Tasting - Versasi Dry Marsala

 

Name: Versasi Dry Marsala

Variety: Blend, grillo, catarratto bianco

Country of Origin: Italy

Region of Origin: Marsala

Vintage Year: NV

Price: $10.00

Description: Versasi is a producer of some of the highest quality marsala in all of Italy. Chefs from around the world sing the praises of this fine product.

Shop/Wine Critic/Winery Review: ''Tasting Notes This dry Marsala has wonderful notes of cherry, raisin, plums, toasted hazelnuts and vanilla. It is excellent for a dry version of Chicken Marsala. Vineyard & Winemaking Notes The grapes are hand harvested from select vineyards on the island of Sicily. Sicily has a Mediterranean climate with volcanic soils, ideally suited for richly structured wines. Slow fermentation with controlled temperature. Wine alcohol is added to obtain the alcoholic content of 17%. One year in oak cask.'' (Versasi)

Wine Folly: I did not taste any of the flavors which are usually present in marsala’s, stewed apricot, vanilla, tamarind, brown sugar, tobacco. (p. 127) The licorice flavor was a bit smokier in a tobacco way, but I did not pick up on any of the other common flavors.

My Review: The Versasi Dry Marsala had strong flavors of chocolate and licorice/star anise. It also had subtler flavors of molasses. It was quite smooth, but very much not sweet.

Tasting - Barefoot Red Moscato

Name: Barefoot Red Moscato

Variety: 100% Mosccato

Country of Origin: United States

Region of Origin: California

Vintage Year: NV

Price: $7.99

Description: Barefoot Red Moscato is a juicy and fruity wine with distinct flavors of peaches and bing cherries. This wine is best served chilled. Pairs well with soft white cheeses, fresh fruits, orange chicken salad and all spicy fare.

Shop/Wine Critic/Winery Review: “Translucent ruby/candy red, notes of peach and cherry. It's like drinking juice! It's a good option for folks just getting into wine-drinking. Not too bad for seasoned wine enthusiasts, either!” (Adrienne Allen, Vivino.com)

Wine Folly: I tasted the raspberry notes and smelled the rose notes which are expected from a red moscato, but I wasn’t able to smell or taste the subtle roasted notes of assam black tea. (https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/moscato-wine/)

My Review: The Barefoot Red Moscato smelled like rose and tasted very sweet with strawberry and raspberry jam and cherry flavors. It was also light carbonated. 

Tasting - Moselland Ars Vitis Riesling

 

Name: Moselland Ars Vitis Riesling

Variety: 100% riesling

Country of Origin: Germany

Region of Origin: Mosel

Vintage Year: 2023

Price: $13.99

Description: Moselland Mosel Saar Ruwer Ars Vitis Riesling is a delightful white wine with a touch of sweetness and a crisp, refreshing taste. With vibrant notes of citrus fruits and floral undertones, this German Riesling is perfect for any occasion. Enjoy it on its own or pair it with poultry or seafood dishes for an exquisite taste experience.

Shop/Wine Critic/Winery Review: "The Mosel is the home of riesling that dates back 2000 years. Steep slopes, slate soils and relatively cool temperatures provide the perfect medium to grow riesling grapes. This entry-level look at riesling is medium sweet at 37 grams per litre of residual sugar, yet it presents elegant and fresh with crisp-like fruit flavours that help freshen the wine on the palate. Clean fruity and easy to drink, this would be perfect with spicy curries. Fair value. (Anthony Gismondi)." - 86/100, Gismondi on Wine

Wine Folly: I tasted the common flavors of green apple and lime usually found in Rieslings. It was a sweeter Riesling with very little flavors of beeswax and petroleum. (pg. 158)

My Review: The Riesling had a subtly sweet smell and tasted of pear and apple fruit flavors with an overall sweetness. It also had hints of citrus flavors which were hard to place. It had a primarily dry mouthfeel initially and upon swallowing.

Tasting - Stel+Mar Rose

Name: Stel+Mar Rose

Variety: Blend, shiraz, petite sirah, barbera

Country of Origin: United States

Region of Origin: California

Vintage Year: 2019

Price: $10.99

Description: Summer in a bottle, capturing the essence of the season with aromas of peach and apricot,, complemented by vibrant strawberry flavors and subtle herbal undertones, with perfectly balanced acidity. Perfect for golden hour laughter with friends, beach days, or an impromptu dance party under the stars.

Shop/Wine Critic/Winery Review: “This overall balanced, albeit simple, rosé offers notes of white strawberry, just-ripe red cherry, cherry blossom and hay.” (Stacy Briscoe, Wine Enthusiast, https://www.wineenthusiast.com/buying-guide/stelmar-nv-rose-california-432868/)

Wine Folly: I didn’t taste the rich and powerful flavors that are expected from Shiraz or Petite Sirah such as blueberry, plum, and chocolate. (pg. 172, 147) It was approachable, but not in the way that Barbera usually is and the high acidity usually associated with it. (pg. 79)

My Review: The Stel+Mar Rose had surprisingly little taste and smell. The only notable taste I was able to pick up on was apricot. The mouthfeel was smooth at the beginning and more dry towards the end. 

