Tasting ~ Carousel Classique, Blanc des Blancs

Carousel Classique, Blanc des Blancs
Champagne - Chardonnay
Champagne, France
9.78
My review: A dry champagne, with strong aromas and flavors of apple or pear and an easy, clean finish.

Wine Dinner 1 ~ Thanksgiving!

On Thanksgiving, I provided my own wine selections for my family! This included my parents, four siblings, grandma, and great grandparents! I chose the following pairings.

Cotes Des Roses

Rose - Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah

AOP Languedoc, Southern France

2018

$14.99

$From Cote des Roses:The bouquet releases aromas of summer fruits, cassis and redcurrant. Floral notes of rose along with hints of grapefruit complete the picture The finish is fresh, offering notes of candy. On the palate the impression is fresh and full, with great aromatic persistence and balance

My Review: A light, refreshing wine. Notes of grapefruit, semi dry, bright acidity.  Finishes super cleanly.

I chose this rose to go with hors deurves which mainly included cheesy, savory selections, as well as some fresh veggies.  I chose it because I thought the lightness and acidity wouldn't disturb the palate before dinner and would perhaps even cleanse it.  This thinking was correct.  It paired nicely with the selection of snacks; neither the food nor wine overpowered each other, though nothing stood out in the pairing.

Delaney Vineyards - Cynthiana

Cynthiana

Grapevine, Texas

$29.99

From Delaney Vineyards: our Cynthiana wine is a deep cherry color with a superb smoothness that produces plum and dried raspberry aromas.

My Review: Notes of dark fruits, plum, dark cherry, perhaps blackberry.  Easy, light tannic qualities and body.  Long, smooth finish.

I was hoping this wine would go well with turkey, being slightly heavier and bolder than a typical white wine, but not as powerful as a big red wine.  Unfortunately, it was still too bold and overpowered the turkey.  Some of the side dishes went well with the wine such as the yams, squash, and stuffing.  I think the more flavorful foods held their own against it.  Sweeter dishes brought out bigger tannic flavors and spiced dishes exaggerated the fruit components.

Chateau Ste Michelle - Harvest Select Sweet Riesling

Riesling

Columbia Valley

$9.99

From Chateau Ste Michelle:rich flavors of ripe peaches balanced with crisp Washington Riesling acidity.

My Review:  Notes of apples and peaches, bright acidity, very sweet and quick, smooth finish.

I picked this Riesling to go with pumpkin pie because it has the sweetness to compete with the dessert, while also balancing all the sugar with its acidity.  It turned out to be a beautiful pairing and perhaps will become an annual favorite with my family!

Winery Visit - Delaney Vineyards

During the long weekend of Columbus Day, I had the wonderful opportunity to drive down to Grapevine, Texas and visit a vineyard with my mother! We went to Delaney Vineyards together, where enjoyed tasting several wines, and an informative tour of the facilities.

Pictured above is my mom and I posing with a retired barrel and to the left is an original barrel from when Delaney Vineyards was first started in the 1980s in Lamesa, Tx.  On the tour we learned about Jerry Delaney who grew up in a family of cotton farmers and later uprooted the cotton farm to plant grape vines and thus began Delaney Vineyards.

 Pictured here is a Cynthiana vine. These vines are grown by the vineyards exclusively in Grapevine.  It is unique in its ability to grow in the clay soil and local climate.  Due to the extreme Texas climate Delaney Vineyards harvests in August, much earlier than in more temperate areas. The berries are also especially small at the size of blueberries.

 Here are the barrels and equipment used at the Grapevine location of Delaney Vineyards.  The guide explained that they get new barrels every four years and use American oak.

During the tasting we had these wines:

Sauvignon Blanc: A bright wine with notes of tropical fruit, citrus, and slight minerality.

Chardonnay: Creamy, lightly buttery, vanilla and citrus.  I enjoyed the wine so much I brought a bottle back to share with my friends!

Muscat Canelli: This wine is super sweet! The sugars diluted any other flavor and made an almost syrupy wine.

Pinot Noir: Light and bright wine with notes of strawberry, or cherry on both the nose and palate.

Texas Claret: This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Its plummy and had notes of dark berries and very strong tannins.

Tasting - Gruet, Blanc de Blancs

Gruet, Blanc de Blancs
Chardonnay, sparkling
New Mexico, USA
$18.99
2018

From gruetwinery.com: Medium lemon in color, our Non Vintage Blanc de Blancs presents aromas of brioche and green apples that follow through on the palate. Flavors of lemon zest, honeysuckle, and tropical fruit lead to a crisp, fresh finish.

