Tasting - "Beringer Chenin Blanc"

Name - Beringer Chenin Blanc
Variety - Chenin Blanc
Region - California
Country - Unites States
Year - 2014
Price - $5.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
A fresh green-apple aroma and vivid citrus and crisp apple flavors are supported by vibrant acidity in this medium-bodied wine. The texture is smooth but crisp, making lots of good food pairings come to mind, from pre-meal cheese, to salads, seafood and veggie pastas.

My Review - This scent of this wine immediately made me think of the smell of cat pee. It also had hints, after the initial cat pee scent, of geranium, peach and almost a yeast/flour smell. It tasted like toasted almonds, apricots, peaches, strawberry jelly and vanilla. I thought it was a good balance and tasted better than the smell for sure. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Carraia Aglianico"

Name - Carraia Aglianico
Variety - Aglianico
Region - Champagna
Country - Italy
Year - 2013
Price - $15.00, Sale - $9.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
Produced in the Campania region of Italy, this Aglianico has delicious black fruit flavors with hints of licorice, volcanic soil and tar notes. Classic in nature, yet in a lighter, more crowd-pleasing style, the Carraia is made of the ancient Aglianico grape. This black grape originated in Greece and today is widely grown in Basilicata and Campania.

My Review - This wine smelled like prune and plum, also had an earthy, dirt scent too. It also had a hint of darker fruit like black currant. It was very strong on the palate, reminiscent of the darker fruits and just not ripe enough berries. It was pungent overall but had such a smooth finish. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Siema Vino Rosso"

Name - Siema Vino Rosso
Variety - Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo
Region - Piemonte
Country - Italy
Year - ----
Price - $10.00, Sale - $6.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
Intense ruby red with soft garnet nuances in the glass, the Rosso is intriguingly fresh, fruity and spicy on the nose. Perfectly round and balanced, the wine is particularly soft and dry. Pair with simple dishes like fresh cheese, ham, salami, or pizza for a divine culinary experience.

My Review - The color of this wine was beautiful, it looks just like my birth stone, garnet. I smelled rubbing alcohol very strongly right away with hints of black cherries and raspberries. It was a very strong blackberry jam flavor on the palate, a little smokey but a smooth finish. It definitely had a lingering smokey, licorice aftertaste. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Dom de la Foret Grenache Cinsault Rose de Mediterranee"

Name - Domaine de la Foret Grenache - Cinsault Rose De Mediterranee
Variety - Grenache (50%) & Cinsault (50%)
Region - Provence
Country - France
Year - 2015
Price - $13.00, Sale - $8.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
A stony, pure style, with a warm paving stone note framing the dried cherry and rose water notes. The long, watermelon rind - inflected finish is finely tuned. Shows length and cut, staying lacy in feel, 50% Cinsault and 50% Grenache.

My Review - Strawberry jam, rose petals, honeysuckle and honeydew were strong aromas from this wine. It tasted much more stronger on the palate though, more like a deeper cherry or raspberry mixed with grapefruit juice and a ripe watermelon. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Bricco dei Tati Cortese"

Name - 2013 Piemonte Cortese Bricco Dei Tati
Variety - Cortese
Region - Piemonte
Country - Italy
Year - 2013
Price - $10.00, Sale - $6.95

Wine Critic Review - The Washington Post
"Great Value! Treat this terrific little white like a red: Don't chill it too much, then let it open for a half-hour to develop its enticing tropical fruit flavors. It's dry, but the fruit gives an appealing illusion of sweetness. Great as an aperitif or with light seafood dishes."

My Review - This wine smelled like very strong citrus/grapefruit and honey. It had a hint of almonds and like a strong almond or vanilla extract. It tasted like shaved lemon peel, flowers, sour apple and the finish reminded me of the acidic feeling in your throat after drinking orange juice. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Crane Lake Riesling"

Name - Crane Lake Riesling
Variety - Riesling
Region - California
Country - Unites States
Year - 2013
Price - $5.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
The trademark German red grape varietal Dornfelder has a lovely purity of soft red berry fruit. Integrated soft tannins combined with forward fruit flavors make for a perfectly balanced everyday sipping wine. Great with grilled red meat, sausage and chicken. Best served slightly chilled.

