Tasting - La Puerta Alta Malbec

Name: La Puerta Alta Malbec
Variety: Malbec
Region: Famatina Valley - La Rioja, Cuyo Region
Country: Argentina
Year: 2009
Price: $15.99

Winery Review: Dark ruby red in color, this wine shows ripe fruit characteristics of plum, blackberry and mulberry with hints of mocha and vanillin oak. The palate is silky smooth with juicy berry fruit balanced with soft and rounded tannins for an elegant long finish.

My Review: I really like this wine. On the nose, I smelled a dark berry scent with slight plum aromas. This wine was very rich and I loved it. It wasn't too sweet but also not dry. It's a great balance between the two. We just got it on the new wine menu at Bull & Bones where I work and I can't wait to spend several wine Wednesdays drinking bottles away!

FORK AND CORK 2013

TASTINGS

Name: Virginia Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay
Varietal: Chardonnay
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $14.00
Winery Review: A crisp, clean white wine with an essence of pear.
My Review: On the nose it smelled like apples with a slight pear hint. When tasting it, I thought that it tasted very sweet which surprised me for a Chardonnay because I'm used to more acidity when I drink them. Despite the sweet taste I still enjoyed this wine.


Name: Virginia Mountain Vineyards Petit Verdot
Varietal: Petit Verdot
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $17.00

Winery Review: A red wine rich in color and structure, full tannins with essences of black cherry.
My Review: On the nose it smelled like dark berries. I couldn't quite pick out what I was smelling specifically but it did have a berry smell to it. The tannic body wasn't too bad when drinking the wine, though because it had some fruity flavors to balance it out. I liked this one, too.



Name: Virginia Mountain Vineyards Acacia Gold
Varietal: Not listed
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $14.00

Winery Review: A semi-sweet blend with a pleasing fruity finish. A great picnic wine.
My Review: I wasn't too fond of this wine, actually. On the nose I couldn't really detect anything specific. It did have a slight fruity finish but I'm not sure if it's a wine I'd want to drink again, unless it was free.



Name: Virginia Mountain Vineyards Virginia Red
Varietal: Not listed
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $14.00

Winery Review: Aunique spicy sweet table wine.
My Review: On the nose I thought it had a strong, rich scent. It almost smelled kind of peppery which could be due to the spice that this wine has. It tasted similar to the smell, a little sweet with a bit of spice to surprise someone.



Name: Virginia Mountain Vineyards Holiday Spice
Varietal:
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $15.00
Winery Review: A special sweet wine blend combined with a mixture of selected spices, this blend makes a cornucopia of flavor to please your palate as it enhances your holiday enjoyment. Serve chilled. As a special treat, serve warmed as a mulled wine.
My Review: I absolutely adored this wine. It was so damn tasty that my frugal ass almost bought a bottle, but I didn't, sadly. On the nose it smelled like cinnamon applesauce with a strong gingerbread scent as well. It was Christmas in my nose. It tasted as good as it smelled. I would definitely consider purchasing this wine.

Name: Beliveau Estate Winery Afternoon Delight
Varietal: Vidal Blanc
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $18.00

Winery Review: This lightly oaked dry Vidal Blanc has overtones of grapefruit, melon, almond, clove, and a hint of white chocolate. Pairs well with herbed foods and strong cheeses. Excellent with venison!
My Review: On the nose I sensed a slight melon aroma. When trying the wine, I'm not sure if I was able to taste the white chocolate, probably because I was in such a hurry to try the wine so other people could try it too. It wasn't too bad of a wine, I'd drink it again. I'm not so sure if I'll do it with venison since I don't like deer meat.

Name: Starburn Winery Bull's Blush
Varietal:
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: NV
Price: $15.00

Winery Review: Smooth blush, light and fruity.
My Review: On the nose I smelled strawberry and it reminded me of a white zinfandel. It tasted pretty sweet but had great flavor. It also tasted similar to a white zinfandel but it was a little better than a white zinfandel. I enjoyed this wine a lot.

