers. He noted that at Attimo Winery, they like to use the old-time or ancient way of making wine by hand because he thought that those wines had more character and better taste. Rick also told us they used three different types of Oak barrels to age their wines: French, American, and even Hungarian oak barrels.Each of these barrels would weigh up to 800 pounds full and that due to evaporation, they would lose on average $400 a day in lost wine revenues. He also noted with some of the Red wines that they do not crush the grapes until AFTER the fermentation process has been completed, like we learned in class.

Grabbing a selfie with Rick real quick in the wining area

   After showing us some of the machine and aging barrels, Rick opened the tour up to questions. Being a finance major and interested in the business side of the winery, I asked what the payback period was of the winery investment. He said anywhere from 14-15 years. He also noted that he doesn't see a positive cash flow until 5 years into the winery being opened....not what you would call a good investment.

Me at the wine tasting

Me in the barrel aging area/storage area

Oak aging barrels

For the wine tasting, we tried several of Attimo Winery's wines. Some were great, some were not so great.


1. Yesterday's Song: This wine was a Chardonnay that had a "Dry white, crisp, lightly oaked, with pear notes." This wine had a floral nose mixed with pear. It was a light and easy wine to drink but really was not my cup of tea.

2. Off-the-Cuff: This sweet blend of Riesling and Chardonnay was one of my favorite wines I tried at the tasting. Described as a "semi-sweet white, fruity with mineral and citrus notes", this wine is a nice summer/spring wine that would go well with a peach-cobbler.

3. Just Kissed Blush: This "semi-sweet blush, fruity: distinct berry flavored" wine had one of the best noses I have ever smelled. The wine smelled of bubble gum and roses. It was strong but not overwhelming and I enjoyed the crisp, sour taste immensely.

4. After Midnight: This Merlot/Blackberry/Zinfandel was described as a "red wine with training" wheels because of its sweet finish and lesser dryness than most reds. You could most definitely taste the blackberry on the finish which really decreased the "red wine" effect of the wine. Not a bad wine at all.

5. AD 325: This Chambourcin was the last red wine I really enjoyed at Attimo Winery's tasting. It was described as a "dry red with bold flavors and cherry undertones". It had a bland and dry and tart flavor with a little peppery taste thrown in there as well. It was a really smooth and dry wine that I thoroughly enjoyed.



Award area: Some of Attimo Winery's awards

   


Extra:

Just another selfie in front of some of the plastic storage/aging barrels

Tasting: Heinz Eifel Shine Rieslijng

Variety: Riesling
Region: N/A
Country: Germany
Year: 2012
Price: $9.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): "This drier-styled Riesling is bright, fruity and floral with crisp acidity and clean flavors of apple, pear, and peach that compliment its stony minerality and earthy complexity. It serves well as an aperitif and matches a wide variety of foods, like lighter salad dishes, shellfish, cream sauces and also anything with a touch of spice."

My Review: The white Rieseling was rather forgettable in my opinion. It had a floral aroma that smelled of pears and watermelon. This wine was very, very sweet which really turned me off. I do like sweet wines but I thought this one was a little over-the-top on its sweetness, and I know if I drank a glass or more of it I would get a headache from all the sugar and sweetness. It was much less dryer than the prior two wines which was nice but I was not a huge fan of this sweet Riesling. 

Tasting: Atlas Cumbres Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Atlas Cumbres Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety:  Cabernet
Region: N/A
Country: Argentina
Year: 2010
Price: $15
Sales Price: $6.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): "Intense red color with violet highlights, with clean, fresh and complex aromas of berries, plums, figs, and pepper. Strong personality is in perfect balance with a medium body and pleasant tannins. Ideal for: red meats, cheese and strong sauces."

My Review: This red Cabernet Sauvignon was very good in my opinion. This wine had an overpowering aroma of plum and berry and maybe a little spicy peppers or something along those lines. I think this wine wood go very well with food and would be much better with a proper food pairing versus drinking it by itself. The Cabernet tasted spicy but full with a smooth texture and woody aftertaste. Not a bad wine at all. 

Tasting: Georges DeBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Name: Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2013
Variety: Gamay
Region: N/A
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $14
Sales Price: $3.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): "Balanced and lightly creamy, offering pretty flavors of plum sauce and raspberry coulis threaded with hints of ground spice. Elegant with a floral finish. Drink now."

