Winery Review: “This early-drinking Nero d’Avola opens with ripe black-skinned fruit, tilled soil and cooking spice aromas. Straightforward and savory, it delivers black cherry, blackberry and ground pepper flavors alongside round tannins.” (87 – Wine Enthusiast)
My Review: This wine smells thick, like dried cherries and jam. Felt dry in the mouth and with no residual sugar. The earthiness comes through on the palette, like dirt. This is a nice, full-bodied wine. The aftertaste is quite strong and lasts for about 10 seconds. The more you drink it, the more it grows on you. It mellows and softens in your mouth. I did not pair with food, but would like to see how well it would pair with a spicy dish, like curry or Japanese ramen.
Winery Review: “Vibrant passionfruit, gooseberry and lemon citrus flavors shine through on the nose and palate with a fresh, crisp finish. A fantastic match with fresh shellfish, sushi or smoked salmon.” (Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg)
My Review: Smells earthy, like mushrooms and spice at the very end. This wine definitely smells truly spicy, like chillies. This wine tasted slightly bitter to me, like the earth. Crisp and very full bodied. I wouldn’t buy, but would drink again. This tasting was not paired with food.
My Review: Smells of wood, minerals, and rocks. Tastes acidic and feels weirdly creamy for a white wine. Dry mouthfeel with a bit of residual sugar. I did not pair with food, though I think this would pair well with a similarly creamy cheese. I would definitely drink again.
My partner and I cooked a homemade meal for Valentine’s Day on Thursday, February 14th, 2019. We wanted to have a chill celebration because it was a weeknight and save a more elaborate celebration for the weekend. We ended up traversing town to River and Rail on Friday night– an excellent recommendation by Professor Boyer.
Marco and Polo ready to dine
This was our happy little table setting, featuring fresh flowers I saw at 3am that day and my new twin plushes, Marco and Polo. My person is the best chef in the town of Blacksburg, so he did most of the cooking that night. I like to cook too, but that night, my contribution was pouring pasta shells into a pot of water. He took care of everything else and it was absolutely delicious. I am too lucky.
Pouring for dish number one
Chateau Ste Michelle 2018 Rosé: 72% Syrah and 28% Merlot
Our first course was macaroni and cheese. I chose Simple Truth Organic’s Deluxe Cheddar macaroni and cheese because I figured my healthy-and-organic-eating partner would appreciate the choice (notice that the salad need only be on his side).
We first opened a 2018 rosé from Chateau Ste. Michelle. Swirl and sniff: strawberries, raspberries, lychees, and light peaches. I have never smelled a more pleasant wine! I could tell this would be a favorite wine of mine for a long time. The rosé was easy to drink– light, crisp, and not acidic like other rosés I’ve tried. The most notable characteristic of this wine is how quickly it disappears off the palette after each sip. One sip allowed delicious fruity flavor and pleasure, but the taste dissipated so quickly. There was no aftertaste. I understand that sommeliers and wine critics equate a good wine to a substantial aftertaste, but I enjoy not having to deal with that acid feeling in the back of your throat after every sip.
Pairing the pasta with rosé was a pleasant experience. As I expected, the crisp and slightly tart wine cut the creamy cheese of the pasta. This was a good pairing because neither individual was too strong. Each was soft on its own and did not overpower each other when brought together.
Pork chops, the star of the show
Next, the pièce de résistance! Our main course was pork chops cooked with crushed red pepper, sage, salt, and pepper. He seared with a bit of olive oil and finished with butter.
We paired this dish with a 2016 cabernet sauvignon from Chateau Ste. Michelle. Yes, we bought two wines from the same winery. We’ve heard great things. This cabernet sauvignon offered scents of blackberries and a hint of oak. This cabernet sauvignon was rich and full bodied. I felt like the wine coated my mouth with a creamy sensation. This wine did have an aftertaste, but I didn’t mind. The aftertaste lingered for about 8 seconds. I particularly enjoyed this cab because I felt my parents would love this one. I plan on recommending it to them over Spring Break.
