Gelisi Antonio Sangue di Guida

Name: Gelisi Antonio
Variety: 60% Croatina, 30% Barbera, 10% Uva Rara
Region: Sangue
Country: Italy
Year: 2015
Price: $12.95

Shop/Critic/Winery Review: 84 - Wine Spectator "A blend of 60% Croatina, 30% Barbera and 10% Uva Rara the wine shows candied black raspberry and plum fruit mixes with balsamic and cocoa powder accents in this frizzante red, with light tannins, a creamy mousse and enough acidity for balance."

My impressions: Sugary nose, smells like fresh grape juice.  Effervescent, sweet.  Can't really taste the alcohol at all, the sugar drowns it out.  Somewhat creamy finish.  Nice, would be good with a chocolate cake or something.  Too sweet on its own.

Oasis del Cuyo Malbec

Name: Oasis del Cuyo
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2012
Price: $12, on sale for 6.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "Deep ruby color. Appealing red fruit nose with hints of tobacco. Medium bodied with a smooth and lush mouth-feel. Finishes dry with lasting flavors. Excellent choice for a young and fruity everyday wine. Enjoy as an aperitif or with meats and pasta dishes."

My impressions: Jammy notes on the nose.  Bits of leather; dry; tannic.  Very nice body, very full.

Terranoble Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Terranoble Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Central Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95

Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "This Cabernet Sauvignon offers an intense and deep color and lovely aromas of red fruit, pepper and tobacco. It has smooth tannins, very freshness and rich fruit, which gives the wine a good balance. Pair with barbecued beef ribs, grilled sea bass, or spaghetti alla Bolognese."

My impressions: Nice dark fruit coming through on the nose.  Blackberry and hints of leather.  Tannic, with good amounts of fruit and leather.  Nice.

Terranoble Chardonnay

Name: Terranoble Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Central Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2015
Price: $8.95

Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "This Chardonnay offers a wine with an attractive color and lovely aromas, such as ripe pear and pineapple, mixed with butter and vanilla notes. It is a fresh style of white wine, with medium persistence in mouth. Ideal as an aperitif."

My impressions: Very fruity nose. Dry on the tongue, but still fruity.  Slightly oaky, and very nice.

Santola Vinho Verde

Name: Santola
Variety:  A blend of Loureiro and Pederña
Region: Vinho Verde
Country: Portugal
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "Soft and creamy, although with just the right Vinho Verde bite, this is a crisp and clean wine, boasting light pear and pink grapefruit flavors. Off dry and very fresh."

My impressions: Very fragrant nose, with good fruit coming through.  Acidic, with nice light fruit flavors.  Citrusy.  Very refreshing.

Wine Dinner III: Chive Kitchen

I'd only been there once before, but Chive Kitchen, in Farmington, MI, is one of my favorite restaurants in the area.  The menu is almost entirely (aside from some cream available for coffee) vegan, and ENTIRELY fantastic.  They have a variety of amazing food, which I doubt most people would recognize for vegan, and a wonderful bar as well.  Naturally, I was very curious to see what pairings would arise!

It's not something they normally do (although I very much hope they'll start), but they were very accommodating of my quest for wine/dinner pairings.  I talked with the bar manager, Annmarie Zaremba (who, by the way, was fantastic - very patient, and completely fantastic, and went out of her way to help me with this project), and we came up with some wines to pair with what I felt like eating.

Acorda Soup with Pardavalles

First up was Acorda Soup (Traditional Portuguese bread & garlic soup with Swiss chard) with Pardavalles wine.

Pardavalles (Albarin Blanco Tierra de Leon, Spain 2014; indigenous grape Albarin Blanco) - Tart, dry, fruity nose.  Immediate mouth watering.  Slightly mineral.  Very tart and acidic on the tongue.  Slight apricot flavor.  Crisp, full of flavor.

With the soup:  The soup is very garlicky, tofu on top, with savory flavors.  The acidity in the wine pairs very nicely; it almost cuts through the garlic, and melts.  VERY good pairing.  Spoon, sip.  Spoon, sip.  Repeat.  Awesome.

Next up is the Mushroom Pasta, paired with the Pedra Pasta.

Mushroom Pasta (Gemelli pasta, cremini, oyster, enoki, leeks, zucchini, smoky cream sauce, finished with lemon zest, parsley, toasted pepitas & toasted breadcrumbs)

Pedra Basta Alentejano:  Spicy nose.  That spiciness continies, with great tannins; not too much, but not too little.  Definitely high alcohol, but not overpowering.  Dark flavors; leather, tobacco, oak.  Very full body, & fills the mouth & palate.

