Tasting #16 - Menage a Trois Moscato

 

Name: Menage a Trois

Variety: Moscato

Region: California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $10.99

Review: From the bottle: "Deliciously opulent, indulgent sweet wine ripened in the California sun."

My Take: Wowza this was a sweet wine! I've had a couple muscat variety wines now, and the notes of peach and honey were very apparent to me. The peach aromas were very on the nose for this one as well. I drank it chilled, which was definitely the preferred choice. According to WINE FOLLY page 138, pineapple is a somewhat common flavor for muscat wines. 

Tasting #15 - Taylor Port Wine

 

Name: Taylor

Variety: Blended

Region: New York

Country: United States of America

Year: N/A

Price: $10.98 for 1.5 L

Review: From the bottle: "A rich fruity taste and smooth finish make ruby red Taylor Port the perfect choice to pair with your favorite desert."

My Take: This was my very first port wine, and I was thoroughly pleased by it!! After watching the documentary on how Port wines were made in Portugal, I was eager to try one for myself. While this wine is from New York, (I actually thought this was a Taylor's brand wine from Portugal lol), it is still tasted delicious. I knew it would be sweet, but it was much sweeter than I anticipated. According to WINE FOLLY Page 154, ruby port wines have notes of "sweet black fruits, chocolate, and spice." This wine definitely had notes of black fruit and spice, but I didn't taste any chocolate in tis wine.

Tasting #14 - 2020 Cotes de Rhone

 

<- Me and the boys grinding, drinking wine fine dining

Name: Cotes Du Rhone

Variety: Blended, (lots of grenache)

Region: Rhone Valley

Country: France

Year: 2020

Price: $12.99

Review: From the bottle: "Reveals aromatic notes of jammy red fruits, juicy plum and provencal herbs and finishes with dense black currant and soft peppery spice flavors."

My Take: This wine was super dry and tannic. One night I drank it without food, and the other time I tried it with a creamy pasta and seared chicken dish. In my opinion, it tasted much more balanced with the meal, and this wine pairs better with foods. According to WINE FOLLY Page 156, wines from this Southern region of France have stark "brambly black and red fruit flavors with savory notes of black pepper, olives, Provencal herbs, and brown baking spices." I definitely agree with this statement. I detected very jammy flavors, including blackberry and black currant. I also detected some pepper at the end, which coincides with the WINE FOLLY assessment and was one of the first times I got a note of pepper in wine!

Tasting # 13 - Bay Bridge Peach Moscato

 Name: Bay Bridge

Variety: Moscato

Region: California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $2.99

Review: From the bottle: "Deliciously sweet, full of flavor, and smooth in taste."

My Take: Just like its strawberry counterpart, this was a super cheap and super sweet wine. I have a friend who doesn't like wine because it is typically too dry. I think he would like this wine because it would taste like candy to him. Perhaps he will drink it one day! In accord with WINE FOLLY Page 138, this was a super sweet muscat-variety wine that was very light. I wouldn't recommend this for an authentic wine experience, but it was a pleasant experience and could be a good drink to serve in bulk at a larger party. 

Tasting #12 - 2022 The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc

 

Name: The Crossings

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Marlborough

Country: New Zealand

Year: 2022

Price: $12.99

Review: From the bottle: "A clean crisp style with hints of citrus and generous tropical fruit flavors."

My Take: This wine impressed me much more than I thought it would! I initially grabbed it off the shelf because Boyer said the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines cranked out some funky flavors, and this one was no exception! Trying my first wine from the 2022 vintage (which makes sense because this wine came from the Southern Hemisphere and so their harvesting time is shifted up a few months) I was very appreciative of this wine. I will admit, the aromas I got from it once I poured smelled a little funky and I can't quite place them, but the taste was much better. Contrary to the bottle's description, I thought the citrus flavors were much more forward than the tropical fruit notes. I loved how light this wine is! I agree with WINE FOLLY Page 165, though, this wine is not very sweet at all. It was much drier when compared to the few white wines I've drunk. And this makes sense! It's alc/vol is 12.5%, which is much higher relative to most whites. Those yeasty critters got to work here!

Tasting #11 - 2021 Alamos Malbec

 

Name: Alamos

Variety: Malbec

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2021

Price: $10.99

Review: From the bottle: "Displays hints of dark cherry and blackberry with a long and lingering finish. This balanced and full-flavored wine is excellent with grilled meats and vegetables."

My Take: This has been one of my favorite wines I've tasted here so far! I paired this drink with several different foods over the course of two days. I first drank it with some asiago cheese, and this excellent pairing chilled out the tannins I was experiencing and allowed some creamier and softer flavors to emerge. I also drink this wine with a basil creamy alfredo pasta, which was a great combination with a similar experience as the asiago cheese. It was definitely a dry wine, but I thought it to be very well-balanced overall. In accord with Page 125 of WINE FOLLY - and unique to this wine of the ones I've tried - I detected strong notes of blackberry in this Malbec wine. A delicious fruit flavor!

