Tasting- Tres Ojos Granacha

 

Name: Tres Ojos Granacha

Variety: Granacha

Region: Calatayud, Spain

Year: 2020

Price: $9.95

Shop Review: Our Tres Ojos – “three eyes” – is named after an ancient walking bridge in the city of Calatayud. The bridge’s three arches earned it the nickname ‘tres ojos’. This Garnacha is whole berry fermented, like a Cotes du Rhone Rouge. It displays a brick red color with a bouquet of red raspberries, spice and white pepper. The palate is incredibly concentrated and rich. Fruity and juicy with a great depth, ripe tannins and length, yet wonderful elegance and lightness.

Wine Folly: pg 117 Stewed strawberry, grilled plum, leather, dried herbs, blood orange

This wine to me definitely had fruity flavors. I have not had stewed strawberries or grilled plum, but I thought it tasted a bit like cherry. The dried herb flavor was strong for me.

Personal Review: This was a nice light red that was a bit dry. There was a strong cherry smell and the flavor was full of spices. This was my first time trying this type of wine and I would try it again for sure.

Tasting- St. James Mango Sweet Wine

 

Name: St. James Mango Sweet Wine

Variety: Mangos!

Region: St. James, MO

Year: -

Price: $1.95

Shop Review: With the weather warming up, St. James Winery has the answer for the perfect tropical escape! Our new, year-round fruit wine was a past customer's favorite seasonal wine selection, Mango! This sweet wine is made from 100% pure, ripe mangos with no added artificial flavors or colors. 

Wine Folly: no grapes!

Personal Review: 

Delicious! Tasted just like the dried mango I get from Costco. It was the perfect amount of sweet and the slight carbonation made it super refreshing. I bought two cans for myself and think everyone should give this wine a try.

Tasting- Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Name: Carmen Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Maipo Valley, Chile

Year: 2016

Price: $7.97

Shop Review: Aromas of fresh berries, baking spices, and chocolate get this wine going. The palate bursts at the seams, boasting a toasty black-fruit flavor with grip and intensity. Delicate yet intense blackcurrant with hints of clove and mocha.

Wine Folly: Cabernet pg88 black cherry, black currant, cedar, baking spices, graphite

I tasted the dark fruits especially. Also, the more earthy flavors like cedar and graphite stuck out to me.

Personal Review: This wine was not the best cabernet sauvignon I had. It had a very earthy smell and an even earthier taste. There was also a green pepper flavor. Overall, I would get a different brand of cabernet sauvignon that I know would be better.

Tasting- El Viejo del Valle Chardonnay

 

Name: El Viejo del Valle Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Maule (Central Valley), Chile

Year: 2019

Price: $7.95

Shop Review: Fresh and tasty cool-climate Chilean Chardonnay. Sourced from old vines grown on volcanic soil. A clean crisp chardonnay that is more old world in style than new world

Wine Folly: pg 96 Chardonnay- Flavors described include yellow apple, starfruit, pineapple, and butter 

This wine was an average-tasting chardonnay. It had an average acidity flavor from the pineapple and starfruit. It was not a buttery chardonnay.

Personal Review: This wine was not oaked, so it lacked a level of complexity. It was incredibly grassy and that flavor came out. It had slight acidity and body. Overall I would not pick this brand of chardonnay and would get a better kind.

Wine Dinners- March 19

 

Course 1: Chips and Salsa + Sauvignon Blanc

The chips and salsa were tasty, the chips were lime flavored and the salsa was hot. It was delicious. The sauvignon blanc was good as well. It was slightly acidic with an apple flavor. There was also a slight earthy flavor. The chips and wine paired very well together. The lime in the chips and acidity of the wine was enjoyable and brought out nice tart flavors.

