Tasting - Coastal Vines Brut

 

Name: Coastal Vines Brut
Variety: Sparkling Wine
Region: Sonoma, California
Country: United States
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95


Wine critic review: Coastal Vines Sparkling Wine is a light colored wine with aromas of apple and citrus. On the palate there are flavors of melon and pear. The finish is crisp and clean. Pair with cheeses, like brie, for appetizers; grilled garlic shrimp over a bed of pasta; or with a light  white cake for dessert

My review: I am a huge fan of sparkling wines so I was excited to see this on the tasting list. I am already noticing an improvement in my smelling capabilities because I was immediately able to pick up on the apple smell of this wine. It smelled very sweet and definitely like something I would like. And I did! The melon flavors were very refreshing and left me wanting more. I did not have it with food but I imagine it would be very good with seafood or with a yummy dessert.

Tasting - Risata Moscato d'Asti

Name: Risata Moscato d'Asti

Variety: 100% Moscato

Region: Piedmont

Country: Italy

Year: 2011

Price: $15.95

Wine critic review: "This Moscato d’Asti is fresh, fragrant, and frizzante with vibrant, flavors and aromas of ripe stone fruit, tangerines, and honey. The wine is concentrated and flavorful, but not overly rich or heavy; sweet, yet balanced."

My review: I knew from my first taste of this Moscato that I would be leaving the Vintage Cellar with it. I loved the fizziness of it and the vibrancy of the tangerine and honey flavors. The wine was very fresh and I am excited to pair it with a dessert, such as pound cake with honey drizzled on it! Mmm mmm mmm!

Tasting - Cuvee de la Luna

Name: Valley of the Moon, Cuvee de la Luna

Variety: Bordeaux blend

Region: Sonoma County, California

Country: United States

Year: 2008

Price: $13.95

Wine critic review: "This is a Bordeaux-style blend that has enough Cabernet Sauvignon (80%) to be called a varietal wine. It is dark ruby in color. The enticing nose shows loads of jammy, fleshy, dark plums, berries, and currant fruit, with an accent of menthol. The lush, sweet fruits coat the mouth with a velvety feel, picking up notes of black licorice and tobacco. The tannins — medium-grained and rounded — pop in at the finish. This is a full-bodied, balanced, voluptuous red that is a pleasure to drink right now."

My review: What immediately drew me to this wine was that it was on sale for almost half the price. As a college student, I'm very price sensitive and any discount is one worth being noticed. Through the tasting of this wine, I discovered that I don't hate all red wines like I thought I did. The aroma was of black cherry and vanilla and the taste was of oak and dark chocolate. This wine had a very full body and was easy to drink. I went to buy it at the end of the tasting, but it was all sold out. Maybe next time!

Tasting - DeLoach Pinot Noir

Name: DeLoach Pinot Noir
Variety: Pinot Noir
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2009
Price: $12.95


Wine critic review: "A really nice wine, showing the generosity and sheer sexiness that Pinot Noir can offer. With a silky mouthfeel, it has expansive flavors of raspberry and cherry jam, orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon and sandalwood. One of the best Pinots on the market at this price, and easy to find, with 20,000 cases produced."

My review: From the smell of the wine I thought that I was going to enjoy it. I caught scents of strawberry, mint, and raspberries. However, I did not enjoy the taste as much as the smell. For me, the berry and dark cherry taste in this wine was not to my liking. The wine was fairly light in body and I imagine it would pair well with a salad or grilled chicken.

Tasting - One Hope Chardonnay

Name: One Hope Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: United States
Year: 2009
Price: $11.95


Wine critic review: "Whether you like a creamy chardonnay or acidic chardonnay, this one fits the bill for both. I tend to prefer a Rombauer, Acacia, La Crema type and my best friend prefers a Sterling, etc acidic type and we can both agree on ONEHOPE! This wine is a party pleaser."

My review: Anything related to a cause catches my attention immediately. I really love the fact that half of the profits generated from the sale of every bottles goes to help fighting breast cancer. And it doesn't hurt that this Chardonnay was quite tasty. The oak flavor wasn't too overpowering and the pear and apple flavors provided a crisp taste with a silky finish. I didn't pair it with food, but the Vintage Cellar recommended broiled or grilled seafood or poultry dishes.

Tasting - Bolla Soave

Name: Bolla Soave
Variety: 90% Garganega; 10% Trebbiano di Soave
Region: Soave
Country: Italy
Year: 2010
Price: $10.95


Wine critic review: "Middle of the road is probably the best way to describe this wine. There aren’t a lot of aromas, though some floral notes came through. In the mouth it’s not particularly full bodied, but neither is it particularly big on the acid and citrus, though it was good and crisp. If I was making a wine for somebody that wanted something less rounded than a Chardonnay but wanted less citrus than a Sauvignon Blanc, this is probably the wine I would make.

The wine paired well enough with the food, but it didn’t exactly enhance, nor was enhanced, by the food. As a crisp white wine to sip on while sitting on a deck in warm weather when you’re looking for something refreshing that you don’t have to think too much about you’ll do well with this wine"

My review: This my first wine at my first wine tasting every and I really enjoyed it. The pear and lemon flavors were a very nice combination and the nut aftertaste was delectable. I did not pair this wine with food, but at the Vintage Cellar they recommended pairing it with grilled seafood or chicken and I think that sounds like a wonderful combination.