Tasting- Bera

Name:Bera
Variety: Asti
Region: Neviglie, Piemonte
Country: Italy
Year: 2011
Price: $9.95
The Winery Review: Bera is a soft and plush wine with creamy foam, lemony mousse and loads of fragrant peach blossom, honey and sweet almond on the bouquet.  You'll love the intensity of elegant, fresh, rich flavours and vibrant acidity
My Review:   To me this whine was nothing special.  On the nose it had the gerneric typical whine smell that you would get from every whine.  The taste would be really the only redeemable quality.   The taste was sweet with a lemon peal taste.  The other nice part was it was bubbly and who does not like bubbles.  This Whine was rated 90 pts, Decanter Magazine, But I would not go so high I would give this whine a 7 out of 10.

Tasting Tarima

Name:Tarima
Variety: Monastrell
Region: Alicante
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $9.95
The Winery Review: Bright purple.  High-pitched red and dark berrry scents show good clarity and pick up a licorice nuance with air.  Tangy and focused on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry and spicecake flavors with an exotic touch of candied violet.  Closes spicy and long,  with silky tannins building slowly and adding gentle grip.  this is a fantastic value.
My Review: This whine did not start the best of because on the nose I could smell the aclohol with a little bit of cherry.  The taste of the whine was not to bad with a earthy dry taste that had some spices blended into it.  This whine was rated 90 pts, Stephen Tanzer but I would give this whine a 7 out of 10.

Tasting- Coreto

Name: Coreto
Variety: Tinto
Country: Portugal
Year: 2013
Price: $6.95
The Winery Review: Caladoe, Alcante Bouschet, Castellan, Pinot Noir, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional.  Great as an aperitif, is a perfect wine for the day-to-day.  Excellent addition to dishes with meats, stews, roasts, barbecue, pasta, pizza, vegertarian dishes, Mexican food, Chinese, Thai and cheeses.  Excellent with food by itself.  You can follow for example, roasts, barbecue, pasta and vegetarian dishes or made of cheeese.  Serve at a temperature of 14-16 degree celsius which enhances the fruity, also being much more enjoyable in warmer weather, on a terrace or a party.
My Review: The smell of this whine was a little different because besides having a dry fruity smell, it some how had a vap smell like an early morning fog for some reason.  The taste of it was not bad with the dry cherry taste with a pinch of spice.  I would give this whine 7 out of 10.

Tasting- Tarima

Name:Tarima
Variety: Blanco
Region: Alicante
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
The Winery Review: (70% mereseguera, 20% viura, and 10% moscatel): Light yellow.  Perfumed aromas of Meyer lemon, melon and white flowers show good clarity and a hint of ginger.  Juicy, open-knit citrus fruit and peach flavors are firmed by zesty mineral quality and a touch of white pepper.  The melon note repeats on the clinging but slightly warm finish.
My Review: On the nose this whine had a nice fruity pear smell to it.  I actually really enjoyed this whine because it had a nice sweet dry taste to it which I am starting to realize I am liking more and more.  It also had a lemon peach taste to it. I would give this whine a 8.5 out of 10.

Tasteing- Dom de la Condemine

Name: Dom de la Condemine
Variety: Macon-Peronne "Le Clou"
Region: Burgundy 
Country: France
Year: 2012
Price: Normally $19
The Winery Review: Made from 100% Chardonnay.  Sustainable agriculture: very low use of chemicals.  Their philosophy is to produce a wine in the traditional style of Macon, with minimal intervention and not use of Oak.  The soils is made of Clay and Limestone (Argilo-Calcaire) and the parcels are located right next to Vire Clesse Appelatio. A light golden hue, floral aromas.  Intense, clean and fresh on the palate.  Citrus notes, bold acidity.  Excellent match to seafood with butter or cream sauces or rich blue cheese.
My Review: I want to first start off and saw my tasting post for this week may seem a little of because when I did this tasting I just finished a test and I was running on a few hours of sleep.  On the nose this wine had a floral woody smell.  The taste of this whine was sweet and crisp with nothing much else to it.  I would give this wine a 6 out of 10

Spaghitte Wine Dinner

Me and my roommate had a wine dinner this week.  In the dinner we had an appetizer of Breakfast chicken dip, an entree of spaghetti and meatballs, and for dessert we had chocolate mouse pie.

