Tasting - Au Chocolat

Name: Au Chocolat Sparkling Wine
Variety: Dessert Wine
Region: Provence
Country: France
Year: n/a
Price: $14.99

Winery Review: Au Chocolat Chocolate flavored wine is effervescent and crisp, with a mellow chocolaty flavor and splash of sweetness. Perfect as an aperitif, digestive or with anything which chocolate would pair. Serve chilled 41-50°F.

My Review:  This wine was made to trick you.  When you initially sniff it you can definitely tell it is a chocolate wine, even if the chocolate has a very artificial smell.  Then when you taste it, it is like a completely different wine.  It is almost indescribable because you can't get over that it doesn't taste like chocolate.  It takes you off guard.  One taste was plenty for this wine.  It was a good attempt, but poor execution.

I tasted this wine by itself without food.

Tasting- La Fiera Pinot Grigio Veneto

Name: La Fiera Pinot Grigio Veneto
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Veneto
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $10.99

Winery Review: This outstanding white wine value from Italy's Veneto region exhibits ripe peach and apple flavors with a pleasing mineral finish, perfectly suited as a delightful aperitif or served alongside salads, grilled chicken and seafood.

My Review:  This is one of the best wines I've tasted in my short time of tasting wines.  It had a nice sweet apple flavor.  It was very smooth and enjoyable to sip.  This wine would be perfect for a hot summer day.

I tried this wine by itself without food.

Tasting - Shine Dornfelder Sweet Red

Name: Shine Heinz Eifel Dornfelder Sweet Red
Variety: 100% Dornfelder
Region: Rheinhessen, Germany
Country: Germany
Year: 2011
Price: $12

Winery Review: The reflection of the sun’s rays off the Rhein river help to ripen these hearty red grapes, thus producing a full bodied wine with flavors of dark red fruits with a well balanced sweetness.  2011 was a difficult year for the vintners. Especially in the Rheinhessen area where May frosts cut yields dra- matically. This natural low yield, though bad for farmers in terms of quantities, was outstanding for consumers in terms of quality with grape sugar concentration lev- els averaging about 10° Oeschle (greater than 2 Brix) more than usual!

My Review:  I was surprised how much I liked this red wine.  It was not as bitter as I expected.  I could definitely pick up the fruity flavor, but I am still trying to figure out how to distinguish the specific smells and tastes.  This was a great red wine.

I tasted this on its own without food.

 

 

Pass the Natty

   For my first blog post, I am tasked with talking about my experience with wine.  Well, this will be easy because there isn't much to talk about.  I have no idea about anything when it comes to wine.  I have figured out that I am a much bigger fan of white than red, but that is about it.

   My first experience with wine was classic Franzia out of a bag.  Let's just say it wasn't the best introduction to wine.  Since then I have a glass here and there, but I haven't found a wine that I would buy and/or drink on a regular basis.

  Wine is a very new subject for me.  I am hoping this class will help me expand my taste pallet beyond a nice cold Natty Light.  I'll be a real adult soon, it is time I start drinking like one.