Birthday Dinner - Palisades (Virginia Wines)

February 25 is my boyfriend's moms birthday and after over five years of being together, I pretty much claim her as "mom" too. Although it took a long time to decide where her birthday dinner would be, I was pleasantly surprised when everyone finally agreed we should try the Palisades. To start, I must say I was not prepared to blog about the experience until after we got to the restaurant and it occurred to me - "this is a place we can do a dinner for GEOG 4054". Great dinner, wine tasting with food and a possibility for points? Sounds pretty sweet to me.

Palisades Restaurant found on Google) 

The decision to go to the Palisades was completely last minute, but a great decision at that. It's rare that everyone agrees on a place, so this was already a good start. Aside from my boyfriends dad, who has been to the Palisades many times for work functions, this was everyone's first trip. It ended up being five of us - myself, my boyfriend Johnathan, my boyfriends mom Stephanie, his dad Joe, and his younger sister Isabel. Again, I totally wasn't prepared for this, so I didn't snap a picture of the front of the restaurant, but Google had some good ones.

Menu of the amazingness

First of all I have to say how absolutely blown away I was with this place as soon as we walked in the door. Everything about it was fabulous - it was casual yet classy, the staff was incredibly welcoming and the menu was amazing! After speaking with the waiter, I realized that the typical dinner for GEO 4054 was held on Wednesdays and with this being a Thursday they didn't have anything specifically set up. However, they immediately told me that they would love to put something together for me following the theme for the week, Virginia wines, once I chose my meal.

The meal/wine set-up

For my meal, I ended up going with the mocha rubbed pork chop, red skinned mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley with cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. Once that decision was made, the waiter started with the wine selections. At this point, I was the only person even remotely interested in wine tasting and pairing with the food, but by the first wine everyone else was hooked (except for Isabel, since she's underage). Once our meals came out, the waiter brought three different wines and explained which order I should drink them in. I started with the sniff test of the first one and at this point, everyone wanted to sniff and ended up wanting their own wine, which definitely made the experience more fun. The three wines the waiter brought out were (in the order he suggested I taste) Ox-Eye Vineyards pinot noir 2013, Lovingston merlot 2014 and The Jefferson viognier 2014.

Ox-Eye Pinor Noir 2013

I started the wine pairing by doing the sniff test with the first wine, the Ox-Eye Vineyards (pictured to the right). If I'm being honest, the sniff test proved to be a little bit hard to do with the small glasses that they provided and it finally made sense to me why red wines require such large glasses. After literally snorting the wine on accident twice, I decided maybe I should drink a little to give the wine some room in the glass. I had my first taste before trying any of food and noted that the wine had a slight liquorish taste, and a hint of black pepper. I also wrote down that there was a bit of a tart cranberry in the finish and that it was overall a little bitter. After tasting this wine with the pork chop - oh my stars; it was AMAZING. First of all, the pork chop was the most tender, moist and delicious piece of pork I've ever had in my life. Secondly, the wine suddenly began to show more of a smokey flavor that really complemented the taste of the meat. P.S. I typically hate red wine, so this was a big step to love the pairing of the wine and the pork so much.

Lovingston Merlot 2014

Next up was the Lovingston merlot 2014. Again, I decided that the only way to get the scent was going to be by making room in the glass, so that's how I started. With my initial taste, I thought immediately of the "oak monster" that they talk about on Wine Library TV. While I found that this wine had a much more fruity flavor, the presence of the oak was hard to ignore. Beyond the taste of oak, I also noted that this wine was much drier and more bitter than the previous wine. The fruity flavors that came to mind were dark red grapes, and blackberry. After tasting with the pork, I really began to notice a vanilla taste to the wine. Additionally, I had a taste of Isabel's beef stroganoff to pair with this wine and found it to be a better match than the pork chop. I found that the oak became a little less strong in the finish, which suited my tastes a little better. Again, I was totally blown away at how there really was a difference that was noticeable in the taste of the wine with and without the food.

The Jefferson Viognier 2014

Last came The Jefferson viognier 2014. As always, I was excited for this part of the tasting because it was time for the white! Right off the bat, wow this was sweet. I'm not sure if it was because of the order that I did the tasting in, or possibly the food I had been eating, but despite being a bit dry, this wine was sweeeeet. There was a very light taste of grapefruit, which was nice and added to the acidic taste. I noted that it was very smooth to the taste and had a light feel on the pallet. The most exciting moment of the whole night was when Stephanie and I, who had been comparing our opinions all night, FINALLY agreed on a taste - we both got a taste of peach from this wine (which was later confirmed by the waiter). When paired with food, I have to say it definitely clashed with the pork, which really brought out the dryness of this wine. However, when I paired it with a bite of Johnathan's cheese pizza, the sweetness remained and there was somewhat of an almond flavor to it.