Me and my roommate getting ready for dinner.

Me and my roommate set up a deal where he cooked and bought the food and I bought the wine and cleaned.  

Just a picture of dinner without us.

The three wines we had with the dinner was Brut, Torre Castillo, and Castle Rock we opened the castle Rock and the Torre Castillo 2 hours before dinner in order to let them breath.  We did not do that with the brut because it was a champagne and we did not want to loose the bubbly.

I was able to get a picture of most of the wines we drank besides the Brut because after dinner me and my roommate decided to try and finish the wines and we accidentally through the bottle away

Here is a close up picture of the Chicken breakfast dip.

This is the second wine dinner I did and from my first one I learned a few things like one have a glass for each wine so I don't have to rinse out the glass in between. Second was it was easier to pair with I pair all the wines to one food at a time instead of the wine to each type of food.

This is what I was talking about with the tasting set up.

Now for the paring:

Castle Rock: Castle Rock is a Sauvignon Blanc.  

Initial: On the nose it had a fruity floral perfume smell.  The Taste was sweet and crisp apple with some acidic heat at the end.

Appetizer: The appetizer made the wine more tart and add some extra acidic heat.  It felt like it dulled the sweetness

Entree: It was kind of like the appetizer where it increased the acidic heat but just lesson the sweetness instead of dulling it.

Dessert: The man difference with the dessert that I did not have with the other 2 like increasing the acidic taste and making it less sweet was it tasted a little more dry.

Torre Castillo: The Castillo was a Cosecha Monastrell.

Initial: On the nose it had a oak woods plum smell.  The taste of this wine was dirt with some cherry that was a little bitter.  One thing I like about this red was that it was not completely dry but just a little where it was just the right amount.

Appetizer: It gave the wine a more dry oak taste

Entree: the entree surprisingly brought some sweetness like a sweet cherry.  One thing i like is that it lessen the oak taste.

Dessert: The dessert brought out a nice chocolate taste to the wine, but the trade off was it made it a more dry cherry taste.

Brut: The Brut was a champagne

Initial: The nose had the standard floral perfume smell.  The taste of the Champagne was bubbly with a Sweat Tart taste like the candy with the pinch hint of peach.

Appetizer: This made the wine less tart which was good but it also made the wine more dull all in all.

Entree: All this did to the wine was make it sweeter other then that not much changed

Dessert: This was hard to judge because it felt like the chocolate form the desert kind of overpowered the wine.  The wine felt more bubbly in my opinion and tasted a little sweeter with a tart finish.

All in all this was a good dinner and I am glad he did not mess it up which really shocked me.  He was telling me that the sauce he used on the pasta was a homemade recipe that took him six hours to cook.  My favorite was the Torre Castillo because of how much it changed which some of it was for the better.

Tasting- Jam Jar

Name: Jam Jar
Variety: Sweet White
Country: South Africa
Year: 2014
Price: $8.95
The Winery Review: This Charming, easy-drinking Moscato offers flavors of peach, apricot, lychee and orange blossom.  A lively jolt of acidity keeps it fresh and fruity.  Fancy enough for a special occasion toast, yet sweet-natured enough to enjoy every day, our bright and cheerful sweet wines are sure to capture your heart.
My Review: The smell of this wine fruitier then normally it reminded me more of a watermelon Jolly Rancher.  That was why that taste through me of some much because it had a sweet lemon taste reminding of a lemon head.  Besides being opposite in the taste and smell contradiction I would give this wine a 7.5 out of 10.

Tasting- Rare Red

Name: Rare Red
Variety: Zinfandel. Petite Syrah, Petite Verdot, Merlot
Region: California
Country: USA
Price: $9.95
The Winery Review: A multi-vintage blend of zinfandel, Petite Verdot, Petite Syrah, and Merlot that is full-bodied and fruit forward with a spicy and complex finish.  This wine has been partially barrel aged for eight months in American and French oak.
My Review: The main smell I got from this wine was a cherry smell with maybe a little bit of oak.  The taste of the was sweet and a mixture of cherry and chocolate like dipping a cherry in chocolate sauce and eating it.

