Tasting- "Seduction"

Name: Seduction
Variety: Tinta Madera, Tourigo nacional, Souzao
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $26

Critic Review: " This vintage Ruby dessert wine conjures up flavors of dark chocolate, raspberry, blackberry and a slight touch of nuttiness.  Perfect for a cold winter night."

Personal Review: The smell of this wine was not good- it reminded me of nail polish remover.  However, the taste was amazing.  It was a port wine and you could really taste the Brandy that was added to it.  The overwhelming taste was raisins.  I loved this wine, but wouldnt be able to drink much of it!
With/Without Food: I tried this without food.

Tasting- "Sudden Downpour"

Name: Sudden Downpour
Variety: Apple, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc blend
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $13
Critic Review: " This sweet apple wine, blended with white table wine embodies a quality of surprise, with warm vanilla notes drawn from the aged bourbon barrel. "
Personal Review: This wine was very different because I have never tasted an apple wine before.  It was sweety and very apple-y.  I really liked it and was excited to try a fruit wine.
With/Without Food: I tried this without food.

Tasting- "Sonnet 98"

Name: Sonnet 98
Variety: Vidal Blanc
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $17

Critic Review: " This Vidal, with its soft undertones and vibrant floral bouquet brings to mind crisp spring mornings and the first spring flowers bursting forth to find the sun."

Personal Review: This wine was very sweet at first but then finished with a perfect floral taste.  It was so delicious and one of the only white wines I have ever tasted.  This wine was fermented cold.  This wine has won international medals.
With/Without Food: I tried this without food.

Tasting- "Vertex"

Name: Vertex
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Hampton Roads, Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $20

Critic Review: " This bold and unassuming Cabernet Sauvignon with rich tannins and intense plum flavors,  reaches a peak of spiciness.  It can be paired with bold meats and rich pasta meals."

Personal Review: This wine was very, very oaky and an overall woody taste.  I really liked the taste just like most Cabernets.  This wine was aged 11 months in French Oak.
With/Without Food: I tried this without food.

Tasting- "AD 325"

Name: A.D. 325
Variety: Chambourcin
Region: Virgina
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $16

Critic Review:  " This Chambourcin,  brings together a rich, brilliantly colored wine with vibrant aromatics and slightly-sweet flavor.  Chambourcin is best served with chocolate, as the flavors intermingle exceptionally well."

Personal Review: This wine had an exceptional taste and you could really tell there was a beginning, middle, and ending taste.  At first it was very light, but it changed throughout the taste.  This wine was a Bordeaux style and sat with its skins for 10 days.  From there, it was aged in French and American oak for 9 months.  You could taste the oak.  I loved this wine.
With/Without Food: I tried this without food.

Winery Visit- "Attimo Winery"

Attimo Winery was absolute beautiful!

On Saturday, March 24 I went to visit Attimo Winery to see what their history was and how they make their wine.  Luckily we were able to learn so much from the owner of the winery and he gave us a tour and so much information about the vineyard.   This winery is the most awarded winery in Virginia and they only opened one year ago.  However, they got the idea about 10 years ago and have been working on their dream ever since.  The winery is completely green; the owners have a passive solar building, use recycled corks, compost all extra food, and recycle all of their wine bottles.

Attimo is the Italian word for "In the moment".  All of the wines that Attimo produces is named after a moment of someone's life or a moment of history.  The owners have trademarked this idea so no one else can use this idea.

Sydney and I posing at the Attimo Winery.

Because it was is the very beginning of Spring, there were only buds on the vines.  However, Attimo Winery has about 10,000 vines at their vineyard.  All of their vines come from New York and from California.  Attimo Winery is the only vineyard on the east coast with Saperavi vines.  This is from the Republic of Georgia and they like to try and keep the growing conditions as similar to Georgia as they possibly can.  In order to do that, they ferment this wine in clay. 

Inside the building where the tour began.

They make their wines based on style, not efficiency.  Because of this, they do not just throw everything into a stainless steel tank and then into oak to age.  Instead, different styles have different means of fermenting.  For their white wines, they put the wine into oak immediately.  For their red wines, they bin ferment and then put into oak to age it.  For their sweet wines, they use stainless steel and cold temperatures.

Where they make their wines was a huge question for us.  The building that everything took place did not look large enough to hold the entire wine-making process.  The Attimo owners make some of their wines in the basement of their home.  The other wines are made at their Charlottesville vineyard.  They have 2 more vineyards other than the one in Christiansburg; they also have a vineyard in Charlottesville and Roanoke.  As for the bottling process, most are hand bottled with recycled cork.  The rest of their wines are bottled in Charlottesville at a place where a few companies share for bottling wines.

The building that is on the grounds at Attimo Winery.

