Vintage Cellar Tasting - Beringer (3/31)

Name: Beringer

Grape Variety: Chenin Blanc

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2014

Price: $5.95

Cellar Review: A fresh green-apple aroma and vivid citrus and crisp apple flavors are supported by vibrant acidity in this medium-bodied wine. The texture is smooth but crisp, making lots of good food pairings come to mind, from pre-meal cheese, to salads, seafood and veggie pastas.      

My Review: Light yellow color (young). Overwhelming smells of grapefruit and orange. Surprisingly sweet taste. My favorite of the day.

*Did not have with food

Vintage Cellar Tasting - Carraia

Name: Carraia 

Grape Variety: Aglianico

Region: Campagna

Country: Italy

Year: 2013

Price: $15....Sale $9.95

Cellar Review: Produced in the Campania region of Italy, this Aglianico has delicious black fruit flavors with hints of licorice, volcanic soil and tar notes. Classic in nature, yet in a lighter, more crowd-pleasing style, the Carraia is made of the ancient Aglianico grape. This black grape originated in Greece and today is widely grown in Basilicata and Campania.

My Review: Dark red color. Aromas of Ricola medicine and has subtle minty tones. A blend of medicine, black licorice, and a high level of tannins. It was my least favorite of the day. 

*Did not have with food

Vintage Cellar Tasting - Siema

Name: Siema

Grape Variety: Vino Rosso (Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo)

Region: Piemonte

Country: Italy

Year: 2013

Price: $10...Sale $6.95

Cellar Review: Intense ruby red with soft garnet nuances in the glass, the Rosso is intriguingly fresh, fruity and spicy on the nose. Perfectly round and balanced, the wine is particularly soft and dry. Pair with simple dishes like fresh cheese, ham, salami, or pizza for a divine culinary experience.       

My Review: Beautiful ruby red color. Blend of vanilla, caramel, and red cherry aromas. Light bodied wine with a blend of cherry and plum flavors. 

*Did not have with food

Vintage Cellar Tasting - Dom de la Foret Grenache Cinsault

Name: Dom de la Foret Grenache Cinsault 

Grape Variety: Rose de Mediterranée

Region: Provence

Country: France

Year: N/A

Price: $13 Sale...$8.95

Cellar Review: A stony, pure style, with a warm paving stone note framing the dried cherry and rose water notes. The long, watermelon rind—inflected finish is finely tuned. Shows length and cut, staying lacy in feel. 50% Cinsault and 50% Grenache.   

My Review: Pretty light peach color. The smell resembled cheerios. Very tannin and tart with tones of grapefruit. 

*Did not have with food

Vintage Cellar Tasting - Bricco dei Tati

Name: Bricco dei Tati

Grape Variety: Cortese

Region: Piemonte

Country: Italy

Year: 2013

Price: $10...Sale $6.95

Washington Post Review: Great Value! Treat this terrific little white like a red: Don’t chill it too much, then let it open for a half-hour to develop its enticing tropical fruit flavors. It’s dry, but the fruit gives an appealing illusion of sweetness. Great as an aperitif or with light seafood dishes.

My Review: Strong alcoholic aromas. Hints of pear and apple. The taste is very tart but has a candy mid palette. 

*Did not have with food

Vintage Cellar Tasting - Crane Lake Riesling (Week #8)

Name: Crane Lake

Grape Variety: Riesling

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Price: $5.95

Cellar Review:  The trademark German red grape varietal Dornfelder has a lovely purity of soft red berry fruit. Integrated soft tannins combined with forward fruit flavors make for a perfectly balanced everyday sipping wine. Great with grilled red meat, sausage and chicken. Best served slightly chilled.    

My Review: Sweet aromas of crisp apples. Very sweet but not overpowering. Fruity and well balanced. A great patio wine.

*Did not have with food

Vintage Cellar Tasting - Crane Lake Shiraz

Name: Crane Lake

Grape Variety: Shiraz

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2013

Price: $5.95

Cellar Review: Beautiful ruby appearance, with blackberry and pepper notes. Tannins and fruit marry well for a soft finish. This wine pairs well with sharp cheddar cheese and hazelnuts. Also try it along with roast lamb at Easter time, veal marsala, or grilled salmon.     

My Review: Funky smell, resembling trash and old socks. Also hints of earth and fungus. The taste was very smokey and oaky.