My Review - I smelled sweet bouquet aromas of rose petals and wildflowers. I also smelled sweet peaches, butterscotch and vanilla with a hint of strawberry. I thought this wine tasted very well-balanced of the sweetness and the bite on the tongue. It tasted like the smell of fresh spring flowers, apricot and sweet apple pie. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Crane Lake Shiraz"

Name - Crane Lane Shiraz
Variety - Shiraz
Region - California
Country - United States
Year - 2013
Price - $5.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
Beautiful ruby appearance, with blackberry and pepper notes. Tannins and fruit marry well for a soft finish. This wine pairs well with sharp cheddar cheese and hazlenuts. Also try it along with roast lamb at Easter time, veal marsala, or grilled salmon.

My Review -  This wine smelled like sweaty socks, dirt, earthworms, raisins and cherries. It sort of tasted like a tobacco pipe, burning the throat and stomach. It had hints of pepper and rotten fruit as well. My palate was not a fan. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2015"

Name - Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2015
Variety - Nouveau
Region - Beaujolais
Country - France
Year - 2015
Price - $12.00, Sale - $5.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
George Duboeuf is THE king of Beaujolais. His wines are full of pop, charm and great flavor and his Beaujolais Nouveau is no exception. A cornucopia of expressive fruit wrapped in an almost-bubblegum-like frame; it is the flagship Nouveau.

My Review -  This wine smelled like a block of Parmesan cheese immediately to me. It had scents of a smokey cigar boxy and darker fruits like black cherries and raspberries. It tasted like a fig or dark fruit jam, blackberries, on a piece of burnt toast. It definitely wasn't my favorite flavor and didn't have a very good finish. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Maipe Torrontes 2014"

Name - Maipe Torrontes 2014
Variety - Torrontes
Region - Mendoza
Country - Argentina
Year - 2014
Price - $14.00, Sale - $7.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
This wine has a spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well-balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish.

My Review -  This wine reminded me of the smell of grape soda, it also was reminiscent of sweet apples and crisp, ripe peaches. It tasted so much more bitter and bland than the sweet aromas it gives off. I tasted more of a pineapple zest, rather than sweet fruits. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Tonnino Pinot Grigio 2014"

Name - Tonnino Pinot Grigio 2014
Variety - Pinot Grigio
Region - Sicily
Country - Italy
Year - 2014
Price - $14.00, Sale - $7.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
Tonnino's exotic example of Pinot Grigio has a straw to pale gold color. It is fresh and clean on the nose with fruity notes of pear, green apple and white peaches. The palate is true to the nose with a fresh acidity, coriander and lime notes followed by a crisp finish. This wine pairs well with youthful aperitifs, clams or mussels, pastas and risotto dishes.

My Review -  This wine smelled like sweet pears, sour lemon and melon. It was very interesting on the palate, it bit the tongue at first but had such a sweet finish. It didn't linger long and was very thin. It was reminiscent of pear and honeysuckle. Very similar to it's scent. I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Dinner

Tonight we decided to cook our own dinner for the Wine Dinner Tasting instead of go out to see what we could pair with our own cooking. We had a Caesar Salad for the appetizer, Pesto-Chicken Pasta for the main course and Apple Pie for the dessert. It was 8 of us who take the class and we got 3 random wines to try and pair with the 3 entrees.

Wine One

Wine Two

Wine Three

Course One - Caesar Salad

Wine One - Kendall Jackson Chardonnay 2014
                   $11.00
                   13.5% alc.

Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay 2014

This wine smelled like apricot and pear with a hint of citrusy-grapefruit. It tasted very oaky and was buttery on the tongue. It tasted like sweet pears and sour apples. It had a good mid palate and didn't have much of a lingering finish but was sour on the tongue.
After eating the Caesar salad I noticed that it made the wine taste much sweeter, it brought out more of the pear flavors rather than the citrus. It sort of had a zesty lemon hint to it as well but a much more acidic finish.