The company has really grown in size and notoriety in the past year.  The winery is getting their wines to restaurants for distribution.  Zeppoli's and Preston's now have their wines on their menus.  The goal of the winery is to have all restaurants in Montgomery County and Roanoke County to have their wines on their menu.  From there, the owners will decide how they want to continue with distribution.  In 2009, the winery only had about 200 cases to sell.  In 2010, they made about 1700 cases.  In 2011 they have 3200 cases.  In 2012, they plan to have about 5000 cases.  This is great process and I am excited to see some of their wines get distributed.

Attimo Winery is going to be the host winery at the Fork and Cork festival in Blacksburg in April.  The owner that we met will be teaching the food and wine pairing so I will be sure to see his class.  I absolutely loved this visit and learned so much about different processes and techniques that different wineries do.

Dinner- "Kathryn's House"

We love having our wine dinners!

On Thursday, March 22 Kathryn, Sydney, and I made a dinner at Kathryn/Sydney's apartment so we could try a couple different wines with a homemade dinner.  We all went to the store together and picked out a meal consisting of an appetizer, entree and sides, and a dessert. 

 We first tried the wines without any food to see how they tasted alone.  The first wine I tasted was Ebano Ribera del Duero.  This was a Tempranillo from Spain made in 2007.  It was only $7.95 and it was a great wine.  The wine was very simple with a little tingly/burning after taste.  There was a sweet taste at first, however, the after taste was more fruity.  I really enjoyed this wine and it would be perfect to eat with all different types of food.

Ebano Ribera del Duero was the first wine that we tried.  It was great!

The second wine that we tried was Crucero Carmenere.  This was exciting to try because I was able to meet one of the owners of the vineyard that it came from in Chile. He was very interesting to meet and it made it more exciting to buy since I got to meet one of the makers.  This wine was from Colchagua Valley, Chile and it was made in 2010.  The wine was only $7.95.  This wine was very, very dark in color.  Upon tasting, it was a pepper explosion in your mouth.  The wine was oaky, and a great balance of tastes.

This was the Crucero wine that we tried from Chile!

For the first course,  we had Brie cheese with toasted multigrain French bread.  We were interested to see what would happen once we paired the wine and cheese together.  The Ebaro wine did not have too much of a difference once paired with the wine.  The taste was still simple and no new flavors were exposed.  I was expecting a little difference with this Tempernillo, but I didnt find anything different.  With the Crucero,  there was a huge difference.  The wine was not so harsh and peppery.  Instead, it was much milder and tasted more simple with the cheese.  I liked the wine much better with the cheese than drinking by itself.

We love Brie paired with wine

Our next course was the entree: Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and green beans with potatoes.  Sydney made a great recipe for spaghetti sauce that included panchetta and spices!  The dinner was awesome and both wines paired well with the entree.  However, for both wines, the original flavored returned.  I did not notice any new flavors or any milder/enhanced flavors coming out of either wine.  I was very surprised by this conclusion, but both wines were good so I was happy that they tasted great with all courses.

Warm garlic bread was a must with spaghetti.

Our incredible dinner!

 The next part of our dinner was dessert.  We made fudge chocolate brownies and ate them right out of the oven.  With Crucero, the initial taste was not as intense as the original taste, however, the after taste was still very peppery.  I didn't mind the pepper taste with chocolate since the brownies were so sweet.  It ended up being a good pairing.  With the Ebano wine, the original taste stayed the same.  I will chose the Ebano wine to pair with chocolate in the future.

Kathryn starting to make the yummy brownies.

Warm brownies ready to eat!

This was a really fun experience and a great way for us to talk about how the wines tasted with different food pairings.  I have really grown to enjoy drinking wine so much and I cant wait to do our next dinner night!

Tasting- "Peter Mertes Liebfraumilch Rheinhessen Qualitatswein"

Name: Peter Mertes Liebfraumilch Rheinhessen Qualitatswein
Variety: Riesling
Region: N/A
Country: Germany
Year: 2009
Price: $5.95
Critic Review: "Soft, delicate wine of the Rheinhessen and Palatinate districts. The original wine was named after the Leibfraumilch monastery in Worms, where the monks were the first
wine growers and produced an unusually pleasing wine. Wines of the Rheinhessen and Palatinate are noted for their aroma, well- balanced harmony, and fragrance.  Leibfraumilch, as all excellent
white wines is best served chilled. We suggest serving with cold entrees, as well as poultry, such as chicken or turkey, or even with a mild Cheddar, mellow and slightly nutty with a medium
consistency. "
Personal Review: This wine was the perfect amount of sweetness; not too sweet but sweet enough.  The after taste left you with a taste of fruits in your mouth.  It was a pretty good wine for the price.
With/Without Food: I tried this without food.

