Attimo Winery

About a month or so ago, my friend Janna and I went to Attimo Winery. Normally, a tasting at Attimo is $5 for 8 wines, but because Janna has a Virginia Wine Pass (http://virginiawinepass.com/), we had 16 tastings for free! Yep, we're just that good. We didn't have the opportunity to physically tour the winery, but we got a lot of information on how some of the wines were made. I'll keep my descriptions brief since there are 16 of them!

Yesterday's Song, Chardonnay, $18: I thought this was a very oaked chardonnay, especially on the back end. This isn't surprising, as I've come to find that I'm not a big fan of chardonnays unless they're unoaked. It also had a nice pear flavor to it, and a toasty finish.

Sonnet 98, Vidal Blanc, $18:  The biggest flavors I got from this wine were: asparagus, lemon, and butter. It had a surprising earthy component to it, but you can't go wrong with that flavor profile!

Off-the-Cuff, Riesling/Chardonnay, $17: This wine had a tropical feel to it that I wasn't expecting. I tasted a lot of mango and pineapple.

Wonder, Viognier/Vidal/Traminette, $19: I didn't know what to expect with this wine since I don't have very much experience with any of these varietals, but this is one of my favorites! I guess it was a little bit oaky, but that was balanced out with the lovely melted heath bar flavor to it. It wasn't overly sweet, but it tasted like toffee and it was delicious.

I Do, Traminette/Petit Mensang, $17: This is one of the wines they designate for weddings, which personally I find a bit disappointing because I wasn't a big fan of the wine. It had a lot of rotten vegetable smells on the nose, but the palate didn't really make up for it. Janna aptly described the nose as "after-eating-asparagus-pee".

Just Kissed Blush, Vidal/Raspberry, $17: The notes I took for this wine just say "Raspberry. Raspberry. Raspberry." I don't mean that in a bad way, but that's the main (if not the only) flavor you get from this wine. But overall it's very light and drinkable.

After Midnight, Merlot/Blackberry/Zinfandel, $17: This wine was deliciously fruity and luscious. The best thing I could compare it to would be a raspberry vinaigrette, because you can taste the fruit but it's not overly sweet. Definitely one of my favorites.

Bull Frog Symphony, Blend, $18: This is essentially Attimo's experiment wine. They describe it as "dry red blend, peppery, and eclectic", which had me looking forward to it throughout the entire tasting. I wasn't dazzled by it, to me it just tasted like a generic red table wine.

Deep Silence, Cabernet Franc, $19: This wine is stored in American Oak barrels surrounded by dry ice, which I thought was pretty interesting. To me, this tasted like toast with strawberry jam on it, which isn't too bad of a flavor profile.

AD325, Chambourcin, $18: Wet rock and cinnamon on the nose, but light cherry on the nose. It wasn't a heavy wine at all.

Sudden Downpour, Apple/White Blend, $16: This wine was made in the most unique way I've ever heard. The grapes are kept with wood chips that you'd use on a barbeque for a time, then the wine is stored in bourbon barrels instead of your standard wine oak barrels. It's then aged in neutral plastic barrels. The resulting flavor can really only be described as apple pie. It's very sweet, so make sure you don't take a big sip!

Masquerade, Chardonnay, $20: So, funny story. Masquerade was created by accident. It was originally Yesterday's Song, however a barrels of that wine were lost at their storage facility (shared with other wineries, at the time the Chardonnay wasn't made on site). They were eventually found 7 months later. What happened to the flavor of the wine? It had a smooth, creamy texture to it and was much better than Yesterday's Song! In my opinion, the mouth feel of the wine masks the oak flavors, making it much more drinkable.

Vertex, Cabernet Sauvignon, $21: The most important note I have about this wine is that if you want to drink it, open it a few hours earlier. It's got too powerful of a flavor profile to be consumed immediately!

