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Wine 8

Wine 7

Tasting: Barefoot Pinot Grigio

 Name: Barefoot Pinot Grigio

Variety: Pinot Grigio Varietal

Country: United States

Year: 2021

Price: $7

Online Review: Light and crisp with juicy mouth-watering acidity for fresh seafood. Just a touch of ripe white peach notes. Lovely aperitif. Awesome price. Serve chilled.

88/100

Natalie MacLean

Personal Thoughts: I tried Barefoot Pinot Grigio and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was, especially considering its affordable price point. While it may not be the best Pinot Grigio I've ever had, it's certainly a decent wine. I agree with Wine Folly's tasting notes (p149) that it has notes of white peach and lemon zest, as well as a subtle taste (maybe minerality) that adds complexity to the wine. It's a light-bodied wine with a crisp acidity that makes it refreshing and easy to drink. My friend and I used it in a risotto and had it on the side and truly it went very well.

Overall, I think Barefoot Pinot Grigio is a surprisingly good wine for the price. It may not be the most complex or sophisticated wine out there, but it's a solid choice for those looking for an affordable, easy-drinking white wine.

Tasting: Lapis Luna Red Wine Blend

Name: Lapis Luna Red Wine Blend

Variety: 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 25% Malbec, 5% Barbera

Country: United States

Year: 2020

Price: $14

Online Review: Excellent red blend for the Value! Blackberry aroma with a smooth vanilla and earthy finish that went well with some meatballs and havarti cheese for dinner. Highly recommend for the price when compared to similar wines are much more expensive.
4.2 stars
Jason Daack

Personal Thoughts: Lapis Luna Red Wine Blend is an intriguing blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Barbera. My girlfriend got it for me on a trip we went on for my birthday. When I first tasted it, I was struck by the complexity of flavors. It took a while for me to fully appreciate it, but I ended up enjoying it more and more as I drank it over the course of a few days, especially as it oxidized as I left it uncorked for large periods of time. I noticed a combination of fruit flavors, including cherry, plum, and blackberry, with a subtle hint of vanilla and spice. The wine also had a smooth, lingering finish.

The Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend gave it a bold, full-bodied taste, with notes of black cherry and baking spices (Wine Folley 79). The Merlot added a touch of sweetness, with hints of cherry and chocolate, while the Malbec contributed to the fruitiness with notes of blackberry and cocoa. Finally, the Barbera provided a tartness with notes of cherry and black pepper.

Tasting: Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Country: United States

Year: 2021

Price: $11

Online Review: This layered and lavishly oaked wine is amazingly complex for its modest price. It boasts aromas of tobacco, wood char and graphite followed by medium-intensity black cherry and blueberry. Moderate tannins and a broad mouthfeel complete the attractive picture.  Rating 90JIM GORDON

Personal Review: I recently tried Dark Horse Cabernet Sauvignon and was pleasantly surprised. As someone who is still discovering their wine preferences, I am starting to think that bold reds like Cabernet might be my favorite style. I could definitely sense the presence of dark fruits with this wine, like black cherry, as well as some spices that gave the wine a different note. I also noticed a subtle hint of something like oak or woodiness perhaps that added to its depth. According to the tasting notes in Wine Folley page 88, I may have been picking up on the flavors of black currant, cedar, and other baking spices. Overall, I really enjoyed this wine and it paired well with the Italian meal my friend and I cooked up.

Tasting: Alamos Malbec

Name: Alamos Malbec

Variety: 100% Malbec

Country: Argentina

Year: 2020

Price: $11

Online Review: The 2014 Alamos Malbec is undoubtedly a solid value. It offers a lot of plush character in a very approachable, quaffable package. This would be a respectable party pour or BBQ companion. However, if you’re sensitive to peppery or meaty notes in wine, then I would steer clear of the Alamos Malbec. 87/100 

-Fermented Fruit

Personal Thoughts: This wine had a bold and full-bodied taste that I found enjoyable. I am a fan of red wines, especially those that have a strong presence, and this Alamos Malbec did not disappoint in that sense. The notes of red plum (Wine Folley 125) (and just other red fruit) and blackberry stood out to me, and to me there was a subtle hint of cocoa. The finish was a bit harsh to me, but it was not too dry or too sweet, and I can appreciate a neutral wine. My girlfriend did not share my enthusiasm for this wine, luckily it was a wine laying around not one I bought for the both of us. Overall, I would recommend this wine to anyone who enjoys a bold and flavorful red. It is not for everyone, and it was not my absolute favorite, but for those who appreciate this style, it is an affordable and enjoyable wine.