Tasting # 10 - Bay Bridge Strawberry Moscato

Name: Bay Bridge

Variety: Moscato

Region: Livermore & Ripon, California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $2.99

Review: From the bottle: "Deliciously sweet, full of flavor, and smooth in taste."

My Take: Wowza this was super sweet! And I mean super sweet! This is somewhat of an unconventional wine, as its described to be a "sweet wine beverage with natural flavors". A whole nutrition label is included on the bottle to capture the other sweets and sugars added to the drink. It definitely tasted super sweet and was full of strawberry flavor, although not in the traditional senses of other darker wines. In accord with WINE FOLLY Page 138, this was a super sweet muscat-variety wine that was very light. I wouldn't recommend this for an authentic wine experience, but it was a pleasant experience and could be a good drink to serve in bulk at a larger party. 

Tasting #9 - 2021 Josh Zinfandel

 

Name: Josh

Variety: Zinfandel

Region: Lodi, California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $12.99

Review: From the bottle: "Smoky and complex with notes of blackberries, clove and vanilla."

My Take: This was one of the best wines I have tasted in all my experiences so far this class! I paired this wine with a 3-cheese pizza that I made and the pairing elevated this wine to a whole new level. This wine was very acidic, but when I paired it with the pizza food other underlying flavors emerged like its vanilla and blackberry hints. This contrasts slightly with the descriptions given in WINE FOLLY Page 189, which estimates zinfandel wines to be less sweet and instead possess fuller body and more tannins. The alcohol per volume was indeed higher for this wine, coming in at 15%. Overall, a great wine I'd definitely recommend!

Tasting #8 - 2021 Color Block Chardonnay

 Name: Color Block

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Valle Central

Country: Chile

Year: 2021

Price: $5.99

Review: From the bottle: "Has rich flavors of pear, tropical fruits, and hints of cinnamon - a nicely balanced wine that's perfect with creamy pasta dishes, roast chicken or pan-seared salmon."

My Take: Overall, the flavors of this chardonnay wine seemed more muted to me. This is the first chardonnay I've tried, - I drank it chilled of course- but I had difficulty picking out anything more than pear and other fruitiness in the flavors. The flavors appeared to be pretty level throughout the drinking experience. There isn't much depth to the flavor of this wine, but I still enjoyed it. In harmony with Page 96 of WINE FOLLY, this chardonnay does boast tropical fruits as one of its primary flavors. I'd definitely say that comes across the palate in a favorable way. However, I didn't detect any cinnamon notes at all. Perhaps my palate still needs to grow!

Tasting #7 - 2020 Bell'agio Chianti

 

Name: Bell'agio

Variety: Sangiovese (Chianti style)

Region: Montalcino

Country: Italy

Year: 2020

Price: $12.99

Review: Schaefer's.com reviews this wine by describing it as "a vibrant, ruby-red wine with a full bouquet reminiscent of violets, and is ideal with veal, Italian dishes and cheeses. Color: Ruby-red with purple hues. Bouquet: Full and reminiscent of violets. Taste: Dry and smooth with zesty notes of cherry and berry fruit. Ideal with veal, pastas, and cheeses."

My Take: This medium-bodied wine procured strong cherry tastes and was relatively smooth. The smoothness of this wine is in contrast to the general trend of sangiovese wines being more acidic. In line with WINE FOLLY Page 162, this sangiovese varietal wine is very tannic. After pausing for a few moments to consider my words for this review, the dry-puckering sensation in my mouth grew in intensity and I started to notice what it really means for a wine to be high in tannins. This is a very solid red wine, and I enjoyed the straw-covered body, or fiasco, as its affectionately termed in Italy! I drank this by itself, but would love to pair it with a nice steak sometime soon.

Tasting #6 - 2021 California Dream Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: California Dream

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Lodi, California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $4.99

Review: From the bottle: Contains "rich cherry flavors, hints of toasty vanilla, and a smooth finish."

My Take: Before looking at anything the bottle stated about this wine, after tasting it I determined it to be very, very dry and high in tannins. I detected subtle notes of cherry and vanilla, but the strength of the flavors in this wine were very subdued relative to other wines I've tasted recently, I swirled and sniffed a ton, but couldn't draw out too many flavors. This lines up somewhat well with WINE FOLLY's descriptions on Page 88. Cabernet Sauvignon's are typically high in tannins and body. However, this wine did not seem to possess much body to me. I enjoyed it, but would probably look elsewhere for my red wine of choice.

Tasting #5 - Castello Del Poggio Moscato

 

Name: Castello Del Poggio

Variety: Moscato

Region: Lombardy

Country: Italy

Year: 2020

Price: $15.99

Review: Wilfred Wong of Wine.com gave this wine an 89, and he wrote, "The Castello del Poggio Moscato is fresh, pleasant, and easy. Tasting notes: This wine offers appealing aromas and flavors of ripe apples and flowers. Serve it with light desserts or just by itself. 