Tasting Notes: Strong notes of apple on the nose and palate, semi sweet, bright acidity, slight tannic components, very light body with long finish and a honey aftertaste.

Wine and Cheese Tasting 1

Rioja With Manchego

La Perla Red Rioja
2016
14.99
Rioja Alta
From theartisancollection.us Bright red in the glass with aromas of fresh red fruit and hints of vanilla. Well structured bodied with great complexity and a long balanced finish. 



Wine notes:  Medium bodied, semi sweet, light, plumy, bright acidity, low tannic flavor, spicy, cloves.

Cheese notes: Similar to parmesan, hard yet creamy, slight sharpness, lightly salty.

Pairing notes:  The sharpness of and light saltiness of the cheese cuts through the acidity of the wine and softens it.  The wine becomes less spicy and has a more sharp, abrupt finish.

Pinot Noir with Brie

Serbal Pinot Noir
2017
15.99
Mendoza

Wine Notes:  Wet hair smell, tannic, overly ripe strawberries, dark fruit, velvety body

Cheese Notes:  Light, soft, creamy, waxy

Pairing Notes:  Thought commonly recommended as a pairing, this Pinot Noir did not pair well at all with brie cheese.  When paired the wine tasted like strong alcohol with little other flavor.

Port with Blue Cheese

Sandeman Porto Fine Ruby
15.99
Douro
From Sandeman.com Brilliant red ruby in colour, with clean aromas of red fruits, plums and strawberries, Sandeman Porto Fine Ruby has full rich flavours and is very well balanced. Rich, round, balanced in the mouth, with overt flavours of fresh plums and red fruits.

Wine Notes: Strong alcohol smell, plum, black cherry, extremely sweet, short finish

Cheese Notes:  Earthy, wet grass or mud, salty

Pairing Notes:  The saltiness and earthy flavors tempered a large amount of the sweetness bringing out more jammy flavors in the wine.

Winery Visit 1 - Canadian River Vineyards and Winery

On, September 29th, my boyfriend and I attended the Grape Stomp Festival held annually at Canadian River Winery!  We got to enjoy tasting five different wines, tour the facilities, walk through the grapevines, and even had an opportunity to speak personally with the owner of the winery and vineyards.  The owner was very kind guiding us through the equipment he had been working with for over 20 years.

First he showed us this machine, that crushes and de-stems grapes. Red grapes go through this machine first, but it is not necessary for white grapes. Though prior to any machinery, all grapes are kept overnight at 45 degrees Fahrenheit to slow down fermentation.  The next day yeast is added.

 This machine, the juicer, is the first step for white grapes.  Red grapes go here after some fermentation once they have left color and tannins behind in the juice.  Red wines here typically are given 15 days to ferment, while whites take only between 4 and 5 days.

 These are the two different types of barrels used at Canadian River Wineries.  Oak is used for all of their reds and steel for all their whites.  The red wines are aged in the oak barrels for 2 years.  Sugar is added to all their sweet wines during their hand-bottling process.  During this the wines are also filtered two times to remove sediment and cold stabilization is used.

 Above is the five wines I had the opportunity to taste.  My boyfriend and I chose to taste from sweet end of their varieties.

Moscato: The moscato smelled of citrus and peach.  It was sweet and had a light acidity

Pink Moscato: The pink moscato, though made of the same grapes, had an additional note of strawberry both in taste and smell.

Rio Blanc:  This wine was peachy and had strong pear flavors, it was sweet, had bright acidity, and finished very cleanly, leaving little aftertaste.

Strawberry Road:  As the name implies this wine has a strong strawberry flavor, it tastes similar to a hard strawberry candy.

Noble Blush:  This wine sadly had no significant flavors.  It was sweet and lightly acidic and honestly kind of plain.  I was disappointed at the lack of complexity.

Tasting - Pacificana, Chardonnay

Pacificana
Chardonnay
California
USA
2018
$12.85
From midvalleywine.com: Look up the definition of classic rich, ripe, yet balanced Chardonnay and this wine should pop up! It has great peach and honey on the nose with a great dose of delicious apple, starfruit, oak, and of course butter on the palate. A great summer Chardonnay to drink with pesto pasta.

