Tasting - Landshut Riesling

Name: Landshut Riesling
Variety:  100% Riesling
Year: 2020
Price: $9.99

Country/Region: Germany (Mosel)

Wine Review: "Very fruity and refreshing with strong Lemon, peach and apple taste. It has a good balance of acidity, dryness and sweetness. Pleasant Riesling at a great price!" - P.C (1/29/2021)

Wine Folly: According to page 158, a Riesling is very aromatic and can produce wines that range from extra dry to very sweet. Germany is also the leading producer of Rieslings. On page 234 it says that some of the worlds top Rieslings come from the Mosel Valley.

My Review: I was not a huge fan of this wine at first, as it was very acidic, but after a few sips I got used to it. It turned out to not be overly sweet, however the high acidity could have gotten in the way. It smelled very peachy and citrusy, and it tasted about the same. I tasted peach, lemon, apple, and some honey. There also was some slight pear as well. I drank this wine by itself, however I think it would go well with a dessert, similar to one I had and wrote about in my Wine Lab tasting blog.

Tasting - Sunshine Bay Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Sauvignon Blanc (Sunshine Bay)

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Country/Region: New Zealand (Marlborough)
Year: 2021
Price: $10

Wine Review: 'Very tasty wine with fresh grass and guava on the nose and tart citrus on the palette." - O.B. (7/2/2021)

Wine Folly: According to page 165, Sauvignon Blanc is "A unique-tasting white wine with strong herbaceous flavors." It recommends pairing it with an herb-driven sauce, such as the basil pesto in my pasta dish. Sauvignon Blanc is New Zealand's most important grape. On page 166 it says that Marlborough, a region of New Zealand, is the most popular region for these grapes.

My Review: I enjoyed this wine a lot, even though it was relatively dry. I could immediately smell the grassy and herb profile that many Sauvignon Blanc wines from New Zealand share. Upon tasting, the grassy taste was not very prominent. I mainly tasted herbs and peaches. This was a very light bodied wine with low sweetness and a high acidity level, which I did not mind. I had this wine chilled and paired it with a creamy basil pesto pasta. After tasting the wine, I took a bite of pasta and the herbs in the pesto sauce were more noticeable. Overall I enjoyed the taste of this wine, and I would buy it again.

Tasting - Lodali Moscato d'Asti

  Name: Moscato d'Asti
  Variety: 100% Moscato (Moscato Bianco)
  Country/Region: Italy (Piedmont)
  Year: 2020
  Price: $15.00

  Wine Review: "Crisp apples, bubbles, sweet with a tart as it     dissipates, slight apricot and light" - S.H (1/29/2022)

  Wine Folly: According to page 251, Moscato d'Asti has some of   the lowest levels of all wines at around 5.5%. It is very sweet and   pairs well with fruity desserts as well as cake. They are well           known for their strong, delicious smelling aromas.

My Review: I really liked this Moscato, although it was quite sweet. It had a very fruity and floral aroma with hints of honey. I tasted mostly apple with hints of peach and lemon.  It was citrusy and crisp, which made it very easy to drink. It had a very light body, medium acidity, and a very high sweetness level. I would drink this again but maybe would try pairing it with something fruity.

Tasting - Wine Lab: Wine and Chocolate Flight

Name: Schlink Haus Riesling Spatlese

From left to right: Riesling, Sparkling red, Port

Variety:  100% Riesling
Country/Region: Germany (Nahe)
Year: 2020
Price: Part of flight ($17), $28 for a bottle

Paired with: Fossa salted egg cereal white chocolate

Wine Review: "Easy white wine to drink. Doesn’t require food but goes great with candy and desserts." - T.S (09/30/2021)

Wine Folly: On page 159 Riesling is described as "ranging in style from bone-dry to very sweet." As the Riesling I sampled, many are also produced in Germany. It has some decent acidity with low tannin levels. 

My Review: I loved this wine. It wasn't too dry or too sweet. I detected an aroma of apple, honey, and what seemed like peach. It was very easy to drink and went well with the chocolate. I think the chocolate made the flavors of the wine stand out even more.

Name: Rinaldi ReDream NV
Variety:  100% Malvasia Nera
Country/Region: Italy (Piedmont)
Year: NV
Price: Part of flight ($17), $36 for a bottle

Paired with: Raaka Oat Milk Unroasted 58% Dark Chocolate

Flight Sheet from Wine Lab (asked server for)

Wine Review: "Sweet and fizzy delight. Not as sweet as the Brachetto, which I like. Still quite refreshing and a great dessert wine. Ruby color and medium bubbles with a palate of strawberry and cherry. Sweet yet dry with a big long finish." - E.L (10/06/2018)

Wine Folly: I was not able to find anything in Wine Folly about malvasia nera grapes, so I assume it is a somewhat rare/uncommon type. This wine does however come from Italy, and the region of Piedmont, which according to page 248 produces wines which are more elegant, aromatic, and earthy.

