Tasting - Crane Lake Riesling 2013

Ah - a Riesling! After having a pretty unpleasant experience with the Shiraz right before this, just knowing it was a riesling really helped brighten my spirits. This wine was the Crane Lake Riesling 2013 from California and again, priced at $5.95.

The Vintage Cellar provided the following review:
"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."

On the nose it was sweet and fruity. It had a nice pear and apple scent that was light and nice. For the tasting, it was high in acid, but thats something that I typically really enjoy. There was a good amount of honey present in the flavor that helped to give the sweetness and balance out the acid. I thought that this wine actually reminded me a bit of Welch's white grape juice mixed with a good local apple cider. 

Personally, I loved this. It was nice and fruity with the right amount of acid and sugar. The fruit flavors that were present were very light and complemented each other really well. This is definitely a wine that I could see myself casually drinking and at $5.95 a bottle, I could see myself drinking a fair amount of this. 

Tasting - Crane Lake Shiraz 2013

The fourth wine of the tasting was the Crane Lake Shiraz 2013 from California. This wine was also extremely reasonably priced at $5.95.

The Vintage Cellar gave the following review of this Shiraz:
"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 hazelnuts. Also try it along with roast lamb at Easter time, veal marsala, or grilled salmon."

My first impression of this wine was not a good one as the smell was a bit unappetizing in my opinion. The main things that came across on the nose for me were black pepper and the horrid smell my apartment gets when I steam asparagus. I didn't get much else from sniffing this wine, so I might have been a little judgemental when it came to the taste as well. While I did find hints of blackberry in the taste of this wine that I typically enjoy, they were very subtle and were drastically overpowered by the earthy dirt and black pepper taste this wine brought. It was very dry on the mouth and truly reminded me of being a kid eating dirt as a prank.

While I don't feel that I need to go into much further detail, I really did not enjoy this wine. I think it was overly dry, lacked on flavor and was entirely too high in tannins.

Tasting - Georges Duboeuf Nouveau 2015

Third on the tasting list was the Georges Duboeuf Nouveau 2015 from Beaujolais, France. This wine blew me away with the price - normally $12, but on sale for $5.95. I thought this wine was way better than the price point suggested.

The Vintage Cellar provided the following review:
"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."

Since this was the first red of the tasting it definitely had a stronger scent of alcohol, but it wasn't overwhelming like I find many reds. It also had maybe a bit of a chocolate covered raspberry scent going on that I found also came through in the taste. The chocolate taste was less faint than the scent, but it was present and I think really helped give this wine a nice balanced sweetness. If I had to describe a food that this wine made me think of it would definitely be cherry cobbler, but a dark cherry cobbler. When I first tasted it, I immediately thought of the cobbler my boyfriends mom makes for holidays - yum. 

Overall, I thought that this wine was sweeter than most reds, but provided a good balance to the higher tannin levels deep reds like this usually have. I really liked this wine and could see myself pairing this with a dessert. 

Tasting - Maipe Torrontes 2014

The second wine of the tasting was the Maipe Torrontes 2014 from Mendoza, Argentina.  This wine also is typically $14 but was on sale for $7.95.

The Vintage Cellar provided the following review:
"The 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."

This Maipe really reminded me of a sweet white grape juice on the nose. From a tasting perspective, the first thing that came to mind was butter - I definitely got a bit of a butterfinger taste on this one. It was very smooth and had hints of honey that brought the sweetness. In the aftertaste, I got a strange vegetable taste that I noted might have been asparagus, but it wasn't nearly as bitter as typical asparagus. 

Overall, I thought this wine was very smooth and enjoyable. This is the kind of wine I could see myself drinking by itself with no food, although I'm sure it would also be good with food. 

Tasting - Tonnino Pinot Grigio 2014

The first wine of the March 24th tasting at The Vintage Cellar was the Tonnino Pinot Grigio 2014 from Sicily, Italy. This wine normally runs $14, but is $7.95 on sale. 

The Vintage Cellar provided the following review:
"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."

For the Tonnino, I noted that there was a strong presence of citrus on the nose, possibly grapefruit or lemon (maybe both). I also got scents of peach and a very faint smell of fresh cut grass. 

