Tasting - Opera Prima Sweet Red

Name: Opera Prima Sweet Red
Variety: 50% Tempranillo, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95

Winery Review: Doesn't try to hide its warm-climate terroir, with a soft texture framing jammy-sweet black raspberry, cherry, red currant, root beer and sweet tea. Drink now.

My Review: An extremely sweet wine with a fruity flavor. Almost more comparable to a juice than a wine.

 I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Montes Alpha Syrah

Name: Montes Alpha Apalta Vineyard D.O. Colchagua Valley Syrah
Variety: 90% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Viognier
Region: Apalta
Country: Chile
Year: 2009
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Blackberry and cola aromas are cool and collected. The palate has weight and texture to accompany berry, mint, herb and peppery flavors. Turns more herbal and roasted as it unwinds. Pepper and spice lead the finish.

My Review: An earthy or leathery tasting red (perhaps smokey?).

                                                                I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Coreto Tinto

Name: Coreto Tinto Vinho Regional Lisboa
Variety: 25% Tinta Roriz, 20% Caladoc, 20% Castelao, 15% Touriga Nacional, 10% Shiraz, 10% Alicante Bouschet
Region: Estremadura (Lisbon)
Country: Portugal
Year: 2010
Price: $6.95

Winery Review: Despite its light touch, this is fruity and full, with its blackberry fruit dominating the warm spice note and acidity. Soft tannins keep the wine together.

My Review: Dark red. A strong earthy flavor. Minimal acidic bite.

 I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Maipe Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Maipe
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Yellow color with green hints. Expressive wine, fresh, very aromatic. This Sauvignon Blanc displays grapefruit flavors, with hints of melon and honey. It finishes with bracing acidity and fresh mouth feels that make it a terrific aperitif and an excellent accompaniment to virtually all seafood, especially shellfish.

My Review: A bit sweet and mildly acidic. Light and refreshing.

                                                                I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

Tasting - Encostas do Lima Vinho Verde

Name: Encostas do Lima Adega Cooperativa Vinho Verde
Variety: 80% Loureiro, 20% Trajadura
Region: Ponte de Lima (Vinho Verde)
Country: Portugal
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95

Winery Review: Pale golden silver color. Bright floral aromas of peaches, raspberry and honeysuckle with a soft, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a crisp, tart citrus and talc accented finish. A delightful sipper that is sure to please.

My Review: Acidic to the point of creating a slight fizzy sensation, but not unenjoyable. A fruity taste remains identifiable. I would surely drink this wine again.

                                                                I tasted this wine on its own, without food.

In the Beginning..

My personal experience with wine is...regrettable. My handful of encounters with Andre and boxed wine are such a slap in the face to the world of wine, I'm not even sure they should be considered "experience." Not only were the substances themselves questionable, but the circumstances under which they were consumed went completely against the notion that wine is not a drink of over-indulgence. Any kind of decent wine that I ever tasted happened when I was much younger, and my palate was not ready for the drink of the gods.

As of now (due to my limited "experience"), I find that most wines are not as agreeable to my taste as I wish they were. If it isn't obnoxiously sweet or obscenely fruity, I probably am going to have some trouble drinking it down. That's something I would like to get out of this class. If enjoying wine is a bit of an acquired taste, then by the end of the semester I would like to have acquired it (at least to some extent).

Besides being able to drink and enjoy wine, I'd like to be able to talk about it with other wine drinkers. Throughout the course of this semester, I plan on picking up a number of wine descriptors so that I can describe my drink as more than just good or bad. After all, wine is a complicated beverage and it deserves adjectives that can convey the complexity of many layers and tastes. Part of being able to talk about wines is possessing the terminology and vocabulary to describe them, but you also have to know how to really taste wine in order to experience the full range of sensory bombardment that a glass of fermented grapes can offer.

One last skill I hope to gain this semester (out of a long list) is the ability to pair wine with food. As of now all I think I know is that white wines can typically be paired with white meat and fish and red wines can be coupled with meats of the same color. However, I have no idea why that is and I am positively clueless as to any pairing information about specific wines. Hopefully, by learning about the wines at tastings and practicing my pairings at wine dinners, I will be able to choose appropriate wines to match up with any dish.