W/Mushroom Pasta:  The pasta is very earthy and savory.  The wine has a very different flavor... It doesn't really meld or compliment at all; it more clashes.  The pasta is delicate, the wine full-bodied.  It drowns out the pasta.

Thankfully, after talking with Annmarie, she offered a different wine to pair! I didn't try this one on its own, but with the wine , it was much better! Not nearly as full bodied a wine, and the fruitiness complements the (very) earthy pasta well.  THIS is the good pairing.

Chocolate pudding (dark chocolate fnished with Michigan cherry sauce)

Next up is the chocolate pudding dessert, paired with the Los Dos Grenache/Syrah blend.

Los Dos Grenach/Syrah:  Dry nose, with bits of dark fruit.  Cherry notes evident; quite tannic as well.  Mouth dry; wow.  Very tannic.  Delicious though.

It blends very well with the cherry and chocolate in the dessert.  The cherry notes in the wine just combine perfectly with the dessert.  The wine makes the chocolate feel like cherry-covered chocolate.  Or chocolate covered cherries.  Even without the actual cherries present.  It's amazing.  Wonderful together; both are better for the pairing.

Altogether I had a wonderful experience.  I can't thank the wonderful staff at Chive Kitchen enough.  They were wonderful, and helped me pair their food with the wine.  Solidified as one of my favorite restaurants, I'll definitely be back, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for great food (and wine!) 

Winery Visit II: Northville Winery, in Michigan

Winery visit #2!  I've accepted a position with Ford Performance after I graduate, so I'm headed up to Michigan soon.  My lease started today, so I drove up to inspect the house and everything... And I figured I'd sample the local wine fare as well!  Today I visited the Northville Winery & Brewing Company.

 The front view of their tasting room; it's pretty small and unassuming.

Here's the view as you walk in to the tasting room.  Behind that door to the left is an employees-only area, where they allow the cider to age, bottle, etc.  I got to peek behind the curtain, but no pictures were allowed.

Here's the tasting area!  On the left is the bar, where you can order any of the wine, cider, beer, or even some cider-based slushies.

Northville does it all; cider, beer, wine, even mead.  Their grapes are grown in Northern Michigan, near Traverse City, and their apples from the Western part of the state.  However, they ferment, brew, and press all everything at their Northville location.  It's a very small affair, family owned, with a small staff that's treated as family.  In fact, only 4 people are involved with production, with another 3 dealing with ads and the tasting room.  There's a cider mill next door (open in the Fall only), and they're always adding more beers to their bottling process, ciders are constantly interchanging, and expansion is discussed often.  Regardless of expansion though, their process will be kept on their current grounds, and their family feel maintained.  They've won 30 or more awards for their product (all for cider, not wine), bronze, silver and gold, from the Taster's Guild and Great Lakes International.  The winery/brewery/cidery was established about 12 years ago, and the tasting room about 4 years ago.  They have about six (grape) wines total, including the three I tasted as well as a Cherry Riesling in the Fall, a red table wine ("Muse"), and a Riesling.  None of those were offered right now.  Their Merlot is oaked, as is the Muse.

I had the opportunity to taste the three wines currently offered, as well as three of their ciders.  My flight (minus the first one, the Vidal Blanc, which I drank before I took the picture) are shown in the picture below.

Wine/Cider flight! The wines are on the left, and the ciders on the right.

These are the three wines available during this season: a Vidal, a Merlot, and a cranberry-apple wine.

First I tasted the Vidal:  Very fruity nose, on the sweet side.  Smells a bit of apple.  Very fruit forward, bits of apple, grape, and apricot.  Almost a woody aftertaste.  Must be oaked. [It turns out it isn't... Still tastes oaked though!]  Very nice wine.

Merlot:  Dark fruit and hints of oak on the nose.  Tiny bit of leather.  Nice tannins; not a lot, but a bit.  Somewhat bitter, very dry.  Not particularly fruity for a Merlot.  Leather, oak, slightly earthy flavor.  Very "serious."  I'm not sure exactly what I mean by that; it's just what my mind goes to.  Not a "fun" wine.  Very good.

Cran/Apple (no grapes, just cranberry and apple)

Smells a lot like a sparkling cider, like the under-21 crowd would have at New Years.  Nice cranberry flavor, that cones across very nicely.  Apple too, but the cranberry takes center stage.