With the tasting, I found that the citrus from the nose was also very noticeable in the taste. Additionally, I found a taste of honey that came through more on the finish than in the initial tasting. I thought that this wine was incredibly smooth despite being pretty high in acidity. Overall, I really enjoyed this wine and could see myself purchasing it in the future. It's really something that aligns perfectly with my preferred tastes - high acid, really sweet and a good citrus taste. 

Dinner - The Palisades Restaurant for Date Night (3/12)

I'm just in love with the feel of this restaurant

Again, I need to point out how much I love The Palisades. I mean, it's just all around fabulous - gorgeous restaurant, great food, and the most helpful and kind staff. I was thrilled for this date night and couldn't wait to get tasting the wine and foods. After the cheese plate, I was ready for more wine and great food.

Back to our amazing waitress Mandi that I talked about in the wine and cheese blog - she really made the whole experience for me. As someone in the wine class who is totally new to wine, the whole "wine and dinner" thing makes me nervous because I don't want to screw it up, but with Mandi's help that wasn't going to happen. She was so patient and ready to help me pair with whatever I decided on as my meal, even if I changed my mind on my meal twice.

When I finally decided on the pork and beans with creamed corn and corn bread for my main course, she immediately suggested pairing it with the Bodega Tempranillo from Spain. At this point, I began getting worried about finding where I'd fit in my other two wines, but Mandi reassured me that she'd help me fit them in. When my boyfriend Johnathan ordered the gluten free pepperoni pizza, Mandi suggested that I have some of his pizza and pair it with the Santa Julia Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina. She also suggested that I get my final wine in with dessert, so I was ready to start this whole tasting once I knew I'd meet all the blogging requirements.

My Cabernet and Gluten Free Pizza 

First up for me on the meal was the pizza and Cabernet Sauvignon pair. I decided that I should taste the wine first alone before pairing it with the pizza to see if I noted any differences. With the wine alone I personally wasn't a huge fan and thought that there was way too much presence of tannins in the wine along with a heavy pepper taste. When pairing it with the pizza, immediately I noted that the fat from the pizza helped to cool the heaviness brought on by the tannins and alcohol content. The wine was a lot more smooth and balanced and I began to note a flavor of dark cherry in the finish. Additionally, I think the wine actually helped with the acidity of the pizza sauce as it was a very acidic tomato sauce.

Worlds Best Pork and Beans

Pork and Beans, Cabernet and Tempranillo

Next up was the Tempranillo and the pork and beans. I really enjoyed the Tempranillo solo as it was fruity and had strong flavors of cherry, blackberries and blueberries. Together however I wasn't a huge fan at first. The pork and beans were a little on the spicier side and with the first few bites I found that the spiciness from the meal really brought out a dryness in the Tempranillo that wasn't there before pairing. However, I found it really strange that when I paired these two in the opposite order, beans first and then Tempranillo, I enjoyed the wine more than I did solo. I think it might have been the combination of the different flavors in my mouth that really brought out some spiciness in the wine that was a great compliment to the fruit.

Additionally, I ended up pairing the Cabernet Sauvignon with the pork and beans because I had some left over from the pizza. While Mandi had suggested the Cabernet to go with the pizza, I found that I enjoyed it much more with the pork and beans. Together, the Cabernet really helped to cool down the heat from the pork and beans and, at the same time, brought out a more enjoyable cherry flavor with a nice dryness, which helped to cool the heat of the wine. Together, I think the Cabernet Sauvignon and the pork and beans helped to improve the taste of each other simultaneously.

Cranberry Citrus Cheesecake/Port

After having a fabulous meal of pepperoni pizza, pork and beans, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, I wasn't sure where I would find room for dessert, but knew I had to fit it in for the final wine. Mandi, again with the great suggestions, explained that port wines typically go great with dessert and told me how popular their cranberry citrus goat cheesecake is as a dessert. So, that was it for me for my final course - the cranberry citrus goat cheesecake and the Ferreira Branco White Port wine from Portugal. Johnathan ended up getting the flourless chocolate cake with brown butter ice cream.

Excuse the selfie, but the lighting was horrible and I just had to get a good picture of the cheesecake - I mean, is that dessert gorgeous or what? Once the dessert came, Johnathan was completely involved in that and wasn't interested in taking another picture for me ;-) I think it's safe to say he enjoyed his dessert, as it was the first piece of "cake" he's had in months.