Tasting: Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc

 Name: Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Country: United States

Year: 2021

Price: $13

Online Review: From Los Alamos Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley, SeaGlass 2020 Sauvignon Blanc is terrific value under $20. Fresh and inviting with grassy notes, fine herb, lime zest aromas, vibrant on the palate with fresh pear, pink grapefruit, soft orange zest and spice. Seaglass takes its name from the bits of glass along California's central coastline polished by the winds and motion of the sea. 
90/100

Natalie MacLean

Personal Thoughts: I was pleasantly surprised by its crisp and refreshing taste. The wine had an acidity that was balanced by hints of grapefruit and other citrus notes. While I wouldn't consider myself an expert, I found the wine to be easy to drink and versatile enough to pair with a variety of light dishes. Of the tasting notes in Wine Folley on page 165, I would say that the grapefruit notes were the most noticeable to me. Overall, I would recommend the Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc as a solid option for those looking for a light and refreshing white wine.

wine 6

Winery Visit: Paradise Springs Winery - Clifton, VA

 3/18/2022

Paradise Springs Winery - Clifton, VA

The Saturday following my 22nd birthday, my family and I took the 30 minute drive out to the small, historic railroad town of Clifton in Northern Virginia. The heavily-wooded rolling hills revealed a smaller winery, at least compared to some of the ones I have seen (primarily in the Finger Lakes region of NY), with an old wood cabin look and a steep hill of vines (interestingly, right across the street from the Bull Run Occoquan Trail). 

My family and I parked and headed down the gravel trail towards the main cabin, passing the vines along the way. We filed in with a small tour group and were greeted by our guide Kyle. Kyle worked as a wine producer for several years and while he now works a different job, he works in the Paradise Springs Winery on the weekends for the love of wine. 

The old cabin was closed for a private event, but we got a tour of the main cabin, the production facility, the vines, and the barrel room. The barrel room I found specifically interesting. The room contained an impressive amount of barrels but for the success of this winery, was not extensive. As it turns out, Paradises Springs Winery sits on a historic property, and the winery is not allowed to manipulate the existing property, so the barrel room's capacity cannot expand.

 As I will get into with the wines later, they are not able to age some of the wines the way that they want to, due to the limits in space. They do not age off of the facility either as we were told it is heavy and expensive. We were shown a wine barrel with glass casing on one side and could see the wine aging inside, which I found unique.

I have seen wineries with smaller main buildings with much larger vineyards. I did not take notes on this tidbit, but I believe it was said that plenty of grapes are from a farm in the Shenandoah region. Overall the vinery had a quaint, intimate feel, especially with its relative isolation. 

We ended the tour and my parents and I experienced a wine-tasting with just our tour guide. We let him know our wine preferences; my mom Chardonnay, my dad and I generally bolder, drier reds. He put us together a tasting of six different wines, and it was my favorite experience with wine yet.

We began with a 2021 chardonnay. My mom ended up buying a bottle, and I found it to be an extremely pleasant wine. With the lack of space for barrels, this chardonnay does not spend a lot of time in an oak barrel. Instead, it spends an initial phase in an oak barrel, but then a longer period in a stainless steel barrel, and then finally again in an oak barrel, however one that has already been used by other wines, so that most of the oaky notes have already been "soaked" up. As a result, this chardonnay is extremely neutral and smooth, lacking some of the oaky notes and acidity. I am not as much of a fan of white wines, but I think this really nailed what I like in a white wine: crisp, smooth, refreshing, and not overly sweet.

We then tried a vidal blanc, which has a unique history in Virginia. Originally it was a grape that unleashed a lot of green pepper notes and thrived in the climate, but as practices improved, and across VA winemakers were able to get the leaves to drape further over the grape, they were able to eliminate the green pepper notes, even entirely. Thus, at this point it is mostly a choice for how much of that flavor to have, and the winemaker at this winery did not want any. This was a slightly sweeter and more acidic wine than the chardonnay, but was also very good and fun to learn about.