Tasting- "Col Des Vents Corbieres"

Name: Col Des Vents Corbieres
Variety: 50% Carignan, 35% Grenache, 15% Syrah.
Region: N/A
Country: France
Year: 2009
Price: $7.95
Critic Review: "Brambly berry, cherry and raspberry, spices, black pepper…all are present in this authentic French country wine."
Personal Review: This wine had a great smell when I first sniffed it.  However, the taste burned your throat and it was not that great.  The wine was very simple.
With/Without Food: I tried this without food.

Tasting- "San Elias Carmenere"

Name: San Elias Carmenere
Variety: Carmenere
Region: Central Valley
Country: Chile
Price: $5.95
Year: Chile
Critic Review: "The grapes for this Carménère are selected from vineyards in the Central Valley. Beautiful red fruit aromas. Supple and round in the mouth, the wine pairs well with full flavored cheeses and lamb."
Personal Review: This wine smelled wood-y.  It was a very simple red wine that had a pepper flavor.  It was a good table wine to have.
With/Without Food: I tried this without food.
 

Tasting- "Estrella Chardonnay"

Name: Estrella Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Napa, California
Country: United States
Year: 2010
Price: $5.95
Critic Review: "Intensely flavored and balanced with layers of vanilla, butter and pear, followed by apple, banana and oak."
Personal Review: The smell of this wine was very flowery.  When I tasted it, it tasted just how it smelled.  It was an okay wine.
With/Without food: I tried this without food.

Tasting- "Zonin Pinot Grigio"

Name: Zonin Pinot Grigio
Variety: Pinot Grigio
Region: N/A
Country: Italy
Year: 2009
Price: $5.95
Critic Review: "Pale straw-yellow color with brilliant reflections. Delicately fruity bouquet, with outstanding finesse and marked hints of almond blossom and peaches. Elegant, soft and well-
structured fruit on the palate, with remarkable freshness and a clean, persistent aftertaste. "
Personal Review: I thought that this white was okay and very crisp and floral.  I am not normally a fan of whites so I thought it was just average.
With/Without Food: I tried this without food.

Distillery Visit- "Bacardi Distillery"

The Bacardi Distillery in San Juan, Puerto Rico

During Spring Break 2012, a group of us went and toured the Bacardi Distillery in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  We all learned a lot about the products, history, and the process of making the #1 selling rum company in the world.

The founder of the company, Facundo Bacardí Massó, immigrated to Cuba from Spain in the early-mid 1800s.  In Cuba, he began practicing different techniques to produce rum.  At this time, rum was not considered a refined or cultured drink; he wanted to change this stereotype.  During the production of rum in Cuba, the still that housed the production was infested with fruit bats in its rafters.  The wife of Facundo noticed these bats and she was the one that came up with the idea for the famous bat symbol for Bacardi.  After the years of prohibition, the plant opened in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Having a plant in Puerto Rico allowed for the rum to be sold tariff-free in the United States.   Today, there are no longer any ties between Cuba and Bacardi. 

The famous symbol of Bacardi featuring a bat.

When we first got to the grounds of the distillery, we were able to taste a few of their products.  I tried a few of the flavored rums including Bacardi Razz.  I also tried a traditional daiquiri made from Bacardi rum.  Lastly, I tried the new spiced rum.  My favorite drink was the traditional daiquiri- it was very refreshing and delicious.

This was the Bacardi Razz mixed with sprite.

 The company is privately owned and operated still today.  The grounds of this distillery were well-kept and it was really beautiful.  The grounds had a bar, museum, gift shop, and the "factory" where the distillation process actually takes place. 

This is where the bar was at.

The beautiful grounds of the Bacardi Distillery.

The "factory" where the distillation process takes place.

The next stop of the tour was in the museum.  In this building, we were giving the history of the Bacardi family and product, what the processes look like, the changes in the processes over time, and we were able to smell the different types of rum products.  There were models of what the distillation process looked like in the 1800s and it is crazy how things have changed due to technological advances.  There was also a room that housed original documents and pictures of the founders of Bacardi. Because of rules at the distillery, we were unable to take pictures in some parts of this building. 

This is the museum building where most of the tour took place.

The lobby was one of the only places where we could take photographs.

Yay for Boyer's wine students visiting San Juan!

The group of friends that came to learn about Bacardi.

At the end of the tour, there was another bar where we were taught how to make certain traditional Bacardi drinks including the mojito, daiquiri, and rum and coke and which rums to use for those drinks. 

The bar where we were taught how to make traditional rum drinks

Once the tour ended, we were having some fun taking pictures.  This was a great experience and the first distillery that I have ever been to.  I learned a lot about the history and the processes and I can not wait to tour another one soon!

We want all this rum!