Johnathan in Heaven

For my dessert, it was amazing as well. I followed my system of trying the wine before pairing with food and wow - I'm not a big port person. Port is, well everything that I thought it would be - strong, hot, high in alcohol content. I will say that this particular port, maybe because it was white, was somewhat light and had a honey flavor to it that I enjoyed, but as far as how pronounced the alcohol was - no thanks. I'm not a huge fan of "alcohol" and definitely don't enjoy feeling my drink as it goes down. For the first time ever, I felt every sip of this burn as it went down. However, here is why I'm already in love with food and wine pairings - with the cheesecake, it was actually enjoyable. This wine went from terrible in my book, like absolutely horrible, to being something I would look forward to drinking again (but only with the cheesecake. With the cheesecake, the port suddenly became so much smoother. The heat was calmed down immensely and it ended up having a somewhat syrup consistency, which paired with the flavor of honey went together pretty nicely. I also think the port helped the cheesecake by taking it from being overly cheesy to giving it a nice sweetness.

Yet again, I'm beyond impressed with the entire experience at The Palisades. It was not only a great date night, but a fun experience for someone learning about wine. While I must admit that by the end of it all, I could have been rolled out of the door I was so full, every single bite and sip was amazing.

The aftermath of the deliciousness 

Wine and Cheese Pairing - Palisades Restaurant

So I guess it's safe to say that after my first experience at The Palisades, I have a new favorite restaurant. When my boyfriend wanted to do a date night this Saturday (March 12), I knew right away where I wanted to go for dinner and I think, if it's even possible, this was even better than my first visit. 

Being a Saturday night, I had a feeling it would be pretty packed at The Palisades and I was right about that. When we arrived, I was shocked to see a parking attendant directing parking for the restaurant and inside, it was completely full. Despite being packed, we were seated within minutes by a friendly hostess and met our amazing waitress, Mandi Lamb. I explained that I was in the wine class and would probably need a little bit of help with pairing wines with my food and to say she was helpful would be an understatement - she was awesome.

Her first suggestion of the night was the cheese and wine plate, which was their take on a wine and cheese pairing. In this case, the cheeses were either soaked in wine or the wine was candied and put on top of the cheese, which was pretty unique (and delicious). First of all, the plate was gorgeous and came with a good amount of toasted baguette to pair with the wine and cheese. On the cheese plate there were four different cheeses with wines including:

1) Goat cheese soaked in Burgundy, garnished with toasted almonds

2) Parmesan Reggiano paired with Cabernet Sauvignon pickled cherries & hazelnuts

3) Aged cheddar with Chardonnay, apple chutney

4) Gruyere paired with Pinot Grigio jam & candied citrus 

The first thing that I tasted off the plate was goat cheese soaked in Burgundy. WOW - it was delicious, which is weird considering I hate Burgundy wine 99% of the time. Being paired with the goat cheese really took away form the tannins normally present in the Burgundy wine. Together, it made the wine very smooth and brought out the fruit flavors of blackberries and blueberries. It also brought out a sweetness in the pair that really helped to balance the tannins in the wine and the normal bitter/cheesy taste in goat cheese. Seriously, this was absolutely delicious together and it made me look at both Burgundy wine and goat cheese differently. 

The second pair that I tasted was the parmesan reggiano with Cabernet Sauvignon pickled cherries and hazelnuts. The first thing that stood out to me about this pairing was that the wine in it tasted a bit like balsamic vinegar. With Cabernet Sauvignons that I've had in the past I haven't gotten that kind of flavor at all, but thought that maybe the cheese brought out an extreme acidity in the wine. I noted that the pair had somewhat of a cranberry bitterness to it. I noticed that while I initially thought the pair was high in acid, after having a few more bites, I came to really like the two together. Additionally, the pair helped to remove all dryness that I've ever found in Cabernet Sauvignon and made it have a smooth feel to it. As someone who really dislikes high tannin levels in red wines, the increase in acidity helped to make the perfect balance of tannins for my preferences. 

The next combination that I had was the aged cheddar with Chardonnay and apple chutney. The first thing that stood out to me was that by pairing the two together, a lot of the acidity that I normally find in Chardonnay was taken away. The two together had a lemon citrus taste with a heavy presence of apple from the chutney. I really liked this combination although I think that I missed a bit of the acidity that I enjoy in Chardonnay. 