Loomer Eclipse (cider)

Very dry nose.  Apple, but no sugary qualities.  Lovely flavor.  Light, crisp, dry.  No sweetness.

Rockin Cock (cider)

Apple nose; sweeter, with... Almost a slight fart smell.  Weird.  Definitely a sweeter cider. This one is maybe medium dry to medium.  I think this must be more popular than the Loomer Eclipse; the other was extremely dry, and this is probably more accessible.

Bourbon Barrel Crimson Dew (cider)

Pink color.  Odd for a cider.  WOAH.  The nose.  Bourbon. Vanilla.  Rotting apple.  Very strong.

VERY strong Bourbon flavor.  Sweet too, with only a hint of apple.  It's all Bourbon here, damn near a cider boiler-maker.  It's good for what it is, but I'd prefer a bit less Bourbon.

I took a look in the back, where Nick (one of the cider/wine/beer/mead makers) was busy bottling their Raspberry hard cider.  Barrels lined the walls, full of various ciders (Chardonnay and Bourbon barrels mostly).  No pictures allowed, unfortunately.  Very small operation though.

It was a fun time.  My bartender, Jodie (Jody?) was very accommodating and friendly.  I'll definitely be back.

Lost Vineyards Spumante Italiano

Name: Lost Vineyards Spumante Italiano
Variety: Moscato
Region: Piedmont
Country: Italy
Year: Non-Vintage
Price: $6.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "Pale color. Confected, fruity aromas of yellow apple, honeysuckle, pear tartlet, and honeydew melon with a satiny, shy, spritzy, moderately sweet light-to-medium body and a sleek, fast yellow apple, candied pear, honeycomb, and sweet papaya finish with no tannins and no oak. Simple and approachable with sweet apple, melon and candied pear on a framework of gentle, delightful bubbles."

My impressions: Light, sweet, fruity nose.  Light apple flavors, with a light body throughout.  Very light all the way.  Waaaay too sweet for my palate; I prefer my sparkling wines to be dry these days.  Brut. Extra Brut. Yeah.  This wine was very uninteresting to me.  Meh.

Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz Cabernet

Name: Jip Jip Rocks
Variety: Shiraz / Cabernet Sauvignon blend
Region: Padthaway
Country: Australia
Year: 2013
Price: $19, on sale for 8.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: 87 – Robert Parker "This red wine is a well above average effort with lots of flavor as well as Australia's so easily obtainable, lush fruit. The 2013 Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon (55% and 45% respectively) exhibits a dark ruby/purple hue along with a layered, peppery, berry fruit-scented nose revealing licorice and meaty notes. From a much lighter vintage, it is a supple, easygoing red to enjoy now and over the next several years."

My impressions: Dark fruit.  Blackberry.  Slightly jammy nose.  Thick, luscious mouthfeel.  Quite tannic.  Great flavor, with great dark fruit throughout.  Quite lovely, although maybe resting a little will help the tannins.

Cavit Alta Luna Pinot Noir

Name: Cavit Alta Luna
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Vigneti delle Dolomiti
Country: Italy
Year: 2011
Price: $20, on sale for 9.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: On the nose cherry, plum and berry aromas mingle with notes of spice and tobacco. On the palate soft, supple tannins and refreshing acidity are beautifully balanced by ripe cherry fruit flavors on the finish which is dry, harmonious and elegant.

My impressions: Brownish red color.  Nice red fruit on the nose.  That continues on the tongue, with slight earthy qualities as well.  Definitely old world.  I like it.

El Cortijillo Verdejo

Name: El Cortijillo
Variety: Verdejo
Region: La Monacha
Country: Spain
Year: 2015
Price: $5.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: 90 Points – Beverage Testing Institute "Golden straw color. Bright, attractive, tropical aromas of creme brulee and fruit tart with a silky, bright, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a smooth, intriguing, snappy lime and apple finish with crunchy, fruit tannins and light oak. A super smooth and pure white sipper."

My impressions: Mineral nose, maybe a little slate.  Very clean.  Nice mineral qualities throughout. Nice and dry, with a light crisp finish. Can't believe this is $6.

Trattoria Busa Alla Torre Pinot Grigio

Name: Trattoria Busa Alla Torre
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: Veneto
Country: Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $7.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "A Venetian favorite!  It is crisp and dry, rich and spicy with hints of peach and honey…perfect with salads, pasta, chicken and fish!  Musaragno is an organic wine estate near Venice, Italy."