Charisma, Tinta Madera/Touriga Nacional/Souzao, $26: This is a port wine from Portugal that is sent to California to be fortified with brandy, and is obviously not produced on site. To me, it just tasted like raisin infused brandy, but it smelled much sweeter and fruitier.

Tropical Getaway, Chardonnay/Vidal/Riesling, $21: This Members Only wine was VERY sweet! It tasted like a mango syrup to me, It would actually probably be really good for cooking.

Promise, Syrah/Zinfandel/Cab Sauv, $25: Another Members Only wine. This was one of my favorites. Honestly, I don't have many notes for it because I drank it too fast! It had lots of robust fruit and berry flavors to it. It was very drinkable all by itself!

Overall, it was a great day! Attimo is a very cozy place, run by really nice people. It felt really nice to support a local winery. I can't wait to go back!

Tracy's first wine dinner

A few weeks back, I had some wine class buddies over and treated them to a pairing dinner! It was my first time hosting a dinner party so I was pretty nervous, but luckily I managed to not burn the house down! Overall, it was a great night with friends! I'm really proud the pairings I selected worked really well together! 

The 3 wines we had were: Chianti Classico Riserva Vigneti La Selvanella, Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon, & Lodali Moscato d'Asti. The Chianti was paired with a bruschetta, the Cabernet Sauvignon was paired with pasta and red sauce with italian sausage and ground beef, and the Moscato was paired with brownies AND strawberries and chocolate dipping sauce (I.Love.Chocolate.)

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First Course: Chianti Classico Vigneti La Selvanella and Bruschetta

Chianti Classico Riserva Vigneti La Selvanella

Sangiovese

Tuscany

Italy

2008

$22

Shop Review: The nose is complex, pervasive and elegant, its fruit notes mingling with very intense, unusual mineral and smoky sensations. The gutsy palate displays well-balanced acidity, sweet, tight-knit tannins that are never woody, and extraordinary length.

My Review: My friend Dante actually brought this bottle back from Italy after a family trip. Luckily for us he was willing to share :) It had a delicious cherry flavor to it, in an incredibly drinkable way. It had a full, balanced body -- nothing was overpowering at all. I actually high fived Dante for buying it after my first sip. Even though it's entirely drinkable on its own, It was even better with the bruschetta. I think the balsamic vinegar in the dish is what made the pairing work so well. I also just love bruschetta, so I'd probably eat it with just about anything. 

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Second Course: Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon and Pasta in Red Sauce w/ Italian Sausage and Ground Beef

 

Gen 5 Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon

Lodi, California

USA

2011

 $12

Shop Review: The Gen 5 Cabernet is solid and firm on the palate; well balanced; displays attractive black fruit flavors that show excellent ripeness

My Review: Cab Savs make me a bit nervous because I'm always nervous that they're going to be too dry or heavy. This wasn't the case with the Gen 5! I tasted a lot of pleasant cherry and raspberry flavors, with the perfect amount of pepper. It was also great with the pasta, I think the fat content of both types of meat helped mellow out the tannis.

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Final Course: Lodali Moscato d'Asti

Lodali Moscato d'Asti

100% Moscato

Piedmont

Italy

2014

$11

Shop Review: A delightfully aromatic wine, with loads of fresh fruit flavors bursting from the glass. It is sweet, but beautiful balanced by the wine's effervescence and acidity. Being frizz ante, it has only about half the effervescence of a sparkling wine, and is hard to resist. This wine makes a wonderful accompaniment to many desserts, especially those with fruit such as peach, pear, apple, and berries.

My Review: Note to self -- learn what "frizz ante" means. The moscato was nice and crisp and fizzy like a good moscato should be! I don't know if I'd be willing to drink it on its own, it's pretty strong, but it paired very well with the brownies! I think the chocolate mellowed out the strong flavors in the wine. We also tried it with strawberries and chocolate dipping sauce, and it was AMAZING. Yes, we had 2 desserts. Just like the review said, it paired very well with fruit.

