Tasting - Casas Del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Casa Del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Country: Chile

Region: Casablanca Valley

Vintage: 2019

Price: $15

Wine Critic Review: "Prickly aromas are true to form for basic Chilean SB, while this feels simple and light on the palate. Melon, papaya and pyrazine-laced grassy flavors finish without much pop." 86 Points

Wine Characteristics: "A unique-tasting white wine with strong herbaceous flavors that are derived from compounds called methoxypyrazines (also found in bell peppers!)...gooseberry, honeydew, grapefruit, white peach, passion-fruit" -p.165 Wine Folly

My Review: This crisp sauvignon blanc was well balanced and had strong notes of perfectly ripe peach. It was definitely on the sweeter side but was crisp enough to hedge away the aggressive sweetness that can sometimes be found. This was a very enjoyable wine and I would love to try it paired with fish or a lemon chicken dish to bring out the underlying notes that I couldn't find with just cheese.

Visual - Light gold

Nose - Citrus, honeydew melon

Palette - Peach, cranberry, mango 

Food Pairing - Triscuits with warm brie cheese

Wine Critic Source: https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/casas-del-bosque-2019-reserva-sauvignon-blanc-casablanca-valley/
 

Tasting - Francis Coppola Merlot

Name: Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Merlot

Variety: 75% Merlot, 25% Petite Sirah

Country: United States

Region: Geyserville, Sonoma, CA

Vintage: 2017

Price: $13

Wine Critic Review: "Smoky, dark and brooding Californian red wine like winemaker (and director) Francis Coppola's Dracula movie. Full-bodied and smooth with black plums and toasty oak. Coppola's Merlot grapes grow in select vineyards in Napa, Sonoma and Monterey. Full-bodied Californian red wine. Pair this wine with grilled pork chops and movie night." 91 Points

Wine Characteristics: "Merlot is loved for it's boisterous black cherry flavors, supple tannins, and smoky or chocolaty finish. It's often found in a Bordeaux blend with Cabernet Franc...cherry, plum, chocolate, dried herbs, vanilla." - p. 131 Wine Folly

My Review: Between this merlot's pleasant acidity and well-balanced notes of charred oak barrels and plum, I thoroughly enjoyed the first wine in my wine review series. This wine has set the bar very high for the rest of my tasting series. The warm brie pairing complemented this wine very well, with the creamy notes of the brie complementing the deliciously bitter notes of the wine. 

Visual - Beautiful, rich red hue

Nose - Campfire, charred oak, leather, fig, plum

Palette - Charred oak, rich plum, raspberry

Food Pairing - Triscuits with warm brie cheese

Wine Critic Source: https://www.nataliemaclean.com/wine-reviews/francis-coppola-diamond-collection-blue-label-merlot-2016/298953

My Personal Experience with Wine

    As a newly-turned 21-year-old, I am thrilled to be beginning my journey of wine appreciation in such an immersive way. Wine is an intimidating topic because of its seemingly sophisticated language and confusing jargon. By the end of this course, my goals are to understand the language of wine and be able to order from an extensive wine list without feeling intimidated by making a poor choice. I also hope to be able to distinguish the tastes of different varieties of wines and develop my pallet to enjoy the unique notes in each. 

    Among the major categories of alcoholic beverages, I am the least-experienced in wine. I find myself only drinking wine when it is provided to me in a dinner setting. When I went to Europe two summers ago, I was served wine with each dinner that was supposed to complement whichever meal we were eating. I have no recollection of which variety of wine we were served, but I do know that I enjoyed the reds more than the whites for most of the meals. I specifically remember enjoying an Austrian red wine that was paired with a steak dish and enjoying a white wine that was paired with a chicken dish.

    After enjoying these food pairings in Europe, I have always wanted to pair wine with food, but never know which wine to buy. I am hoping that upon conclusion of this course, I will be adept in the enjoyment of wine and will be able to form my opinions about tastes and pairings. I enjoy the tastes of most wines and want to hone in my palette to identify the varieties that I enjoy more than others. Overall, I am very excited to be taking this course and am looking forward to the day that I can order wine without feeling intimidated.