My impressions: Tart nose, quite fruity. Also has tart flavor, with good acid and nice fruit.  Almost a musty flavor on the edge.  Simple flavor for the most part, but very drinkable. Would go very nicely with food, I think.  Great for the price.

White Barrel Winery Tour

For my first winery visit, I decided to head out to White Barrel, in Christiansburg.  I'd heard of it before, but never been before, or had any of their wines.  I figured now was a good time!

A bit of a dreary day; it even snowed!  This is the view from the entrance, looking into the property.

Of course, on the way in I had to stop to take a look at the vines!

And this is the tasting room itself.  Quite lovely! They have outdoor seating around the other side.

Another view of the entrance to the tasting room.

Once I walked inside, I immediately loved the atmosphere.  They had a nice tasting bar to the left, and rustic decorations throughout holding plants and wine bottles.  There was seating throughout, with a nice set of couches by the fireside.  

I love their use of slate throughout the tasting room.  Welcome to White Barrel Winery!

Here's the tasting bar, on the left side of the room.  Nice dark wood, with Edison lights above.

Here's a view of the dining area, and the fireside.

Since I was at a winery, I figured I should probably do a tasting!  Plus I was waiting for my tour guide to free up.  They let us try eight different wines.  No pictures of the bottles, sadly, but I have the descriptions and my impressions.

Name: Chardonnay (similar to Masquerade / Yesterday Song)

Winery Description: "Mellow with soft bouquet of honey, vanilla, and green apple.  Dry and crisp with pear on the palate.  Aged with VSOP oak to give it a slight tannin finish.  Great with fruit, cheese, light appetizers. 12.5% alcohol, 0% residual sugar. $6 glass / $19 btl"

My impressions: Very mineral nose.  Mineral qualities continue, with good acid, and some apple flavors.

Name: Vidal Blanc (similar to Sonnet 98)

Winery Description: "This has floral bouquet and vanilla undertones and fresh greens and herbs.  This wine has a delicate flavor profile with a clean finish.  Perfect for holiday dinners, chicken, and crisp salads or fish dishes.  12.5% alcohol, 0.25% residual sugar.  $6 glass / $18 btl."

My impressions: Very light, acidic.  Very clean.  Not too interesting, but would go well with any lighter food.

Name: Bin #997 (similar to Just Kissed Blush) - Vidal Blanc w/raspberries

Winery Description: "This wine has raspberry undertones and a sweet fruity flavor.  12.5% alcohol, 3.0% residual sugar. $6 glass / $17 btl"

My impressions: Very strong raspberry on the nose.  Thick mouthfeel, similar to a dessert wine.  Quite sweet, but has lovely raspberry notes.  Much better than a straight raspberry wine in my opinion.

Name: Bin #101 (similar to Sudden Downpour) - 100% apple wine, from Winchester, VA

Winery Description: "This sweet apple wine brings a rich, brilliant color and vibrant aromatic flavors with soft undertones of bourbon.  Excellent for dessert, for mulling with our spices. 12.5% alcohol, 4.0% residual sugar. $6 glass / $17 btl"

My impressions: Aged in bourbon barrels, not carbonated like a cider.  Also dessert wine style, with good apple and bourbon flavors.  Very nice - a step in the wine direction from cider.

Name: Bin #260 (similar to After Midnight)

Winery Description: "This deep, mellow red blend has a sweet start, with a dry finish and velvety texture. 12.5% alcohol, 2.25% residual sugar. $6 glass / $18 btl"

My impressions: Merlot and Zinfandel, with blackberries.  Blackberries and a little bit of pepper on the nose.  A little tobacco on the tongue.  Slightly sweet, but nice.

Name: Bin #214 (similar to Bull Frog Symphony)

Winery Description: "This is a blend of red wines and offers smooth, fruity, dark jam flavors with smoky, peppery flavors on the finish.  12.5% alcohol, 0% residual sugar.  $6 glass / $20 btl"

My impressions: Not particularly fragrant.  Very smooth, uncomplicated.  Some pepper on the tongue.  Meh.

Name: Cabernet Franc (similar to Deep Silence)

Winery Description: "This is a smooth and smoky Cabernet Franc, which provides pepper, smoke, blackberry, and currant.  12.5% alcohol, 0% residual sugar. $6 glass / $20 btl"

My impressions: Aged in American oak for 7 months.  Fermented cold, to bring out the berry flavors.  Nice herbal nose, bits of vegetation.  Much more of an old world style than most Virginia reds.

