The French Stuff

 Welcome back again everyone!

This is the fith lesson in wine snobbery right after spring break, which is very sad, so I need something to cheer me up; namely these fancy wines. This time we two French wines one red from Bordeaux and something like a rose from Cotes Catalanes. Needless to say I am very excited to try both of them, so lets pop-em open.

Domaine de Rombeau Rancio Sec

Variety of Grapes: Grenache

region: Cotes de Catalone

Country: France

Vintage: 2010

Price: $24.95

Review from punchdrink.com: "... like dry sherry, it's typically served as an aperitif or alongside seafood, like the Roussillon's famous anchovies. But the easy comparison to dry, oxidatively aged sherries, like amontillado or oloroso, isn't a perfect one, even if they share both a commitment to savory flavors, solera aging and status as some of the world's most singular wines."

Pairing from Wine Folly: "Producers in the United States have taken to oaking this wine, which makes it a great match with buttery meats like lobster, crab, foie gras, and pate" pg-160

Personal Review: The aroma of this wine is quite odd compared to any wine I have had before. Likely due to it's aging process, which is 6 years of fermentation, including being aged in a used oak barrel outside for the last bit of its long fermentation period. It gives off a hot, oakey, raisin smell that is only comparable to what an ice wine smells like. The taste is all over the place with sherry and raisin being the most prominent factors. The oak comes through a bit, but mainly on the finish and undertones on the initial taste. It tastes as hot as it smells witha whopping 16% alcohol content, so it'll get you there fast. Overall, it is a beautiful wine that I would, and did, pair with a light vegetable dip we made from scratch. I highly recommend this to literally anyone, since this is a special fun wine that you will not likely find anything like.

Chateau De Ribebon

Variety of Grapes: Merlot 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Cabernet Franc 20%

region: Bordeaux

Country: France

Vintage: 2016

Price: $16.95 

Review from internationwinereport.com: "The 2016 Bordeaux Superieur 'Reserve' from Chateau Ribebon is composed of 50% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc. It is an excellent showing in this vintage, offering aromas of ripe cherries and blackberries laced with spring florals, tobacco, toast and exotic spices all coming together in the glass. On the palate this is medium-bodied and nicely structured with velvety tannins that lead into the long, refined finish."

Pairing from Wine Folly: : "The tannins in this blend make it an excellent choice to match with steak and other red meat dishes. Keep seasoning simple-- think salt and pepper." pg-83

Personal Review: On the nose, the wine presents light smells of nuts and berries like blackberry and the tartness that comes with it. It is not nearly as hot as I would have expected since it smells cool, but it is only 13.5% alcohol, so it makes sense. The taste is light compared to other reds, but the presence of blackberry with the tartness, and prune are quite obvious. It also tastes of older strawberries, which is quite a welcome flavor here. It finishes with an earthy taste that I cannot put my finger on, but is overall a wonderful wine. As per the usual with red wines, this would be great with red sauces, red meats, and anything with mushrooms. For it's price, this wine is definitely worth it!

Till next,

Charlie

 

 

Oh It is Sweet This Week

 Welcome back everyone!

This is the fourth lesson in wine snobbery right ahead of spring break, which is saweeeet, so it is the perfect week to open up the sweet bottles I've got. This time we got a little something from California and something from Europe as well. Now lets see what we got!

2012 Rodney Strong A True Gentleman's Port

Variety of Grapes: Zinfandel Blend

region: Sonoma County

Country: United States

Vintage: 2012

Price: $34.95

Review from napavalleywineacademy.com: "A truly expressive wine, A true Gentleman's Port expresses notes of dried cherry and fig, slightly burnt caramel, vinilla and hazelnut, finishing with a prominent spice note. A great choice with cheeses and dried fruits."

Flavor Notes from Wine Folly: "Flavors commonly associated with port wines are black plum, dried cherry, chocolate, raisin, and cinnamon. It is also recommended that it is paired with Stilton cheese." - pg 153-154

Personal Review: The nose on this fella is overflowing with strong spices. Cinnamon, allspice, and chocolate are all pungent features just to the smell. It also smells very sweet and hot, which makes sense for a more alcoholic port wine. The mouth feel was what hit me first, it is very viscus from the alcohol and sugar, but is balanced quite nicely by the spices noted in the smell and the very strong flavors of dates, raisins, and prunes. Something to note is while it is viscus, it does not have the same syrup consistency that cheaper port wines have and feels lighter likely because it is more balanced. While it is strong overall, it is very well balanced and would be perfect with any cheese board, or rather, enjoyed on its own. It is sweet and heavy enough to carry its own, but to heavy to be paired with any real meal besides charcuterie. If you love sweet things, you'll love this!