Tasting- Breca Tovana

Name: Breca Tovana
Variety: Old Vine Garnacha
Region: Munebrega
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
The Winery Review: Gnarled Vines, grown without irrigation, are a mainstay of Spain's winemaking tradition and produce small cluster of perfectly ripe Garnacha, grapes.  Aromas of blackberriers, plums, and cherries fill the glass and develop into luscious flavors of black stone fruit.  Long, supple tannins complete this extraordinary wine.
My Review:The smell of this wine was not as typical as I am used to because it reminded me more of a must smell.  The taste of it though was dry with some plum.  it was an ok wine in my opinion I would give this wine a 6 out of 10.

 

Tasting- Marques de Caceres

Name: Marques de Caceres
Variety: Verdejo
Region: Rueda
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $9.95
The Winery Review: Vivid straw colour. Fresh, clean and intense bouquet enlivened by notes of citrus fruit with a depth of pears and apples. Deliciously fresh and full in the mouth where racy, focused flavours deliver notes of minerals, lemon rind and green apples.  Good length and a refreshing finish.  Has all the character of the best from its appellation.
My Review: The nose of this wine was a nice fruity one with a misty smell kind of like a morning fog.  The taste of this wine was kind of basic.  I was a citrus taste with some sweet water followed by some heat.  All-in -all a pretty basic wine.  I would give this 7 out of 10.

Tasting- Dibon Cava

Name: Tres Ojos
Variety: Xarel-lo, Macabeo, Parellada
Region: Catalonia
Country: Spain
Price: $9.95
The Winery Review: Made from 45% Macabeo, 25% Xarel-lo, 30% Parellada, the nose offers regal yeast and richness, while the palate has complexity to prop up apple, citrus and grapefruit flavors.  Solid from front to back, with health and freshness.  Cava, Catalan sparkling wine, is made mostly in the regions of Penedes, andaproximately 20 Km from Sant Sadurni, The Dibon vineyard is in the process of becoming fully organic.  it consists of 75 hectares of trellised vines 1000 feet above the Mediterranean Sea.
My Review: On the nose this wine had a nice floral perfume smell.  Yes I do realize I use a lot of the same descriptions of the smell of wines mainly because I have not came across any better word to use trust me I am trying.  The taste of this wine was interesting mainly because it was sweet and bubbly with some melon.  This wine kind of reminded me a little bit like Sprit.  Wine Enthusiast gave this wine 88 points.  I would give this wine an 8.8 out of 10 I really enjoyed it.

Tasting- Hahn Piesporter Michelsberg

Name: Hahn Piesporter Michelsberg
Variety: Riesling
Region: Piesport
Country: Germany
Price: $9.95
The Winery Review: This wine's light, airy mouthfeel belies its sweetness and intensity of flavor.  Honeyed pineapple aromas; similar flavors on the palate, adding gentle citrus notes toward the long, sweet finish.
My Review: It had a smell of heat and the taste of a sweet watermelon.

Tasting- Tres Ojos

Name: Tres Ojos
Variety: Garnacha
Region: Calatayud
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $6.95
The Winery Review: The 2012 Tres Ojos Garnacha contains 15% Tempranillo (I wonder why), and unoaked cuvee of 200,000 bottles that mature in vat fro at least seven months before bottling.  What I tasted was very honest, fresh and fruit-driven red with aromas of cherries, garrigue and thyme with a medium bodied palate, some weight and tannins that would do better with food.  This is a red that sells for a song.
My Review: It had a spice smell and the taste was spicy with a dry heat.

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Tasting- Torres Castillo

Name:Torre Castillo
Variety: Cosecha Monastrell
Region: Jumilla
CountrySpain
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95
The Winery Review: 100% Monastrell, aged iri American oak for four months.  Bright ruby.  Powerful, spicy aromas of dark berry preserves and lavender.  Fleshy and round on the palate, offering spicy blackberry and blueberry flavors and ganging sweetness with air.  Finishes smooth, Long and slightly warm.
My Review: It had a dry cherry smell with a hint of ligorose.  the taste was bitter with a cranberry pepper.