My Take: It was a very sweet wine! Detected notes of honey and orange. WINE FOLLY Page 138 agrees with my take and notes that Muscat wines are typically very sweet and light, with relatively little body. It was interesting drinking this wine on a cold day this winter. It tasted delicious, but I would definitely prefer this wine in the Summer months! I drank it chilled and that was definitely the right way to go.

Tasting #4 - 2019 Bricco Dei Tati Piemonte Barbera

 

Name: Bricco Dei Tati Piemonte

Variety: Barbera

Region: Piemonte

Country: Italy

Year: 2019

Price: $5.99

Review: city-vino.com rated this Bricco Dei Tati as a 3.5/5, noting it as having a "bouquet of black cherries and a bit of spice on the palate. Light tannins, medium acidity and medium finish."

My Take: This wine indeed tasted more acidic to me than other red wines. According to Page 79 of WINE FOLLY, this Barbera is very acidic, and I noticed levels of tart cherry. It was cool to see that most Barbera wines, of which this wine's variety is 100% barbera grape, come from the Piedmont region of Italy where this same wine is from!

Tasting #3 - 2021 Meiomi Pinot Noir

 

Name: Meiomi

Variety: Pinot Noir

Region: Acampo, California (coastal)

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $19.99

Review: One reviewer on honestwinereviews.com  noted the following: "the fresh pour had some more sweetness to it. I also discovered a bit of jammy fruit I hadn't noticed the first time I tasted it." 

My Take: After swirling and sniffing this coastal pinot noir for a short while, I took my first sip and was greeted by a symphony of flavors. My inchoate palate detected notes of cherry among the many flavors, which is in accord with Page 150 of WINE FOLLY, which highlights cherry as a common pinot noir flavor. This wine possessed a lot of depth; more than I've experienced in wines I've drank before. I also sniffed and tasted notes of vanilla. A wonderful red wine!!

Tasting #2 - Charles&Charles Rose

Name: Charles&Charles

Variety: Rose 

Region: Columbia Valley, Washington

Country: United States of America

Year: 2021

Price: $12.99

Review: From the Kroger store, "Crisp acidity and firm character. Notes of strawberry and apple." Overall rating of 90. 

My Take: This wine contains 44% syrah. From page 172 of WINE FOLLY, I detected that this wine contained larger body. It was not thin; a lot of flavors combined at once. This makes sense because it is also 25% grenache. It contained strong red fruit flavors according to the graph on page 117 of WINE FOLLY. I drank this without any other foods, as roses are meant to be enjoyed leisurely without other foods.

Tasting #1 - [ yellow tail ] Pinot Grigio

Name: [ yellow tail ] 

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: South Eastern Australia

Country: Australia

Year: 2022

Price: $5.99

Review: Christina Pickard gave an 82 overall rating to this wine with "ripe, synthetic stone and tropical-fruit aromas". However, she believes the "acidity feels forced" and that there's an "unpleasant plastic note on the finish". (from winemag.com)

My Take: In agreement with Page 149 of WINE FOLLY, this Pinot Gris possesses a very sweet flavor and is somewhat acidic. This pink grape mutation wine did not taste dry at all to me. I ate it with Asiago cheese and it seemed like the cheese took away some of the acidity of the [ yellow tail ] and I was left with a smoother drink. 

Wine-ding Up... & We're Off!!! An Introductory Wine Blog

 Welcome to my blog on my fascinating experiences in the World of Wine! My name is Trevor Hanzel, and I'm a newcomer to this game, but I am eager to expand my wine-tasting knowledge and share what I learn with the rest of you. My first experience with wine was in the Summer of 2021 in Rijeka, Croatia. On a 6-week missions trip to the Balkan nation, I first tasted wine during a Communion ceremony at a local church I visited. I had never had alcohol before, and had only tasted grape juice during any Communion services I participated in. But when I took that first sip in Croatia, I encountered sharper, crisper flavors than I had ever imbibed before. My passion was ignited!

In my limited experience since then, I've probably tasted about 5 or 6 different wines, both red and white. My palate has not explored many different flavors, but so far I've tended to gravitate towards white wines. Their flavors have been smoother and sweeter to the taste, and I've appreciated that more. I've mostly had wine at weddings or at friend's houses, but I'm excited to pursue experiencing wine in a fun academic setting!

Finally, I hope to expand my wine understanding through this class by developing my palate to be able to distinguish between different wine flavors so that I can discover tastes that I really appreciate. I don't really know what's out there, yet. Ya' know? But I'm eager to learn as much as I can! And who knows?! Perhaps my insatiable thirst will be satisfied after endeavoring into the wine world for a brief foray through this class. Or maybe this is but the first step into a lifelong adventure of discovering limitless wonders of a terroir fascination: wine.

Sincerely,

From Anywhere the 'Wine'd Blows,

Trevor