*Did not have with food

Vintage Cellar Tasting - Georges Duboeuf

Name: Georges Duboeuf

Grape Variety: Nouveau

Region: Beaujolais

Country: France

Year: 2015

Price: $12....Sale $5.95

Cellar Review: George Duboeuf is THE king of Beaujolais.  His wines are full of pop, charm and great flavor and his Beaujolais Nouveau is no exception.  A cornucopia of expressive fruit wrapped in an almost-bubblegum-like frame; it is the flagship Nouveau.

My Review: Beautiful pink-red color. Very aromatic wine containing hints of vanilla and raspberries. Medium bodied, no memorable flavor. 

*Did not have with food

Vintage Cellar Tasting - Maipe

Name: Maipe

Grape Variety: Torrontes

Region: Mendoza 

Country: Argentina

Year: 2014

Price: $14....Sale $7.95

Cellar Review: The wine has a spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well-balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish.

My Review: Light yellow-green color. Imagine an avacado color if it was in liquid form. It had a mango smell. The wine itself was full bodied and bold. Not much of any fruity flavor on the palette. 

*Did not have with food

Vintage Cellar Tasting - Tonnino

Name: Tonnino

Grape Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: Sicily

Country: Italy

Year: 2014

Price: $14....Sale $7.95

Cellar Review: Tonnino’s exotic example of Pinot Grigio has a straw to pale gold color. It is fresh and clean on the nose with fruity notes of pear, green apple and white peaches. The palate is true to the nose with a fresh acidity, coriander and lime notes followed by a crisp finish. This wine pairs well with youthful aperitifs, clams or mussels, pastas and risotto dishes.

My Review: Fragrances of white flowers and green apple. Very light wine with a sweet after taste. It has a hint of acidity too it. My favorite of the five wines today.

*Did not have with food

Wine Pairing Dinner #2 - The Palisades

On Wednesday, two friends and I decided to venture out to Eggleston, Virginia to try a wine-pairing dinner at The Palisades restaurant. It was a very pretty drive and from the outside it looked like a hole in the wall. I really liked the interior decor too.

The outside

The Inside


Every Wednesday, they have a theme of dinner from a different part of the country. This week's theme was Chile. Here is the menu that includes the dishes and wines of the night:

What I thought about the wines on their own:

1. Chardonnay, Terranoble 

Grape Variety: Chardonnay 

Region: Central Valley

Country: Chile 

Year: 2015

Price: $12

Cellar Review: Attractive color and interesting aromas, such as ripe pear, pineapple, mixed with butter & vanilla notes

My Review: Smell of white flowers and pear on the nose. The taste was delicious and very crisp. It was a dry white but not too dry.

2. Cabernet Sauvignon, Terranoble

Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Central Valley 

Country: Chile

Year: 2013

Price: $10

Cellar Review: Deeply colored and delightfully aromatic, it displays notes of chocolate, tobacco and red fruits

My Review: This was a very hard wine to smell because the glass was so small and full (glass size really does matter!). I got subtle hints of black berries but that's it. The taste was medium bodied but a little plain. 

1. Camenère, Chocalan 

Grape Variety: Camenère

Region: Maipo Valley

Country: Chile

Year: 2011

Price: $11

Cellar Review: This selection is distinguished by its intense color and exceptional fruitiness

My Review: A beautiful aroma of plum on the nose. Extremely peppery and oaky on the nose. Definitely not as fruity as the Cab Sav.

Wine Food Pairing Review:

Milcaos: Chilean style potato pancakes with caramelized onions & olive oil (the bottom item)

With the Chardonnay: Tastes good. The crisp white wine complements the plain pancakes. 

With the Cab Sav: Amazing! The potato gets creamier with the cabernet sauvignon. One of my favorite combinations of the night. 

With the Carmenere: Not a great combination, the wine definitely over powered the pancakes. 

Empanada: Pastry filled with cheese (middle item)

With the Chardonnay: Really good! It was my favorite food with the chardonnay, it brought out the dry apple flavors. 

With the Cab Sav: Not a great combination, the cheese clashed with the berry-like wine.

With the Carmenere: The empanada was too bready to even make a good judgement. I was kind of dissapointed with the food as a whole. It made the wine taste too full and bready. Not a great combination with anything.

Pastel de Choclo: Sweet corn pie with beef, chicken, raisins, olives and hard boiled egg (top item)

With the Chardonnay: The wine gets lost in this food.

With the Cab Sav: The fruity undertones did not complement the egg. The wine was not bold enough.

With the Carmenere: The spiciness of the wine was balanced out with the cheese and chili combination. 

Danielle, Courtney, and I!