The last wine and cheese I paired together was the Gruyere paired with Pinot Grigio jam & candied citrus. I personally found that the combination of the two allowed the cheese to complement the heat of the wine and cool it down. There was a light citrus, possibly grapefruit, in the wine and it was really accentuated by the citrus peel in the cheese. Together, this was a very smooth taste that paired very well. 

I can't say I was shocked by any means at how great the wine and cheese plate was. Everything I have had at The Palisades thus far has been great and this was no exception. While I had never even considered trying this as an appetizer, I'm so glad that Mandi suggested it. 

Tasting - Maipe Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

The last wine of today's tasting was the Maipe Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 from Argentina, which is priced at $19, but on sale for $14.95. I was pretty excited for this wine after the man pouring my wine told me he thought this would fit my preferences a little better with the fruitiness it brought.

On the tasting sheet, the following review was given by The Vintage Cellar:
"The 2013 Maipe Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, primarily aged 12 months in French oak. This lush wine is a terrific value in Cabernet Sauvignon. Its deep ruby color is accompanied by uncomplicated notes of black currants, licorice and a touch of vanilla. Medium-bodied, straightforward, delicious and surprisingly concentrated for a wine in this price range, it should drink well for 3-6 years. It is not easy to find Cabernet Sauvignon for under $25 a bottle at this quality level, but this 2013 delivers." 

The man pouring my wine was spot on - upon first scent, I knew I liked this miles beyond the last two. The scent was fruity and brought out hints of cherry and raspberry followed by a strong scent of black licorice. The presence of the fruit was brought through into the taste, which I really enjoyed. While the feel was definitely a bit dry, the fruit flavors really did it for me. There was a strong taste of cherry, raisins, black currant and a small trace of sweetness, which I noted was similar to a subtle amount of honey.

I personally thought that this wine was really balanced by the fruit and sweetness complementing the tannins. In the future, I could see myself purchasing this to pair with heavier foods such as steak or red meats.

Tasting - Costera Cannonau di Sardegna 2013

I'd be lying if I said I was even remotely looking forward to the second red wine after just finishing such a strong red prior to this, but it was now time for the fourth wine of the tasting - the Costera Cannonau di Sardegna 2013 from Sardinia, Italy priced at $17.95.

The following review from Wine Advocate, along with a 90 point rating was provided by The Vintage Cellar:
"The 2013 Cannonau di Sardegna Costera hits all the right buttons. This is a steady and well presented red wine from the heart of the Mediterranean. It shows a high level of confidence and boldness with big, black cherry aromas followed by more subtle nuances of spice, tobacco and freshly milled black pepper. Although the wine tastes very dry, it is not without its softness and plushness in terms of texture." 

First scent and already not a fan - woah the alcohol smell was present in this one. Aside from the heat of alcohol and a tart scent to follow, I really didn't get much from the nose. In terms of tasting, I immediately noted that this was a spicy wine and had a strong presence of pepper. There were tastes of cherry that came through in the middle and finish, which I enjoyed, but I found that the dryness of this wine killed it.

From my perspective, I didn't find this wine to be great. Initially, I found that I was surprised by enjoying the flavor that this wine brought forward, but couldn't seem to get past the immense dryness it left in my mouth.

Tasting - Palacio del Burgo Rioja Reserva 2008

The third wine of the day was the Palacio del Burgo Rioja Reserva 2008 from Rioja, Spain. This was the first red of the tasting and was priced originally at $20, but at a sale price of $13.95. 

The Vintage Cellar listed the following review by Stephen Tanzer:

"85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 5% Mazuelo: Bright ruby. Spicy red fruits and coconut on the nose and palate. Fleshy and sweet in the middle, then nicely energetic in the finish, showing good punch."

The very first thing that came to mind when this was poured for me was some major coconut oil scents. It reminded me of the smell of a pan after frying something in coconut oil and it was strong. I also noticed scents of black pepper on the nose. For the tasting, I immediately noted that this was a dry red wine. It gave me a very dusty feel on the mouth and really dried my mouth out as I swished it around. After getting past my dislike for the feel, I found that this wine was pretty hot on the taste and appeared to have a strong presence of alcohol. There was little fruit flavor that came through the heat, which I noted to be a dark cherry taste. 

Overall, this was definitely not my cup of tea. It was dry, hot and had little traces of fruit and sweetness (all things that I don't enjoy in a wine). While I know that I didn't enjoy it because of my personal preferences, I have to note that it scored pretty well on almost every review I found online. 