Tasting- Chateau Suau

Name: Chateau Suau
Variety: Bordeaux Rose 
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: Regular $18
The Winery Review: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Light, lurid punk.  Tangerine, raspberry and white pepper on the fragrant nose.  Juicy and focused in the mouth offering zesty red berry flavors with a refreshingly bitter edge. closes clean and tight, with lingering spiciness and a touch of orange zest. 
My Review: The smell was fruity and the Taste was a little dry with a sweet lemon.

Tasting-Terre di Poggio

Name:Terre di Poggio Laude
Variety: Pecorino
Region: Terre di Chieti
Country: GItaly
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
The Winery Review: Bright and savory, this floral scented Pecorino offers Juicy tropical fruit and lemon drop sensations accented by notes of mint and thyme. The ripe fruit is balanced by brisk acidity that leaves the palate feeling cleans3d and refreshed
My Revie:  The smell of this wine was floral and perfume with an alcohol after smell,  The taste was sweet and tart like the candy.

Tasting- Peter Mertes

Name: Peter Mertes
Variety: Riesling Platinum
Region: Rheinhessen
Country: Germany
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
The Winery Review: This quality Riesling is crisp, clean and easy drinking.  Floral and fruit aromas suggest sweet melon and honey with enough acidity to ensure a beautifully balanced and versatile wine. 
My Review: On the nose this wine had a floral citrus smell.  The taste of this riesling is sweet with a smooth finish.  There was not much to this the really wowed me.  I would give this wine a 6 out of 10.

Tasting- Charles Thomas Cotes du Rhone

Name: Charles Thomas Cotes du Rhone
Variety: Cotes du Rhone
Region: Rhone
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
The Winery Review: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, 56 Ha grown organically since March 2009 (in conversion).  Part of the vineyard is plowed with horses.  Average age of the vines: 30 years old.  Clear ruby wine with overtones of red berry fruits.  Round and supply with smooth aftertaste.  A good all round red wine for meat courses, poultry and light cheeses.  Best drunk now while fresh with good keeping up to 4 years.
My Review:On the nose there was not much difference that i could pick up.  The taste of it was very dry and earthy with a little bit of cherry.  It reminded me of licking a cherry sucker that was drop in the dirt.  I would give this wine a 7 out of 10.

Tasting- Terri di Poggio Montepulciano d' Abruzzo

Name: Terri di Poggio Montepulciano d' Abruzzo
Variety: Laude
Region: Abruzzo
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $8.95
The Winery Review: This opens with dark aromas of leather, tobacco, cured meat, plum and prune.  It shows soft tannins and loads of dark fruit on the finish.
My Review: This was a nice red wine with some dissent legs on it.  On the nose this wine had a dry earthy smell.  This kind of reminded me of smelling some lose soil.  The taste of this wine was bland with some acidic cherry after taste.  I would give this wine a 7 out of 10.

Tasting- Sean Minor Pinot Nor Rose Vin Gris

Name: Sean Minor Pinot Noir Rose Vin Gris
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Carneros
Country: California
Year: 2013
Price: Normally $20
The Winery Review: The Vin Gris is a bright and vibrant salmon color with cherry, strawberry, cranberry and ripe watermelon aromas on the nose.  On entry, the wine displays bright strawberry flavors.  Throughout the mid-palate and finish, raspberry and cherry fruit character are balanced with spicy and crisp acidity that linger creating a refreshing and lengthy finish.
My Review: The Pinot Noir had a nice floral strawberry smell on the nose.  The taste of the wine was a sweet with an over ripe apple taste.  There was some pineapple and strawberry taste mixed in.  I actually enjoyed this wine.  I would give tis wine a 7.5 out of 10.

Tasting-Grande Resereve des Bastides Gaillac

Name: Grande Resereve des Bastides
Variety: Gaillac
Region: Gaillac
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $9.95
The Winery Review: A crisp and fruity blend featuring 20% of the herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc, 50% creamy Loin de I'Oeil and notes of fresh apple and crisp pear, plus a touch of herb from 30% Mauzac. It has A bright feel, with a hint of mineral on the finish.
My Review: On the nose the Grande Resereve had a fruity floral perfume smell.  It had a sweet crisps taste, that reminded me of a little bit of lemon water.  It also had a little bit of a bitter after taste.  I would give this wine a 6 out of 10.