Stephanie after dinner

Overall I thought this was an amazing experience. I loved the restaurant, the food and the wine. Prior to this pairing, I had never experienced wine properly paired with food in a way that brought out new flavors. Not only did the whole family end up having a great time celebrating Stephanie's birthday, we also all (except poor Isabel) got to experience some great local Virginia wines with our meals. You know the wine and food was good when my wine hating boyfriend tasted the first wine and said, "wow - that's actually good," which for him is huge. After the amazing meal, we went home and got to enjoy an awesome cake from Our Daily Bread and watch Stephanie open her gifts. I'd say the night was a total success for everyone and I think I've officially found my new favorite restaurant, despite the far drive to get there.

Tasting - Crane Lake Gewürtztraminer 2013

Exciting moment alert - it's back to the white wines for this tasting. I can't explain how happy I was to see the Crane Lake Gewürtztraminer 2013 from California when it was presented as the last wine of the day and at $5.95....not too shabby.

The Vintage Cellar had the following to say about this wine:
"Slightly high-toned notions of rose petal mingle with lemon on nose and palate of this lightly sweet, richly textured yet balanced Gewürztraminer. This is not as heady as you may expect and will be a treat with spicy Asian dishes. Lychee and rose petal make another very fetching appearance on the finish."

My heart was happy when this wine was being poured into my glass - it had such a light color with a slight touch of golden brown and was not in any way red. When I took my first big sniff of the glass I thought that the scent was very sweet, which I narrowed down to a butterscotch resemblance. In the smell of the wine I also noted the scents of butter, grapefruit and apple. With the tasting, this was a very sweet wine and reinforced my ideas of grapefruit and apple in the scent; I definitely tasted them as well. Additionally, I tasted honey, which I presume added to the sweetness of the wine along with a hint of melon. While I feel somewhat silly even mentioning it, I found that this wine also had an overwhelming grape flavor to it. 

I'm not sure if I liked this wine for the flavors of it, or just because it was the last wine of the tasting. Either way, I found that this wine was both sweet and pleasant and left me wanting a larger glass. This was one of the few wines that I've taken note of as a wine to buy later. 

Tasting - Codirosso Chianti 2014

The second red of the day, and a dark one at that, was this Codriosso Chianti 2014 from Tuscany, Italy. It's regularly priced at $13, but was on sale for $7.95 the day of the tasting. 

The Vintage Cellar provided the following review:

"Ruby red color with purple reflections. Intense vinous bouquet with hints of violets and dark cherry fruit. The flavor is full of ripe fruit and a hint of spice. It is well balanced and dry. The finish is persistent and satisfying."

As soon as this wine was poured into my glass, I immediately decided I didn't like it (or so I assumed). This chianti is very deep maroon in color and appears to be a heavy and dark wine. When I leaned in for my first sniff, I had an initial thought of soy sauce with a high alcohol content. With the tasting, the first flavor I noted was a floral rose taste, along with a bitter taste to follow. There were slight hints of cherry and black pepper. I also found an earthy flavor that almost resembled cork. One thing I emphasized with this wine was the very persistent finish that it gave. 

Overall, I ended up being pleasantly surprised with this wine - who knew there would ever be a red that I didn't hate? Although every flavor I noted was something I wouldn't typically like alone, I think there was something about the complexity that drew me to this wine. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't in love with it, but I will definitely say I enjoyed it. I ended up buying a bottle for my wine rack with the intention of someday pairing it with food. While I have set myself to a limit of buying one bottle per tasting, I allowed myself to get two this week because it's not everyday that I find a red wine I enjoy. 

Tasting - Indwe Pinotage 2013

I feel like I need to start out with the disclaimer that the first red wine is always my least favorite. I rarely like red wine, at all, so I always go into the transition to the first red pretty disappointed and this was no exception. This wine was the Indwe Pinotage 2013 from South Africa. It originally is priced at $12, but is on sale at the Vintage Cellar for $5.95. 

Robert Parker gave the following review (which made me feel better about my dislike considering he also gave a disclaimer):

“A disclaimer: I have never cared much for Pinotage, the indigenous South African grape variety, but this 2013 Pinotage from Indwe, named after the country's national bird, the blue crane, comes across like a light Pinot Noir. Subtle notes of cherries, spice and forest floor are followed by a round, light to medium-bodied, pure, seductive, well-crafted wine.” Drink now-2016.

When it was first poured into my glass I found that the smell had a strong licorice smell with hints of black currant (possibly cherry) and a bit of black pepper - already not loving it. With the actual tasting I thought that the wine had a dusty and dry feel to it along with a pretty strong taste of alcohol. Some of the flavors I found were a taste of raisin or possibly prune with a smokey after taste. This wine had hints of black pepper as well as a somewhat earthy taste, which I described as dirt in my notes, but maybe that's a little harsh. 

As I prefaced my post, I knew going into this that I wasn't going to love this wine. However, I feel like, despite not liking many reds, that I just really didn't like any of the flavors this wine had to offer. 

Tasting - Palacio De Bornos Verdejo 2013

Second up for this week was the Palacio De Bornos 2013 Verdejo from Rueda, Spain. This wine was even more of a steal than the grillo coming in at $12 originally and $5.95 on sale. 