Jam Jar

Sweet White (Moscato)

South Africa

2014

$8.95

This charming, easy-drinking Moscato offers flavors of peach, apricot, lychee and orange blossom. A lively jolt of acidity keeps it fresh and fruity. Fancy enough for a special occasion toast, yet sweet-natured enough to enjoy every day, our bright and cheerful sweet wines are sure to capture your heart.

First of all, how cute is this label?? For me, this was a standard moscato with sweet peach flavors. This would be great with all types of desserts, but unfortunately I didn't get to have it with any food. It's also good all by itself. 

Rare Red Blend

Rare Red

Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, Petite Verdot, Merlot blend

California

USA

2013

$9.95

A multi-vintage blend of Zinfandel, Petite Verdot, Petite Syrah, and Merlot that is full-bodied and fruit forward with a spicy and complex finish. This wine has been partially barrel aged for eight months in American and French oak.

This was a strong, fruity wine. It felt like it had a lot of heat to it, I'm not sure if that was a legitimate pepper flavor or the alcohol content. I think this needs to be paired with something to tone it out, maybe pasta? It'd be interesting to try it with food.

Breca Tovana Old Vine Garnacha

Breca Tovana

Old Vine Garnacha

Munebrega

Spain

2013

$8.95

Gnarled vines, grown without irrigation, are a mainstay of Spain’s winemaking tradition and produce small clusters of perfectly ripe Garnacha grapes. Aromas of blackberries, plums, and cherries fill the glass and develop into luscious flavors of black stone fruit. Long, supple tannins complete this extraordinary wine.

I got a lot of cherry flavors with this wine. It had a yummy berry flavor to it. It was a little heavy in tannins, but I think that works for this wine. I didn't get to have it with food, but it would make a good dinner wine. Maybe it would even be good with chocolate!

Marques de Caceres Verdejo

Marques de Caceres

Verdejo

Rueda

Spain

2013

$9.95

Vivid straw colour. Fresh, clean and intense bouquet enlivened by notes of citrus fruit with a depth of pears and apples. Deliciously fresh and full in the mouth where racy, focused flavours deliver notes of minerals, lemon rind and green apples. Good length and a refreshing finish. Has all the character of the best from its appellation.

This is a light wine with a nice citrusy finish. The pear and apple flavors are very present but not obnoxiously so. Very good for casual sipping during the summer, I'd classify it as another good porch wine. I didn't have it with food, but I liked it on its own. 

Dibon Cava

Dibon Cava

Cava Blend: 45% Macabeo, 25% Xarel-lo, 30% Parellada

Catalonia

Spain

2013

$9.95

Made from 45% Macabeo, 25% Xarel-lo, 30% Parellada, the nose offers regal yeast and richness, while the palate has complexity to prop up apple, citrus and grapefruit flavors. Solid from front to back, with health and freshness. Cava, Catalan sparkling wine, is made mostly in the regions of Penedes, and the capital of cava is Sant Sadurni d´Anoia. Dibon is located in Vilafranca del Penedes, aproximately 20 Km from Sant Sadurni. The Dibon vineyard is in the process of becoming fully organic. It consists of 75 hectares of trellised vines 1000 feet above the Mediterranean Sea.

This is a very dry sparkling wine with a nice citrus flavor to it. It's definitely very crisp and refreshing, maybe I'll have some when I'm in Catalonia this summer! I didn't have it with food, but it was pretty good on its own.

Palisades Dinner Pairing (Italy)

Last Wednesday, my friend Janna and I made the trek out to Eggleston, VA (aka the middle of nowhere.) to have a nice Italian wine and dinner pairing. Or so we thought. To put it bluntly: the night was a total disaster. We arrived at 7:20, were not seated until 8:30, and at that point they had run out of their two originally paired side dishes. Awesome. Oh, it also took 45 minutes to get our TINY little plates of food. We tried to make the most out of the night, and here's the recap of what we came up with:

The wines: La Carraia Orvieto Classico 2013, Tiamo Chianti (2013), Bonaventura Rosso Toscano (2009)

The Original Menu: The Potato Gnocci was swapped for a Spicy Shrimp Dip with pita slices, and the Braised Chicken was swapped for a Winter Bruschetta. Yippee...