Tasting- Villa Pozzi

Name: Villa Pozzi
Variety: Moscato
Region: Sicily
Country: Italy
Price: $8.95
The Winery Review: Loaded with juicy exotic fruit, mature apricot, yellow peach and tangerine flavors, this sweet and delightful wine is perfect for Sunday brunch or picnics.
My Review: A quick side note my great grandparents are from Sicily.  The initial smell of this wine was a fruity smell with some spice.  I could not put a name to the spice but I was leaning to basil or Italian herb.  I know Moscato are supposed to be sweet but this wine was to sweet kind of like a dessert wine which just about ruined it for me because that was just about all I could taste.  I would give this wine a 4 out of 10 in my book.

Tasting- Paul Laureano

Name: Paul Laureano
Variety: Tinto Classico
Region: Alentejano
Country: Portugal
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
The Winery Review: Paul Laureano's Classico is a delicious blend of the native Portuguese varietals Trincaderia (40%), Aragonez (40%) and Alfrocheiro (20%).  This is a full bodied red that reveals all that the terroir of Portugal has to offer.  Light cigar tobacco and soft leather present beautifully on the nose.  Dark, black fruits fill the mouth, but the wine flows smoothly over the palate, with a good bit of spice on the finish.  Pair with spicy, cured meats and hard cheeses.
My Review: I like the name of this variety Tinto Classico it makes sound more fancy.  In all honesty I have never heard of this type of wine until I want to the tasting.  What through me off with this wine is I could smell the dryness if that is possible and along with the dryness it had an earthy smell.  I taste of this wine was a mixture of dirt and a little sweet like dropping a candy in the dirt and licking it clean.  This wine also tasted a little dry.  I would give this wine 8 out of 10.

Tasting- Bodegas Atalaya

Name: Bodegas Atalaya
Variety: Laya
Region: Almansa
Country: Spain
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
The Winery Review: A blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera, a.k.a. Alicante Bouschet, and 30% Monastrell; fermented in stainless steel, followed by four months in french oak.  Bright purple.  Cassis, blueberry, pungent herbs and mocha on the nose.  Smooth and open-knit on the palate, displaying fresh cherry and dark berry qualities and a hint of black berry.  Finishes with gripping tannins and good length, leaving subtle floral note behind.
My Review: This was a dark red wine with some thicker legs on it.  The smell I got was a cherry smell along with some pepper.  The taste I got was a harsh dry taste with and alcohol finish.  I also got some cherry and oak taste on the second round.  Stephen Tanzer gave this wine 88 points but I would give this wine a 5 out of 10.

Tasting- Mars and Venus

Name: Mars and Venus
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Central Valley
Country: Chile
Price: $5.95
The Winery Review: A very nice value Chardonnay that comfortably over-delivers vs. its modest price tag.  No oak here, just bushels of clean crisp, Chardonnay apple and stone fruit with a hint of caramelized pineapple.  Juicy and clean, this is a mid-weight white that's just perfect for parties of weeknight sipping.
My Review: This Chardonnay had a crisp apple smell to it that jumped out immediately.  After I smelled the apple I was suspecting a more sweeter taste but instead I got a dry tart taste with a crisp finish.  I would give this wine a 8 out of 10.

Tasting- Cortenova

Name: Cortenova
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Veneto
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $6.95
The Winery Review: Brilliant straw color with emerald reflections.  Fresh and floral bouquet with a hint of pears, apricots and bananas.  Fresh and inviting with bright fruit and an easy drinking style with a pleasing hint of almonds in the aftertaste
My Review: The Cortenova had a nice fruity smell.  The taste was dry but smooth and a little sweet.  This was an ok wine in my opinion not my favorite I tasted this week.  To me there was not anything different or special about it.  I would give this wine an 5 out of 10.

Winery Visit: The Williamsburg Winery

I went on the Williamsburg Winery tour and tasting with my mom and grandparents.
Location: 5800 Wessex Hundred, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
Website: www.williamsburgwinery.com
The tour and tasting cost 10 dollars

Me in front of the driveway entrance to the Winery.

Front desk were we paid for the tour and tasting

After we paid we had like 15 minutes to kill before the tour started so these were some of the stuff that we were looking at while we waited. 

