Tasting - Cortenova Primitivo

Name: Cortenova Primitivo
Variety: Primitivo
Region: Veneto
Country: Italy
Year: 2010
Price: $7.95

Critic Review: Dark, ruby-red color with violet highlights. Intense and fragrant bouquet with a rich array of red and black fruit aromas and flavors. Harmonious and velvety on the palate. Great balance and structure. Excellent with grilled or roasted meats, game and cheeses.

My Review: This wine had the aroma of smoked raspberries.  You could also detect the alcohol on the nose.  I couldn't discern any specific flavors when tasting, it just tasted like bitter fruit.  It was also very tannic.  I didn't try this wine with food.  

Tasting - Canyon Road Pinot Noir

Name: Canyon Road Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: California
Country: U.S.
Year: 2010
Price: $6.95

Critic Review: This Pinot Noir expresses tantalizing flavors of ripe cherry and wild raspberry, and finishes with brown, vanilla spices and a smooth finish.

My Review: This Pinot Noir, smelled like strawberry jam and leather, with a little bit of a smoky scent mixed in.  The taste was spicy and bitter, and overall not very smooth.  I didn't try this wine with food.

Tasting - Oak Vineyards Chardonnay

Name: Oak Vineyards Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: U.S.
Year: 2010
Price: $5.95 for 750 ml and $10.95 for 1.5 Liters

Critic Review: This light straw-colored Oak Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay expresses smokey aromatics with nuances of apple and lemon zest that continue onto the palate where they flourish into citrus, orange blossom, and smoked oak flavors until meeting a crisp, medium finish.


My review: This wine had an earthy aroma, with a hint of peaches, like a peach rolled in dirt.  At first taste, there wasn't too much flavor to it, but the finish was very very peachy.  It seemed a little out of balance, slightly too acidic and a little hot.  I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - Poysdorfer Saurussel Gruner Veltliner

Name: Poysdorfer Saurussel Gruner Veltliner
Variety: Gruner Veltliner
Region: Poysdorf
Country: Austria
Year: 2010
Price: $7.95

Critic Review: Crisp lime flavors, white pepper and lentils, followed by a mouthful of mineral notes and gooseberry. A long lingering finish. A great accompaniment to any Asian or fresh seafood dishes.

My Review: This wine smelled strongly of lemons with a little bit of grass and rocks thrown in.   The taste was pleasant, with slight grapefruit flavors and not overpowered by acidity.  It had a really long lasting aftertaste.  I did not try this wine with food.

Wine Dinner - at home

This past weekend four of my friends and I decided to have our own homemade wine dinner.  We picked out a menu and then went to the vintage cellar and asked for help pairing wines with the food. We prepared all the food and invited eight of our friends to eat and drink with us. We even taught our friends some of the things we've been learning about wine in class.

Menu: 
1st Course: Bree, gouda, cheddar, colby-jack and crackers with Chateau de Roquefort Cotes de Provence Corail Rose
2nd Course: Bruschetta with gPG Garganega Pinot Grigio
3rd Course: Pasta Primavera with Monte Antico Toscana red blend
4th Course: Apple crisp and ice cream with Eudald Massana Noya Familia Brut Cava


Wine Details: 

Chateau de Roquefort Cotes de Provence Corail Rose:
Variety: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Vermentino, and Clairette
Region: Provence
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $7.95

gPg Garganega Pinot Grigio:
Variety: Garganega and Pinot Grigio
Region: Venezie
Country: Italy
Year: 2010
Price: $8.95
Bottle notes: gPG is from the delle Venezie regions of north-eastern Italy. A clean crisp palate with plenty of texture and weight follows aromas of apples and zesty lemons.  It's perfect with grilled white fish or a light risotto. 

Monte Antico Toscana:
Variety: 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2007
Price: $13.95
Bottle notes:  This blend is a result of the synergy between Italian wine specialist Neil Empson and renowned winemaker Franco Bernabei. From the finest grapes and prime Tuscan hillsides, fruit and soil selection allow the wine to achieve consistent quality with each vintage. aged 1 year in oak and 6 months in bottle, its full body and lush, fruity flavor make this a perfect match for cheese, pasta and all meat dishes.

Eudald Massana Noya Familia Brut Cava:
Variety: 58% Macabeu, 19% Parellada, 23% Xarel·lo
Region: Cava
Country: Spain
Year: Non Vintage
Price: $14.95



My thoughts on the pairings:

The Cotes de Provence Rose smelled slightly floral and had strong citrus flavors.  I thought it paired well with the bree and the gouda but not very well with the cheddar or colby-jack.  The wine wasn't extremely sharp or bold but drinking the wine with the cheese definitely too the slightly sharp edge off the wine and mellowed it out. 

The Garaganega Pinot Grigio with the bruschetta was my favorite pairing of the night.  The wine had a tangy aroma and flavor but was a little hot and bitter alone.  With the bruschetta the wine became much more mellow and easy to drink and the acidity paired really well with the garlic and tomato of the bruscheta.  together with the bruchetta the wine was crisp and summery tasting. 

The Monte Antico Toscana had the aroma of dark cherries and prunes and a lot of oak flavor.  It had a fairly thin body which was good for pairing with the light pasta dish, which was spring veggies cooked in stock and paired with wheat pasta. 

The Eudald Massana Noya Brut with the apple crisp was my least favorite pairing.  This sparkling wine was citrusy and tangy but overall pretty dry, which didn't pair well with the sweet apple crisp.  Drinking the wine alone after eating the crisp was a nice finish to the meal but it wasn't good for drinking while eating the crisp. 

With our dinner we were able to learn a little about food and wine pairings and to try four very different wines, and compare our thoughts with each other.  Overall, the dinner was a very enjoyable night of wine, food, and conversation.

Tasting - Cantina di Casteggio Moscato di Pavia

Name: Cantina di Casteggio Moscato di Pavia
Variety: Moscato
Region: Oltrepo Pavese
Country: Italy
Year: unknown
Price: $7.95

Critic Review: Bright, light golden color. Very aromatic nose of ripe apricots, sage, honey and a slight minerality. Medium bodied, sweet and fruity with flavors of apricots and tangerine. Well balanced acidity and medium finish with layers of sweet and citrus fruit.

My Review: This wine smelled of mangoes, apricots and peach candy.  It tasted very very sweet and fruity but with a mellow not so sweet aftertaste.  I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - Montebuena Rioja Crianza

Name: Montebuena Rioja Crianza
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2007
Price: $6.95

Critic Review: 100% Tempranillo. Dark red. Spicy red berries and cherry on the nose, with hints of cracked pepper and dried rose. Crisp and dry on the palate, with spicy redcurrant and cherry flavors, light tannins and a fresh, energetic finish. An excellent value, and surprisingly elegant for this price point.

My Review: This had a jam-like aroma.  It tasted tangy, but was well balanced.  I couldn't really pick out any specific flavors out of it, it just tasted like unripe berries.  I did not try this wine with food.