Tasting-- Moet and Chandon Champagne Brut Imperial

Name: Moet and Chandon Champagne Brut Imperial
Variety: 30-40% Pinot Noir, 30-40$ Pinot Meunier, 20-30% Chardonnay
Region: Champagne
Country: France
Year: N/A
Price: $39.95

Winery review: "91 pts-- Wine Spectator. Lemon curd and glazed apricot notes mix with hints of biscuit, black raspberry,  and smoky mineral in this lightly creamy version, offering a lively bead and well-cut acidity. Drink now through 2018."

My review: POPPIN' CHAMPAGNE. This lovely cup of bubbly was a nice pale-white color. It had a nose of citrusy bitters, with some pearish-peach flavors. Upon tasting I noticed a heavy apricot flavor intermixed with elements of minerality (these come from my notes and not the winery review). There is a slight malic acid factor in this Champagne. This wine tasted very dry and ended with a crisp and delightful bite.

Tasting-- Lehman Layers

Name: Lehman Layers
Variety: Shiraz, Temranillo, Mouvedre, Grenache
Region: Barossa Valley
Country: Australia
Year: 2010
Price: $15.95

Winery review: "90 pts, Wine Spectator. Supple, velvety and generous with its red berry, cherry and cream flavors, mingling on the long and easygoing finish. Shiraz, tempranillo, mourvedre, grenache, and Counoise. Drink now through 2016."

My review: This wine looks like it would be perfect, but I didn't feel that way. This is a dark, deep red with a intense nose of spicy dark fruit. Heavy legs indicate a real tannic component. This wine starts off with dominant cherry flavors with a backbone of spice and mixed berries. This quickly fades away as a darkfruit midpalate takes over and it ends a long and drawn out bitter finish. Overall, this wine isn't too bad. I feel like the winemakers were trying to do too much with it. 

Tasting-- Monte Antico Toscana

Name: Monte Antico Toscana
Variety: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Region: Tuscany
Country: Italy
Year: 2009
Price: $13.95

Winery review: "88 pts, Wine Enthusiast. Monte Antico-- A blend of sangiovese, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon-- is a great value choice that shows medium build in the mouth followed by bright notes of cherry and wild berry. The mouthfeel is smooth and spicy, but largely driven by simple, red fruit nuances."

My review: This wine tastes like a Super Tuscan for real! We were interested in trying a super tuscan after learning about them in class so we picked one up from Vintage Cellar. The nose is very spicy and harsh--but in a good way. The color was rather brownish red with crazy legs. The body was medium-light. The taste was initially dominated with strawberries, but cherry and spice took over the midpalate. This wine felt wide in the mouth, maybe because of the merlot component. A nice and long finish for this exceptional, balanced wine.

Tasting-- Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Region: Acampo
Country: California, USA
Year: 2012
Price: $10.95 for 1.5L

Winery review: "Aromas of juicy plums marry with notes of herb and rich cedar in our elegant Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep flavors of blackberry and tobacco give this wine excellent balance, with oak aging adding a toasty, caramelized quality. With a smooth finish, this Cabernet Sauvignon is approachable and delicious with a variety of foods. Enjoy this wine with grilled lamb chops, barbecued ribs, or spicy bolognese pasta."

My review: What a bargain! I love this red wine! I keep it for days and every day this wine opens up into something more and more beautiful. The color is a solid deep red with nice legs. The nose is definitely of oak/cedar, cherry, cigar, and plum. Upon tasting, this mid-bodied wine hits me with flavors of deep cherry, black currant, subtle spices, and of course plum. This wine seems quite well balanced (especially for the price) but plum is definitely the main flavor in this wine. Overall, a lovely red that gets better everyday... until it turns to vinegar. 

Tasting -- Tilia Torontes

Name: Tilia Torrontes
Variety: 100% Torrontes
Region: Salta
Country: Argentina
Year: 2012
Price: $7. 95

Winery review: "The nose offers aromatic notes, white flower and citrus fruits. On the palate, fresh flavors of white peach and lemon give way to grapefruit, Mirabelle plum and fennel. It finishes with a refreshingly bright acidity."