Course 2: Quesadilla + Riesling

The quesadilla was delicious, it was chicken, pepper jack cheese, and spicy bbq sauce. The bbq sauce was not too spicy but the bite was good, especially with the pepper jack cheese. The Riesling was nice and sweet. There were lots of fruit flavors, such as orange and peach. When paired together, it was great. The spiciness of the quesadilla with the sweetness of the wine was very enjoyable. I thought the chicken flavor was brought out through the wine. The sweetness of the wine contrasts really well with the umami of the quesadilla. 

Course 3: Vanilla Ice Cream + Prosecco

The ice cream was good, a simple classic flavor. It was vanilla bean which makes it even better. The prosecco was very refreshing and not acidic in smell or flavor. There was a slight sweetness to the prosecco and there were A LOT of bubbles. When paired with the ice cream the combination of the creaminess from the ice cream and the bubbles from the prosecco was really interesting. It felt almost as if the bubbles multiplied by a lot. I got a bit of a coffee or smokey flavor when the two were paired together also. I would have this combination again. 

Wine and Cheese Pairings March 19

 

Pinot Grigio + Provolone

The wine by itself was pretty citrusy with high lemon flavors. It was dry and acidic. The provolone was smooth and mild. When paired together there was nothing too good about it. No flavors were brought out in the cheese or wine and the wine masked the flavor of the cheese. The cheese tasted slightly less salty with the wine, but the wine tasted more like alcohol.

Red Blend + Muenster

The wine was dry and very tannic. There were intense cedar flavors with a slight sweetness of fruit flavors such as cherry and plum. The muenster was a buttery smooth cheese with a bit of a nutty flavor. The cheese seemed less salty, similar to the provolone paired with pinot grigio. The cheese also seemed fattier when with the wine. However, the wine dampened the cheese flavor.

Cabernet Syrah + Colby

The wine had a very sweet smell, most likely the syrah. There were hints of dark fruit flavors and chocolate. The colby cheese had a more sharp flavor with a buttery finish. When paired together there were smokey flavors brought out in the wine, it was nice. The wine was less tannic when paired with the cheese. The cheese was sweeter with the wine. Overall I would try this combination again.

Tasting- Pizza Lovers Rosso

 

Name: Pizza Lovers Rosso

Variety: Merlot and Cabernet

Region: Veneto, Italy

Year: 2020

Price: $3.95/500 mL

Shop Review: A combination of two international grape varieties, Merlot and Cabernet, with unique blending properties. These two varieties were made to be blended, and each one brings all the right notes for a high quality red wine. The grapes are macerated for around 7 days, during which the colour and all the elements that make up the wine are extracted. The subsequent 9-month fining process in steel tanks brings out the notes of the two grape varieties.

Wine Folly: Merlot (p131)  - cherry, plum, chocolate, dry herbs, vanilla

• Black cherry flavors, supple tannins, smokey or chocolatey finish

Cabernet pg88 black cherry, black currant, cedar, baking spices, graphite

I could taste the herbiness from the merlot as well as the smokey finish, it was a very dry wine. From the cabernet, I could taste the dark fruit flavors but it was not sweet and the graphite came through. 

Personal Review: This wine was nothing special to me. Similar to the Pizza Lovers white wine, the flavors were not the best. It had an average fruit flavor and the tannins were light. Overall not much complexity to the wine.

Tasting- Casa Bella Colli Piacentini

 

Name: Casa Bella Colli Piacentini

Variety: Candia Malvasia

Region: Emilia Romagna, Italy

Year: 2020

Price: $7.95

Shop Review: This has all the light floral qualities of the Malvasia Secca Frizzante, whilst capturing the heady aromatics of late summer, with delicious hones tones to it. The natural sparkle gives it a much lighter, uplifting edge rather than a classic still dessert, and will help to keep the evening going even with a really rich dessert. 

Wine Folly: (found on the website)white peach, wildflowers, green almond, basil, seashell

The wildflower flavor and aroma was very strong, I really liked it. I could taste a very light fruit flavor which would be the white peach but the main flavor of this wine was the wildflowers. I could not taste seashells, but also I would not know what they taste like.