My Review: This Beaujolais Nouveau was a very intriguing wine, probably because I had never tasted one before. This wine had a very rich aroma of plum and raspberry that made the wine a little intimidating before you drank it. The Nouveau had was very creamy and smooth but incredibly DRY, LIKE SUPER DRY. Heavy tannins you could feel within this wine. It tasted a little spicy with a decent finish that sat on the palate for a few seconds after swallowing. Overall a wine that was not too shabby. 

Tasting - Bricco dei Tati Rose

Name: Bricco dei Tati Rose
Variety: Barbera
Region: N/A
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): "Fresh with aromas of strawberries, cherries and rose petals. This is ideal with shellfish, salads, chicken, and with appetizers."

My Review: This Italian Rose wine was pretty decent in my opinion. It had a floral/flowery pungent aroma that stung the nostrils. The aroma reminded me of roses or dandelions or something like that...very interesting none-the-less. The texture of this wine was very smooth and easy to drink, was not dry, so therefor lacking tannins. This Rose had a very powerful taste overwhelmingly citrusy and incredibly sour. 

Tasting - Frascati Volpetti

Name: Frascati Volpetti
Variety:  Malvasia, Trebbiano, Greco
Region: N/A
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $7.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): "Straw yellow in color with a soft, delicate perfume, fruitful flavor, dry and harmonious taste. Perfect with appetizers, soups, fish."

My Review: This white blend, in my honest opinion, was very mediocre. I did not find it great by any means and I think it really needed some type of food pairing in order to open it up. This wine had a perfume-like smell mixed with a fruity aroma that was weird. It had a very sour taste and almost had a scrambled-egg finishing taste that I really disliked. Overall a mediocre wine that I would not recommend. 

Wine Dinner #2: 4/11/2014

Our Second Wine Dinner

I must day, this wine dinner was one of the best dinner's I have ever had! For my second wine dinner we did more research and actually asked for guidance on what type of wines would match with the dishes we had in mind to cook; and it helped TREMENDOUSLY. This wine dinner was phenomenal and the wines we paired with the foods we cooked/served really made this a tremendous experience.

Our three chosen wines

We had three different wine and food pairings: Wrongo Dongo Monastrell with a Manchego cheese, cracker, and Old Boar Ham paring; A Renwood red Zinfandel that went with a pulled pork Jack Daniels BBQ platter; and finally, an Avery Quinn Chardonnay that we paired with some Fettuccine Alfredo pasta. All of these were phenomenal together!

The Manchego cheese, Old Boar Ham, and Crackers appetizer

Me doing the swirl, sniff, and drink

The first pairing was the appetizer of the Wrongo Dongo Monastrell (aka Mourvedre) with some Manchego cheese, crackers, and Old Boar sliced ham. The Wrongo Dongo had a powerful, fruity nose with a bit of



berry aroma that I found quite pleasing. It was pretty dry b
ut had a long, pleasant finish. The Wrong Dongo had a thick, viscousy texture that was supple and fleshy yet, chewy. The pairing of the appetizer and Monastrell wine was absolutely amazing! The wine really enhanced the taste of the appetizer and vice versa. The thickness and taste of the Manchego cheese really helped with the taste of this wine and asserted itself in the finish. This pairing was absolutely worth it, and I give all the credit to one of the experts at the Vintage Cellar for recommending this pairing. The best word I could use to describe this pairing would be "POW!!!" because it absolutely knocks your socks off.

The Jack Daniels Pulled Pork BBQ

The second pairing was the red Renwood Zinfandel and the Jack Daniels pulled pork BBQ. This pairing was also PHENOMENAL! The Zinfandel had a full and fruity aroma that really enthralled me with this wine. I think this was my favorite of the 3 wines we had that night when it was drank by itself. The Zin was full-bodied  and had a spicy taste that was a little bitter. The Zin had a long, hot finish due to its high alcohol content. The pairing however, only made me love this wine even more. The BBQ and Zinfandel really were perfect together. It seemed that the pairing would enhance the good parts of each food/wine and minimize the bad parts; example- the Zin's  hot finish was minimized by the BBQ, but the sweetness of the BBQ was enhanced by the dryness of the Zin. I found it incredible how these two wines and foods could benefit so well to the palate. This was by far my favorite pairing of the night.