My review: A super floral bomb of a white! Just very floral. It was hard to find the wine behind this floral. The nose was very flower-like with maybe a hint of orange zest. The color was pale-yellow. The taste was delightful with peachy, nectary goodness. The finish is quick. I did notice a good bit of acid in this wine, but it wasn't over the top.

Dinner-- 622 North Food and Wine Pairing

YUM

Fiona and I decided to go to 622 North for a food and wine tasting! 622 North is a lovely and rather upscale restaurant in downtown Blacksburg. We paired 4 wines with 3 dishes and here is how it all turned out!

We sampled 4 wines and were able to try them before our food came out.

Wine

Lake Sonoma Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2012 - This was a rather lovely Chardonnay with golden yellow gleam to it. The nose was nutty and mellow. The taste wasn't sharp at all but rather had a buttery, nutty, apple-esque taste to it. Very good for a Chardonnay!

2011 Orogeny Pinot Noir Russian River Valley - What a delicious Pinot Noir! This light-med bodied wine had beautiful legs and a bouquet of sweet and shroomy goodness. The taste was rather farmyard and farinaceous but it sported a dominant plum taste. 

Bodegas Lar De Paula Rioja Tempranillo 2010- What a gnarly wine! This wine was given 91 pts from Robert Parker. The legs were dank on this one and the nose was a very mild peppery smell. What this wine lacks in a nose it made up for in taste. This wine was a ride of wide pepper, bitter tannins, and earthy cherry. The finish was long and robust. Very delicious. 

Il Gregoriano Sant'Antimo Montalcino -- This Red was very tasty! It is a blend of Sangiovese and Petit Verdot. This wine boasted a bouquet of strawberry and herb. The nose was similar to the leaves you find on strawberries. The legs were there and light. This wine was not fruit forward like many other Sangioveses i've tried but was earthy in a farmyard type of sense. A rather light wine, this tasted like dirt and strawberries. 

Ravioli and Il Gregoriano

Entrees
fried ravioli mushroom ravioli with caesar dressing, fresh greens, tomato and red onion
Before wine: Delicious and crunchy ravioli with a delectable buttery sauce. The mushrooms melt in your mouth and it is quite a good appetizer.

With wine: The first wine we paired with the fried ravioli was the Lake Sonoma RRV Chardonnay. Wow! This wine pretty much doubled the flavor of this entree. The creamy mushroom ravioli brought out big fruit flavors in the Chardonnay (which now tasted apply, peary, peachy, and of course buttery.) The wine also complemented the ravioli as it revealed a nice salty aspect to the fried-factor and the mushrooms. With the Oregeny Pinot Noir RRV this pairing was not nearly as delicious. The pinot seemed to clash in a sense with this ravioli dish. It rendered the mushroomy-delight pretty much incompatible to the taste-buds. This pairing seemed to blind each others flavors. We got a similar result with the Lar de Paula Tempernillo. This didn't pair well with the ravioli. The tannic bomb of this wine didn't mesh well with the buttery goodness of the mushroom ravioili. Still, not as bad as the Pinot Noir pairing. The Sangiovese and Petit Verdot blend paired with this particular mushroom dish ended up being a farm-fest in your mouth. It tasted like dirt and mushrooms!
The winner of this entree is the Sonoma RRV Chardonnay!

Buttery Ravioli + Buttery Chardonnay = Salvation

american classic ground angus burger with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickle on toasted brioche served with fries or vegetable du jour.
Before drinks: Your average delicious burger and fries! The meat wasn't too dry, but it wasn't wet either. The fries were salted with optimum precision.
After drinks: With the Lake Sonoma Chardonnay paired with this delicious and hunky burger, I was sad when it killed the flavors of the meat. I noticed the burger brought out interesting apple notes in the wine, but this love wasn't reciprocated unto the burger. Not good.

Wine, making me beautiful and such

My Burger and I.

