Tasting- Washington Hills Late Harvest Riesling

Name: Washington Hills Late Harvest Riesling

Variety: Riesling

Region: Washington 

Country: United States

Vintage: 2023

Price: $9.99 from Kroger

Review from Wine Enthusiast: Flower and orange rind aromas lead to medium-sweet flavors. It's a pleasant, straight down the fairway quaffer.  -86

Wine Folly: An aromatic white variety that can produce white wines ranging in style from bone-dry to very sweet. Germany is the world's most important producer of riesling.

Personal Review: Very sweet. I tasted very strong peach flavors, which, combined with the sweetness, made it almost exactly like peach rings candy to me. Much sweeter when cold than at room temperature, but I liked it better at room temperature since it was almost too sweet.

I drank this on its own.

Tasting- Black Box Chardonnay

 

Name: Black Box Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Couldn't find exactly what region since most of this brand's Chardonnay is from California. Likely from Western Australia.

Country: Australia

Vintage: 2024

Price: $16.99 from Kroger

Review from Vivino: The wine opens with tropical aromas of pineapple, apricot, lemon zest and vanilla. On the palate, the Chardonnay is light and clean with hints of pineapple, green apple, tart lemon and lemon blossoms with a touch of sweetness on the finish.

Wine Folly: One of the world's most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from sparkling Blanc de Blancs to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak.

Personal Review: Very dry, with a striking lemon/lime flavor. Quite acidic with an aftertaste that reminds me of pineapple. I tasted this at room temperature, so the fruit flavors were likely less pronounced than if tasting it cold. Even so, it was still rich in flavor when at room temperature.

I drank this on its own while watching the movie for this week.

Tasting- Casal Garcia Vinho Verde

Name: Casal Garcia Vinho Verde

Variety: Trajadura, Loureiro, Arinto and Fernão Pires

Region: Vinho Verde

Country: Portugal

Vintage: 2012

Price: $10.99 from Kroger

Review from Wine Enthusiast: "One of the most popular Vinho Verdes, this is in a light, medium-sweet style. Very fresh and crisp, with some attractive citrus acidity, and ready to drink now. Screwcap." -85

Wine Folly: Regional blend offered in white, rosé, and red styles. Low-alcohol, fruity white with a touch of spritz is the most popular. Characteristics include lemonade, pink grapefruit, lime zest, yellow apple, and white blossom. Page 184.

Personal Review: Slightly dry, citrusy flavor that is similar to orange. Touch of apple. Really no acidity but very similar profile to the McManis Pinot Grigio. I forgot to take notes when I initially opened the bottle, so the flavors seem slightly suppressed after sitting in the fridge for a week or two. Acidity was especially suppressed.. Was my favorite white wine to buy before starting this class.

I drank this again while watching wine IQ lectures, without food.

Tasting- McManis Pinot Grigio

Name: McManis Pinot Grigio

Variety: Pinot Gris/Grigio

Country: United States

Region: California

Vintage: 2023

Price: $12.95 from Vintage Cellar

Review from Wine Enthusiast: "This wine has nice medium weight and good vivacity. A fun and refreshing palate is filled with a surprising amount of flavors, with lemon, lime, lemongrass, kiwi, star fruit, cut grass, acacia blossom, red and green apple, apple blossom and apple juice. Drink now, on its own, just for fun." -89

Characteristics from Wine Folly: Pink grape mutation of Pinot Noir. Zesty white wine ranging from dry to plain sweet. White peach, lemon zest, cantalope, raw almond, and crushed gravel. Page 149.

Personal Review: Mainly apple flavor up front, slightly acidic grapefruit and lime hints. No lingering aftertaste. Flavors were more dull when served too cold. Warmer temperature brought out acidic flavors. 

I tasted this on its own without food, while watching wine IQ lectures.

FIRST WINE BLOG- Previous Experiences

 My experience with wine thus far is VERY limited. I've only tried a handful of wines, and have had no clue how to really taste or describe wine until starting this course. Most wines I've had were because a friend had a bottle and didn't drink all of it by themselves. 

I can say that I still am not a big fan of red wines. Of the whites that I've tried, I found that I enjoy chardonnay and pinot grigio. I've had a couple of wines from the Vinho Verde region of Portugal, which so far have been more dry, citrusy wines that I couldn't get enough of (I would heavily recommend the Casal Garcia brand- tasting blog to come for this one).  

In this course, I'm hoping to learn how to properly taste and try different wines, what to pair them with, and to develop my taste in wine. A lot of the wine I've drank has been simply to get drunk with friends. Before this semester, I'd probably only gone through a couple of bottles in my entire life.

Me on top of Spy Rock (about 7 miles up the AT near Charlottesville)