Personal Review: This was a fantastic wine, probably the first wine that really had me thinking about how I enjoyed it so much. It had a very strong floral smell and flavor. It was sweet but not too sweet, and the light carbonation made it super refreshing. I bought a bottle for myself and will be drinking it sometime soon.

Tasting- Chakana Nuna Vineyard

 

Name: Chakana Nuna Vineyard

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina

Year: 2018

Price: $9.95

Shop Review: The Nuna vineyard (3,150 ft. elevation) in Agrelo is Chakana’s first Demeter certified organic vineyard. Nuna means “soul” in Quechua. Aromas of roasted red pepper and sweet red fruit with vanilla, chocolate and spice. Full-bodied with very soft tannins.

Wine Folly: pg88 Cabernet Sauvignon- black cherry, black currant, cedar, baking spices, graphite

This wine had a nice dark fruit flavor that came out. I was able to taste the more bitter flavors such as graphite and cedar. I could not taste the baking spices

Personal Review: This was a nice dark fruit flavored wine. The wine was light in tannins from the grapes being young, and that was noticeable in its flavor. I would drink this wine again if given the opportunity.

Tasting- Vina Collado

 

Name: Vina Collado

Variety: Macabeo (Viura)

Region: Campo de Borja, Spain

Year: 2021

Price: $9.95

Shop Review: 100% Macabeo. Bright pale yellow with greenish hues. Fresh and clean with pleasant lemon, citrus fruit aromas. Stainless fermentation so as to preserve bright fruit characteristics. A fruity wine with plenty of citrus, orange blossom, pears and elderberry fruit with balanced acidity leaving an agreeable aftertaste.

Wine Folly: pg187 honeydew, lime peel, lemon, tarragon, hazelnut

I tasted the acidity from the lime peel and lemon. The fruit flavor I thought was starfruit or pear but it was the honeydew. I did not taste the hazelnut

Personal Review: Overall this wine was a nice light-bodied white wine with fruity flavors. It was a bit acidic and I enjoyed it. I would try it again with some food.

Tasting- Manoir Du Carra Beaujolais Nouveau

 

Name: Manoir Du Carra Beaujolais Nouveau

Variety: Gamay

Region: Beaujolais, France

Year: 2022

Price: $9.95

Shop Review: Supple and rich, and of course, young! Aromas of cherry, cranberry, and tale-tell signs of bananas. Finishes light and fresh with hints of strawberry.

Wine Folly: pg 113- pomegranate, blackberry bramble, violet, potting soil, and bananas

After drinking this wine I felt as though the earthy flavors were more prominent than the fruity flavors. 

Personal Review: This wine did not stand out to me. It had a rather dull flavor and not much fruity flavor. I think maybe if this wine was a little older and decanted it would have tasted better.

Tasting- Pizza Lovers White Wine

 

Name: Pizza Lovers White Wine

Variety: Chardonnay, Friuli

Region: Veneto, Italy

Year: 2020

Price: $3.95/500 mL

Shop Review: This unique Pizza Lovers White Wine was created by blending an internationally well-known grape such as Chardonnay with two traditional and characteristic varieties from Friuli, Ribolla Gialla and Friulano. Softness and harmony meld with the power and typical characteristics of the region. The three grape varieties are fermented into white wine separately before being combined into a single wine in different percentages depending on the year. The wine is stored in steel tanks for around 5 months to optimize the primary aromas of the grapes. 

Wine Folly: pg 96 Chardonnay- Flavors described include yellow apple, starfruit, pineapple, and butter. I think the acidity was due to the pineapple, but I did not taste any butter flavors.

Pg 111- Friulano: grapefruit, green pear, peach, tarragon, crushed gravel. I tasted the acidity from the grapefruit and the bitterness from the crushed gravel. 

Personal Review: This white was a light-bodied white wine that had a slight acidic flavor. The Chardonnay flavor definitely came out which I appreciated. This was a pretty below average wine and I would not buy this wine