Third, we tried the rose. We took note of the large bottle of rose displayed on
the table, and were shown even larger bottles (which names I already knew through this class, funny enough). Rose is never my favorite; it is typically way too sweet for me and has harsh, unpleasant notes all over. This rose was much smoother and mild, by far the best I have had to this point.

We tried a cabernet franc from 2019. This was the first red I had ever had like this. It was not a typical grocery store red wine, even some of the more expensive ones I have had. It had a smokiness and smoothness that was truly impressive to me. I loved this wine and found myself a little shocked with every sip. I ended up getting a bottle and plan to let it age for a bit and open it for a good occasion.

Our guide was nice and offered us two petite verdots from two different vintages so we could try and taste how a red wine ages. The first vintage was a 2019, described as an almost unparalleled wine vintage, and 2021, a more run of the mill vintage, with obviously less aging. It was hard for me to tell, but I did get less harshness from the older wine, and I enjoyed both of these for a lot of the same reasons as the franc. I probably preferred the 2019 but the difference was negligible to me. 

Finally we tried a red blend called PVT from 2017. It is comprised of 50% Petit Verdot and 50% Tannat (this is from the website, I couldn't keep track of the notes but it got as few as 5% for some grapes). The blend was created to make a very bold red; an almost interminable feel after swallowing, tannic on the sides of the tongue, fruity on the front, yet smooth. Kyle told us he almost felt bad uncorking this wine so early, the boldness of it was perfect to let sit for many years. This was an amazingly complex wine. I was so impressed and taken aback by every sip. It covered so many notes yet had no harshness.

Overall, I truly had a great time at this winery. I loved the wines and cannot wait to uncork my cabernet franc. I am eager to return and discover more. They have won many awards for their reds and I can see why; the wine they specialize in is directly up my alley. I would absolutely recommend this winery to anyone who can go, especially those who like bolder reds.

Tasting: Benzinger Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Benzinger Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Country: USA

Year: 2019

Price: $15

Winery Review: Charred-oak aromas and flavors are front and center in this full-bodied wine. Ample black-fruit notes are lavishly dressed up in spicy, smoky accents. JIM GORDON

Personal Thoughts: I thought this review was harsh, as I continue to try wines I do not think I am super keen on picking up complexities but even still I found this wine to be very nice for a multitude of reasons. I still am gravitating towards drier red wines, and this wine was that but was slightly different than ones I have had before. Most of the red wines I have tried gravitate towards the darker fruits; specifically I have registered very resoundingly black cherry first and foremost, however this wine was more blackberry and to me even blueberry forward, likely a major contribution from the zinfandel, and definitely strawberry once I read through the page on wine folley (189). I get some of the "supple tannins" (131) from the merlot and a little bit of a floral note, perhaps from the riesling. On the whole I felt there was a vanilla aftertaste that was quite nice and an oaky taste as soon as it hit the mouth. On the whole this is a wine I can enjoy with many things, and I was able to use it for a red sauce for pasta and mussels and not only did it taste incredible in the sauce, but paired so well with the meal on the whole as well. 

Tasting: Rodney Strong Upshot Wine

 Name: Rodney Strong Upshot Wine

Variety: 36% Zinfandel, 32% Merlot, 21% Malbec, 6% Riesling, 5% Petit Verdot

Country: USA

Year: 2019

Price: $15

Winery Review: Let’s be real here, when a wine is over $20 there should be some layers. This wine has no defining structure or characteristics giving it any kind of uniqueness. If you are cool with that, then this bottle will do. The alcohol is too high to give the wine subtlety, making it hot and boozy. If you are in a pinch, and this bottle is there, it will work for a party where wine is not the focus, but may not work for a book club or a wine event.    -Vinepair

