Butterfly Kiss Moscato

Name: Butterfly Kiss

Variety: Moscato

Region: Chile (bottle and reviews online are no more specific)

Country: Chile

Year: 2012

Price: $13, on sale for $5.95

Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "Aromas of honeydew and apricot, gently kissed by orange blossom, candied pineapple and a hint of lime zest."

My Impressions:

Light, golden honey color. Upon the first sniff... MELON! MELON!  The melon continued through as I tasted it, together with some kind of tree fruit - apple? It was too sweet though, so much that it was distracting.  The finish was unremarkable.  I'm not a fan of wines this sweet, unless they're ice wines or true dessert wines.  This seems sweet for sweetness' sake. I wouldn't buy it.

I did not have food with this.

Purple Paws Zinfandel

Name: Purple Paws
Variety: Zinfandel
Region: Lodi
Country: California
Year: 2012
Price: $15, on sale for $7.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "It smells like ripe boysenberries and cherries, and tastes generous and broad without being too full bodied. It finishes with more fruit notes and those who love a little spice and smooth tannins will be happy."

My impressions:
Slightly brownish red in color, darker than the Cabernet Sauvignon.  On the nose, my first and only thought was berries.  I'm not sure what type, but that's where my mind immediately went.  The berry flavors continued into the mid-palate, with a little leather thrown in.  The finish was full of spices.  Quite a good flavor, but I wish it were more complicated.  It's good for the price, but nothing special.

I did not have food with this.

Purple Paws Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Purple Paws
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Lodi
Country: California
Year: non-vintage
Price: $15, on sale for $7.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "If a Cabernet can be smooth and creamy, this one is. It offers plenty of fruit flavor, smooth tannins that coat the mouth in a good way, plus a plush texture that keeps it from being even a bit harsh. With light body, a soft mouthfeel and lingering finish, there’s much to like."

My impressions:
Ruby/cranberry color.  Red plum, cassis and leather on the nose.  These flavors continue throughout the mid-palate and finish.  The finish lasted around 60 seconds.  Especially for the price, I'd have it again; it's very drinkable.

I did not have this with food.

Tasting - Rosemount Chardonnay

Name: Rosemount Estate
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: South Australia
Country: Australia
Year: 2013
Price: $10, on sale for $5.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review: "This world-renowned wine shows peachy tropical fruit and melon characters on the nose, with a hint of citrus freshness and judicious use of oak. The palate is generous and soft with full, ripe tropical flavors folded into a creamy backdrop that is beautifully structured with a long satisfying finish."

My impressions:
Light honey colored.  Light, sweet nose.  I tasted fruit, although I couldn't pick out which type.  I found it to be a bit sweet, with a good amount of oakiness.  The aftertaste was light, and unremarkable.  By my own rating system, I'd give it a "meh."

I did not have food with it.

Tasting - La Lejania Sauvignon Blanc

Name: La Lejania
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Central Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2015
Price: $10, on sale for $6.95
Shop/Critic/Winery Review (provided at tasting): "A light, refreshing, balanced sparkling wine with fruit flavors and aromas of citrus, pear and peaches, followed by a nuance of spice.  Enjoy this sparkling wine as an aperitif, or with salads and spicy dishes, especially those using citrus fruit. For dessert this wine pairs well with fresh berries or a fruit tart."

My impressions:
Light, greenish tinge, honey colored.  It has a fruity nose, with hints of apple.  The fruit continues through the mid-palate, with strong honey flavors with apple/pear notes.  I thought I tasted citrus through the finish.  Overall I enjoyed it, and it's easily worth $7.  But I wouldn't pay more.

I did not have food with it.

Tasting - El Pensador Verdejo

So, I got tired of watching videos and taking quizzes, and decided to drink some wine!  Since this is a wine that I opened at home, I'm not sure if it will count as one of my tastings for the week, but either way it's good practice.  And hey, it's wine. And that's always great!

Well. I need to learn to wrap text around a picture in this blog, that's for sure. Sorry about that.

Name: El Pensador (The Thinker)

Variety: Verdejo

Region: Castilla y Leon

Country: Spain

Year: 2013

Price: $12

I had difficulty finding a review of this wine online. The best I could do is this a 2011 Verdejo; hopefully in this case, the 2011 and 2013 vintages are similar.

"Baked golden delicious apples, apricot, ripe pear, pineapple and honeydew melon. Palate and finish are simple, but pleasant with melon leading the fruits ... Highly recommended." (9/25/2012, http://tastings.com/Wine-Review/El-Pensador-2011-Verdejo-Castilla-y-Leon-Spain-10-15-2012.aspx)

Now that that's out of the way, on to my own tasting!

The nose was pleasant, but I couldn't pick out any particular scents. Maybe a bit of apple?

The apple continued during the mid palate taste, with some melon thrown in.  I'm not sure that I would have gotten the melon if I hadn't read the tasting notes first, though.

 The finish was... delicate?  I found that melon was the main flavor I could distinguish during the finish; I thought during subsequent sips I detected a bit of licorice, oddly enough.  Honestly, it was difficult to let the finish... finish... because I wanted to take another sip.  It's quite nice! Especially for the price, I'd have it again.

I did not drink this wine with food.

Introduction

I used to hate wine.  I suppose that's natural, as aside from taking a taste of my parents' wine at Thanksgiving every year, I didn't have a whole lot of exposure.  During the Summer of 2007, I attended a study-abroad course with the Virginia Tech classics department, and my life changed.  The course began in Riva san Vitale, Switzerland, where Virginia Tech owns a 200-year-old villa.  Our first night there, we went to the apartment that my professors were renting, and had a gathering - with wine.  I can't remember the label; but I remember that it was a Swiss Merlot.  And it was awesome.

I drank a lot of wine on that trip. And beer. And grappa. But mostly the wine.  I was only 20 at the time, so having easy (legal) access to alcohol was a new experience.  We had wine with dinner often, and I even found my favorite (to this day) white of all time.  It was a Swiss white Merlot.  Not that nasty pink stuff that Sutter Home and Beringer put out; no, this was a true white, lightly effervescent, and truly amazing.  I used to be able to find it occasionally at the Vintage Cellar, but apparently it's no longer imported.

Anyway, enough about the Europe trip.  Since then, I've enjoyed wine.  I've gone through phases where I drink more of it or less, but it's always been a part of my life.  It's the best thing I've found for a date, drinking to relax after work or school (although a nice scotch is great too), or to pair with food.  I don't often purchase expensive wine, and rarely sparkling, although I do enjoy a good tawny port or some sherry now and then.  But I always try to find something different, and have enjoyed tasting a wide variety of wines. Merlot, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay... I discovered Primitivo a few years ago, and fell in love.  Never had I tried such a complicated wine; the girl I was dating didn't care for it, saying that it tasted too much like one of my sipping rums instead of wine.  Maybe that's why I liked it so much.  I wish I had the vocabulary at this point (or the memory) to describe it; I'll have to find another bottle.

I very much want to learn the vocabulary of wine, and learn to describe what I'm drinking.  I'm looking forward to it!