Board waiting Pic 1 

Board waiting Pic 2

The very first part of the Williamsburg Winery tour was we watched a 6 minute video on there perspective of wine and what it means to them.  When the video was done that is when we went on the tour of the winery.

The first place we went to was an older part of the building that was around during the Colonial era. Then we went to the red wine storage. Where the tour guide talked about how they labeled each barrel.  One of the more interesting things I learned during this part of the tour was that they only grew three red grapes and 4 white grapes on this vineyard.  They import the rest that they use in a lot of there other wines. there were some barrels that were marked with a MT witch meant the inside of the barrel was toasted ( burnt with a torch) to add some flavor.  I also found out that each barrel holds about 300 bottles of wine.  They also put some of there red wines in some stainless steel tanks which hold about 7400 bottles of wine. the most interesting part of the tour was hearing about the new ceramic eggs which they ferment some of there red wine which are for club members only which I never heard off.

 One view of the oak barrels.

 A different view of the oak barrels

The ceramic eggs.

After the red whine storage we saw there bottling set up which was a bunch of different machines on a conveyor belt. they said that they put the foil on by hand which I thought was interesting.

Apart of the bottling set up

When we were done checking out the machines we went to there little museum they have. They had a lot of old bottles from the Colonel Era.  They said they even found a skeleton on they land.  He was sent to the smithsonian and the body was dated to the Colonel Era.  The thing I thought was the coolest was the old hydrometer that they had.  there hydrometer was a bunch of glass balls at different density and the ball with the highest density that was floating would represent the alcohol concentration of the wine.

 Small scale model of the building 

Some of there old wine bottle collection

So the next stop on the tour was to view the white wine storage.  In the white wine storage room they had 6 giant stainless steel tanks that hold about 16000 bottles of wine.

 Some of the giant tanks

When we were finally done the last thing we did was some wine tasting.  There was a total of eight different wines that we got to taste.

Todays Tasting

Name:James River White
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $9.00
The Winery Review: A Sauvignon Blanc Aged only in stainless steel to emphasize fresh, fruity flavors.  Consider pairing this wine with seafood or a mixed green salad
My Review: This wine had a nice fruity smell.  It also had a bitter sweet taste that was a little tart.  All in all I would give this wine a 6 out of 10.

Name: John Adlum Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $13.00
The Winery Review: Our lightest Chardonnay is aged primarily in stainless steel resulting in citrus and pear notes.  This wine will pair nicely with soup, salads and hor d'oeuvers
My Review: There was a nice fruity smell with a hint of apple. It had a nice smooth crisps taste with some peach. I would give this wine a 7 out of 10.

Name: A Midsummer Night's White
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $16.00
The Winery Review: This fruity and highly aromatic wine was produced from an extremely low-yield vineyard  on Wessex Hundred, the farm upon which the Williamsburg Winery is located 
My Review: I really enjoyed this wine.  On the nose it has a smooth floral perfume smell.  On the taste buds it had a nice acidic alcohol taste that was smooth and sweet. I found out they grow three of the 4 grapes used in this wine.  I would give this wine a 8 out of 10.  

Name: Arundell Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2013
Price: $13.00
The Winery Review: This old world style Cabernet, has a nice balance between the fruit and the earthy character, best complements rich pasta dishes and grilled meats
My Review: This wine had a nice dry earthy perfume smell with some legs on the glass.  Its taste was very smooth and dry. There was also a nice cherry hint at the end of it.  I would give this wine a 6 out of 10.

Name: Burgesses' Measure Merlot
Variety: Merlot
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $19.00
The Winery Review: the Merlot features a cherry, strawberry and cranberry bouquet with an earthy, spicy finish.  Pair this wine pulled pork, ribs, or a hamburger
My Review:This wine was another one of my favorite wines that I was able to try at the winery.  The initial smell was a nice oaky wood one. It was a very smooth taste that was little dry with some thicker legs on the glass.  I would give this wine a 8.5 out of 10.

Name: Gabriel Archer Reserve
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Price: $32.00
The Winery Review: This reserve wine represents our winemaker's powerful skill at blending red Bordeaux varietals.  It pairs with most meats, and especially goes well with filet mignon
My Review: This wine had a little more unique smell that was dry.  it also had an earth smell along with cherries.  The taste of this wine was dry with some earthy dirt taste, with some alcohol taste at the end. I would give this wine a 6 out of 10.