My Review:  This chardonnay has a nice light aroma of apple and vanilla.  It  is acidic and tastes like honey and has warm flavor that I am attributing to the oak though I am not certain.  There is not a strong presence of any particular fruit on the palate.
https://www.midvalleywine.com/wines/Pacificana-Chardonnay-2018-w8509095cp

Tasting - Chamisal, Stainless Chardonnay

Chamisal
Chardonnay
California
USA
$14.99
2015
From Wine.com: Tropical notes of juicy Satsuma, ripe kiwi, and mango are highlighted by aromas of candied lemon peel, apple blossom, and refreshing minerality. The palate supports the nose, revealing the Stainless winemaking with its round, weighty mouthfeel. Crisp acidity and flavors of white nectarine, papaya, and key lime pie round out the clean, lingering finish.

My Review: I found this chardonnay to smell of tropical fruits and citrus. It tasted very acidic but was balanced out with a light sweetness and strong fruit flavors including pineapple and kiwi.  It was light to medium in body and had smooth finish and light aftertaste.
https://www.wine.com/product/chamisal-vineyards-stainless-chardonnay-2015/194511

Tasting - "Red Electra Moscato"

Red Electra Moscato
Moscato
California
USA
2017
14.99
From quadywinery.com: Red Electra, first released in 2000, is garnet red, tastes of succulent cherry, berry, and pomegranate, and has a slight sparkle. Try it with all kinds of desserts and cheeses including chocolate bon-bons, truffles, spiced holiday cookies, vanilla, and fruit. Red Electra is made by combining Orange and Black Muscat grapes, and fermenting them very slowly at a low temperature so they keep their delicious flavors. That’s why Red Electra tastes like a bowl full of cherries. Red Electra makes delectable sangria and sorbet. To make sangria add chilled Red Electra to seasonal fruit and sparkling water. To make sorbet, pour into a freezer safe container and freeze overnight.

My Review: Red Electra Moscato is a very thin bodied sparkling wine.  It is extremely sweet and acidic, almost like a fruity soda.  It has berry flavors, including cherry and strawberry. It is not very complex and perhaps is more suited as a fruity beverage to idly drink rather than at a wine tasting.  It is easy to drink, but there is not much to taste.

https://shop.quadywinery.com/product/Red-Electra-Moscato-750mL

Tasting - "Bread and Butter, Chardonnay"

Bread And Butter
Chardonnay

California

United States of America

2017

$15.00

From breadandbutter.com: This Chardonnay opens with rich notes of vanilla bean and almond husk, reminiscent of a decadent crème brûlée. The creamy notes are balanced by a soft minerality and a hint of tropical fruit.  Those creamy notes continue to your palate where they are joined with bright acidity and well-integrated oak that leads into a long, creamy finish.

My Review: I thought that this Chardonnay was pretty full-bodied and found a middle ground between sweet and dry.  It was acidic and had very light tannic qualities.  It was smooth and creamy in the mouth and a long finish. There was definitely the warm sweetness of vanilla, and an amazingly buttery aftertaste.

https://www.breadandbutterwines.com/wines/

Introduction to the Geography of Wine Course

As a senior in college with no religious or personal restraints on the topic, I have had quite some experience in the field of alcohol.  Unfortunately, the majority of that experience has been in the form of shots of straight liquor, cheap beer, and mystery party punch (of which there's no real way to know what you are consuming)... Not great.  Regardless, my alcoholic beverage of choice is wine!  I do not know much about it, but, I generally do enjoy the taste of a chilled glass of a sweet wine.

The little experience I have in wine mainly comes from drinking cheap with my mom or my roommates.  Without knowing much about wine, I do know that I can buy a bottle mass produced wine from Walmart and be fairly certain of what I am getting. It's never anything spectacular, but, its "safe" and I know what I am buying without really KNOWING.  That being said I typically like moscatos, white zinfandels, and occasionally a sweet red blend.

There is a lot I hope to learn during this course.  First and foremost is how to go into a store and pick a bottle of wine.  I want to know how to read a wine bottle and know what it will taste like based on the label.  Secondly, I want to know how those bottles of wine were produced and why they are different from each other.  What processes and steps changed not only the taste, but also the color and density of the wine, and do these factors impact the value?  Lastly, I  want to learn about the culture surrounding different wines.  I want to know what makes a particular wine special to a particular region.

I am excited to be enrolled in such a special course for my final semester of college.  I cannot wait to learn about wine!