Tasting- Weinkeller Erbach Flonheimer Adelberg Sylvaner

Name: Weinkeller Erbach Flonheimer Adelberg Sylvaner 
Variety: 100% Sylvaner
Region: Rheinhessen
Country: Germany
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95

Winery review: “The fruity, mouthwatering wine has a nice acidity-sugar balance and comes from the so called 'Rheinhessen-Switzerland', the heartland of Rheinhessen. It has a floral bouquet and is full of lemon zest, hint of passion fruit, and smells like yellow fruit, lemon-grass and green tea, all wrapped around a pleasant creaminess and a semi-dry profile. The finish is zippy and refreshing. Perfect for party on the deck as it comes in a liter bottle!”

My review: Marvelous! I actually bought this one I enjoyed it that much! I loved the visual effect of the tartaric acid crystals on the bottom of the bottle. It just gave the wine a little extra flair. The nose of the wine was citric with hints of lemon and orange. When first sipping the wine, there was a little bit of a bubble to it. The extra texture was a great experience. Overall the wine was semi-sour but very refreshing! 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting- Montebuena Rioja

Name: Montebuena Rioja
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $8.95

Winery review: "(100% Tempranillo, raised entirely in American oak): Vivid ruby. Ripe cherry and blackcurrant on the nose and in the mouth. Pliant and seamless in texture, with good heft and back-end energy. Finishes smooth and sweet, with fine-grained tannins providing shape and grip. Still on the young side but this wine drinks very well with an hour or so of decanting; it's an excellent value for Rioja."
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (September 2012), 90 pts

My review: Once again, this was not something I would drink on my own. The nose seemed to hint of grapes and berries. The tannins were dull, but still present. The finish was peppery but smooth. I just felt like this wine gave me cotton mouth. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting- Delaroche Cotes du Rhone

Name: Delaroche Cotes du Rhone
Variety: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre
Region: Rhone Valley
Country: France
Year: 2011
Price: $8.95

Winery review: "This semi-opaque ruby, custom cuvée of 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 10% Mourvedre is made specifically for Fran Kysela. It exhibits very fresh, ripe dark red fruit with very good palate weight and depth and ends with rich fruit notes. Made from organically grown grapes. Incredible value!"
- I-WineReview (December 2013), 90 pts.

My review: Not for me! The nose of this wine is very woody, specifically oak. The tannins were very strong giving the wine a sharp peppery finish. Like many Old World wines, I think it would have been better with food. Maybe some meat or cheese would have helped me like it better. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting- Maipe Torrontes

Name: Maipe Torrontes
Variety: 100% Torrontes
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Country: Argentina
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Winery review: Spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body.  Well balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish. Best enjoyed in its youth either by itself, or as a wonderful partner with smoked meats, mild to medium-strong cheeses, seafood and a great partner for spicy food as well.

My review: I would leave this wine on the shelf. The nose was lovely. It included a variety of mixed fruits. However the first taste was very bitter. The mid pallet had a hint of apple but it was still EXTREMELY bitter. The tail of the wine was acidic and burned. This wine did not suit my pallet. 

I tasted this on its own with no food. 

Tasting- Cortenova Pinot Grigio

Name: Cortenova Pinot Grigio
Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region: Venezie, Italy
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $7.95

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 finish. Pairs well with seafood dishes, risottos with scampi,spaghetti with clams, sole in white wine. Perfect also as an aperitif.

My review: This wine was very tasty! I'm surprised how much I liked it. I know it sounds obvious to say it had a grape-like nose, but its true. The mid pallet was very light while the finish was dry and reminiscent of pears. I agree with the review above, it's very easy                                                                                          drinking style. I would definitely drink it again. I drank                                                                                        this alone without a food pairing. 

My Relationship with Wine

Wine is part of my family. My grandfather, Edward, made his own wine, EdWine, in his basement, EdCellar. (Honestly he didn't call it EdCellar but perhaps I would have loved him more if he had.) His wine was so popular the local paper did a profile on him. Now he was a southern gentleman of sorts and giving his 12 year old granddaughter wine just wasn't something he would do. Instead, he let me eat grapes of the vines in his backyard. Those grapes were unlike anything I've ever had since. They were deep purple with a thick skin and sweeter than a cup full of sugar. (So I don't actually have a picture of them. This one is from Wikipedia. Basically looks the same.)

It's been eight years since my grandfather died. Despite all the red wine in EdCellar, my grandfather's heart gave out. In the time that he has been gone some other southern not-so-gentlemen have introduced me to the world wine that grand daddy Ed refused to let me see. Now let me tell you, the world of wine is, oh!, so fine! Or at least the small portion of the wine world that is Kroger's collection of Moscato. Mostly just Kroger's selection of Gallo Family and Barefoot Moscato. Oops. 



So I'm not exactly a wine connoisseur yet but I'm making some progress. Recently, thanks to my new Lithuanian friend Lukas, I have ventured into the depths known as Red Wine Ocean. I'll be honest, I'm not completely sold on it. Maybe it's because I grew up Catholic, but red wine reminds me of blood and always tastes like iron. I guess that means Jesus wasn't anemic. 

This semester will be about exploring my pallet. I have two main goals: 1) Find a white wine that I like that is not a dessert wine and 2) Find a red wine that does not remind me of having my knuckles slapped by a nun's ruler.  

Here's to learning about wine!