Richard Bocking 2019 Bocking Riesling

Variety of Grapes: Riesling

region: Mosel

Country: Germany

Vintage: 2019

Price: $17.95 

Review from vivino.com: "Pale yellow in colour, this wine has a good nose, light on the palate showing notes of citrus, green apples, tart and zesty lime. High acidity balanced by the high residula sugar."

Flavor Notes/Pairing from Wine Folly: "Off-dry Riesling wines make a great pairing to spicy Indian and Asian cuisines and do excellently alongside duck, pork, bacon, shrimp, and crab. Rieslings often present flavors like lime, green apple, beeswax, jasmine, and petroleum" - pg 158-159

Personal Review: The aroma is quite light and not at all harsh. It does not present any chemical scents, but does give off a cooling smell. The flavors are quite consistent with the Wine Folly common flavors, but has quite a strong honey and lime flavors that overpower the smaller taste of green apple. While the lime comes forward the most initially, it finishes with the more mellow honey that coats the mouth. The wine is sweet, but not overpoweringly so and has a refreshing, but small hint of dryness on the front that dissipates quickly. Overall, a refreshing white wine that I would classify almost as a desert wine, but could certainly be paired with a fish that is paired with citrus flavors.

Third Installment of... To be a Wine Snob!

Welcome back yet again everyone!

This is the third lesson in wine snobbery. It was an unexpectedly good week for wines and I am very excited to share one in particular with you all. Contrary to last week, this weeks best wine also had the cheapest price tag, but it hands down a bottle I will be keeping on the shelf from now on.

The Little Sheep Sauvignon Blanc

Variety of Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc

region: Marlborough

Country: New Zealand

Vintage: 2021

Price: $12.99 - 14.99

Review from stationplazawine.com: "Aromas of ripe peach and citrus notes with flavors of lemon, lime and a hint of green apple. Well-balanced acidity and a lingering hint of nectarine frames the finish."

Pairings from stationplazawine.com: "This flexible wine will pair with a  wide variety of salads, asparagus, artichokes, avocados, apples, chickpeas, crab cakes, cumin, fennel, hummus, brie, camembert, feta, goat cheese, mango, cilantro, garlic, tomatoes, turkey, green vegetables, basil, to name just a few."

Personal Review: On the nose I get an overpowering citrus aroma with the cooling freshness of concord grapes, though this kind of grape is actually not present. It is also very fruity and smells of honeydew melon and gooseberries. The taste is nicely balanced with the acidity just prickling the middle of the tongue. It tastes of green apple, lime, and some peach. Two days later it has picked up an oddly nice addition to the taste that greatly leans into the bell pepper flavor. I can say with certainty this should not be paired with garlic-butter-parsley sautéed shrimp, but goes remarkably well when paired with fruity chocolates. The jammy, fruity aromas/tastes just do not go well with seafood, but still combine for one of the best white wines I have ever tried. Definitely one to pick up especially considering the price.

Ziobaffa

Variety of Grapes: Mostly Galera, some Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio

region: Tuscany

Country: Italy

Vintage: 2021

Price: $16.99

Review from wine.com: "Typical crisp and delicate perlage. Pale light yellow color, delicate and fragrant bouquet, with fruity notes of banana and apple and notes of acacia flowers. Fresh and light on the palate, with balanced acidity and body; harmonic with a pleasant dry aftertaste."

Pairings from mtouton.com: "Ideal as an aperitif, it is a perfect combination to hors-d'oeuvres and shell fish"

Personal Review: The smell is very cool and light, definitely consistent with menthol. It also smells of green apple like the previous wine. The taste is remarkably light and not as bubbly as I would expect. The green apple definitely carries over into the taste as well. There is a grapefruit finish that is quite enjoyable with the light dryness from the wine. Unlike the previous, this one is perfect with garlic-butter-parsley sautéed shrimp and I imagine it would also pair extremely well with scallops or any seafood for that matter. It is worth the price, but only if you plan to cook with it and pair it with seafood.