Tasting - Sun Pop Lemonade Moscato

 

Name: Sun Pop Lemonade Moscato

Variety: Blend, Moscato

Country of Origin: United States

Region of Origin: California

Vintage Year: No Vintage

Price: $6.99

Description: Our deliciously vibrant semi-sweet wines are crafted with natural fruit flavors and a slight effervescence that tickles the palate. Our lemonade is lively and energetic, so go ahead and pop open a bottle, pour a glass and enjoy some fun in the sun.

Shop/Wine Critic/Winery Review: “I would like to try this again in the summer! I love the tropical flavors, but this particular review is for lemon. It was not too sweet or too tart. Really tasted more like pear. This is a great choice for people who say they are not wine drinkers! Perfect with grilled fish or sandwiches and salads. The price is really good compared to other fruit flavored moscatos. We will be purchasing regularly. Would like to see wider availability. The label packaging is bright and cheery and it smells like summer.” (Influester, https://www.influenster.com/reviews/sunpop-lemonade-moscato-750ml/reviews)

Wine Folly: I tasted the meyer lemon flavor expected from a Moscato, but the orange blossom, mandarin orange, ripe pear, and honeysuckle flavors were overshadowed by the lemonade flavor. (pg. 138)

My Review: The Sun Pop Lemonade Moscato had a light lemony smell and tasted very lemony with a light grape flavor. It had a light mouth and there was no alcohol burning mouthfeel (it has a very low alcohol content) and no pucker mouthfeel like lemonade. Overall, it was very light and wafty.

Tasting - Clos du Bois Buttery Chardonnay

 

Name: Clos du Bois Buttery Chardonnay Variety: 100% Chardonnay Country of Origin: United States Region of Origin: California Vintage Year: 2023 Price: $12.99 Description: Our Buttery Chardonnay is rich in flavor with a creamy texture. Aromas of spiced pear and pineapple are complimented by hints of vanilla and toasted oak. Enjoy a glass chilled by itself, or pair with vegetable risotto, grilled lemon chicken or pan seared salmon Shop/Wine Critic/Winery Review: “Overall we were both impressed with Clos du Bois Chardonnay. This wine grew on me. At first I thought it was a bit washed out, as I tend to gravitate to oaky Chardonnays. But, a lot of people don’t like oaky Chardonnays. Given that, I think this is a nice sippable Chardonnay. Additionally, I enjoyed the wine’s subtle sweetness and its long and enjoyable finish. Big Al called it “good and enjoyable” and he liked the subtle sweetness the most. He felt it reminded him of a Riesling and said it would pair well with a Crème Brule or a Tiramisu.” (Honest Winery Reviews, https://www.honestwinereviews.com/clos-du-bois-chardonnay-review) Wine Folly: I tasted the pineapple and butter flavors expected from a Chardonnay, but the yellow apple, starfruit, and vanilla flavors were not especially prominent (pg. 96) The flavor of pineapple and tropical fruits more prominent in Chardonnays from California are present in the wine (pg. 288). My Review: The Clos du Bois Buttery Chardonnay was very smooth and creamy and lacked a strong alcohol mouthfeel. It tasted very strong of pear and pineapple and had nutty undertones. It also had a buttery finish. It was a good wine which delivered on its promised buttery notes.

Intro Blog Post

My experiences with wine before starting this class have mostly consisted of not drinking it. I previously considered wine as something I didn’t like categorically. I grew up in the Episcopal church and went every Sunday for most of my childhood. There I was exposed to communion wine, which I disliked. Aside from this, I haven’t tried wine much over the years. I’ve occasionally tried the various red wine’s my parents drink with dinner or sparkling white wine on New Year’s or during other celebrations, but I rarely got further than a sip.

However, through this course I hope to expand my palate and learn to appreciate wine more. I want to learn more about the extensive varieties of wine in the world, and find one’s that I do like. I also hope to learn how to describe wine in more detailed and accurate ways, so that when I find a wine I like I can find more similar wine’s in the future. Additionally, I hope to learn more about how to pair wine with food to accentuate the flavors and mouth-feels that I enjoy in them.

Last week I participated in my first wine tasting with my friends for this class, during which we tried a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, a Vin Chocolat Noir, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. My opinions on each varied, but it was fun to discuss them and try to pin down the specific flavors and feels of each wine. In my limited experience so far, I tend to favor wines that are fruiter and sweeter and less dry. I find white wines more palatable overall than red wines, due to the higher dryness of the red wines that I’ve tried, but I find that the overall background taste of white wine to be less appealing than red wine. Additionally, I don’t tend to enjoy sparkling white wine as it accentuates the flavors in white wine that I dislike. The Vin Chocolat Noir wine was the most intriguing wine I tried that night as I’d never had a dessert wine so far, and I’m still not sure whether or not I liked it.

Photo of me for future reference