My Review: This was a decent wine although not my favorite. To me this wine smelled somewhat like vinegar which I was not a fan of. Once I took a sip, I noticed it was fizzy and sweet, with strong notes of cherry to me. After taking a bite of the dark chocolate (which I am usually not a fan of) and trying it again, I also noticed some strawberry. I think the chocolate really brings out the fruity flavors more. Overall not my favorite, but I would try it again down the road.

Name: Porto Messias 10 Year Tawny Port
Variety:  Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão, Touriga Franca

Country/Region: Portugal/Spain (Douro)
Year: NV
Price: Part of flight ($17), $54 a bottle

Paired with: Cacaosuyu Chuncho 70% Peruvian dark chocolate

Wine Review: "Absolutely delicious. Wonderful notes of cherry, dark chocolate, a slightly more powerful liquorice tone, wraps together in a nicely aged smoothness. Really enjoying this one, and I’m not shy of a port. I’d confidently give one of these to a friend who knows port." - P.G (11/20/2021)

Wine Folly: According to page 266, grapes from the Douro region include Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão, and Touriga Franca, all of which are in this Port. Wines made with these grapes have "dense fruit and chocolate flavors supported by robust tannins." On page 154, a Tawny Port is a Port that is barrel-aged and gets pricier with time. It is also a fortified wine.

My Review: Honestly I did not like this wine. It could be because it was fortified, but it smelled like a caramel liquor to me. The taste was nutty with hints of cherry and caramel. It was also quite strong. Although I did not enjoy the initial taste, the aftertaste really tasted like maple syrup which was not terrible. After tasting the dark chocolate, the cherry and nutty flavors were more prevalent, and it was almost a little overwhelming. I was able to finish the glass but I don't think I would try a Tawny Port again anytime soon.

My specific flight

I did this with a friend group

Tasting - Winking Owl California Pinot Grigio

Name: Pinot Grigio (Winking Owl)

Variety: 100% Pinot Gris (Grigio) 
Country/Region: USA, California
Year: 2015
Price: $4.00

Wine Review: "Light, refreshing. Pears, green apple, lime finish. Light bodied, medium acidity, slightly creamy feel. A weekday, summer sipper." - D.M (5/11/21)

Wine Folly: Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio) is a pink grape variety of Pinot Noir and can range from dry to sweet. It is a common grape and has low tannin and medium acidity. It has fruity notes of peach, cantaloupe and lemon, with a slight nutty hint of almonds as well (p. 149). California produces 80% of US wine and focuses on fruity wines (such as Pinot) (p. 284).

My Review: I wanted to start off with a super cheap wine and for only being $4 this wasn't terrible, although it wasn't great. It had a very fruity aroma and was quite citrusy. I could definitely taste some apple and possibly peach with some slight sweetness. It was pretty light and refreshing, although a little on the dry side. I paired this with a creamy pasta and a salad, which I think went well together because the wine wasn't too sweet so it didn't overpower the pasta which made a good combination. 

My Personal Experience with Wine

Hi I am Andrew Straley. I never thought I would like wine. I have tried a few sips here and there of my parents wine when I was younger and I was not a fan. Now that I am over 21, I have come to enjoy a glass of wine on occasion. I do not have much experience in the wine department, but for now I have found that I prefer whites over reds. I personally prefer more fruity flavors and to me white wines provide this. One thing I do not like and have noticed with a few red wines is a slight oily sensation/texture after sipping. I don't know if there is a term for this, or if it depends on what type of red wine, but I hope to find out through this course.

Oddly enough, I do not like cheese! I know it is paired with wine quite often and a key component of charcuterie boards as well, but it is not for me. Luckily, there are many other things to pair wine with. I have not tried wine that often, maybe about 10 times thus far between restaurants and at friends houses. I am looking forward to tasting new types and following my progress through blogging along the way.

In this course, I hope to learn to like and appreciate red wines more, as well as explore wines from different countries and learn about the culture and what goes into making a bottle of wine (other than grapes). I am also excited to visit restaurants to try their unique pairings and to make a visit to the wine lab. I hope to gain valuable knowledge from the textbooks that I can utilize in my own life for choosing a type of wine to have with dinner/specific foods and certain occasions.