Wine Tastings--February 23, 2012

Santola Vinho Verde
$7.95
Portugal

What Vintage Cellar Said:
Soft and creamy, although with just the right Vinho Verde bite, this is a crisp and clean wine, boasting light pear and pink grapefruit flavors.  Off dry and very fresh.

What Jelisa Said:
Smelled like dish soap, but I did kinda like this one.  It was kinda bubbly going down but I couldn't really taste anything with this one.  I did not have food with this wine.



Protocolo Blanc
2010
$6.95
Spain

What Vintage Cellar Said:
Greenish gold.  Subtle aromas of mint, lemon, and orange, with a hint of honeysuckle.  Dry, understated and focused, offering clean citrus and melon flavors and slow-building sweetness.  Finishes dry and brisk, with an echo of lemon.  As usual, this is an outstanding value.

**this wine was also rated by Stephan Tanzer and he gave it 87 points**

What Jelisa Said:
Oaky smell with a hint of cheese.  Tastes like clothes straight out of the dryer and it also tasted kinda woody.  I did not have food with this wine.



Resonata Nero D'Avola
2010
$6.95
Italy

What Vintage Cellar Said:
Dense ruby red with violet reflections.  Lush and ripe bouquet full of mulberries, blackberries, and spice.  Harmonious and well balanced with good berry fruit in a spicy background.

What Jelisa Said:
Smells like cherries and sort of like alcohol swabs (obviously).  It had a really strong bitter taste to it, it was also kinda hot.  I didn't really like this one. I didn't have any food with this one.





Don Ramon Tinto
$7.95
Spain

What Vintage Cellar Said:
75% Grenache, 25% Tempranillo.  Aged 3 months in American Oak casks.  Ruby red in color, with creamy aromas of the earth and cherry.  Flavor turns toward deeper and darker black cherry and raspberry on a medium framework.  A subtle earthiness underneath the bright fruit adds some depth and complexity.

What Jelisa Said:
Really sweet smell, tastes really bitter.  It was too strong for my liking.  I wouldn't mind to try this one again with food and without to see if my tastes are different from the first time I tried it.





Heinz Eifel Shine Riesling
2010
$8.95
Germany

What Vintage Cellar Said:
Flint and mineral notes accent pineapple and lime aromas, while on the palate, the wine shows plenty of ripe citrusy fruit flavors.  Tangy acids on the long finish provide balance.

What Jelisa Said:
It smelled like it was burnt, I also got a tad bit of pear when I did a second sniff.  It was really sweet going down but like the Santola I really couldn't taste anything.



Usually, out of all the weekly tastings I go to I have one wine that I really like and end up purchasing.  This week that didn't happen, I really didn't like the wines all that much this week but hopefully next week there will be something that I really like.

Until next week,
-Jelisa

Wine Tastings--February 16, 2012

Cantina Villafranca Frascati
2010
$7.95
Frascati, Italy

What Vintage Cellar Said:
Produced from a selection of the best grapes located in the Frascati Doc production area.  Made from 45% Malvasia di Candia, 15% Trebbiano Toscano, 25% Malvasia del Lazio, 15% Gretchetto (Greco).  Intense yellow color with greenish reflections.  Characteristic persistent fresh and fruity aromas.  Excellent as an aperitif and paired with fish, seafood, or white meat.

What Jelisa Said:
When I smelled the wine it smelled like cheese to me. It also have a very strong taste to it. Personally, I didn't like this wine, I feel like there were better wines that I have tasted in the weeks before.  I did not eat anything when I was tasting this wine.  I would like to try it again with food to see if my opinion of it will change though.

Morro Bay White Oak Estates Chardonnay

2009

$5.95

Lodi, California

What Vintage Cellar Said: 

Vanilla cream soda nose with a slice of fresh cut pineapple.  Full body, tropical fruit, spice and pleasant vanilla oak note linger in the finish.  Sweet flavor on the palate is for sur-lie aging the wine on the primary yeast lees for 7 months.  A versatile style of wine that can be served chilled with fine cuisine or a glass with friends.  Certified Green by Lodi Rules Sustainable Winegrowers.

What Jelisa Said: 

It smelled like an old closet, kinda musty and mothy (if that is even a word).   It had a dry wooden taste, I didn't not eat food with this one but to be quite honest with you I probably would not try this one again if food was present.

