Will's Wine Blog

Name: Muscadet Sevre et Maine  Variety: Muscadet  Region: Loire Valley  Country: France  Year: 2019  Price: $10.00    Winery Review: White apple and citrus. Good acidity and balance. Light-bodied. Long pleasant finish. Good for mussels in wine sauce. - (V.R. 3.8/4).   Wine Folly: From the book I smell the seashell.    My Review: Light on the nose, tangy, sea water. Taste tangerine, lemon, lime, and strong grapefruit. I would recommend this wine.

  Name: Chateau Ste Michelle – Dry Riesling  Variety: 100% Riesling  Region: Washington State - Columbia Valley  Country: USA  Year: 2021  Price: $10.00    Winery Review: Dry white wine made from the Riesling grape grown in Columbia Valley, Washington. Fresh, light bodied and slightly tangy, with white peach and white nectarine flavors. -(F.D. 3.7/5).   Wine Folly: On page 158 of the book, I get the hints of lime and citrus.    My Review: Smell light crisp green apple, fresh, fruit skins and lemon zest. It tastes dry, light, very acidic, citrus, and mineral.

                      A bunch of my friends and I are all taking the geography of wine class together. As such, we all went over to one of the friend's places (who had a big enough table) for a wine dinner. This dinner involved 6 different dishes and four different wines, however, this is only to accommodate dietary restrictions of the group. This is three of the courses and their respective wine pairings.                 Our first course was an appetizer of pan fried wontons, paired with a sparkling Spumante Rosé . This Rosé on its own smells wonderfully of fruit, specifically peach, crisp apple, and pineapple. The wine is dry and tart, the carbonation lightens the pallet. It is sweet forward, and has a tart flavor. I would definitely recommend this wine. Paired with the wontons, the wine cuts the saltiness and adds something to the fatness/oily nature of the wontons, but in a good way. This pairing also added to the sweetness of the wine with hits of vinegar. This was a fantasti

                The first wine and cheese pairing we tried was the Clos Des Lunes, Lune Blanche and Brugge Comtesse cheese. The Lune Blanche is from Bordeaux with a 2019 vintage year. It is a blended wine 70% semillon and 30% sauvignon. The wine by itself smelled strongly of fruit skins and hits of green apple, lemon zest, orange, and possibly gravel. The taste by itself was slightly dry, acidic, and has a light flavor profile. Paired with the Brugge, the cheese cuts the acidic nature of the wine and makes the wine taste sweeter. This wine is good on its own, but still pairs well with the cheese. Neither better or worse with the cheese, just different.              The second wine and cheese pairing was the Sterling Vintner’s Collection Pinot Noir with Le Gruyere cheese. This Pinot Noir is from California and a 2020 vintage. This wine smells of black cherry with a smoky aroma. Tasting it by itself yields a wonderfully bold pinot that is dry and fairly tannic, while still managing to ha

Name: Junmai Daiginjo  Variety: Junmai  Region: Kobe  Country: Japan  Year: No year on sake Price: $34.70    Winery Review: This is my all-around Junmai Daiginjo that works perfectly with cold seafood dishes. I have been trying other high-end Junmai Daiginjo sakes and finally found the one for me with affordability. It is smooth, flavorful, and versatile. - (J.S. 5/5)   Wine Folly: There is nothing in the book about sake. The label said to expect hints of green apple, pear, and umami. These are tough flavors to pick up, it is not a fruity wine at all, in my opinion. My Review: This smells nutty and of rice wine. This tastes very syrupy, very pleasant and has a light flavor profile. I would like to pair this with sushi at some point. 

Name: The Fableist   Variety: 100% Albarino  Region: Central Coast, California  Country: USA  Year: 2020  Price: $20.00    Winery Review: Wonderful little Albariño. Perhaps California's Central Coast will be the other (besides Portugal and northwestern Spain) go-to source for wines made from this exciting varietal. I've tasted several Albariños from Paso Robles and Edna Valley, and all have been terrific. What places Albariño wines from the Central Coast AVA above the fray is the grape's inherent high acidity, which survives despites these areas' sometimes too-hot weather. - (O.K. 89/100)   Wine Folly: I pick up the lemon zest as mentioned on pg 74. My Review: Overwhelming smell of buttered sweet corn. This is not a sweet or dry wine, leaning toward dry. It is a very fruity wine but it is not sweet. Hints of honeydew, pomegranate, and grapefruit. I like this wine and would recommend it to someone with a more sophisticated palette than myself.   

Name: Mas de Sainte Croix  Variety: Grenache blended with Syrah  Region: Burgundy  Country: France  Year: 2017  Price: $12.00    Winery Review: Crisp blackberry and plum flavors are edged by earthen nuances of bramble and forest floor in this full-bodied blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah. It's juicy but briskly concentrated, framed by ripe, integrated tannins. Enjoy this mouthfilling but easy-quaffing red while it's young. (A.L. C. I. 90/100)   Wine Folly: I was able to taste the hints of leather as described on pg. 117 of the book. I was unable to detect any of the flavors on pg. 172 in the book.   My Review: Smells of cherry, blackberry, leather, and methanol alcohol. Bitter but not as bitter as other red wines. This is very acidic and earthy. I did not enjoy this wine very much.

  Name: California Roots Chardonnay Variety: 100% Chardonnay Region: Napa & Lodi, California Country: USA Year: 2021 Price: $5.00 Winery Review: A lighter style of Chard, with vanilla and citrus nose. Light citrus, tropical fruit flavors on the palate, with riper fruit showing as it opens up. Tropical fruit finish. - (J.S. 89/100) Wine Folly: I can taste the buttery and vanilla hints as explained in the book on pg. 96. I also can taste the similarities between this and the other California Chardonnay that I tried in week 2.   My Review: Smell of fruit skins and tastes buttery with bitter notes. This wine is crisp and slightly dry, and hints of sour citrus. Not a bad wine, however very similar to the other California Chardonnay.

  Name: Moscato D’Asti Variety: Muscat Blanc Region: Asti Country: Italy Year: 2021 Price: $11.00 Winery Review: Pale sunshine yellow in color while presenting a slight frizzante, this Moscato d’Asti has intense aromas of peaches, rose petals and ginger. On the palate, it is delicately sweet and sparkling with balanced acidity, good complexity and a finish of fresh apricots. Perfectly paired with pastry, fruit based and creamy desserts and blue cheeses. – (K.S 90) Wine Folly: As described in the book, Moscato D’Asti Muscat Blanc is orange, honeysuckle, lemon, rose, and vanilla, on pg. 139. I could taste orange, honeysuckle, and lemon.   My Review: This wine smells like honey and lemon, it tastes divine, very light and sweet. Fruity and citrus. This is the best wine that I have had thus far, and would recommend and drink this wine again.

Name: Chianti Variety: Sangiovese Region: Tuscany Country: Italy Year: 2019 Price: $5.00   Winery Review: At this low price for 1.5 litres of Tuscan wine it's a wonderful buy! smooth, fruity , quite light it's a superb little wine and it comes from A little Tuscan town that I know so well! –  (T.K 4.5). Wine Folly: The book describes Chianti as “preserved cherry, aged balsamic, espresso, [and] dry salami” pg 162. I was able to detect cherry and balsamic vinegar.   My Review: Despite my first impressions of this red, it is not a bold full body red. It would be better described as a medium or light body, almost as if it was watered down (very possible based on the price). This is a very tannic and acidic red wine with fruity notes.