This is me, waiting for my food for 45 minutes while maintaining enough discipline to not crush the glasses of wine in front of me sheerly for some sort of sustenance. 

Hooray, the food finally came! Wait, where's the rest of it? At this point we were cranky and hungry and were hoping for much bigger portions.

La Carraia Orvieto Classico (2013)

This wine was originally supposed to be paired with the Potato Gnocci, and I think that would have been absolutely delicious. The wine was light and crisp with hints of apple. However, it was instead paired with a spicy shrimp dip, which didn't work at all. I guess the logic was that white wines go well with seafood, so it would've gone well? The spices in the dip clashed with this wine, but went very well with the Chianti. 

Tiamo Chianti (2013)

I think this might have been the first Chianti I'd ever had, but I was pleased with it. It wasn't in your face in any way, it was very balanced with strong fruit and berry flavors. This was supposed to go with the Braised Chicken over Polenta, which I imagine would have been great, but instead it was paired with a Winter Bruschetta. For those of you as confused as we were, a winter bruschetta alla Palisades is a sweet potato crostini topped with mascarpone and chopped rutabaga, carrot, and other seasonal vegetables. It wasn't as gross as I thought it would be (I HATE sweet potatoes), but it didn't pair well with the Chianti either. I think if it had been a traditional Chianti, that would have been fabulous (and now I know this for a fact because I paired them in my own dinner party!). The bruschetta actually worked better with the Orvieto Classico, which I credit to the sweet mascarpone. This Chianti went exceptionally well with the shrimp dip (which I actually really liked), and I believe it's due to the honey and garlic in the sauce.

Bonaventura Rosso Toscano (2009)

I'm just going to be upfront about this wine -- I absolutely hated it. So did Janna. It was bitter and overly earthy and just gross. It was paired with the "Taste of Italy Pizza", which was basically a cheese pizza with olives and pepperoni on top. Sounds awesome right? It would have been but they burnt it, taking out most of the flavor. A burnt pizza with an overly bitter and earthy wine doesn't work. So we tried the wine with the other dishes, and it turns out that it clashed even harder with them. GREAT. Because I already hated the flavor of the wine and there was a bunch of sediment at the bottom of my glass, I didn't even finish my tasting of the wine. 

This is the saving grace of the evening: Sticky toffee pudding. We got it because we were both still hungry and because we thought it might work with the Toscano. We were wrong. That wine is impossible to pair, but at least we got dessert out of it.

Even thought the dinner was a complete mess, I think we actually learned a lot. Dinner was terrible, but we spent the entire time talking about what could have saved it. It forced us to really think about flavor profiles of different foods and wines, so maybe it was a good experience in the long run!

2013 Camp Chardonnay

Camp Chardonnay

Chardonnay

Sonoma County, California

USA

2013

$14.95

The 2013 Chardonnay is 97% from the Lloyd Vineyard in Alexander Valley off of Soda Rock Road and 3% from the Prior Vineyard in Sonoma Valley. The Lloyd portion was harvested in 3 picks, two were early for acid and the third was a few weeks later to add some lusher flavors. All lots were whole cluster pressed and then fermented together in stainless steel then transferred to neutral oak barrels for 4 months before being racked and prepared for bottling.

My biggest indicator for whether or not I like a wine is if I find myself talking to someone for a period of time and then look down and realize my glass is empty. If I get to a point where I stop analyzing the wine on every sip and just enjoy it instead, it's a good wine (for me, at least). At the end of the tasting, I realized I didn't even have any notes for the Chardonnay because I drank it too fast. I didn't have high hopes since I've bashed on them in the past, but this Chardonnay was absolutely delicious. It had a nice toasty, vanilla-y flavor, and not too much of the butter. It also didn't have a big oak flavor to it, which is nice. I didn't have it with food, but I brought a bottle home so I'm excited to try it out!