Name: Jamestown Cellars Settler's Spiced Wine
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Price: $12.00
The Winery Review: Red wine blended with cloves, Cinnamon, nutmeg, and other spices.  Designed as mulled wine, it is meant to be served warm during winter by the fireplace
My Review: This wine had a very unique taste and smell.  The smell was a cinnamon spice with some apple.  The taste was not like an other wine but it just tasted like cinnamon apple.  I would give this wine a 7.5 out of 10.

Name: Vin Licoreux de Framboise
Variety: Red Wine with Raspberry
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Price: $18.00
The Winery Review: This dessert wine showcases the brightness of raspberries with the subtle nuances of Merlot.  Serve lightly chilled after dinner or with chocolate or fruit-based desserts.
My Review: this wine had a great cranberry and plum smell to it.  The taste of this wine was super sweet along with fruit and plum.  I would give this wine a 5 out of 10.

Side note: All the pictures are courtesy of my grandpa Richard Smith.  I would not mind going back when grapes are growing to see how nice it will look and not so barren.

Wine and Cheese Pairing

I did a wine and cheese pairing over spring break with my parents.

Me, My mom, and dad.

During the wine and cheese paring we had four different cheeses some crackers and some grapes that I tried with the different wine. All that I had to do was three different cheese but with this packet I was able to do four so we figured why not.  The cheese were:
White Muenster
New York Aged Cheddar (aged 6 months)
Gouda
Havarti with Dill

All the cheese, wine, grapes, and crackers.

I did this tasting a little different then I did with the wine dinner.  With the dinner I tried one type of food with the three different wine before I moved onto the next dish but this time I had one wine and then tried all the food before moving onto the next wine. (side note there was no red wine because it gives my mom headaches)

The Paring wines.

Name: Santiago Station

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Valle Central

Country: Chile

Initial: It had a nice fruity and pear smell to it.  It tasted a little acidic and citrusy.  I would give this wine an 7 out of 10.
White Muenster: No change
New York Aged Cheddar: No change
Gouda: No change
Havarti with Dill: No change for me.  My dad thought it got a more acidic taste to it.
Side notes:  We all thought that the wheat cracker made the wine a little more sharper in taste

Name: Wild Haven

Variety: Pinot Gris

Region: Washington State

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Initial: Wild haven had a fruity and a pine smell on the nose.  At first it had a crisp and citrus taste with a acidic taste sat on the pallet.  I would give this wine a 7.5 out of 10.
White Muenster: me or my mom really noticed any change while my dad thought that the cheese made the wine smoother taste.
New York Aged Cheddar: I felt it increased the alcohol/acidic taste.  While my mom felt it got smoother.  My dad did not notice much of a change.
Gouda: this was a lot like the White Muenster where me or my mom did not notice a change.  while my dad thought it was a little more bitter.
Havarti with Dill: Me and my mom both thought the wine tasted sharper and my dad did not notice to much change.
Side notes: We all thought that the multigrain cracker we had with the wines almost ruined the wine taste or really dulled it.  Most of are favorite combo was the White Muenster and Gouda with the wine.

Name: Five Branches

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: California

Country: USA 

Initial: The Five Branches had a nice fruity and peach smell.  The initial taste was a little dry with an oak taste.
White Muenster: I felt it made the wine sharper.  My mom thought the cheese brought out more flavor like vanilla and lowered some of the oak taste. My dad did not really notice any change.
New York Aged Cheddar: I thought that it made the wine sharper like the one above while my mom and dad thought it lowered the acidic taste which made it more dull.
Gouda: I thouhgt that this cheese made it more dull and my parents thought that it increased the alcohol taste.
Havarti with Dill: We all thought that it was nasty with the wine almost ruining it.
Side notes: We really like the White Muenster and wine combo the best.

Overview:
Doing the wine and cheese paring was fun at first but became a little to much. the constant change of cheese and type of wine more upset all are stomachs.  I also would recommended doing something like this with more then just three people because we all drank more then we planned on (almost a full bottle per person within an hour).   I did not talk about the grapes because we thought that the grapes were nasty with all the wine.

Some of my dogs wanted to join in on the tasting.