Personal Thoughts: I thought this review was harsh, as I continue to try wines I do not think I am super keen on picking up complexities but even still I found this wine to be very nice for a multitude of reasons. I still am gravitating towards drier red wines, and this wine was that but was slightly different than ones I have had before. Most of the red wines I have tried gravitate towards the darker fruits; specifically I have registered very resoundingly black cherry first and foremost, however this wine was more blackberry and to me even blueberry forward, likely a major contribution from the zinfandel, and definitely strawberry once I read through the page on wine folley (189). I get some of the "supple tannins" (131) from the merlot and a little bit of a floral note, perhaps from the riesling. On the whole I felt there was a vanilla aftertaste that was quite nice and an oaky taste as soon as it hit the mouth. On the whole this is a wine I can enjoy with many things, and I was able to use it for a red sauce for pasta and mussels and not only did it taste incredible in the sauce, but paired so well with the meal on the whole as well. 

Tasting: Larkspur Pinot Gris

Name: Larkspur Pinot Gris

Variety: 100% Pinot Gris

Country: USA

Year: 2021

Price: $14

Winery Review: As for the wine, the winemaker typically specializes in Pinot Noir and I believe it is the first year this Pinot Gris Vintage has been released. There are no winemaker tasting notes but based on my experience and a consensus of others there are notes of apple, citrus and tropical fruits. It is medium bodied and very light in color. It was perfect for sipping on during a sunny afternoon.   -Simply Unwined

Personal Thoughts: I have had primarily reds throughout the course of this class and wanted to venture into whites. The first of the two I will review this week was a larkspur pinot gris from 2021 out of Oregon. The winery's website said to look out for flavors of green apple and sweet melon. I took my first sip before reading this, and was not very receptive to the higher level of acidity (Wine Folley has it as a 3/4 on acidity p149, and I had just tried a sweeter white wine so I was caught off guard. After seeing this I opened up my palette to the tasting notes and found the acidity much more pleasant. It is not a sweet wine but there is a small level of sweetness in the acidity that I can definitely see resembling a green apple. Some of the tasting notes from Wine Folley page 149 I found prevalent in this wine, especially lemon zest and cantaloupe, tying into the sweet melon note from the website. It is a refreshing and very smooth wine that, alike the review above, I could see enjoying cold on a hot day. Overall it was not my favorite wine but definitely not something I wouldn't come back to.

Tasting: Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc

 Name: Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Country: New Zealand

Year: 2021

Price: $19

Winery Review: For those of you who love the hallmarks of a good Sauvignon Blanc, you’ll find everything you’re looking for. For those who maybe aren’t a fan of the grape (or white wines, like I used to be) I suspect you’re going to make an exception for Stoneleigh.

It pours a fairly pale yellow, looking like the intersection between a Chablis and a Cali. chard. It’s an intensely aromatic wine, with big notes of melon, a touch of mown grass, and something that seriously reminded me of the smell I associate with organic honey

After a sip, Stoneleigh opens into a veritable cornucopia of tropical fruits with passion fruit taking center stage. There’s also a distinct grassiness to it, which is complimented by a kick of grapefruit. It’s wonderfully complex, with a refreshing acidity that offsets Stoneleigh’s touch of residual sugar. There’s enough here to fascinate even the most rabid red fan.

8.7 Rating

-Sublime Imbibing

Personal Thoughts: I have had primarily reds throughout the course of this class and wanted to venture into whites. The second of the two I will review this week was a Stonleigh Sauvignon Blanc from 2021 out of New Zealand. The winery's website said this wine was "fruit forward" and I am getting a lot of notes of acidic, semi sweet fruits. The wine is aromatic with sweet, fruity and herbaceous scents. The predominant flavor that stood out to me was grapefruit, which is third in Wine Folley's (p165) tasting notes for Sauvignon Blanc, and after looking at the other notes, passion fruit stood out to me as well, so this is definitely a more acidic fruit-tasting wine. Even the mouthfeel was acidic to the point that it almost felt a little carbonated. This is a semi sweet wine that I initially had to warm up to but after a second glass I can confidently say I enjoy it. Since my girlfriend likes sweet wines and I like dry wines, I feel like this is a wine that we can both agree on.