2013 Camp Merlot

Camp Merlot

Merlot

Sonoma County, California

USA

2013

$17.95

The 2013 Merlot is from the Organically farmed Mojon’s Bench Vineyard in Alexander Valley. Grapes were harvested mid-season and destemmed without crushing to a stainless steel open-top tank for fermentation then aged in French barrels ranging from 1-5 years old. The resulting wine has structure that is surprising for Merlot, but smooth tannins and an easy drinking fruit style.

I don't have much experience with Merlot, but I actually thought about buying this one. It had a nice cinnamon flavor to it, but not so much that it overpowered the other berry flavors. It was a very drinkable Merlot, and would be great for introducing novice wine drinkers to Merlots. I didn't get to have it with food, but I bet this would be GREAT with a steak. 

2013 Camp Cabernet Sauvignon

Camp Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon

Sonoma Valley, California

USA

2013

$17.95

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 3% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Franc. We sourced fruit from Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Sonoma Valley for this years assemblage. Each lot was individually fermented then blended and aged in French barrels ranging from 1-5 years old. A little riper and more fruit forward than the Hobo Cab.

This wine had lots of berry flavor to it, but with a little bit of pepper and cinnamon. I think it needed to breathe longer, because it wasn't as easy to drink as I was hoping. I think I also might be biased because I was absolutely blown away by the Cabernet Sauvignon we'd had the night before at the dinner pairing (blog post coming soon!). I didn't have it with food, but I think it'd go well with pasta with a red sauce.

2013 Rayun Sauvignon Blanc

Rayun Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc

Central Valley

Chile

2013

$9.99

This Sauvignon Blanc puts us instantly in Valparaiso with a plateful of fresh seafood and the cool ocean breezes just a tickle at your neck. Crisp and refreshing, with waves of lacy and limpid juice that suggest citrus and pineapple, this white just can't be beat on quality or on price.

This wine had a huge pineapple flavor. I think it was because I had just brushed my teeth and this is the first wine I tasted, but it was really bitter and hard to adjust to. Overall, I wasn't really blown away with this wine. I didn't get to try it with food, but maybe that would help balance it out.

2013 Camp Cabernet Franc

Camp Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc

Sonoma County, California

USA

2013

$19.95

The newest label from Kenny Likitprakong (Hobo, Folk Machine) highlights an affordable side of Sonoma, and this effort from a mix of Alexander Valley and Dry Creek fruit is just what it should be. The wine shows a big floral side, with lilies, uncured tobacco and dark serrano chile attached to subtle raspberry fruit and a bright, mildly tannic aspect. Not a Cabernet Franc for the ages, but one for right now in a wonderfully Californian vein.

The biggest flavor I got from this wine was tart cranberry. Even on the nose, you could tell that the flavor would dominate your palate. Just as all the Camp wines were, this is a very drinkable wine. The distributor at the tasting referred to all of the Camp wines as his "porch-drinking wines" I didn't have it with food, but I bet it would go really well with cheese, especially havarti.

Wine and Cheese Pairing, April 3rd

Last Friday, a few wine-o friends and I got together to have some good ol' fashioned wine and cheese pairing fun! We'd been trying to schedule it all semester, so I'm glad we finally figured out a time to make it work. Here are the lovely wines we had:

Chateau Ste Michelle

Sauvignon Blanc, 2013

Columbia Valley, Washington

Narcisi

Gewurtraminer, 2013

Pennsylvania 

Anciano

Tempranillo, 2008

Valdepenas, Spain

Not pictured (but already blogged about!): Hedgeline Pinot Noir, 2012

http://tracyl7-wine.blogspot.com/2015/02/hedgeline-vineyards-pinot-noir-2012.html

(it got even better the longer it sat, I loved it so much I bought it again)