With the Oregeny Pinot Noir, a better pairing occurred. Both the wine and the burger had very distinct flavors and they didn't do much to eachother. I noticed a very 'separate but equal' quality to this pairing. Overall, an OK pairing. The Sangiovese and Petit Verdot blend paired pretty awfully with this burger. Again, it just made the burger taste like i dropped it in pig-slop and then continued to eat it very quickly. Alone, this wine is okay, but with this burger it steals alot of flavor. My favorite pairing was the Lar de Paula Tempranillo. It was so good! The wine brought out many new and delicious dimensions to the burger while the wine remained equally delicious-- if not more! It felt like the tannins melt the meat for you, making this meat dish super delicious.
Winner: Tempranillo!




duck breast pan seared duck breast with rum spiced julienned carrots, parsnip puree, ginger jus, bacon cracklings, and brussels sprouts
Before Wine: This is a very rich dish. The duck tastes like rich and buttery chicken. It is fatty, slightly beyond turkey level.
With Wine: The Lake Sonoma Chardonnay and the Duck Breast turned out to be a decent pairing. The problem we tasted here was that the flavors of the duck overpowers the subtle deliciousness of the Chardonnay. I suspect it's the bacon component that causes this. I sipped this wine after eating some of the brussel sprouts and EW. Don't try this. Never eat brussel sprouts with Chardonnay. The next wine was the Oregeny Pinot Noir. This was a very tasty pairing. The farmy and light Pinot is an excellent companion to the rich duck. The flavors seem to meld together very nicely and the duck brings out more of the plum flavor of the pinot. The Lar de Paula Tempranillo kindof worked with the duck breast. The tannic and peppery flavors of this wine out competes the subtle flavors of the duck. Also, the ginger in the potatoes weirdly clashed with the tannins in this wine, leaving an odd sour taste. This particular pairing worked a little. The Sangiovese and Petit Verdot blend worked with the duck quite nicely! The bacon really gave this wine some life and this wine brought out some hidden character in this dish-- possible from the carrots or parsnip. It was nice not to taste farm, for once.
Winner : Pinot Noir

So good!

In conclusion this was a very educational experience! Decent wine makes already exceptional food way more enjoyable! 

Tasting -- Hullabaloo Zinfandel

Name: Hullabaloo Zinfandel
Variety: 100% Zinfandel
Region: Napa Valley
Country: California, USA
Year: 2012
Price: $15.95

Winery review: "Since people always ask us about our interesting labels here is a little bit about Hullabaloo: We chose the classic 19th century strongman icon as we thought it was fitting of the period between 1850 and 1900 (around the same time Zinfandel was planted and began to flourish in California). The strongman was not only an exhibitor of feats of stregth but his main purpose was also to shocase his greatsize, boldness and symetry -- kind of describes old vine Zinfandel doesn't it?"

My review: A super delicious red zin. A deep red color. This wine has a bouquet of soapy darkfruit. This light bodied red tastes of darkfruit, bitters, and has a farmy element to it. The finish is fantastic and defined. Overall, this is a delicious red zinfandel. 

Tasting -- Chasing Lions Cabernet Sauvingon

Name: Chasing Lions
Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvingon
Region: Napa Valley
Country: CA, USA
Year: 2010
Price: $14.95

Winery review: "Delivers a rich allure to the dark berry, black licorice, loamy earth, and tobacco-cigar box edges. Tilts toward extracted fruit and tannins, which will appeal to those who like to chew on young wines. Drink now through 2023."

My review: A lovely red! A beautiful ruby red color with nice legs. The bouquet was of a cigar box, licorice, and blackberry. The taste was phenomenal with a very cherry taste. Behind the cherry was a earthy and berry taste. We bought a bottle because this wine was so delicious!

Tasting-- Parcel 41 Stags Leap District Napa Merlot

Name: Parcil 41 Stags Leap District Napa Merlot
Variety: 98% Merlot, 2% Petite Syrah
Region: Napa Valley
Country: CA, USA
Year: 2012
Price: $21.95

Winery review: "Enormously rich, ripe and concentrated showing layers of blackberry, currant and mocha. We enjoy it with grilled meats, steak, stew, leg of lamb, tuna, and swordfish as well as anything that has a rich red sauce."

My review: A delicious red! The legs and brownish red color are beauties! The nose is full of mocha tones, herbal notes, and darkfruit. The taste had that merlot flavor with nice spice, dark fruit, and a bomb tannic component.

