Tasting - Bera

Name: Bera

Variety: Asti

Region: Neviglie, Piemonte

Country: Italy

Year: 2011

Price: $9.95

Shop/wine critic/winery review: 90 pts, Decanter Magazine

Bera is a soft and plush wine with creamy foam, lemony mousse and loads of fragrant peach blossom, honey and sweet almond on the bouquet. You’ll love the intensity of elegant,  fresh, rich flavours and vibrant acidity.

My review: This wine was very sweet and bubbly.  The wine smelled very floral and had hints of sweet fruits such as grapefruit.  I did not have this wine with any food.

Tasting - Monastrell

Name: Tarima

Variety:Macon - Monastrell

Region: Alicante

Country: Spain

Year: 2013

Price: $9.95

Shop/wine critic/winery review: 90 pts, Stephen Tanzer

Bright purple.  High-pitched red and dark berry scents show good clarity and pick up a licorice nuance with air.  Tangy and focused on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry and spicecake flavors with an exotic touch of candied violet.  Closes spicy and long, with silky tannins building slowly and adding gentle grip.  This is a fantastic value.

My review:  This wine was very spicy in smell.  I could taste the cherries.  The flavor was very harsh and sour.  I would say this wine was very acidic.  I did not try this wine with any food.

Tasting - Coreto

Name: Coreto

Variety: Tinto

Country: Portugal

Year: 2013

Price: $6.95

Shop/wine critic/winery review: Caladoc , Alicante Bouschet , Castellan , Pinot Noir , Tinta Roriz , Touriga Nacional.  Great as an aperitif, is a perfect wine for the day-to-day. Excellent addition to dishes with meats, stews, roasts, barbecue, pasta, pizza, vegetarian dishes, Mexican food, Chinese, Thai and cheeses. Excellent with food or by itself. You can follow for example, roasts, barbecue, pasta and vegetarian dishes or made of cheese. Serve at a temperature of 14-16ºC which enhances the fruity, also being much more enjoyable in warmer weather, on a terrace or a party.  

 

 My review: This wine had a clear cherry smell to it.  I could also smell black raspberry.  The wine was kind of acidic and the tannins were apparent in the taste.  I did not try this food with any wine. 

Tasting - Tarima

Name: Tarima

Variety: Blanco

Region: Alicante

Country: Spain

Year: 2013

Price: $8.95

Shop/wine critic/winery review: (70% mereseguera, 20% viura and 10% moscatel):  Light yellow.  Perfumed aromas of Meyer lemon, melon and white flowers show good clarity and a hint of ginger.  Juicy, open-knit citrus fruit and peach flavors are firmed by a zesty mineral quality and a touch of white pepper.  The melon note repeats on the clinging but slightly warm finish.

My review: When I smelled this wine for the first time I could smell apricots, citruis fruits, and pears.  This wine was somewhat sweet and also slightly acidic.  I did not try this wine with any food.

Tasting- Dom de la Condemine

Name: Dom de la Condemine

Variety:Macon - Peronne Le Clou

Region: Burgundy

Country: France

Year: 2012

Price: $7.95

Shop/wine critic/winery review: Made from 100% Chardonnay. Sustainable agriculture: very low use of chemicals.  Their philosophy is to produce a wine in the traditional style of Mâcon, with minimal intervention and not use of Oak.  The soils is made of Clay and Limestone (Argilo-Calcaire) and the parcels are located right next to Viré Clessé Appelatio.  A light golden hue, floral aromas. Intense, clean and fresh on the palate. Citrus notes, bold acidity. Excellent match to seafood with butter or cream sauces or rich blue cheeses.

My review: This wine was very tart and dry.  I could taste and smell citrus fruits.  There was also a slight floral smell to the white.  I did not try this wine with any food.

Wine and Cheese Pairing #2

Wine and Cheese Pairing with Allison

Pairing: B*%#@!N Barrel Red with Garlic and Herb Cheddar

Wine Name: B*%#@!N Barrel Red

Variety: Red Blend

Region: Kentucky

Country: US

Year: 2013

Price: $12.99

Shop review: Aged for a short while in bourbon barrels, this semi-dry red wine gives you just a hint of that other famous Kentucky beverage often made in Louisville!