Tasting: Robert Hall Cabernet Sauvignon

 Name: Robert Hall Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Country: USA

Year: 2020

Price: $22 

Winery Review: A full-bodied, richly concentrated Californian Cabernet from the Paso Robles region. Aromas of dark berries, spice, mocha and espresso. This wine was aged for 18 months in oak barrels. Enjoy with grilled meats. Natalie Maclean

Realizing this is a really horrendous photo

Personal Thoughts: This is definitely a red that I enjoy. I am finding that I lean more towards reds than whites as I like the more tannic, dry wines. The notes I feel I get are more complex than in whites, and I think that this wine highlights what I like in red wine. It is boldly dry and tannic, without being abrasively bitter. Smelling-wise I get a lot of dark fruits like black cherry or black raspberry, as well as a smooth and rich hint that reminds me almost of olives. Along with the dark fruit flavors I found this wine to be jammy and perhaps a little peppery. It was very dry in my mouth and gave a noticeable sensation on the sides of my tongue. Looking in the wine notes of the CA Cabernets, I am finding that I definitely get some mint notes (Page 89). As someone who cooks meat semi-regularly, I would love to try this wine with a good steak; A full-bodied, richly concentrated Californian Cabernet from the Paso Robles region. Aromas of dark berries, spice, mocha and espresso. This wine was aged for 18 months in oak barrels. Enjoy with grilled meats (Page 88

).

Tasting: Josh Merlot

Name: Josh Cellar Merlot

Variety: 100% Merlot

Country: USA

Year: 2020

Price: $18 

Winery Review: Tasty, toasted oak flavors intertwine with plenty of ripe red cherry and blackberry notes in this bold, flavorful and well-balanced wine. One of the best bottles in the Josh lineup. JIM GORDON

Personal Thoughts: As I am developing my taste in reds more, I feel this is a great wine to serve as a barometer against other reds. While definitely on the drier/tannic side, there is a soft, light sweetness over-top of the very boisterous (yet not overpowering) darker, tannic flavor that resembles black cherry (as is the predominant note per Wine Folley, page 131). Wine Folley p132 states that sweet cherry is the predominant flavor for a California merlot, so perhaps that is the slight sweetness that I register. I caught aromas predominantly of raspberry and, unconventionally, buttered popcorn. I feel like there was a slight buttery undertone to the wine, but to me this wine is very predominantly black cherry, and as I hold it on my tongue, it almost gets more tannic and more dramatically black cherry. Overall, this is a wine I can absolutely enjoy and while it may not be a conventional pairing, I found it pleasant to eat with some homemade carbonara. Perhaps next time I would have a sweeter wine to balance the saltiness, but this wine served as a strong palate cleanser with its bolder tannic flavors.

First Blog Post

(Me holding up a pitcher of sangria at a restaurant in Montreal)    

    My name is Jaden Gunn, and I am very excited to be starting up a wine vlog for my 2023 Spring Semester here at Virginia Tech. As a senior, I am in my final semester here at Tech, and I was looking to fill out my schedule with an enjoyable class. I looked on the internet for some recommendations and was specifically drawn to the Geography of Wine course; it seemed interesting to me as a novice wine-drinker who not only enjoys wine but recognizes the importance of it in today's society, and is intrigued by some of the intricacies of wine culture and lingo.

    My experience with wine is not expansive, yet not nothing either. I have begun to form initial preferences in taste and style. While I do not quite prefer a red or white to the other, I have noticed that I enjoy drier wines, and when I can I like to try new wines, ask what they are, and attempt to internalize if I like them or not. Unfortunately, trying different wines sporadically one glass at a time lends to my opinions on one lacking distinction between others over time, so I am specifically excited not only to learn more about wine in this course but also to document the wines I try and more accurately represent and develop my preferences.

    On rare occasion, I have tried wine flights/gone to wineries with the purpose of trying different wines. On one specific trip this last summer I traveled with my girlfriend to her hometown in Ithaca, NY, where I quickly discovered that the "Finger Lakes region" was a popular and fertile ground for producing well-recognized wines. We went on a wine tour over the course of a Saturday and it was a great experience. I truly do enjoy wine culture and want to immerse myself in it for the purposes of enjoying more the wine I try and the experiences around the wine I partake in. 

    Overall, I am very excited for this course, and am excited for how the added wine knowledge and more developed/documented wine opinions bode for my recreational future.