Course One & Course Two with Wine One & Wine Two

Course Two - Pesto-Chicken Pasta 

Wine Two - The Velvet Devil Merlot 2014 

                   $12.00

                   13.5%

The Velvet Devil Merlot 2014

This wine smelled like black cherry, pomegranate and had a hint of a smokey scent. It tasted pretty bland when first touching the palate but had a good, lingering finish. It did make my mouth a little dry so I think the alcohol wasn't balanced as well with the fruit/sweetness. It had a lingering blackberry and raspberry hint at the end. 

After eating the Pesto-Chicken pasta, I noticed the wine's bite and bitterness was taken away. It made it much more sweeter and smoother. But, after drinking a couple more sips of this wine I noticed it burned my stomach so I know the alcohol was definitely not well balanced. 

Course Three & Wine Three

Course Three - Apple Pie

Wine Three - CM3 Blend 2010 (Cape May Winery)

                      $35.00

                      13.5%

CM3 2010

This wine was a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah (33.3% each). It's actually a wine from my friend's family vineyard in Cape May. It smelled like a nail salon/nail polish immediately. It definitely burned the nose. It had hints of raspberry, blackberry and other dark fruits like black cherries. It tasted like cherry cola, slight tobacco, spicy fig, a hint of raspberry and was very chalky on the palate. It had a better balance than the last overall and had a long finish. 

After eating the apple pie, the wine tasted more bitter but it definitely took away the bite of the high alcohol content. It definitely had more of a red fruit flavor after eating the apple pie - more raspberry, cherry and even strawberry.

Overall, I thought it was very interesting that all of the wines had the same percentage of alcohol, yet they all were balanced so differently. I think my favorite was the Chardonnay but I did enjoy the blend from Cape May as well.

      

Wine and Cheese Pairing

 

Our goal with this pairing was to try to find cheaper white wines, under $10.00 that would be complimented by different ranges of quality of cheese. For the wines, we picked an Italian Pinot Grigio, am American Sauvignon Blanc, and an Australian Chardonnay. For the cheeses, we picked a Scharfe Maxx (Swiss Alpine Cheese), an Italian Pecorino with Truffle, and just the normal Kroger Sharp Cheddar. All of these wines were chilled, as were the cheeses. 

Wine 1: 

Ruffino Lumina Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie 2014 

$9.00

12% alc.

This wine smelled like grapefruit, honey, and a little bit acidic with a hint of lemon zest. It tasted like lemon peel and pear, very citrusy. It also had a buttery full-mouth feeling, sweet at the start and finishing long and strong. 

Cheese Paired: Scharfe Maxx 

"Flavor to the maxx! Loosely translated as "very sharp," this update on Swiss Alpine cheese tradition has an oniony, beefy funk and a nutty bite. Finished in our caves to stinky perfection."

This cheese really took away the bite and pungency the wine had when on the palate. It made the sweeter flavors more present - the peachy, melon flavor rather than the citrus punch to the mouth. 

Wine 2: 

Arquero Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2015

$5.00

11.5% alc.

This smelled AMAZING. It smelled like the perfect balance of fruit and flowers. It was more on the tropical fruit side with fig and mango with a hint of orange blossom. It tasted so smooth, a little more smooth than I was expecting. It tasted like sweet apples, peaches and a little bit like the smell of a rose petal. 

Cheese Paired: Sharp Cheddar 

Nothing fancy here, just plain kroger brand cheddar cheese, but it was a nice medium to the two crazy cheeses we picked for the other wines. After this cheese, the wine tasted tangier, it definitely brought out the more lemon and orange zest that you could smell in the aroma of the wine in the beginning. I also tasted more of a sour kiwi flavor too. 

Wine 3: 

Lindeman's Bin: 65 Chardonnay 2015

$5.00

13.5% alc.

This had a strong green smell, asaparagus, cabbage and even a hint of a seafood smell. I also thought it had an apricot, prune, sort of rotting fruit scent as well with the bizarre mix of a smokey cigar box. When first touching the palate, it was very tingly on the tongue and lingered for a while. It tasted like a smokey fire, rotting fruit but also had a nice tanginess to it. It was a very interesting flavor. 