Since there were 6 of us, we added an extra bottle of wine just in case we ran out. You can never be too careful when supplying a party with wine. The cheese lineup was: muenster, havarti, and sharp cheddar. We also had oyster crackers as a palate cleanser, which I was ECSTATIC about because they are delicious. Here's a (slightly blurry) picture of our cute little plates for sharing:

I was at a slight disadvantage for this pairing party. I've been having issues with allergies this week, so I've been pretty stuffed up. Hopefully it goes away soon! It's pretty difficult for me to pick up on distinct flavors, which made this and the weekly tasting less exciting and informative. Also, it makes my wine descriptions kind of lame, to be perfectly honest. However, I got second opinions from my friends to make sure I was on the right track :)

The Sauvignon Blanc:

By itself, this wine had a very crisp, citrusy flavor to it. I'm starting to like Sauvignon Blancs even more lately, they pair pretty well with common dinner foods (or at least the plates you'd drink a white with). The mindset I was in while pairing these wines was "Try a sip of wine and bite of cheese, and see if anything clashes", which I learned is DEFINITELY not the right way to do it. I had an experience with a wine that directly clashed with a cheese while at Attimo Winery (blog post coming soon!), so maybe that's my reasoning for looking for a negative pairing. This Sauvignon Blanc went well with all of the cheeses (which really doesn't make for an exciting blog post...), but it went especially well with the muenster. I think the muenster toned down the natural acidity of the wine and made it even more drinkable. I found myself talking and taking sips/bites of cheese and not really paying attention to the tasting anymore! I had a similar experience with the Havarti. It didn't go as well with the cheddar, I think it overpowered the wine a bit, but not in an offensive way. Overall, this wine was really easily paired and enjoyable with these cheeses!

The Gewurztraminer:

We had this wine 2nd because we knew if we tried it after the reds our palates wouldn't be able to pick up on the sweet flavors as well. By itself, it's a very sweet wine with orange and lemon flavors present. This wine paired exceptionally well with the muenster, I think the creaminess of both the wine and cheese complimented each other. It worked well with the havarti too, but I don't think that they enhanced each others flavors at all (it was still yummy though). The flavor of the cheddar was a little too harsh for this wine, but you could still have the two together. The biggest thing I learned from the pairing is: don't eat cheddar with whites, especially sweet ones. 

The Tempranillo:

Honestly, I wasn't that big of a fan of this wine. It might have just been too big of a contrast between this and the sweet Gewurztraminer, but the first sip was brutal. There was way too much of a cinnamon flavor to it for my taste, and that's even when I'm all stuffed up. Additionally, it was really dry. After a few sips I got used to it (a little), but out of the 4 wines it definitely wasn't my favorite. Pairing it with the cheese helped a little bit, they toned down the wine's harsh flavors. The muenster balanced it out somewhat, but the havarti helped combat how dry the Tempranillo was. I'd attribute that to the creaminess of the cheese. The Tempranillo didn't really blend with the cheddar at all. They maintained their respective flavors, which didn't taste bad but didn't do much for the overall taste either. 

The Pinot Noir:

I didn't spend much time taking notes for this wine since I've already reviewed it, but just as I predicted in the earlier post it went great with cheese! It worked fabulously with the cheddar (which was actually the reason we bought it!). I'm not entirely sure which flavors to give credit for the great pairing (thanks, allergies), but they blended really well together. It was really nice to sit and talk with friends with the Pinot and Cheddar!

Unfortunately, we didn't take a group picture, but I think we all learned even more about our personal preferences when it comes to wines and their pairings. We already have plans for a dinner pairing, so that's coming up soon on the blog!

Peter Mertes Riesling Platinum 2013

Peter Mertes Riesling Platinum

Riesling

Rheinhessen

Germany

2013

$8.95

"This quality Riesling is crisp, clean and easy drinking. Floral and fruit aromas suggest sweet melon and honey with enough acidity to ensure a beautifully balanced and versatile wine."

