Tasting - Dona Sol

Name: Dona Sola
Variety: Shiraz, Petite Syrah, & Symphony blend
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: Non-vintage
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Shiraz has a unique jammy fruit character that is well represented in the Sweet Red. Both on the nose and on the palate, jammy fruit, like strawberries, cherry pie and red licorice, entices the senses and pair well with cheeses and desserts.

My Review: Of all the wines at the tasting, the Dona Sol was by far the sweetest smelling.  Gives off a very evident aroma of fruity candy.  My first reaction after taking a sip was sugar!  This wine was absolutely delicious, however, it was very heavy.  It was so rich that I would be tapping out after one glass.  It was like I was drinking a cherry candy treat.  Did not take long for me to identify this as a dessert wine.  I am personally not a sweets kinda guy so I was not the largest fan, although I can certainly see how this would be nice to indulge in on special occasions.

Tasting - Avery Quinn

Name: Avery Quinn
Variety: 100% Zinfandel
Region: Santa Rosa, California
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $15

Winery Review: Lightly spicy aromas and rich, soothing fruit flavors make this an attractive, lovable and classically proportioned wine. Cherry and raspberry flavors rest on a lightly tannic but smooth texture, and linger on the finish.

My Review:  This Avery Quinn was my kind of wine!  Had a very rich smell and I was immediately able to identify the fruity aroma.  As soon as the wine hit my tongue I was able to identify the "burnt" or "smokey" flavor paired with cherries.  Being a large fan of smoked foods, the smokey kick to the wine was a pleasant surprise!  I was also very excited to have a wine in which I was able to accurately determine some of the main ingredients and associate those flavors with my pallet.  The wine was so good that I ended up purchasing it after the tasting.

 

Tasting - Fianca del Castillo

Name:  Fianca del Castillo
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: La Mancha, Spain
Country: Spain
Year: 2015
Price: $4.95

Winery Review: Vivid ruby. Spice-accented red and dark berry aromas show good clarity and a hint of fresh rose. Juicy and seamless on the palate, offering lively currant and bitter cherry flavors that become sweeter with air. Clings with good tenacity on the energetic finish, which repeats the floral note and shows no tannins.

My Review: This wine was significantly more pungent than the Pieter Cruythoff and El Cortijillo.  Initially smelled a bit fruity which I was not able to identify on the white wines.  This wine left a bit of an after taste, but was very enjoyable.  An excellent start to the red wines.  Light and very drinkable with a delicious fruity flavor.

Tasting - Pieter Cruythoff

Name: Pieter Cruythoff
Variety: 100% Chenin Blanc
Region:  Swartland, South Africa
Country:  South Africa
Year:  2015
Price: $9

Winery Review:  "A wonderful nose of bananas, oranges and melons jumps from the glass of this 100% Chenin Blanc, which is finished with a screw cap. Another great value from South Africa, this wine is medium-bodied, fresh, lively, and a terrific dry white to drink over the next year."

My Review:  My initial thought when the Pieter Cruythoff was poured was the delicious smell associated with it.  It didn't have a pungent smell of alcohol whatsoever.  Not quite as dry as the El Cortijillo that I drank prior.  The Pieter Cruythoff in particular left a bit of of "film" on my tongue when compared to the other wines.  This wine was still on the light side but had a much fruitier taste than I would have expected.  Definitely enjoyed the taste of this wine.

Tasting - El Cortijillo

Name: El Cortijillo
Variety: 100% Verdejo
Region:  La Mancha, Spain
Country: Spain
Year: 2015
Price: $4.95

Winery Review:  Golden straw color. Bright, attractive, tropical aromas of creme brulee and fruit tart with a silky, bright, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a smooth, intriguing, snappy lime and apple finish with crunchy, fruit tannins and light oak. A super smooth and pure white sipper."

My Review:  This verdejo wine was the very first wine I tried at any tasting, ever.  Prior to taking a sip the wine had a fairly non-intrusive smell that I'm not yet able to identify.  The wine itself was served cool and had a dry taste to it.  After the initial taste I immediately sensed a citrus kick to it.  I'm personally not a fan of white wines and this wine didn't do anything substantial to change my view of that.

I am starting this wine blog as an amateur wine drinker (to say the least).  I have very little experience drinking wine and even less experience in knowing what I was drinking.  I've had a handful glasses over dinner with friends and family, and perhaps a few swigs along the college experience.  I do distinctly remember pronouncing Merlot as (mer-lot).

It would be virtually impossible for me to identify the exact type of wine that I would be interested in.  Just from my own personal experience I know that I don't like things that are too sweet, and I also don't like a thick, heaving sitting drink (like a stout).  It seems to me that wines come in all sorts and kinds of flavors, prices, and sizes.  I know there is an appreciation for wine somewhere in me, and I'm hoping that this class can uncover that.

I am looking forward to sipping and studying along the semester.  I've never been the pinky out kind of guy, so I hope that after a few short weeks that will change.  I want to know more about wine, where it is from, how it is made, and what all of these factors say about its taste.

My first sip of wine went very similarly to my first sip of coffee.  I wanted nothing to do with it, and asked my young naive 10 year old mind why old people drank it.  It was a concoction no sane individual could enjoy, or so I thought.  Here I am twelve years later drinking black coffee like my life depends on it.  Wine, I presume, will take a path identical to that of coffee.  One day I'll be sitting back sipping on a nice chardonnay thinking about how great the flavor is.