My review:  The wine was a dry red that had a smell of cherries and I could taste the tannins.  The wine was slightly acidic.  This wine was paired with Garlic and Herb Cheddar.  The cheese

 had very strong herbal flavors that clashed with the wine.  It tended to mask and disrupt the flavors of the wine.  I did not think this was a great paring overall.

Pairing: Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon with Co-Jack Cheese

Wine Name: Canyon Road Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California

Country: US

Year: 2013

Price: $8.22

Shop review: Medium- bodied wine with rich and flavorful hints of ripe raspberry and a velvety smooth finish

My review:  This wine was fruity and strong in smell.  You got hints of raspberry, cherry, and other berries on the first smell.  The wine was rich and the flavor lingered in your mouth.  This wine was paired with Colby Jack Cheddar cheese.  This cheese was kind of creamy and tasty.  The cheese was not overpowering in flavor but still had great flavors that I think paired well with the wine.  The cheese brought out the sweetness of the wine and the berry flavors.

Pairing: Sutter Home White Zinfandel with Gouda

Name: Sutter Home White Zinfandel

Variety: White Zinfandel

Region: California

Country: US

Year: NA

Price: $5.95

Shop review: You may blush with excitement over this fresh, lively wine. Beauty in a bottle, our light, refreshing White Zinfandel wine flirts with your tongue, as you taste essences of strawberry and melon. Perfect with all types of food, we recommend pairing it with something a little spicy such as Asian or Latin cuisine.

My review: This wine was a sweeter wine with berry and fruity flavors.  I could taste strawberries and raspberries as well as cantaloupe and watermelon.  I paired this wine with a Gouda that was a rich, more solid wine than the cheddar.  It broke in a more crumbly fashion as well.  The cheese tasted like a typical Gouda and similar to the last Gouda I had in my last pairing but not smokey.  This was not an idea pairing because it conflicted with the sweetness of the wine.  This wine would probably have benefited more from a nutty, spicey wine.  I would not recommend this pairing. 

Mercedes Cup VT Polo Event

All of the wines tasted during the tasting

Name: Fincastle Rose
Variety: Rose
Year: 2013
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Winery Review: Refreshing, semi-sweet blend of Chambourcin and Vidal Blanc crafted for well-balanced acidity with cherry and strawberry notes.
My Review: This wine smelled like cherries and possibly additional berries.  The wine was sweet with a tart aftertaste that I enjoyed.  Very easy to drink wine.

Name: Fincastle Knights Tour
Variety: Red blend
Year: 2011
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Winery Review: Oak aged dry red blend of predominantly Cabernets with winemaker selected blending grapes. Blend ratios are optimized by vintage.
My Review: This wine was very strong aromatically. The nose had hints of oak and was very hard to drink.  slightly acidic and you could taste the tannis.

Name: Fincastle Cabernet Sauvignon
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Year: 2011
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Winery Review: Our Cabernet Sauvignon is a full bodied dry red aged 2 years in American oak, with cherry and black currant notes.
My Review: This wine was very strong and full in flavor.  The oak flavor was prevalent as well as some spices.  I did not really enjoy this wine.

Name: Fincastle Hybrid Vigor
Variety: White blend
Year: 2013
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Winery Review: A semi-sweet white wine with a citrus finish blended from French-American hybrids Chardonnel, Vidal Blanc & Traminette. You will notice bold tropical fruit flavors of pineapple and mango.
My Review: This wine I could definitely smell the citrus and fruity aspects.  I could taste possibly some orange or pears and possibly even pineapple.  The wine was kind of sweet but also crisp.

Name: Fincastle Cabernet Franc
Variety: Cabernet Franc
Year: 2011
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Winery Review: Dry red aged 24 months in oak. Less tannic than Sauvignon with hints of anise, blackberry and black cherry.
My Review:   This red wine had a strong oak smell to is.  There was hints of tannins in the taste and the flavor kind of lingered in your mouth after the first sip.  Fruity wine with cherry and possibly blackberries.

Playing Polo 1

Backstage with the Horses

Backstage with the Horses and Friends

Playing Polo 2