Tasting - Chateau des Perligues Graves 2011

The second wine of the tasting was the Chateau des Perligues Graves 2011 from the Graves region of Bordeaux, priced normally at $18, but on sale for $11.95. 

The Vintage Cellar gave the following review:

"This vineyard sits along the banks of the Garonne River and benefits from the temperate micro climate producing a classic white Graves of extraordinary quality at a very reasonable price. 60% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc. Brilliant gold color, elegant and racy, with white floral aromas. This wine compares well with white Graves at twice the price."

My first note taken on this wine was in regards to the smell - it was amazing on the nose. I found scents of apple peel and white grape juice with a nice balanced sweetness. I'm really into fruity wines, so I loved how fruit forward this was on the nose. After tasting it I noted that the white grape juice scent was also found in the taste with a good amount of heat in the finish. There were subtle earthy flavors that I thought resembled a nutty taste as well as a bit of a creamy feel to the wine. The acidity of this wine was pretty high, but I think the creamy/buttery hints helped to balance it out.

Initially I thought I would love the taste of this wine when smelling it, but it turns out I loved the smell more than the taste. I think I might have been more fond of this wine if the heat wasn't so persistent in the finish, but with the fruity and acidic flavors, I think the alcohol content kind of killed it for me.

Tasting - Portium Cava Brut

After a nice and relaxing spring break, by Saturday I was ready for some wine. I found out that The Vintage Cellar also hosts Saturday wine tastings and figured I could get my fix there. The tastings went from 11:00am - 4:00pm, but when I arrived at 3:00pm, they had stopped pouring some things and switched some things out.

After waiting in no line at all (sweet perk of Blacksburg on break), I went straight to tasting. The first wine up was the Portium Cava Brut from Catalonia Spain. I couldn't find a vintage year for this wine anywhere, including looking at the bottle and then doing some online searches. This Cava is a blend of Xarel-lo, Macabeu, Parellada and Chardonnay and comes in at around the $10 price point. 

The Vintage Cellar tasting sheet provided the following review:

"Cava is always a good value, but you'll look long and hard to find any sub-$10 sparkling wine that's this good. It's a blend of traditional Cava varietals - Xarel-lo, Macabeu, Parellada - with 30% Chardonnay and fermented in a bottle, just like Champagne. It's rich, yeasty, showing off caramelized apricot flavors, fine bubbles, and finishing zesty and dry." 

With this wine, I definitely got a strong citrus and acidic scent that came across almost instantly. I knew right away that this wine would be very acidic and noted hints of orange peel on the nose. For the taste, I confirmed my prediction that this would be high in acid, but felt the acid was toned down a bit with the bubbles in the wine. I tasted flavors of peach, honey and grapefruit and really enjoyed the way they integrated with the carbonation.

Overall, I enjoyed this wine and noted that it may be something I buy in the future in place of champagne, as I'm not huge on dry feels in wine. 

Tasting - Dona Sol Shiraz, Petite Syrah & Symphony

The last wine of today's tasting was the Dona Sol Shiraz, Petite Syrah & Symphony from California. I wish I would've looked closer at the bottle while I was in the store because there is nothing in the online documents providing the year and I don't want to guess and get it wrong. This wine was $6.95 and for the awesome wine class, even cheaper with the 10% discount. 

The review from The Vintage Cellar was listed as:

"Velvety smooth texture just like its name. Soft tannins and lush dark fruit character. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah bring backbone and character, while the Merlot balances out the blend for a soft, smooth texture."

First sniff and I was already pleased. After the Velvet Crush with the insane tannins, the sweet cherry scent from this brought a smile to my face. On the nose I got a cereal scent, maybe a Special K with Red Berries and a strong resemblance to the little Ocean Spray dried Craisins. With the tasting I also noted some great sweetness, although there also was a warm finish. As cliche as it sounds, this really tasted like grapes to me, specifically dark red grapes. There were also clear hints of dark fruits including cherry, prune and black currant. I noted that this wine had lower tannins than I'm used to with a wine that appeared this dark, which was a bonus in my book. Additionally, I believe that the sweetness that I got from the taste was more of a honey scent. Overall, I was pretty pleased with this wine. It was complex and had a lot of flavors, but was smooth and sweet with a relatively low amount of alcohol. I think that if I were to pair this wine with a food it would be something I'd pair with a semi sweet dessert to complement the residual sugar in this wine.