Wine Snobbery lesson 2

 Welcome back everyone!

This is lesson 2 in wine snobbery. It was a special week this week. I surprised my beautiful girlfriend with a romantic dinner for valentines day. I made us a steak dinner and bought an expensive bottle of wine. We have never bought a bottle this expensive, but as you'll read, it was definitely worth the price tag.

The two wines under review are Châteauneuf du Pape by Domaine Du Banneret and Winter Palace by Hincesti.

                                      

Châteauneuf du Pape by Domaine Du Banneret

Variety of Grapes: Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre

Region: Rhône Valley

Country: France

Vintage: 2018

Price: $64.95

Review from WWcellars.com: "Young vintages express a distinctive nose dominated by red fruit. The tannins are firm but silky." "This is a perfect wine for the cellar."

Pairings from WWcellars.com: "Traditionally accompanies meats, venison and cheeses, this wine can also surprise by being served with desserts- particularly with chocolate, the sweet roundness of which it magnifies by the principle of opposing flavors."

Wine Folly: "The GSM Blend is a versatile food pairing wine that works particularly well with dishes featuring Mediterranean spices including red pepper, sage, rosemary, and olives." Pg. 156

Personal Review: At first I smell an oaky flavor, almost like a campfire. It also smells jammy. As for the taste, the tannins aren't overwhelming and it seems balanced. It was very fruity the first day we had this, but now it has mellowed out and isn't as fruit forward. I would absolutely recommend this wine. It was one of the best wines I have ever had. It is best enjoyed with food, especially with gamey meat and earthy foods. My girlfriend and I had paired it with a grass feed steak with a red wine creamy mushroom sauce... and yes we used this wine for the sauce. Absolutely worth the price!

Winter Palace by Hincesti

Variety of Grapes: Vidal Blanc

Region: Cahul

Country: Moldova

Vintage: ?

Price: $19.95

Review from Aiko importers: "On the palate, this wine is full-bodied, rich, nicely balanced, and pleasantly sweet. The flavor profile begins with apricot and orange marmalade blended with hints of golden raisin and honey. The finish remains sweet and drifts away nicely"

Pairing suggested by Wine Folly: "Ice wines are perfect with fruit tarts, cheesecake, ice cream, and soft and pungent cheeses such as Brie and Camembert." Pg. 121

Wine Folly: "To be labeled ice wine, grapes must be picked and pressed while frozen naturally. This only happens in cool climates where temperatures get below 20 degrees Fahrenheit in the late harvest period." Pg. 121

Personal Review: I smell brown sugar, molasses, and raisins. It tastes a little smokey with a deep taste of raisin. It is very sweet. I would pair this vanilla ice cream or my girlfriends chocolates. I would recommend this to anyone who really enjoys sweet dessert wines. Definitely drink this in small quantities because it can get overwhelming after a few sips. 

Adios my fellow snobs, and see you next week!

 -Charlie

First Lesson in Wine Snobbing

 Hey everyone!

My girlfriend and I explored some wines this weekend. We both had a challenging week and have been looking forward to doing this review. With that in mind, let's begin.

The wines we tasted were 1928 Rosé by Cavicchioli U. & Figli and Les Champauvins Domaine Grand Veneur by Alain Jaume. 

1928 Rosé by Cavicchioli U and Figli

Variety of Grapes : Lambrusco 

Region : Modena

Country : Italy

Vintage : ?

Price : $11.95

Review from International wine shop : "Cavicchioli 1928 Rose Spumante Dolce features, when poured and tasted, white and evanescent foam; fine and lingering perlage; bright and pale pink "candy" color; fresh and fruity aroma; sweet, slightly spicy and aromatic taste with red fruit notes with lingering aftertaste."

Recommended Pairings from International wine shop: "Cavicchioli 1928 Rose Spumante Dolce should be drunk young and is excellent as an aperitif, to sweet and sour pairings, with risotto, tortellini, seafood dishes, enjoy it with fresh fruits. Serving temperature: chilled to 40 degrees Fahrenheit."

