Sunday, January 27, 2013

Tasting-Coreto Tinto

Name: Coreto Tinto
Variety: 25% Tinta Roriz, 20% Caladoc, 20% Castelão, 15% Touriga Nacional, 10% Shiraz, 10%   Alicante Bouschet
Region: Lisboa (Estremadura)
Country: Portugal
Year: 2010
Price: $6.95
Shop review: “Despite its light touch, this is fruity and full, with its blackberry fruit dominating the warm spice note and acidity. Soft tannins keep the wine together.” (Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg, USA)

My review: The taste of this wine was definitely one to remember, though not necessarily in a positive way.  The taste was distinct, and actually reminded me of meat, particularly beef. If you have a more advanced palate, you might enjoy this wine.

 I ate this without food, so one would enjoy this wine with foods (such as a steak).

Tasting- Opera Prima Sweet Red



Name: Opera Prima Sweet Red
Variety: 50% Tempranillo, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Daimiel (Ciudad Real)
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95
Shop review: “Doesn’t try to hide its warm-climate terroir, with a soft texture faming jammy-sweet black raspberry, cherry, red currant, root beer and sweet tea. Drink now.” (Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg VA)

My review: I could definitely taste the fruit in this wine.  The taste that stuck out to me was the raspberries- in fact the wine tasted more like raspberries to me than it did grapes.  It was a nice, sweet red wine, and I regret not buying a bottle when I was at the wine store.

I drank this without food, though I was told at the tasting that it goes well with chocolate.

Tasting-Montes Alpha Syrah



Name: Montes Alpha Syrah
Variety: 90% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Viognier
Region: Apalta (D.O. Colchagua Valley)
Country: Chile
Year: 2009
Price: $7.95
Shop review: “Blackberry and cola aromas are cool and collected. The palate has weight and texture to accompany berry, mint, herb and peppery flavors. Turns more herbal and roasted as it unwinds. Pepper and spice lead the finish.” (Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg, VA)

My review: This wine had a distinct taste, and was described as full-bodied at the wine tasting.  To me, the taste resembled that of a plant.  The wine tasted like twig (though I’ve never actually eaten a twig, but the wine’s taste was what I would imagine a twig’s taste to be).  Being full-bodied, this wine is probably more for an advanced palate.

I did not drink this with food.

Tasting- Encostas do Lima Vinho Verde



Name: Encostas do Lima Vinho Verde
Variety: 80% Loureiro, 20% Trajadura
Region: Lima (northeastern Portugal)
Country: Portugal
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95
Shop review: “Pale, golden silver color. Bright floral aromas of peaches, raspberry, and honeysuckle with a soft, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a crisp, tart citrus and talc accented finish. A delightful sipper that is sure to please.” (Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg, VA)

My review: It was mentioned during the wine tasting that the grapes were picked right before they ripened.  By the acidic/sour taste, I could tell.  I myself couldn’t taste the fruits mentioned in the review, but I could definitely taste the un-ripened grapes. It was also slightly effervescent.  It was definitely a wine to sip- I couldn’t take big gulps of this wine. 

I drank this without food.

Tasting-Maipe Sauvignon Blanc



Name: Maipe Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95
Shop review: “Yellow color with green hints. Expressive wine, fresh, very aromatic. This Sauvignon Blanc displays grapefruit flavors, with hints of melon and honey. It finishes with a bracing acidity and fresh mouth feels that make it a terrific aperitif and an excellent accompaniment to virtually all seafood, especially shellfish.” (Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg, VA)

My review: Like the Vinho Verde, I also thought this wine was sour, and I could definitely taste the grapefruit flavors.  It was definitely a fresh taste that could wake you up.

I drank this without food.

My (Prior) Experience With Wine


My experience with wine is very limited.   In fact, I haven’t had wine at all since I turned 21.  The only time I had wine was when I was young, around the ages of 3 and 4.  In my childhood, I would try my parents’ wine (they love wine, and have it most nights with dinner), and even then I would only have a sip.  Now, as a person of legal age, I am able to start my own collection of wine.  However, due to certain health issues I am unable to drink large amounts of alcohol, so I don’t regularly drink or purchase wine.   I do like the smell of some red wine, however, because it reminds me of my childhood.

Because I do not regularly drink wine, my knowledge of wine is limited. I do know that there are various ways to open a wine bottle (as in there are different models of wine openers), and in my experience a common opener involves a cork screw (obviously to open bottles with corks).  In my high school Latin class, I learned that the Romans used to store wine in amphoras (wine jars). There are different devices and containers used to purify or enhance the wine drinking process once the consumer has purchased the wine.  I’m referring particularly to decanters and aerators.  It is my understanding that decanters help to remove some of the sediment from wine, and both decanters and aerators are used to aerate wine.  I learned that aerators work using common principles of fluid mechanics, namely the law of continuity and Bernoulli’s equation.  I also have come to understand that Australia is a country that produces and exports popular and high quality wine.

In my experience, common words to describe wine include “dry”, “sweet”, “grassy”, or “fruity”. However, I understand that there are a plethora of other words to describe wine.  I hope in this class to experience or learn about different wines, so that I can increase not only my awareness about them, but also my ability to describe their taste (using other words than those mentioned above).  I hope to learn about the different wine regions around the world.  I also hope to learn how both different processes of growing grapes and producing wine affect wine’s taste.  By the end of class, I want to be able to talk about wine with my parents and other wine drinkers and add something of value to the conversation.  I want to be able to know what kind of wine to bring to someone’s house for dinner, and I want to be able to recommend wine to try for those friends who say they don’t like wine.  Above all, I want to learn how to appreciate what is widely regarded as high culture- that is, drinking wine.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Amphorae_stacking.jpg/250px-Amphorae_stacking.jpg