Tasting-- Dom Sorin Rose

Name: Dom Sorin Rose
Variety: 50% Carignan, 30% Cinsault, 20% Grenache
Region: Cotes de Provence
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: $14.95

Winery review: "90 pts Wine Enthusiast. Rich, full tasting wine from the Sorin family, with smoothly ripe red berry fruits. There's an attractive orange zest character that gives piquancy to this great food rosé."

My review: A rather delicious rosé! This lovely pink wine smells of ripe strawberry. The taste is fruity and delicious with a orange zest mid-palate. This wine boasts a long and fruity delicious finish.

Tasting-- Arona Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Arona
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Marlborough
Country: New Zealand
Year: 2012
Price: $12.95

Winery review: "Zesty ripe passion fruit and melon make this a true pleasure. Lovers of fruit-forward Sauvignon Blanc will revel in its fresh texture and subtle hint of grassiness."

My review: A very interesting white. The color was quite pale and the nose was a very loud grassy, peach, melon scent. It tasted of melon, passion fruit, and cat piss. The cat piss component of this wine was rather grassy. A very flavorful wine, it's intense taste lingers for a few seconds.

Tasting -- Don Ramon Tinto Barrica

Name: Don Ramon Tinto Barrica
Variety: 75% Grenache and 25% Tempranillo
Region: Campo de Borja
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $8.95

Winery review: "Now you can't always say that just because a wine is good or expensive it is good or bad. In fact, in my last decade+ of wine drinking i have had to learn my lessons the hard way. Because I am not rich I am typically forced to drink bottles that are in the 12-22$ dollar range. This is perfect for me though as sitting on the couch staring at the fire and television really isn't worthy of $25 dollars a glass. Having said this, from time to time I have found greatness in the under $12 dollar range. Though rare, it happens. When it does, it's a love affair in the making!"

My review: A delicious red! The legs and color are beauties! The nose is seems lacking of aromatic but black cherry pops out. What this wine lacks in a nose it makes up for in flavor! The flavors that pop into mind with this wine are black cherry and blackfruits. There are some good bitters on the side of the tongue. Overall, quite tasty.

Tasting -- Ch Mattes-Sabran Corbieres

Name: Ch Mattes-Sabran Corbieres
Variety: Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache
Region: Languedoc
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: $15.95

Winery review: "Blackberry and licorice combine with touches of Asian five-spice on the rich, penetrating nose. The mouth delivers a never-ending wave of ripe and powerful black fruits and structured yet supple tannins, with a mineral spark that runs from bow to stern with impressive electricity. Concentrated yet balanced through and through; one of our top southern values and favorites year in and year out. A luscious blend of Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache."

My review: A delightful red! This is definitely a earthy and spicy wine. With a deep brown bloodish red color, it bombs the nostrils with a musky nose of spicy darkfruit and black cherry. The legs were thick with tannic component. The taste was deep and complex with a beefstock and chocolate darkcherry lovefest. On second sip, i tasted spice and gravel with blackberries. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine.

Tasting -- Le Petit Balthazar Rose Cinsault Languedoc

Name: Le Petit Balthazar Rose Cinsault 
Variety: N/A
Region: Languedoc
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Winery review: "Pierric Harang comes from a line of 5 generations of winemakers and has brought scientific techniques along with winemaking mastery to create theses unique wines. These wines are naturally low in alcohol (11%) and have about 87 calories per 12cl glass. Juicy flavours of straw berries and blueberries, with a fresh and mouth watering finish."

My review: This Rose is quite lovely. This wine is very light and soft with a nose jampacked with fruit flavors. The taste is predominately strawberry, mixed berries, and blueberry flavors. The finish is crisp and very delightful! 

Tasting -- Avantis Estate Malagousia

Name: Avantis Estate Malagousia
Variety: 100% Malagousia
Region: N/A
Country: Greece
Year: 2011
Price: $14.95

Winery review: "Soft lemon-green colour with pronounced nose intensity of citrus fruit (grapefruit-lime), white peach, pear, lemon blossom and hints of minerality. Fruity palate with sharp acidity and aromas of white fruit, citrus, rose, and mineral aromas of stone and steel."

My review: Super awesome wine! The color on this one was an alluring yellow-green. The nose was quite sweet with citrus flavor. This wine tasted delicious with flavors of citrus, white peach, pear, and tropical fruit. Minerality is definitely a factor with this wine-- delicious, too. Overall a stellar wine!