Cheese Paired: Pecorino with Truffle

"A fresh sheep's milk cheese with whole pieces of black truffles. Buttery and intense with the aroma of damp pastures, lanolin and earthen fungi. Smooth, buttery and intensely satisfying, permeated with the essence of truffles." 

Just the description of this cheese makes my stomach hurt... And the taste was even worse. It was awful and it really brought out that rotten fruit/smelly feet taste of the wine. It did make it tangier however though and gave it a sweeter flavor on the finish. 

Tasting - "Dona Sol Sweet Red"

Name - Dona Sol Sweet Red
Variety - Shiraz, Petite Syrah & Symphony
Region - California
Country - United States
Year - --
Price - $6.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
Shiraz has a unique jammy fruit character that is well represented in the Sweet Red. Both on the nose and on the palate, jammy fruit, like strawberries, cherry pie and red licorice, entices the senses and pair well with cheeses and desserts.

My Review - I smelled blackberry jam, strawberry and it really smelled like a port overall. I thought it tasted sweet but had a little punch with strawberry. It had a smooth finish and was definitely a fuller, thicker wine. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Velvet Crush"

Name - Velvet Crush
Variety - Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Sirah
Region - California
Country - United States
Year - --
Price - $18.00, Sale - $6.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
Velvety smooth texture just like its name. Soft tannins and lush dark fruit character. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Sirah bring backbone and character, while the Merlot balances out the blend for a soft, smooth texture.

My Review - I smelled raspberry, flowers, and a sweet scent lingering. I thought this wine was very well balanced, had a nice lingering finish with dark cherries and cocoa on the palate. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Grand Cru Pinot Noir"

Name - Grand Cru Pinot Noir
Variety - Pino Noir
Region - California
Country - United States
Year - 2013
Price - $6.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
This ruby-colored wine has aromas of raspberry, cherry and a hint of vanilla. Flavors of cherry and plum lead to a soft velvety finish. This wine can be enjoyed by itself. It is also an excellent accompaniment with Brie, goat cheese and smoked salmon. Lamb shanks and pork tenderloin are a favorite main dishes to pair with this wine.

My Review - I smelled pepper, blackberry, dark cherry, strawberry jam and plum. This wine was much more bitter on the palate than I expected from the smells. It really didn't have much flavor for me but was smooth - more of a Merlot taste. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Prime Brume Garganega"

Name - Prime Brume Garganega
Variety - Garganega
Region - Soave
Country - Italy
Year - 2014
Price - $11.00, Sale - $6.95

Wine Critic Review - 91- Tastings.com
Pale color. Fruity, floral minerally inviting aromas of passion fruit, white grapefruit, spice poached pear, and papaya with a lean, racy, bone-dry medium body and a smooth, complex, long lemon, passion fruit, raw hazelnut, and wet stones finish with no tannins and light oak. From the tantalizing nose full of exotic fruit, citrus and minerality thru to the long, crisp finish, the soave can seamlessly go from cocktail hour thru to vibrantly flavored dishes.

My Review - I smelled pear with peach and grapefruit and a hint of wildflower. I tasted a sweeter, smoother wine than the last with a hint of candied banana and orange. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - "Quintas Melgaco Blue Vinho Verde"

Name - Quintas Melgaco Blue Vinho Verde 2013
Variety - Vinho Verde
Region - Vinho Verde
Country - Portugal
Year - 2013
Price - $10.00, Sale - $5.95

Wine Store Review - Vintage Cellar
Refreshingly crisp white wine from Portugal -- Vinho Verde is soft, light and refreshing, and is an uncompromising and ideal wine for everyday pleasure. Its bright color and pineapple aromas are followed by citrus notes. The palate is clean and fresh. Vinho Verde is an excellent accompaniment to fish and shell fish, white meats and salads.

My Review -  I smelled pears, citrus, orange peel and pineapple. It tasted like sweet pear and pineapple, slightly pungent/bitter but had a nice lingering finish. I did not try this wine with food.

