Tasting - Weinkeller Erbach Flonheimer Adelberg Sylvaner

Name:  Weinkeller Erbach Flonheimer Adelberg Silvaner
Variety:  Silvaner
Region:  Rheinhessen
Country:  Germany
Year:  2010
Price:  Sale- $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:  This wine had a deeper golden color to it.  The smell was very interesting with various plant and rubber smells.  The smell alone somewhat turned me off of the wine.  The wine itself was very sweet and had some hints of lemon.  The feel of the wine almost seemed slightly carbonated.  The wine was drinkable, but the smell was too strange for my liking.

I did not drink this wine with 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:  In the wine glass it had a deep red color.  The Montebuena had a heavier smell with some hints of spices.  This was a drier wine that did not blend the alcohol feeling of the wine very well.  The wine finished off with some spicy flavors.

I did not drink this wine with food.

Tasting - Cotes du Rhone

Name:  Delaroche Cotes du Rhone
Variety:  50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre
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:  Upon smelling the wine, it smelled like blackberries and black pepper.  The Delaroche did not have a typical red wine dryness, but had some sweeter tones to it.  It felt very smooth and light going down.  Had a finishing flavor of cherries.  I really enjoyed the nice flavors and smooth finish of this wine.

I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - Maipe Torrontes

Name: Maipe Torrontes
Variety:  100% Torrontes
Region:  Mendoza
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:  The wine smells sweet like pears.  Although upon first sip I felt the wine was very acidic and the alcohol was very noticeable in the wine.  The alcohol did not seem to blend in with each sip.  After getting past the initial acidic taste I noticed a green apple flavor.  The wine was definitely drinkable, but not a wine I would want on a warm summer day.

I did not taste this wine with food.

Tasting - Cortenova Pinot Grigio

Name:  Cortenova Pinot Grigio
Variety:  Pinot Grigio
Region:  Venezie
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:  Nice golden color.  Smells like a sweeter wine with a nice pear smell.  Tastes much drier than it smells.  Pretty light on the mouth and would definitely go down easy.  Not the best Pinot Grigio I've ever tried because it had a bitter taste to it.

I did not taste this with food.

Personal experiences with wine

My first experience with wine came when I was a small child at Thanksgiving, when my parents gave me a small glass of Champagne.  At the time, I hated it.  They later tried giving me a few sips of beer, which I also ended up hating.  It wasn't until the beginning of college that I really began trying wine again.  Even then, the extent of my trying wine usually ended up being a box of Franzia from the local grocery store.
Since turning 21 my experiences with wine have changed drastically.  Today, my alcoholic beverage of choice is wine.  I have tried several different types, anywhere from Champagne, to Merlot, to Riesling.  Now every time I go to the grocery store, I will typically pick up a bottle of wine.  I tend to go for more white and fruit wines because they are more crisp and sweet.  Recently, I have been very into Muscadine wine, which is considered a more southern United Sates white wine.  I also rather enjoy Blackberry wines, mostly because I love Blackberries.  Every once in a while I will try a Merlot, but the experience has been hit or miss for me.  I found the cheaper Merlot's to be unpleasing; but the other day my roommate and I opened a 60 dollar bottle of Merlot and it was actually pretty good.
I hope with this class to expand my wine knowledge and broaden my tastes for different types of wine.  It would be nice to walk into a grocery store and have an idea of what I'm getting into when I purchase a bottle I have never tried before.  Mostly I want to know what different wines are supposed to taste like, so then I can get an idea on if it is worth trying.  I've been to many restaurants where their wine lists are so vast it is almost impossible to pick one.  I am looking forward to the local tastings around Blacksburg to help expand my knowledge.