Johnny and T-Smalls Showcasing the Zin and BBQ

Me showcasing the Avery Quinn Chardonnay

The third pairing was the Avery Quinn Chardonnay and the Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta. The Avery Quinn Chardonnay had a sweet apple-juice/pear aroma. I thought of this wine as a summer wine because of its fruity aroma and sweet/smooth taste. This Chardonnay paired well with the Alfredo's creaminess but did not do much to enrich the flavor of the pasta and vice versa. The two most definitely pair well but lacked the same kick and luster of the prior two food pairings. I thought the creamy Alfredo overpowered the thin texture of the Chardonnay and neither benefited really from the other. Not a bad pairing though at all. It might have just been the "cheerleader effect" of the other two wines that made this pairing seem so much less adequate.

Trying to open the bottle
(Actually broke the cork inside)

Me and Johnny showcasing the Alfredo and Chardonnay
(Might have had a little buzz going by this time)

Feedback:
I learned a lot from this experience of matching and pairing wines with foods. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this and I believe this is a phenomenal idea that opens people's minds and palates. I enjoyed it immensely!

Winery Visit #1: Beliveau Estate Winery

My first winery visit ever at the Beliveau Estate Winery in Blacksburg, Virginia. It was an incredible experience and I learned a lot about not just the wine-making process, but the culture and passion that goes into making great wines. The Beliveau Estate Winery consists of over 160 acres of grape vineyards. My roommate, Johnny, and I both went up there last Saturday, April 12th, and we kind of crashed a Kappa Delta sorority parents weekend function but they were still good sports about it.

View of a small portion of the whole vineyard

The first thing we did was get a tour of the winery and look at all the different machines and equipment they have, the processes of making the wine, and the final  product of the winery; the actual tasting of the wines during the wine tasting.  

I forgot the tour guy's name but he did a great job of explaining the different types of wine grapes they were growing at Beliveau. He listed a bunch of different wines they were growing and I only got a few: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Vidal Blanc, Reisling/Niagra blend, Zinfandels, Cabernet Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc; They were looking at experimenting with new grapes such as Merlot and Tempranillo. The tour guide explained that many of these grape vines can take up to 5-6 years to grow and mature and be ready for harvesting. I thought that was ridiculous because that payback period must be so long!!!! 

Merlot was one of the wines being aged in the stainless steel containers

We then entered the wine storage building at the winery. One thing that got me was how small it was, given the sommelier actually told us that Beliveau was the smallest possible winery that could be accredited. They had the two main type of wine storage: Wooden barrel storage and the steel wine containers. The tour guide told us that they used two type of wooden barrels to age the wines: French Oak and White American Oak barrels. They said their main Oak-aged wine was their Cabernet Sauvignons which is one of their favorites too. The tour guide also said that the winery really does not grow a lot of "sweet" wines because the owner tends to like the dry wines more. So no Muscat wines here.

Panoramic of the Wine storage building

Oak-Aged wine in French/White American oak barrels

Stainless steel aging containers

Next the tour guide showed us some of the equipment used in the wine-making process. We saw the destemmer/crusher of the grapes, the "old school crusher", the wine pump, and the bottle filler. I know these aren't the exact names but that's what I was able to discern from the tour guide's explanation of the equipment's uses were. 

Wine pump (bottom right) and bottle filler (Top left)

Old School Crusher

Modern day de-stemmer and sorter

After the tour we went and tasted their wines they had for us to sample. 

1. "Kaleidoscope"- This white wine was a "refreshing Pinot Grigio with hints of melon, pie apple, and distinct undertones of white pepper". This wine had that aroma of cat pee and floralness. It had a crisp, clean taste that made it easy to drink and would go extremely well on a nice summer day. This was also a chilled wine. 

2. "Mystique" - This white "dry oaked" Chardonnay "displayed notes of honey and vanilla with a refreshing lemon-lime finish". In the nose, I definitely got the honey smell, but also smelled a candy shop aroma and lemon. This was for sure a full-bodied Chardonnay with a little bit of the oak-monster in it. Not a bad wine though at all. 

3. "Lover's Quest" - The third white wine was a Vidal Blanc that was rather sweet for a Vidal Blanc. I did not much care for this wine and the was probably one of the rougher white wines I have ever tasted. It had a floral nose that was nice and refreshing. The taste of it was apricot and melon that was very sweet , crisp and had a good long finish. But mediocre none-the-less. 