Pairing this cab and the pork was like a match made in heaven. One bite of the pork paired with a sip of the wine highlighted the underlying fruit flavors of the cab. The fatty, meaty sensation of the pork chops was paired perfectly with the tart and rich characteristics of the cabernet sauvignon.
Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut: 86.5% Pinot Noir and 13.5% Chardonnay
Lastly, for dessert, we decided to have the classic pair of liquid bubbly and strawberries. Romantic and simple, just like our weeknight Valentine’s Day.
There is a funny story that goes with this bottle of sparkling wine. Inspired by YouTube, I sabered this bottle with a wine glass. I would call it a success because the bottle did indeed open and we had bubbly! He, however, would call it a fail because I now owe him a new wine glass.
Ok back to the wine itself… Swirl and sniff: I smelled bitterness, like the scent of slightly burnt toast. I also smelled fruit components, such as pear and strong hits of apple. I did not enjoy this sparkling wine very much at all. My past experiences with sparkling wine have been with real champagne, like Moët at my brother’s engagement party. Perhaps I’m comparing this Gloria Ferrer to something way out of its league. I found this sparkling wine to taste earthy and feel sort of crunchy. The strong smell of fruit came out in its flavors. I tasted hints of apple, pear, and a bit of orange.
Paired with the strawberries, the strawberry flavor was stronger than the flavor of the wine. Each paired bite ended with a pleasant effervescent feeling. I felt like I was reaching for the strawberries to make the flavors of the sparkling wine disappear. One could call this a good pairing for that reason, but the wine itself was so bad that I don’t think it would pair well with anything.
A great Valentine’s Day
All in all, I had a wonderful time eating yummy food, tasting three wines in one night, and making a memory with my significant other. Ten out of ten would recommend and do again and again.
During the late afternoon of Thursday, February 21st, 2019, my classmate and I decided to do our wine and cheese pairing. This was an impromptu, “Let’s have dinner,” turned, “No, let’s just do wine and cheese instead.” My friend already had two bottles of wine. We split the cost of another bottle of wine, a platter of different cheeses, and a baguette. I felt very French throughout the whole experience. The French feeling was dampened only a little by the fact that we held the cheese and wine tasting in my car. We had to do this because we didn’t want to be late for our weekly wine tasting at Vintage Cellar. Blasting French café music helped.
First things first, the cheeses! Out of the four types in the platter, we decided to do our pairings with the Aged Cheddar, Gouda, and Fuego Jack.
Pinetti Notte 2017 Zinfandel: 100% Zinfandel
First, I paired a Pinetti Notte 2017 Zinfandel with Gouda cheese.
Wine alone: I liked this wine more than the other three wines we tried. The zin smelled like strawberries. It tasted crisp, light, and tasted like cherries. As far as mouthfeel, I got dry, astringent, and slightly acidic in the back of the throat. This was a well-balanced wine.
Paired with gouda: A pleasant pairing. The zinfandel brought out flavors of the cheese. The acidity of the wine cut the creaminess of the gouda, presenting a greater flavor in the cheese. The wine caused the cheese to taste sharper and more accented on the palette. The cheese did not affect the flavor of the zinfandel wine. The wine remained bright, crisp, tasty, and acidic. I would call this a good pairing because the cheese was highlighted and the pairing did not detract or add too much to the profile of the wine.
Oak Leaf Sweet Red: Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Grigio
Next, I paired a sweet red blend from Oak Leaf Vineyards with the aged cheddar cheese. Gag me. My friend has a major sweet wine tooth and I got to experience just how sweet he likes his wine.
Wine alone: This red blend smelled like cherries and artificial strawberry lip gloss. Sickly sweet!! I would never drink this wine again.
Paired with aged cheddar: The wine did not pair well with the aged cheddar cheese. The slight acidity of the wine did not have much effect on the cheese. The cheese overpowered the wine. The wine’s taste dissipated too quickly paired with the cheese. This was not a good pairing because the cheese’s taste profile was too strong for the wine.
Alvear Solera 1927: 100% Pedro Ximénez
Finally, I had Alvear Solera 1927. Hands down the worst wine I have ever has in my entire life. Buckle up, ladies and gentlemen.
Wine alone: Smelled like maple syrup, tasted like maple breakfast sausages. This wine was so caramel sweet that it hurt my mouth. This wine is awful.