Winery Visit - Chateau Morrisette

On March 1, 2016 I visited Chateau Morrisette for a tour and tasting. I had never been to this vineyard before or tried any of the wine made here before, so I was very excited for the new experience especially because they are so well known around here. I will talk about the tour and history first, then the tasting.

Entrance to Winery & Tasting Room.

The tour began at the entrance of the tasting room. We were given an abbreviated tour since it was a Tuesday and only one employee was there.  This winery was started by William and Nancy Morrisette as a hobby out of their home in Woolwine, Virginia. David, their son went to Mississippi State to study viticulture to learn more about grapes and how a winery works. He came back to Virginia and worked in the basement of his home and produced the first commercial wine in 1982 with his famous black Labrador Retriever, Hans, by his side. He dedicated the famous Black Dog Wine in honor of Hans by putting Hans on the label. 

The Black Dog Original Label.

Tasting Room with Hans on the Fireplace.

The grounds used to include just the house the family lived in; the upstairs for living and the downstairs was for the winery and events that were starting to grow in popularity. The house became too small and in 1999, the tasting building was constructed and the house was converted into a restaurant. This building is the largest business building in America using reclaimed and salvaged materials - 185,000 board feet of wood was reclaimed to construct this building. (This is interesting to me since I do study architecture).

Building Interior - Tasting Room Entrance.

After learning about the family and the architecture on the property, we moved to the exterior grape crushers and interior barrels. There is a smaller 1 ton crusher and a larger 10 ton crusher, named "Lucy." The way the crusher works is the bladder expands, pushing juice to the sides and down into the tube into the building. They will sometimes do a second squeezing on grapes in the smaller crusher to get more juice and flavor out of the grapes. 

The First Grape Crusher owned by
the Morrisette Family.

1 ton & 10 ton Exterior Grape Crushers.

There are many stainless steel tank, but also three different types of oak barrels that the grapes are fermented in. The type of Oak depends on the flavor wanted for that specific wine. The Chardonnay Reserve is kept in a French Oak barrel for the entirety of it's fermentation process, whereas the regular Chardonnay is in a stainless steel tank for most of it's fermentation time (12-18 months) and then thrown into the French Oak barrel at the very end to neutralize the flavor.

Stainless Steel Tanks & Oak Barrels.

The wine tasting included 12 wines, I will talk specifically about 5 of the wines that I tried. 

Dry Whites:

• Chardonnay 2014 - $17.99 - This grape actually comes from North Carolina, not Virginia. The wine smelled like sweet citrusy cantaloupe with a hint of wild flowers. This wine tasted more like a citrus-honeydew flavor with a hint of stone. It was very crisp, refreshing and smooth on the finish. They recommended it pairs well with grilled chicken and Asian cuisine. 

• Chardonnay Reserve 2014 - $32.99 - This wine was definitely so much different than the previous Chardonnay, partly because these grapes come from Virginia and they are placed in a French Oak barrel for fermentation. This wine was full of body, it was buttery and oaky. It smelled like pears and sweet cream. It went down very smooth and was definitely one of my favorites.  

Rose Style: 

• Vin Gris 2015 - $17.99 - This is their Rose-styled wine that was introduced for the first time this past Valentine's Day. It had a beautiful pale pink color and smelled like sweet strawberries, peaches and tropical fruits. This wine had a nice linger on the finish and a good mid palate surprisingly. It was a good balance with the crisp acidity, making it not as sweet and giving it a refreshing quality. This wine is said to go well with anything from popcorn to pork-chops, even spicy food.

Red Wines: 

• Chambourcin 2012 - $17.99 - I smelled plum, black cherry, and cranberry. It was a very fruit-forward wine that was medium-bodied. I didn't notice much mid-palate and didn't have as much linger on the finish as I had hoped. But, it was a good, smooth red that I could drink with mild meats and vegetables. 

• Archival 1 2012 - $19.99 - This wine had a strong scent of dark red fruits, pepper spice and even a hint of mocha. This is their Merlot-based wine with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot mixed in. This was a full-bodied wine with a very good finish that lingered for a while. The aromas from this one were the most impressive to me and made this wine overall a favorite for me. 

Leaving Chateau Morrisette.