Coreto Tinto 

2008

$6.95

Lisboa Region

Portugal

What Vintage Cellar Said: 

This red from the Coreto range has loads of dark berry fruit with a hint of new oak creating a soft, velvet structure that makes it very easy to drink.  Red currant and juicy acidity.

What Jelisa Said:  

I smelled cherries when I did the first swirl and sniff. It was kinda oaky, really strong but not to bitter.  I didn't have food with this but I really did enjoy this wine. I wouldn't mind to try this one again. 

Charles Thomas Cotes-du-Rhone
$8.95
Rhone, France

What Vintage Cellar Said:
From a 140+-acre estate near the well-known Cotes du Rhone village of Point Saint Esprit emerges this juicy Cotes du Rhone, a blend of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre.  Well-made, with loads of berry fruit and a heady, meaty, peppery nose with a hint of Provencal herbs, the wine is fresh, lively, and best drunk over the next 2 years.

What Jelisa Said:
It had a sweet smell to it, I couldn't really describe what the actual smell was but nonetheless it was sweet.  It was really bitter and it tasted straight up like pepper.  I did not have anything to eat with this wine when I tasted it.

Lost Vineyards Spumante Dolce
$4.95
Italy

What Vintage Cellar Said:
Pale silvery straw color.  Floral aromas of apples, peaches, and potpourri follow through on a round, frothy entry to a fruity medium bodied sweet wine with good depth and tangy peachy fruit and a breezy, harmonious green apple kissed finish.

What Jelisa Said:
When I did the swirl and sniff, it really smelled like flowers.  It reminded me of a peach soda and it really goes down smooth.  I really enjoyed this one and I even bought two bottles of it. I did not eat anything with it when I was at the tasting but when I got home I ate some grapes and tried it again.  With the grapes it tasted even sweeter than it did when I didn't eat anything with it.  I would highly recommend this bottle to anyone.  Hopefully Vintage Cellar will have some more bottles come in before spring break though... :)

-Jelisa

Wine Tastings--February 2, 2012

Thursday night, I decided to go back to the Vintage Cellar for another wine tasting event.  This event was specifically for our class and they offered five wines for us to taste. I did try all of them this time and the one that stuck out the most for me was the Moscato once again.

The Opera Prima Moscato (Spain) 

-This wine stood out the most because I what I smelled and tasted. When I smelled it to me it smelled straight up like hair shampoo (I  thought that was weird too). So when I went to start drinking it, it tasted like shampoo as well. But, it did go down smooth and it was really bubbly but it had a bad after taste (go figure).

-Another wine that like really liked that night was the Marques de Moral Crianza Tempranillo (2007, Valdepenas, Spain) it had a really fruity smell, but the taste was kinda tart but yet sweet at the same time.

I really do like the fact that the Vintage Cellar was willing to do a special tasting for us. For some folks that might not be able to make it to the Saturday tastings this really means alot :)

Until next time, 

-Jelisa :)

Vintage Cellar Wine Tasting January 30, 2012

When it comes to wine I'm still a newbie to it all. I have only tried a couple of wine and I have never been to a wine tasting...until today...
After oversleeping for three classes, I decided to go the Vintage Cellar for their wine tasting event. They had numerous red and white wines available for tasting.

Wines I Tasted:

Spanish Wines Sauvignon Blanc

-I really liked this one. I had a tart smell to it and it was very sweet. I also thought that it was very smooth going down. This would be a wine that I would recommend and would buy in the future.









Faraway Farm Cabernet Sauvignon

-I always thought that any type of Cabernet would have a sweet taste to it, I was wrong.  The first thing I did with this was smell the wine and it had a fruity smell to it. But when it came to tasting it, to me it tasted like oak and it was a tad bit bitter as well.  Maybe if i was to try it again it would be different but I highly doubt it.








But the one that I really liked to most (and purchased that day) was the Crane Lake Moscato

-The first wine that I had ever tasted was a Moscato. I think that it is safe to say that that is my safe wine to drink.  This one as soon as I tasted it, I knew it had to come home with me. The smell and taste of very sweet and for 7 bucks who could go wrong with this wine? If someone asked me to recommend a wine, I would highly recommend this one.









The wine tasting for me was something new and I can't wait to go to more in the future.

Until next time,
Jelisa :)