Name: Cabernet Sauvignon (similar to Vertex)

Winery Description: "This wine has rich tannins, black currant, and smooth French oak flavors.  12.5% alcohol, 0% residual sugar. $7 glass, $25 btl"

My impressions: Chocolate covered blackberries, a little bit of brake cleaner on the nose.  Slightly tannic, nice and dry.

Name: Chambourcin (similar to AD 325)

Winery Description: "This Chambourcin is brilliantly colored with vibrant cherry undertones, this wine is made in an old world style, with soft tannins.  Perfect with steak, hearty meals, and chocolate. 12.5% alcohol, 0% residual sugar. $6 glass, $19 btl"

My impressions: Very interesting nose, notes I can't quite place.  Nice and dry, but with plenty of fruit.

Well, that was delicious!  And thankfully, it was time for the tour!  

Evidently the place started out as Attimo, and only recently changed the name to White Barrel. Explains why I wasn't familiar with it! I had heard of Attimo though.  Evidently it started in 2011, out of the owner's basement (and tasting room in their living room!).  They only changed the name to White Barrel in Fall 2015, so it's pretty recent.

My tour guide explained that they have 16 acres, 10 of which are planted with vines.  And they're planting 2500 new vines during their planting festival later this month!  They also have another 9 acres in Charlottesville; he explained that their Cabernet Saugignon and Riesling don't grow nearly as well in Southwest Virginia as they do in the Charlottesville area.  All together, they produce around 2500 cases of wine per year.  In addition to grapes, they grow raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and have started planting apples too.  They're even getting ready to open a distillery next door, where they'll make carbonated vodka beverages!

One of the Vidal Blanc vines.  Evidently they're pruned only to the 3rd bud, so that in case of a frost the whole thing doesn't die.

These barrels leaked, so now they'e being used to make vinegar. So in 2-3 years, there will be White Barrel vinegar!

As we passed through the barrel room, our guide explained that all but three of their wines are barrel fermented.  However, the Riesling and the Chambourcin are not.  The Chambourcin is done in Old World style, whereas the Riesling doesn't react well to barrels.

This is the bottling area. Or maybe just boxes of bottles.  I'm not really sure, to be honest; we just walked through here.

Barrels! Full of wine! And our tour guide, Charles.

More barrels, and some vats of the wines which aren't barrel fermented.

Me and my lovely girlfriend posing in front of some barrels.

White Barrel is a fun spot! They have some great wines, a nice ambience, and some nice food offerings paired with the wines.  I'd definitely go back!

Fetzer Gewurztraminer

Name: Fetzer
Variety: Gewurztraminer
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2014
Price: $12, on sale for 8.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: 87 – Wine Enthusiast "A rainy minerality on the nose of this sweet wine manages to cut through the sugared oranges, honeysuckle and ripe, tropical white fleshed fruit, from peach to cherimoya. The palate is full of honeyed apples, white peach and pineapple, but the decent acidity and chalky element stops it short of treacly."

My impressions: Sugary nose. Maybe a little apple, peaches.  Tart and sweet, with pleasant acid and fruit qualities.  Tastes very similar to how it smells.  I'd like to try it with spicy food, but it's way too sweet for me to drink on its own.

Mars and Venus Chardonnay

Name: Mars and Venus
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2014
Price: $5.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "A very nice value Chardonnay that comfortably over-delivers vs. its 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."

My impressions: Light, tart smell.  Nice apricot flavor; a little sweet for a Chardonnay though.  It's ok; great for $6 though!

Mapreco Vinho Verde

Name: Mapreco
Variety: Albariño, Arinto, Treixadura, Loureira
Region: Vinho Verde
Country: Portugal
Year: 2015
Price: $10, on sale for $7.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "The cherry color reveals a slightly fizzy wine that is a very fruitful rosé made from the traditional vinho verde white grapes. Adding a splash of red to offer flavors with notes of strawberry, cherry and berries. A delightful twist on the original."

My impressions: Sugary nose, nice fruit elements.  The taste is very fruit forward, with light acid and great flavor.  Red fruit.  Very nice.

Domaine Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Nouveau 2014

Name: Manoir du Carra Beaujolais Nouveau
Variety: Gamay
Region: Beaujolais
Country: France
Year: 2014
Price: $12, on sale for $4.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "A pretty, floral wine, with a rose petal note underscoring the rich pomegranate and sweet plum flavors. The fresh acidity is balanced, and a light spice note lingers on the finish."