If you've read earlier posts in this blog, you know about the love I've developed for Rieslings this semester. So naturally I was really happy when I saw there was a Riesling at this tasting! However, this one wasn't as amazing as I'd hoped. Again, I'm not in the best shape for tasting right now because of allergies, but this bottle just seemed too sweet. I guess I prefer dry Rieslings, so that's good to know. I didn't get to have it with food, but you could probably pair this with a fruit salad, or even just drink it on its own. 

Charles Thomas Cotes du Rhone 2013

Charles Thomas Cotes du Rhone

Cotes du Rhone Blend: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre

Cotes du Rhone

France

2013

$8.95

"50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre. 56 Ha grown organically since March 2009 (in conversion). Part of the vineyard is plowed with horses. Average age of the vines : 30 years old. Clear ruby wine with overtones of red berry fruits. Round and supple with smooth aftertaste. A good all round red wine for meat courses, poultry and light cheeses. Best drunk now while fresh with good keeping up to 4 years."

I was really excited to try a wine from such a famous and important wine making region. It wasn't anything extraordinary, but it was a very drinkable red with a nice flavor profile.  It was hard for me to pick out specific flavors this week (dang it, allergies...), but I think the best descriptors would be cherry/raspberry. Just like the review says, this is the perfect table wine for dinner and could be easily paired with many different foods. Unfortunately, I didn't get the opportunity to pair it with anything.

Terre di Poggio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Laude 2012

Terre di Poggio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Laude

Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Laude

Abruzzo

Italy

2012

$8.95

"This opens with dark aromas of leather, tobacco, cured meat, plum and prune. It shows soft tannins and loads of dark fruit on the finish."

What is with this week's wines and having extremely complicated names? This is also my first exposure to a wine from this region, but it was pretty solid. It was a very smoky wine with lots of flavor, but it didn't seem overpowering in any way. If I bought a bottle, I'd probably have to let it breathe for 5-6 hours before touching it since it's such a strong flavor profile, but overall it was good. I didn't have it with food, but if I had to take a guess, this wine would be great with a steak (especially one that's been slathered with lots of spices). Fun fact: Abruzzo means "light blue" in Italian. Thanks, Italian 1105!

Sean Minor Pinot Noir Rose Vin Gris

Vin Gris

Carneros

California

2013

$8.95

"The Vin Gris is a bright and vibrant salmon color with cherry, strawberry, cranberry and ripe watermelon aromas on the nose.  On entry, the wine displays bright strawberry flavors. Throughout the mid-palate and finish, raspberry and cherry fruit characters are balanced with spicy and crisp acidity that linger creating a refreshing and lengthy finish. "

This was my first experience with the Vin Gris grape, so that's exciting! The review says the wine is a salmon color, but I thought it was more of a clear rust color -- but other way it was just pretty. I didn't pick up on any cranberry or watermelon (but again, I was stuffed up), but I got a LOT of crisp strawberry flavor with some richer cherry flavors too. I believe the pourer said this bottle normally goes for $20, but it's down to $8.95, so that's interesting too. I thought about buying this and trying to pair it with food, but decided against it. It would probably go well with a salad, and maybe some light pasta(?).

Grande Resereve des Bastides 2013

Grande Resereve des Bastides

Gaillac, Blend: 50% Loin de l'Oeil, 30% Mauzac, 20% Sauvignon Blanc

Gaillac

France

2013

$9.95

"A crisp and fruity blend featuring 20% of the herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc, 50% creamy Loin de l’Oeil and notes of fresh apple and crisp pear, plus a touch of herb from the 30% Mauzac. It has a bright feel, with a hint of mineral on the finish."

I think it's allergies, but I've been a little stuffed up this week so my experiences with the wines this week were probably a bit off. The main flavor I got from this wine was the pear. It also had a grassy, summery feel to it, but overall it wasn't too complex. It was a solid wine, but I wasn't blown away. Completely unrelated to the wine itself, but I think the label on this bottle is really unique and cool. I didn't have it with food, but I bet it would be good with seafood or a summery salad.