4. "Silhouette 2012" - This was the first of the 3 red wines we tasted and it was a Cabernet Sauvignon and was a "cornucopia of red berry flavors, topped with spicy overtones". I personally enjoyed this wine and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes dry Cabernets. It had that typical Cabernet smell that you associate with this particular wine. This was a very good wine, I definitely recommend it.

5. "Rainbow" - This $24 red Zinfandel was probably my favorite of all the wines we tried at the tasting. This Zinny had "soft peppery overtones" that would go "great with beef and blue cheese". This Zin was 16% ABV so of course it had a hot finish, but it wasn't a bad finish at all. It was a long full wine that really was incredibly good.  

6. "Sunset Sipper" - This other $24 dollar Zinfandel was also very, very good. It was dry and had a hot finish due to the high alcohol content of Zinfandels. This Zin had a fruity flavor that was a little spicy. It had a smooth finish that really sat well on the palate. This was a very good wine. I would definitely recommend this wine as well!

AWARDS: Below are pictures of the awards that Beliveau has won in its short operating time.

Beliveau's award-winning wines with their medals. 

 

Just some supplemental pictures!!!!

My roommate Johnny with the Winery dog

Me standing in the storage facility

Tasting: Toso Moscato

Friday, April 11, 2014

Tasting - "Toso Moscato'

Photo:

Name: Toso Moscato

Variety: Moscato

Region: N/A

Country:Italy

Year: N/A

Price: $9.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): This Moscato is reminiscent of honeysuckle and rose petal. The quality is equivalent to a top level Asti Spumante DOCG. Sweet sparkling wine obtained from a careful selection of Moscato grapes. It has a pale straw yellow color with fine foam and bubbles. Tropical fruit flavors, refreshing. Excellent to match desserts, fruit and dried pastries. 

My Review: This pink Moscato was incredibly sweet for a Moscato., It had a honey and floral aroma that was consistent and standard for most Moscatos. I also smelled orange and mango aromas that was very full. The taste was overwhelmingly sweet but still delicious none-the-less. There was a long and full finish on the palate that I really enjoyed! Two thumbs up for this pink Moscato. 

Tasting: El Sierro

Name: El Sierro Tempranillo/ Cab

Variety: Blended- Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc Blend

Region: Valencia 

Country: Spain

Year: N/A

Price: $7.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda) "Dark ruby in color with rich aromas of red fruit and light spices. It is a real knock-out with delicious flavors of dark cherries, blackberries and vanilla all perfectly integrated. The Tempranillo provides wonderful spice and fruit, while the Cabernet Sauvignon gives structure and depth with the beautiful use of oak." 

My Review: This red blend was one of the most unique smelling wines I've ever smelled. It had a rich vanilla smell that was very impressive and aromatically pleasing. There was also a floral and berry aroma that was rather potent and pleasing. However the nice aroma of this wine did not match it's taste.The dryness of this wine was overwhelming. The blend also had a very spicy and fruity taste which I did not like. I tasted blackberry taste that i really did not like. This wine was rather mediocre. 

Tasting: Omo Ze Bel

Name: Omo Ze Bel Merlot

Variety: Merlot

Region: Sicily 

Country: Italy

Year: N/A

Price: $6.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): "This bright, soft Merlot comes from a hilly vineyard on the Alcesti/family estate in beautiful Sicily. It has hints of red cherries and freshly cut hay. Exceptional value!"

My Review: This Merlot was rather mediocre in my mind. I was not the biggest fan. This red had a mossy, Earthy, powerful aroma that really affected the taste and texture of this wine. The wine was very acidic and dry and had a "smokey" taste that reminded me of a Barbecue grill out. I can't emphasize enough how dry this wine really was! The tannins were out in full force and was enhanced by a bitter and tart-like taste. 

Yasting: Atlas Cumbres Torrontes

Name: Atlas Cumbres Torrontes

Variety: Torrontes

Region: N/A

Country: Argentina 

Year: N/A

Price: $5.95

Vintage Wine Cellar (Amanda): "Yellow colour with greenish nuances. Very intense aroma of fresh grapes, flower perfume and mature peaches. Fresh in the mouth. Light and easy to drink. Ideal with seafood, Thai and Chinese food."

My review:  This white Torrontes was rather surprisingly good considering I have not had a lot of Torrontes that I've liked. This Torrontes had a floral and honey nose that also had hints of mango and peach aromas. This wine was  rather bland and dry. It had a  Very acidic and tart taste that really was pretty good in my book. The wine had a decent finish that sat on the pallate for awhile.