The review from Wine Enthusiast, along with an 89 rating was as follows:

"Zesty and clean, with pure grapefruit and passion fruit aromas. It’s charged up but perfectly balanced, with bright, focused citrus and pineapple flavors. Lemony acidity keeps the finish rolling, then throw in some chive and fresh greens and you have a spot-on Verdejo."

When this was first poured for me I was drawn to the smell and found that it was more complex than the previous white wine. The smell came across as very sweet and floral, but had a stronger scent of alcohol. The one scent that left me sniffing this wine for longer than usual was more of an earthy aroma - though I never quite nailed what it was I noted that it was something along the lines of hay or possibly dried tobacco. After finally deciding that I had spent enough time trying to pin point that earthy smell, I moved on to the actual tasting. First sip - I liked it, but wasn't crazy about it. After having the grillo prior to this wine, I found that this was not nearly as smooth and had a much more evident taste of alcohol. After the first taste I found that this wine was much more complex than the first, which I did like. This wine had a pretty clear nutty aftertaste, which I noted was possibly a walnut flavor. Following my second sip, and a more in depth review of what I was tasting, I found that this wine had a clear and zesty citrus taste that leaned towards grapefruit. Additionally, though nobody else around me at the tasting seemed to agree, I could have sworn that I got a hint of asparagus in the flavor. 

After checking the review of Wine Enthusiast with my own personal review, I was pretty pleased to read that there actually was something green noted - whether that was actually asparagus or not. I certainly noticed the zesty grapefruit taste and was thrilled when I saw the reviewer actually used the word zesty; that was the first word that came to mind when I tasted this. 

All in all I thought this was an okay wine, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to have it again. I did not pair this wine with food and don't foresee myself having this specific wine with food in the future. 

Tasting - Tonnino Grillo 2014

If there's one thing I love about the Vintage Cellar wine tastings, it's that I always know the white wines will come first. On Thursday, February 18 the first wine on the list was this 2014 Grillo "Tonnino" from Sicily, Italy. While it's regular price is $14, the sale price on this wine was $7.95 (plus an additional 10% off for the wine class), which was a steal. 

The Vintage Cellar provided the following review from Wine Spectator:
"Fruit-forward and tangy, this light-bodied, snappy white offers flavors of guava, apricot, candied grapefruit zest and stone. Drink now. 20,000 cases made."

At first glance, I noticed that this wine was somewhat darker than the "typical" first white wine at these weekly tastings, but had a very nice golden color to it. The smell came across to me as very fruity and strong the citrus side, with possible traces of peach. Upon tasting, I noted that this grillo was especially fruity with notes of a smooth citrus taste and hints of tree fruit, though I couldn't specify whether it was more of an apple or pear flavor. I tasted a slight bit of honey, which is what I think provided the subtle, but smooth sweetness of this wine.

Overall, I found that my ideas on the taste actually somewhat lined up with the actual description - which is a first. I definitely got the citrus and tree fruit flavors, as well as aromas with this tasting.

I thought that this wine was very light, which is personally what I prefer in wine and I really enjoyed it. While I did not have this wine paired with food, I did take home a bottle and hope to pair it with food in the future. 

My personal experience with wine

My personal experience with wine began during my early childhood with my parents, although it wasn't until recently that I became interested in wine myself. Growing up, my mom and dad collected wine, but it was more of a hobby. My dad didn't drink wine at all and my mom only drank certain types very rarely. One memory that I have from my childhood is always looking forward to holidays and helping my parents pick out which wine from their collection we would take to family gatherings. After my mom passed away and my dad ended up moving, I decided to take the wine rack and collection, which is now in my apartment, hence why I feel somewhat inclined to learn a bit more about wine.

The best experience I have had with wine thus far was during my trip to Italy this past summer. The trip was a reward trip through my aunts company and was all inclusive, incredibly fancy, top notch and an overall awesome free experience for a broke college student. With every single meal throughout the entire trip we were given a different red and white wine to choose from - most meals I had both (I mean why not...again free). Some of the wine was awesome and some was (in my opinion) terrible. I definitely discovered on this trip that I have a preference for white wine and am very picky when it comes to red wine.

Throughout this class I hope to learn more about what makes one bottle of wine so different from another bottle of wine - especially when it's the same type of wine...why do they taste so differently? My mom always used to be weird about the dates of the wine, but to me it seems a little backwards; with everything else in life, you want the newest and freshest product, but with wine its the opposite. I'm definitely interested in finding out more about the aging of wine and the effect it has on the taste. Lastly, I'd really love to find out how to properly store wine. I've been told that having my wine rack in my kitchen is wrong because of the lighting, yet I've also been told not to store my wine in the fridge. Yet, nobody has ever told me the right way, they've just pointed out that I'm doing it the wrong way. So hopefully when this course is over I'll be able to at least know how to take proper care of the wine that I have and learn to enjoy a broader variety of wines.