Wine Tastings
WT1. This First wine is the Cafaggio Chianti Classico from Chianti, Italy made from 100% Sangiovese. The year is 2019 and this bottle can be found for around $19.99. Online notes this wine of having sour cherry and licorice notes and that the tannins are resonant. I think that this wine is rich and semi-full-bodied with dark cherry and sour dark fruit notes that make your mouth water, I definitely would get it again!
WT2. This next wine was on sale for $2.99.. but was it worth it?
It is an American Merlot from Bay Bridge Vineyards in Ripon & Napa, California. One downside to buying such cheap wine, there is no year on the bottle. An online reviewer noted that they bought this cheap wine to use for cooking and took a sip to be pleasantly surprised by the taste. I think this wine is definitely worth the price, it has a good body and mouth feel with plum and cherry notes.
WT3. This wine is a 2021 Virginia Viognier from The Williamsburg Winery I was served on the house at the 3 Notched Brewing Co. This was a very nice local wine I was happy to try with a light-bodied feel with peachy and citrus notes. Online reviewers also note the same citrus notes as I did as well as some floral notes as well that I didn't necessarily find in my glass.
WT4. This is Ruffino Riverva Ducali, a 2018 Chianti Classico wine from Italy. This was a medium-full bodied wine with tart cherry and dark fruit notes. Online noted some woody and tobacco flavors that I definitely picked up on with this wine
WT5. This wine is the 2019 Andre Brut Champagne from Italy, a light crisp champagne noted online for being a cheap and easy option, which it is! This is usually my go-to cheap champagne I will continue to return to.
WT6. This is the Liberty creek Vineyard Togo boxed wine Chardonnay which is a medium-bodied white wine, slightly acidic with pear and apple fruity notes. Listed online as a little off-dry which I agree.
WT7. This is the Franzia Boxed wine as you can see.. which has been a staple for me throughout my college experience. This is the fruity red sangria which is a sweet light-bodied wine that tastes like berries. Online noted online to be a great boxed wine for a good deal.
WT8. This bottle of red wine I enjoyed tasting Easter weekend is the Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2019 California Cabernet Sauvignon. This was a great medium-bodied cab with notes of berry. Noted online this wine for being particularly unique for its name.
WT9. 2019 Shutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon from California. A medium-bodied classic with dark fruity notes. Positive sentiment online.
WT10. This is another wine I got to taste on Easter. This is the Rivata Barbesco a 2019 Italian wine. This red wine was super tasty with notes of cherry. Online says this is a modern-style wine.
WT11. This is a 2018 Chardonnay From Columbia Valley, Chateau Ste Michelle Indian Wells. Oakey peary wine was really nice. Online noted to have a caramel and butterscotch taste.
WT12. Elegant 2021 Pinot Noir from Dr. Henry John Lindeman. This Pinot Noir was on sale at Kroger and was surprisingly amazing, it was very light for a Pinot Noir and I really enjoyed it.
WT13. This is the Stella Rosa Semi- Sweet Black Cherry Red wine. A friend gave this to me who prefers sweeter wine and this is definitely such.
WT14. This is the CorteNova Primitivo Red Wine. Another Kroger sale snag, which is also really lovely a light-bodied red wine that goes down super easily.
WT15. I got this Watermelon Rose that was on sale at Kroger and figured Id give it a try. This is a little different because its not your standard bottled wine by a winery. But it is pretty good, bubbly rose that's dry yet sweet with the watermelon.
WT16. This is a cool chardonnay I also picked up on sale at Kroger. By "Sunny with a Chance of flowers" its a low-calorie zero sugar wine.. which I think is why the ABV is slightly lower too at 9%. Now this isn't the best chardonnay I've had, but it was a nicely lightly acidic and citrusy wine.
WT 17&18. These two are canned wines that are new by Stella Rosa a product of Italy. They are super light and fruity, but not overly sweet, "a low alcohol grape wine specialty with natural watermelon/pineapple flavors". I would highly recommend, super easy to drink but more seltzery than wine like.
Wine & Cheese
WC1. Lamarca Prosecco From Italy
This prosecco on its own was semi- Dry with hints of Pear and citrus, Medium bodied. The wine paired perfectly with the cheese, We used Parmigiano Reggiano and baby Swiss for the pairing. The cheese made the wine lighter and made it easier to drink. The wine definitely brought out the fat and butteriness of the swiss & eased the sharpness of the Parm.
WC2. I paired this Bay Bridge Pinot Grigio from California with pepper jack cheese. The wine was a lighter Pinot being a relatively cheap wine, I thought it was nicely acidic with apple flavors. It paired well with the cheese being a lighter body with a spicy cheese, it definitely brought the acidity out in the wine after pairing
WC3. For this wine and cheese pairing, I chose a 2019 Shiraz from Milton Park Winery in South Australia to pair with this beeswax honey espresso lavender cheese. Before pairing the wine is a medium-bodied slightly dry Shiraz with plummy notes. Paired with the cheese it was delicious BUT maybe not the best combination, the wine almost took over the smooth light flavor of the cheese, but paired nicely when you get to the espresso-dusted cheese rind.
WC4. For this wine and cheese pairing, I had leftover wine, from Riserva Ducale, a Chianti from Italy paired with this 18-month-aged gouda! The cheese and wine by themselves are delicious. The wine is a perfectly acidic medium-bodied red wine pairing beautifully with the rich and smokey gouda, each bringing out the unique flavors complimenting each other.
Wine Dinner
WD1. Dry Rose From Manteca, California from Bota Box. The wine is semi-dry with citrus and floral notes by itself. I paired this Rose with dinner which was a pesto-grilled chicken & sweet potato bowl. The wine paired very well with the food bringing out the basil in the pesto while cutting out the slight dryness of the wine. The wine went well with most of the dish just not so much the sweet potato.
WD2. This wine dinner was at the Aberdeen Steakhouse in Charlottesville, Va. I was able to pair this Moscato do Asti from Villa Monsignore, Italy with these baked Spinach clams. The wine was very light-bodied and sweet with notes of pear and apple. It paired nicely with the rich and heavy baked clams, after pairing the sweetness of the wine was dulled and easier to drink
WD3. For my wine dinner, I had an amazing ribeye steak with asparagus paired with this Eclipse red blend from Horlon Vineyards in Orange County, VA. The red wine was a light-bodied red blend with a great balance of sweetness and acidity. Paired with the steak, the lightness of the body allowed the ribeye to shine in all its glory.
WD4. For some more interesting yet good wine dinners, I had this Liberty Creek boxed wine Moscato from California. On its own it was light, sweet, and crisp with notes of pair. To eat I had a dolled up ramen with a soy sauce broth and egg. I did some slight research before this one and Im glad it paid off, the sweetness of the wine was dulled as it cut the saltiness of the broth, pairing beautifully together!
WD5. I paired this Cortenova Primitivo a light red wine with this maple bourbon salmon with white rice and veggies. I was debating pairing this with a glass of white wine but this worked perfectly because the wine is very light but slightly acidic it tasted great with the spicy/sweet glaze on the salmon.