Tasting - "Two Vines"

Name: "Two Vines"
Variety: Merlot-Cabernet
Region: Columbia Valley, California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $7.79 on sale at Kroger

BLEND: 50% Merlot, 49% Cabernet Franc, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon
TOTAL ACIDITY 0.47 g/100 mL
PH: 3.86
ALCOHOL CONTENT: 13.5%
BARREL AGING: 10-11 months
FERMENTAION: 6-10 days on skins

Critic Review: "The Cabernet Franc matches well with the Merlot in this blend. Dark fruits and polished tannins elevate this well-defined wine. It has no frills but plenty of flavor." - winemag.com

Personal Review: I was able to enjoy this wine with three kinds of food pairings. I had soy ginger tacos from Cabo Fish Taco, with a side of loaded jalapeno mashers. I also had a burrito bowl from Qdoba to pair with the wine. This wine tasting truly showed me how much flavor wine ACTUALLY brings out of food. I was able to taste the herbs and spices within the burrito bowl like I had never been able to before. The wine also complimented the soy ginger shrimp very well; however, the contrast between the spice of the jalapeno and the neutral flavor of the potatoes, I was not a fan of pairing the wine with the mashers. The wine tasted and smelt very fruity to me. I was not able to pick out particular flavors as I am still learning, but I did for sure taste LOTS of different flavors with this meal.

Tasting - "Rex-Goliath"

Name: Rex-Goliath
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Acampo, California
Country: USA
Year: 2016
Price: $5.95 on sale at Kroger

Critic Review: "A whiff of a plastic, chemical note mars the simple black cherry and earth aromas. The palate is fruity but flat and dull up front. Chocolate and cola at the back of the midpalate sitting on a ripple of acidity give the wine some life carrying through the short but pleasant finish. Tannins are very soft. A touch of sweetness but not too cloying, the balance assisted by that tart note that creeps in to remind you that this is wine, not grape juice.

Another decent but unremarkable wine, it isn’t big and juicy but also avoids excessive sweetness. If you’re not allergic to a mildly tart finish you might find this refreshing.

The last time I checked in with this wine they were sourcing grapes from Chile. These grapes are at least 75% American. It’s basically the same flavor profile but slightly less oaky than in the past." Source: https://foodandwineaesthetics.com/2017/01/27/wine-review-rex-goliath-cabernet-sauvignon-nv-american/

Personal Review: I personally enjoyed this wine. At first, all I could smell was vinegar. But upon tasting and resmelling, I could smell some cherry as well. I tasted lots of chocolate and cherry in the in the wine. It was what I think to be a medium body, medium viscosity. It was not too dry and left me very content. I would like to try and pair it with some other foods.

Wine Tasting - February 2

*Note: I accidentally only "saved" this blog post instead of "publishing" it to the page, it was from 2/4.

This Thursday I made it out to the Vintage Cellar to my first wine tasting. At the tasting, they were serving five wines: a Soave, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Pinot Noir, a Malbec, and a Gewurztraminer. Before this tasting, I had only drank wine with the intention of tasting it about two times so it is still new and honestly, very hard for me.

The first wine was a Prime Brume Soave made from 2015 Garganega grapes. It is from Soave, Italy and only costs $6.95 a bottle. I honestly enjoyed this wine; however, the pourer skimped me a bit so I didn't really get my 2 oz. Either way, the wine was dry, which I usually like, but it still was fruity to me. I couldn't truly point to one specific fruit, but it was definitely full of flavor.

The second wine was a Douglas Hill Sauvignon Blanc from 2014. This was made in California and only costs $5.95 a bottle. This wine was not bad to me, but it was just not my favorite. It seemed sweet and balanced, but I think it lacked some sort of punch. It smelled like citrus to me, but I didn't get much back on the taste.

The third wine was a Grand Cru Pinot Noir from 2014. This wine is also made in California and also costs $5.95 a bottle. To begin, I traditionally do not like red wines, but I did like this wine. It seemed to be thicker in viscosity than the previous two white wines I had tried. I smelled cherry and a little bit of spice when I tried it. I definitely tasted some more cherry when I tried it, but it was not too much. I really enjoyed this wine because I see my palate expanding with it.

The fourth wine was an El Ganador Malbec from 2015. This wine was made in Mendoza, Argentina and costs $7.95 a bottle. Again, I am not usually a fan of red wines and I was not really a fan of this wine. It didn't make me want to stop sipping it, but it just did not do the trick for me. I got a lot of plum tastes and smells and wasn't really feeling it. A lot of others at the table said they enjoyed it however.

Lastly, the fifth wine was a Crane Lake Gewurztraminer from California. This wine costs $5.95 a bottle and was quite good in my opinion. I really enjoyed the light, peachy taste that stuck around in your mouth after. This is definitely a wine that I will buy and try to pair a dinner in the future. Again, I felt a bit skimped on this pour, but maybe it is just because the wine has me coming back wanting more.