My impressions: Fruity nose, with a bit of tart fruit.  Fruity throughout, with only a slight amount of tannins, and good acid on the tongue.  Nice and light, for a warm day.

Maipe Malbec

Name: Maipe
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2015
Price: $12, on sale for $6.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "The 2015 Maipe Malbec is another 100% Malbec, with a deep purple color and a style similar to the Lexicon, with chocolaty, blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, as well as touches of licorice and earth. It is delicious, soft and round."
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (March 2016), 87 pts - Excellent Wine Values for Under $25

My impressions: Cherry pie. Jam.  The nose is nice.  Very dark in flavor, with good amounts of fruit coming through.

Wine Dinner 2

Wine dinner number two!

For this one I chose the wines pictured below:

As shown, the wines paired with the meal are a Gruner Veltliner, a Cava, and a Pinot Noir.

Each of the wines is paired with a different course - a salad with avocado, carrots, walnuts, and hemp hearts, with avocado oil and balsamic vinegar as dressing; chilled quinoa with fresh papaya and strawberries; and vegetarian lasagna, which includes carrots, broccoli, onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, corn, bell pepper, zucchini, eggplant, and quinoa.

Name: Paul D.
Variety: Gruner Veltliner
Region: Wagram
Country: Austria
Year: 2014
Price: $13.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "Paul Direder chose to plant Grüner Veltliner when he was in high school. Today, in his early 20s, he's creating quite a stir in the Wagram as he continues to learn from winemakers such as Anton Bauer. This is a dry, spritzy, delicious white wine that can double as an apéritif that you can enjoy through your meal."

My impressions: Lovely straw color.  Fresh apple on the nose, with some citrus.  Very fresh smell. Tart, nicely acidic.  Great fruit flavor, with minerals thrown in.  There's a note here that I haven't identified, but have tasted in every Gruner Veltliner I've had.  Quite nice.

Name: Juve Y Camps
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Penedes
Country: Spain
Year: Non-vintage
Price: $16.99
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: The Wine Advocate - "The Non-Vintage Pinot Noir Rose Brut is salmon pink in color with alluring cherry blossom and strawberry aromas and flavors. Broad on the palate with savory, spicy fruit, it will make a superb match for jamon Iberico and other charcuterie."

My impressions: Absolutely beautiful color.  Dark pink, like... Cranberry juice and vodka.  Strong strawberry smell.  Like those strawberry bonbons, that come in the wrappers printed like a strawberry.  Quite dry on the tongue though; here the fruit is much less obvious, but definitely still present, and less candyish.

Name: Promesses de France
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: Burgundy
Country: France
Year: 2010
Price: $18.99
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "This vintage has a light ruby color and a nose of freshly picked
strawberries with hints of spices and black pepper. In keeping with other Pinot Noir varietals, the mouthfeel is delicate and the taste is that of fresh fruits. The finish pleasantly lingers for longer than expected"

My impressions: Nice color, ruby/garnet, with a slight orange hue around the edges.  Berries on the nose, but not red - maybe boysenberries, or something like that.  Light body, fruit forward.  Only slightly tannic.  I'd almost think this was a Beaujolais, if I hadn't poured it myself.  Actually, on a second tasting, it isn't quite light enough for that, but close.  Very nice.  I think this bodes well for the lasagna pairing.

The salad was paired with the Gruner Veltliner.  With the salad, I find that the wine is very much toned down.  The fat in the avocado cuts the acid a bit, but the fruitiness in the wine is also reduced.  The walnuts especially do not go well with the wine.  Both taste wonderful separately, but they are not good together.  Both tastes suffer.

With the quinoa, the Cava is very nice.  The nuttiness of the quinoa doesn't do a lot, but the fruit, especially the strawberry, helps bring out the fruit flavor of the wine.  The wine actually tastes less dry after eating the fruit as well; I had expected the opposite, since the fruit is much sweeter than the wine.  Surprisingly nice pairing.

With the lasagna, the Pinot Noir just... goes.  The flavors meld together.  The broccoli in the lasagna almost goes into the wine.  The sweet potato helps bring out the fruit a little more.  The tomato sauce and tomatoes actually seem sweet in comparison to the wine, making the wine slightly more acidic (which I like) and... well, the tomatoes taste sweet.  That's just fantastic!  And the eggplant brings a slight earthy quality to the wine. Lovely.