Tasting -- Santola Vinho Verde

Name: Santola Vinho Verde
Variety: Loureiro and Pederna
Region: Vinho Verde
Country: Portugal
Year: 2012
Price: $7.95

Winery review: "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."

My review: A very soft wine! This wine has a green apple and citrus nose. It's color is pale and greenish. This wine has a big palate for a white with crisp floral and apple notes. Very nice and light acids in this with a bitters on the side of your tongue. Overall, very light and tasty!

Tasting-- Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $33.00

Winery review: "Alluring black cherry and raspberry jam aromas, as well as more subtle notes of nutmeg, spice and chocolate. On the palate, lovely layers of raspberry and plum are supported by excellent structure and seamlessly integrated oak."

My review: A very tasty Cab Sauv, the color is a dark reddish brown. The legs are well defined and the nose smells of spices, raspberry, and woodshavings. The flavors presented by this red are very well balanced and consist of raspberry, plum, mixed berries, and spices. One can really taste the oak component of this wine. Overall, a very delicious Red. 

Tasting -- Urban Tinta del Pais

Name: Urban Tinta Del Pais 
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Ribera del Duero
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $14.95

Winery review: "90 pts, Robert Parker. The 2009 Urban Ribera, from what looks to be a great vintage, was aged in French oak for 4 months. Deep purple in color with an inviting perfume of violets, Asian spices, black cherry, and blackberry, on the palate it is layered, plush, and intense. While likely to evolve for 1-2 years this outstanding value can be enjoyed now and over the next 5-6 years."

My review: Such a tasty wine! This lovely red had a very enticing purple color. The legs were great and the nose was delicious. The bouquet had loads of violet, blackcherry, and spice. The taste of this wine was complex and very tasty. First the dark fruit and blackberry flood your palate. The mid-palate is rich and complex with hints of chocolate and balsamic vinegar. This wine has a solid finish. Would love to drink a whole bottle of this!

Tasting -- Decoy Pinot Noir

Name: Decoy Pinot Noir
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $33.00

Winery review: "Lovely aromas of ripe strawberry and raspberry, as well as subtle notes of sandalwood and spice. On the palate, it is elegantly structured with abundant red fruit, excellent mid-palate weight and a lingering finish with a hint of fresh earth."

My review: What a lovely Pinot Noir! The nose was loaded with enticing aromas of peppers, strawberries, and other red fruit. The legs were beautiful-- indicating nice tannic elements. The color was a deep red. Upon tasting, I was delighted at this rich Pinot Noir. The wine has a delicious spice/chalky element. Vibrant flavors of darkfruit and blackberry flow in this wine. The finish was nice with plenty of that Pinot Noir earthy/fungal finish.

Tasting-- Decoy Chardonnay

Name: Decoy Chardonnay
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $28.00

Winery review: "Enticing citrus zest, orange blossom and guava aromas with hints of banana cream pie and spicy oak. The palate is soft and velvety offering vibrant citrus flavors intermingled with rich tropical fruit. Excellent acidity adds length and brightness to a satisfying finish."

My review: A decent chardonnay! The bouquet has a distinct sweet smell reminiscent of bananas which was unique! The color was rather bland. This wine tasted well for a chardonnay. The Decoy Chardonnay had loads of tropical fruit flavors that linger on your tongue. I noticed a spicy, oaky element to this wine. This is a highly acidic wine, but overall pretty tasty!

Tasting -- Decoy Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Decoy Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Sonoma County, California
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $28.00

Winery review: "Vibrant and fruit-forward expression of Sauvignon Blanc with abundant aromas of pineapple, honeydew, lime leaves and lemon zest. The fruit continues on the palate, which is full and round with ripe melon flavors and bright refreshing acidity. It lingers in your mouth before ending with a hint of citrus zest."

My review: This is a rather tasty white wine! It had a nose reminiscent of apples, limes, vegetals, and socks. It was a pale color in the glass. Upon tasting this wine I experienced a lovely splash of melon and citrus. The malic acid in this white is very refined and delicious. The mid-palate was quite crisp and the finish was rather long with a citrus finish.