Tasting-Primo Amore Moscato

This was our final tasting at the Vintage Cellar today. The Primo Amore Moscato is from Puglia, Italy of the Moscato variety, non vintage priced at $10.95. Winery Notes said, "This refreshing and fruit Moscato wine comes from the warm Southern vineyards of Puglia. Primo Amore, or first love expresses the joy of discovery experienced when a wine drinker first encounters the sweetness and enticing fragrance of the delicate wine." This wine was fresh, fizzy, with an acidic bite; a wine that even non-wine drinkers couldn't completely dislike.

Tasting- Finca del Castilo Tempranillo

Onto the fourth wine of the day at the Vintage Cellar. This Finca del Castillo Tempranillo is from La Mancha, España of the Tempranillo variety, 2011 priced at $4.95. The Vintage Cellar described this wine as “Rooty, spicy and baked on the nose, with aromas that lean towards raisin. The palate is more gritty and acidic, with raisin, cola, and spicy flavors. Darkens up on the finish, which is long and peppery, with adequate juiciness and a final note of tomato.” This wine was alright, it had a nutmeg/cinnamon/ raisin smell to it. It was dry, tannic, with a complex spicy taste almost like Dr.Pepper but yet a semi sweet aftertaste.

Tasting- Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

This was the third wine of the night at the Vintage Cellar. The Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau is from Beaujolais, France of the Gamay variety, 2012 priced at $3.95. The Vintage Cellar said this is a wine that's is “Bright and tangy, offering a classic banana note on the nose, with flavors of raspberry, wild strawberry and light spice. Modest finish.” This was my least favorite wine of the night. It was a very pretty red pinkish color, but smelt like a processed strawberry syrup you put on your morning pancakes, and tasted like an artificial fruit roll up...no wonder it only cost a whopping $3.95 per bottle.

Tasting- Mars and Venus Chardonnay

This was the second wine we tried at the Vintage Cellar tonight. It is a 2011 from Castilla, Spain priced at $5.95. The Vintage Cellar says that this is " a very nice Chardonnay that comfortably over delivers vs. it's 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 or weeknight sipping." This Chardonnay smelt like the ground after it had rained. It was sweeter, more acidic yet smooth, crisp, full bodied and rich. It was my favorite of the night.

Tasting- "La Cappuccina Soave"

Today I visited the infamous Vintage Cellar for the first time and tried La Cappuccina Soave. It was a 2011, 100% Garganega from Italy for $7.95. The Vintage Cellar said this wine is a "bright straw yellow color. Delicate on the nose, with notes of flowers and almonds. Dry, well structured and delicately fruity, with hints of bitter almonds on the finish that is typical of Garganega based wines." I thought that this wine was refreshing, typical color of all other white wines, with an acidic tart flavor with a lemon zing. It had a bite to it but still fruity and light. On the Chain Bridge Cellars website, they said that this wine would go well with a "dish of rich, bold flavors, like pasta with a creamy sauce or some salt, just melting cheese."

Fresh and Fruity

Wine has been a significant part of my life, yet something I do not know much about. Since I can remember I have gone to the local wine store with my dad called Arrowine. Watching him do wine tastings, enthusiastically talking to other sommeliers in some kind of 'wine language' that was completely foreign to me. All I knew was that some were white, some were red, some cheap and others very expensive.

In high school I began to have a glass of wine with my parents at dinner every once in a while, but I  ONLY ever chose the fresh and fruity white wine. I thought red was awful, it had a gross smell and an even worst taste. I always looked across the table to see my dad holding his large Bordeaux glass swirling and sniffing his red wine over and over again. I wondered what he was doing, sometimes made a joke but he would just role his eyes and keep on swirling. 

But then came college. My friends and I experimented with different types of alcohol and I found that wine and liquor were my top two. I hated drinking the Natty Light people brought to parties, it was worse than any red wine I had ever tasted, that's for sure. When I became a Senior at Virginia Tech I decided it was finally time to learn about wine. I visited my first vineyard in October of 2012, my friends and I went to Beliveau Estates in Blacksburg and it was absolutely beautiful. The owner gave us a tour of the vineyard, a tasting of all the wine they offered, and to my surprise my favorite was a red! Specifically a sweet red wine blend called Summer Rose. From then on I decided to broaden my horizons past the fresh and fruity white wines and try Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot and Meritage among many others.

So I am now a red and white wine drinker but I would like to increase my knowledge of wine, and that it was led me to take this class. I want to be able to make wine a part of the conversation with the people I am drinking with, be able to pair wine and food, and know the difference between a good and bad wine.