Paired with fuego jack: The fuego jack cheese was saving me with this pairing. Gosh, this wine is so awful. Who did this? This pairing is as if acid and caramel sausages had a baby. The flavors of the wine and cheese clashed against each other. The cheese, thank goodness, overpowered the wine. Terrible pairing because the wine was too sweet and disappeared with the cheese.
Winery Review: “The perlage is fine and persistent. The color is pale pink, almost cherry. The aromatic scent is intense and reminiscent of wild berries, blueberries and wild strawberries. The flavor is sweet, slightly sparkling and full of berries. Since this is a sweet and aromatic wine is a classic to combine with fruit tarts and pastry. An ideal companion in moments of celebration, Malvasia is also a nice refreshing drink at any time of the day. “
My Review: This Malvasia was as sweet as pie, and I don’t think I mean that in a good way. Swirl and sip resulted in a strawberry and violet scent but also a distinct scent the I can only describe as a lipstick smell. This wine smelled like artificial makeup from the dollar store that I used to wear as a kid. I tasted sweet apples, raspberries, blackberries, as well as honeysuckle. The wine was light and balanced, but I cannot see myself drinking this with dinner. My friend had the most incredulous face when he tried this wine. He immediately declared how much he loved Annalisa and immediately bought a bottle. I would have no problem drinking this as a dessert wine. I did not pair this with any food.
Winery Review: “ Red Blend is their winemaker’s signature cuvée, an expression of five red varieties capturing the best of each vintage. It has the backbone of Cabernet Sauvignon, the finesse of Merlot, the structure of Petit Verdot, the floral essence of Cabernet Franc and the boldness of Malbec. This full-bodied wine offers flavors of black cherries and plums and ends in a soft, balanced finish.” (Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg)
My Review: This red blend from California was just a fun time. Swirl and sniff produced a completely fruity scent, characterized by pomegranate, lychee, and apricot. I felt this blend was complex and full-bodied. I tasted fruit like cherry, raspberry, and black currant. I also detected a hint of mineral, a hint of kerosene, and felt a light buzz on the tongue. The wine was well balanced and I felt it was great alone. I did not pair this wine with any food.
Winery Review: “Classic varietal notes of wild herbs, roasted coffee beans, leather and spices deep ruby hues while on the palate sweet spiced notes of cinnamon and cardamom, held together with lively acidity and graceful tannins.” (Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg)
My Review: I have never tasted a wine like this nor the varietal refosco. This refosco smelled like cherries and oak. The strongest comparison I have to its scent is a woody whiskey. I knew this would be interesting from the first whiff. The wine tasted like dark cherries and rubbing alcohol. It created a light feeling in my mouth that was well balanced. Mouthfeel was dry and astringent, a feeling that I’ve almost come to enjoy. I did not pair this wine with food.
Winery Review: “This La Misión Chardonnay is very fruity and highlights notes of pear, white peach, and a hint of smoke which is very characteristic of some vines from the Maipo Valley. It is very fresh and round in the mouth and has developed aromas of toasted bread and butter.” (Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg)
My Review: This Chardonnay smelled wonderful! I got a strawberry and raspberry scent, and a light scent of a perfume that I would love to wear. The taste itself was not strong, but there was a strong aftertaste. As wonderful and delicious as the Chardonnay smelled, there was no floral or fruit flavor. The main flavor I tasted was iodine, much like the aftertaste of a strong club soda. Not unpleasant, but I wouldn’t drink it again. I did not pair this wine with food, but I could see it going well with crackers or something salty.
Winery Review: “With abundant aromas of honey-suckle, stone fruit, apricot and tropical fruit, our Viognier finishes crisp and clean with hints of vanilla and fruit that is pleasantly balanced.” (Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg)
My Review: This wine smells like grapes, like the concord grape juice by Welch’s from the grocery store. When I swirled and sniffed, I got a sweet aroma with a floral hint. The taste was not very well-balanced because I believe it was too acidic in the back of my throat. This was a dry wine. I would drink it again if I had something to pair that would make the acidity go down. In this case, I did not pair with food.
Somm Manifesto 