Wine Folly: "A great food wine, Lambrusco goes with everything from pizza to burgers. Try pairing with Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiana Reggiano for an authentic delight." Pg. 122

Personal Review: I smelled floral notes, especially rose. From the tasting, I detected hints of raisins, grapefruit, and strawberries. I would recommend this to everyone. It is really good. It is really sweet and the bubbles make it really light. I do not recommend pairing it with anything, although, I could see drinking this with fresh fruit. 

Les Champauvins Domaine Grand Veneur by Alain Jaume

Variety of Grapes : 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre

Region : Orange

Country : France

Vintage : 2018

Price : $19.95

Review from Wine.com : "Aromas of kirsch and violet petals introduce this fruity blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. It's a lusciously textured, voluminous sip packed with concentrated flavors of raspberry coulis and strawberry leather, but nuanced by subtleties of smoke and garrigue too." - Wine Enthusiast

Wine Folly : "The GSM Blend is a versatile food pairing wine that works particularly well with dishes featuring Mediterranean spices including red pepper, sage, rosemary, and olives." Pg. 156

Personal Review: I smell a cool oder like I am smelling mint. It also has an earthy mushroom tone in its scent. It tastes slightly burnt like coffee. I also detect notes of licorice, dark chocolate, and spice. I would probably not recommend this to someone until I try it with an earthy dish. I prefer to see what it pairs with before telling others to get it. I think it would go really well with a sweet nutty salad with goat cheese, grapes, and, pomegranate seeds. I do not recommend drinking it alone like I did.

Cheers to another week!

Charlie

Introduction to Wine Snobbery!

    Hey everybody! My name is Charles Pudlo, I fly planes for the Air Force, I am an engineer majoring in Computer Science here at Virginia Tech, and most importantly... I love wine. That's my whole life story, so getting right into it, how did I get into wine? Well, being an engineer at VT is what really inspired me to drink more "thats a joke... sort of". Coming from Maryland, you don't see wine on grocery store shelves like you do here; you'd have to go out of your way to wine shop to pick something up if you really want to. Seeing such an unbelievably large selection at places like Kroger was a bit of a shock, but lets you see a decent selection compared to what an actual wine shop in Virginia would show you. It sparked an interest and a game my girlfriend and I play every week since I started here at VT. We would go to Kroger and pick up 2 to 3 to maybe 4 bottles that we had never tried and see who picked the best bottle. Usually we keep the price range to $15 and under since we have a blast finding diamonds in the rough, though with this method you'll more often just find coal. For us that's all part of the adventure, but it really does give you an appreciation for when you pick up a more expensive bottle.

    So far, I have tried mostly $15 and under bottles of wine, but I am no stranger to bottles that fall into the $100 plus range; for special occasions of course. Of the many bottles I have tried, my fall back is a roughly $25 red bottle called Cooper and Thief, which is uniquely aged in a bourbon barrel. Its a bit heavier and definitely an after dinner wine, but you can find it on nearly any shelf, so go pick one up and let me know what you think! Though I mainly pick up my own wine, I also tend to get a glass when going out to dinner. I am no expert, but I do know it is a good idea to get a recommendation for whatever meal you are pairing it with. This is also something I make an effort at home to do, since my girlfriend and I do all our cooking ourselves. Now, we are not sommeliers, but we do know that red wines with red meats and white wines with white meats is a decent rule to live by. Given we try something new every week, we are not too into the weeds with things like, "if the nutty notes in the wine will pair well with the chicken cordon bleu" in the snobbiest voice possible. Sometimes we find the worst pairing imagineable, and sometimes we will find life long favorites like pairing Rock It Like A Redhead wine and a cheese plate. It is really the exploring that makes me excited about wine.

    As for what I hope to learn in this class, my main goal is to learn how best to pair wines. I want to be able to look at a wine list and know what a sauvignon blanc should go well with. I want to experience an actual 4 plus course meal with selected paired wine, just so I can see what I am missing. I figure if I haven't already gone to a dinner like this, this class will give me some extra inspiration to do so and give me some more appreciation and insight for what to notice when I do. Hopefully I can find some new favorites along the way and share them with you all. I am also looking forward to learning some new tricks like how to decant and what the hell that even is. Most of all, I am excited to try new wines and understand what I am tasting. As it stands I am still a novice at understanding and noticing many of the complexities of wine and picking up notes you wouldn't otherwise, so hopefully I learn a thing or two to that end in my journey to become a Grandmaster Wine Snob. 

Lets get drinking!

-Charlie