Tasting - "Hahn Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling, 2013"

Hahn Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling, 2013

Variety: Riesling
Region: Piesport
Country: Germany
Year: 2013
Price: $9.95
Wine Critic Review: This wine’s light, airy mouthfeel belies its sweetness and intensity of flavor. Honeyed pineapple aromas; similar flavors on the palate, adding gentle citrus notes toward the long, sweet finish.
My Review: This was an interesting Riesling because it had a strong parmeasan cheese smell. However, it had tastes of citrus and green apple. It still had the sweet finish that is so common for a Riesling. Not one that I was too fond of but not terrible.
Food: We did not have it with food.

Tasting - "Tres Ojos Garnacha Calatayud, 2012"

Tres Ojos Garnacha Calatayud, 2012

Variety: Garnacha
Region: Calatayud
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $6.95
Wine Critic Review: "The 2012 Tres Ojos Garnacha contains 15% Tempranillo (I wonder why), and unoaked cuvée of 200,000 bottles that matures in vat for at least seven months before bottling. What I tasted was a very honest, fresh and fruit-driven red with aromas of cherries, garrigue and thyme with a medium-bodied palate, some weight and tannins that would do better with food. This is a red that sells for a song.” 88 points – Robert Parker
My Review: This was not a favorite. It was very strong smelling and had a woody and strong leathery taste. It was very dry and I almost had to drink water after this taste because of how dry it made my mouth feel. Not one that I want to drink again.
Food: We did not have it with food.

Tasting - "Torre Castillo Cosecha Monastrell, 2011"

Torre Castillo Cosecha Monastrell, 2011

Variety: Monastrell
Region: Jumilla
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95
Wine Critic Review: 100% Monastrell, aged in American oak for four months. Bright ruby. Powerful, spicy aromas of dark berry preserves and lavender. Fleshy and round on the palate, offering spicy blackberry and blueberry flavors and gaining sweetness with air. Finishes smooth, long and slightly warm. " 89 points - Stephen Tanzer
My Review: This was an interesting looking wine. I have never before seen a wine with so much sediment in the bottle and even in the glass when poured. It also had a very strong smell of nail polish remover which is not appetizing. It was an earthy wine but had a slight blueberry aftertaste.
Food: We did not have it with food.

Tasting - "Chateau Suau Bordeaux Rose, 2013"

Chateau Suau Bordeaux Rose, 2013

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95
Wine Critic Review: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Light, lurid pink. Tangerine, raspberry and white pepper on the fragrant nose. Juicy and focused in the mouth, offering zesty red berry flavors with a refreshingly bitter edge. Closes clean and tight, with lingering spiciness and a touch of orange zest. 88 points - Stephen Tanzer
My Review: This had initial smells of honeysuckle and citrus. But the tart taste overpowered the wine. It was tough to pull out a flavor from the wine other than the tart and slight spiciness of the wine.
Food: We did not have it with food.

Tasting - "Terre di Poggio Laude Pecorino, 2013"

Terre di Poggio Laude Pecorino, 2013

Variety: Laude
Region: Terre di Chieti
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
Wine Critic Review: Bright and savory, this floral scented Pecorino offers juicy tropical fruit and lemon drop sensations accented by notes of mint and thyme. The ripe fruit is balanced by brisk acidity that leaves the palate feeling cleansed and refreshed.
My Review: This wine had a very strong aroma to it that was a mixture between thyme and buttery popcorn. However, it was more tangy and bitter than anything else when we tasted it. But it was also a light structure as well as hints of a floral sensation.
Food: We did not have it with food.

Wine and Cheese Pairing 2

Earlier this week we participated in another wine and cheese pairing. After our first wine and cheese pairing, we realized that we had read the instructions wrong. Our first time doing this assignment, we had tried all three wines with all three cheeses and wrote about how each cheese paired well with each wine. However, this time we wanted to partake more in the assignment. Therefore, we had our wines already and wanted to do some research to find out which type of cheese would most likely work best with the wines we had. We did some Google searches and found our cheeses to match our wines.



We paired the Gouda with the Shiraz. The Munster with the Erben Spatlese. And, the Cabernet Sauvignon with the Sharp Cheddar.

Presswork Shiraz Barossa Valley, 2011

Variety: Shiraz
Region: Barossa Valley
Country: Australia
Year: 2011
Price: $6
Our Wine Review: This wine was a pretty good Shiraz. It was medium bodied. It had a fruity smell of dark fruits which consisted of plums and blackberries. However, there was a scent of rubbing alcohol so it could have been a little too old. It tasted a very bitter from strong earthy and leathery flavors. It tasted like a cowboy’s leather saddle.
Paired with Gouda: This pairing made both the cheese and the wine better. When the cheese was by itself, the flavor was questionable because it was a very dry and hard taste. However, when paired with the wine, that wasn’t the best by itself anyway, they were able to amplify the positive attributes of both and diminish the negatives. This was a great pairing.

Erben Spatlese Feinfruchtig, 2012

Variety: Riesling
Region: Mosel
Country: Germany
Year: 2012
Price: $
Our Wine Review: This was a light white wine. It had a strong fruit smell of pear, apricot, and apple. The taste was very light and didn’t have any strong alcoholic sensations. Therefore, we described this wine as if apple juice and white grape juice were mixed together. It wasn’t anything special.
Paired with Munster: This pairing was really good. The sweet light wine worked well with the soft and light cheese. When they are combined, the sweetness is savored and the little acidity from the wine is taken out. The combination also brings out the creaminess of the munster. However, the combination makes the wine taste more appley. It was a good combination.




Sagelands Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, 2012

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Columbia Valley
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $12
Our Wine Review: This was a pretty good wine. It had strong fruit smells that were described as an old ladies perfume. It had a heavy blackberry sensation in the nose. The taste was very fruity with dark fruits. It was a heavy blackberry and raspberry flavor with a slight earthy and soil flavor. However, there was no spice or pepper. Therefore, I think it was a really good wine.
Paired with Sharp Cheddar: When we tasted the wine with this cheese, it made all of the flavors mellow out and formed a great mutual flavor. The wine had a great fruit forward flavor and the cheese was able to cut down on the earthiness. It does not totally mask the earthy flavor, but it definitely dulls it down. The mid-palette and after taste are sensational.


All of these pairings worked a whole lot better than our first tasting because we were specifically matching the wines and cheeses. We did our research and found out which cheeses were best suited for the selected wines. This experience was overall a lot better of an experience because of all of the great flavors that were exemplified.

Tasting - "Bolla 1.5L Moscato, 2013"

Bolla 1.5L Moscato, 2013

Variety: Moscato
Region: Pavia
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: $9.95
Wine Critic Review: Loaded with juicy exotic fruit, mature apricot, yellow peach and tangerine flavors, this sweet and delightful wine is perfect for Sunday brunch or picnics.
My Review: This was a very light wine and almost tastes like sugar water. There was a slight wine flavor. It smelled interesting such as floral and tar. It was very interesting for a wine and not one that is worth another try.
Food: We did not have it with food.