WINE FOOD PAIRING

I made a pit stop by the Bull & Bones tent to get some food when I got hungry. I had purchased a glass of the Starburn Winery Chardonnay before so I could do my wine/food pairing. I'm not a big fan of drinking alcohol while I eat. I prefer a glass of water, or a soda. I got a hot dog and drank my Chardonnay with it. Not a typical wine-food pairage. Hot dogs are kind of acidic to me, I guess I could be confusing this with the grease that emits from it when you cook it. However, I thought the Chardonnay I chose was not too acidic so I thought that it worked out well. There wasn't too much acidity with the pairing, I thought it balanced well since the wine was a little sweet and fruity. I wish there had been more food that I was aware of so I could have maybe had a better wine food pairing. I was too focused on getting to try as many wines as I could!

Tasting - Reserve Grand Veneur Côtes du Rhône

Name: Reserve Grand Veneur Côtes du Rhône

Variety: 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault

Region: Rhone Valley

Country: France

Year: 2010

Price: $14.95/ 750mL; $38.95/ 3L

Winery Review: As for their other values, the 2010 Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone Reserve (70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault) displays loads of ripe flavors. It is very concentrated for a Cotes du Rhone, and is actually an amazing wine. Classic garrigue, black cherry liqueur, lavender, licorice and spice box are all present in this fullbodied, intense, and rich Cotes du Rhone. This is a sensational effort to drink over the next 4-5 years, although it might last even longer.

My Review: On the nose I got a strong scent of alcohol. I wasn’t really able to detect much else because it was so overpowering. After trying the wine, the spice was what I immediately detected. I also tasted a slight licorice taste that kind of reminded me of taking a Jagermeister shot (YUM). This wine was very rich and bold.

Tasting - Lobetia Tempranillo

Name: Lobetia Tempranillo

Variety: Tempranillo

Region: La Mancha

Country: Spain

Year: 2011

Price: $9.95

Winery Review: Organically and naturally grown and made, this wine allows the varietal and the terroir to stand out cleanly. It shows a nice cherry color with a violet shade because of its youth. Red berries and cherries on the nose. On the palate it is fresh, slightly astringent, and harmonious with a long finish.

My Review: On the nose I smelled berry aromas, particularly a cherry scent. This wine tasted very rich with a SLIGHT hint of cherry but not like it was in the smell. This wine was interesting and I’d probably want to try it again before making a decision on whether or not I like it.

Tasting - Lobetia Chardonnay

Name: Lobetia Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: La Mancha

Country: Spain

Year: 2011

Price: $9.95

Winery Review: Organically and naturally grown and made, this wine allows the varietal and the terroir to stand out cleanly. Clean, bright color with a greenish-yellow tone. On the nose, exotic fruits like pineapple. Full flavored, fresh, with good acidity in the mouth, it finishes with tropical fruits.

My Review: When sniffing this wine, I definitely detected a very fruity aroma with an overpowering scent of pineapple – which is okay for me since I LOVE everything about pineapple. It also tasted fruity as well with a slight acidity to it to balance it out. I think this would be a very good summer wine.

Tasting - Trattoria Busa Alla Torre Da Lele

Name: Trattoria Busa Alla Torre Da Lele

Variety: 100% Shiraz

Region: Veneto

Country: Italy

Year: NV

Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Named after the famous restaurant in Italy! This is their house white wine! Coppery color from extended skin contact, round and rich texture with juicy melon aromas and flavors with a sweet fennel note on the ultra smooth finish. Great value Grigio! Drink now.

My Review: On the nose I sensed a slight apple aroma. Not like a sweet apple though, more like a sour smell – like a granny smith apple. When tasting it, I sensed the same sour sensation; it made my mouth pucker a tad! For being sour though it was quite smooth. I liked this wine a lot!   

Tasting - Concannon Shiraz

Name: Concannon Shiraz    

Variety: Shiraz         

Region: Central Coast, California

Country: USA

Year: 2008

Price: $7.95

Winery Review: This is an extremely rich, full-bodied wine with a dark fruit core. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cassis and dark cherry are followed by more berry fruits and chocolate and mocha on the palate.

My Review: This wine had a very rich smell when sniffing it. I definitely detected blackberry and dark cherry aromas for sure. When tasting the wine, I thought it tasted very rich as well. It reminded me of a good stout with a mocha aftertaste to it. This wine was definitely very full-bodied and I’d probably want to consume it with something a lot lighter.