Tasting- Concannon Pinot Grigio

Name: Concannon Selected Vineyards Pinot Grigio
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: Central Coast
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $10

Winery review: Smoky grilled peach, pear yogurt aromas with a soft, dry light-to-medium body and a nut brittle and citrus accented finish. A nice choice with food. (Wine group gives it a 89 points and highly recommended)

My review:  I thought this wine was extremely good. I'm coming to find that pinot grigio my be one of my favorites of the white wines. It had a yellowish color and a peachy smell to it. It pretty much had a fruity taste with hints of pears and peaches. It also has a good amount of alcohol which I like (13%). I could definitely drink this with a good trout or mahi mahi meal. I recommend this wine to anyone and especially white wine lovers.

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting - Avant Chardonnay

Name: Avant Chardonnay
Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2009
Price: $16

Winery review: Vivid, crisp and bright - the brand new Avant Chardonnay continues the nearly three decades of pioneering distinguished varietal wines from California's cool coastal appellations. Avant is very different from KJ's traditional rich, creamy styles of Chardonnay. Avant bursts with intriguing layers of fresh pineapple, bright green apple, crisp Meyer lemon, juicy pear and wildflowers. The wine's refreshing acidity and sleek mineral notes are balanced by a rounded mid-palate and slight oakiness with a long, pure fruit finish.  (Wine enthusiast in 2010)  — 90

My review: Like every other chardonnay, this wine was very sweet.I am a fan of white wines, especially chardonnay. This wine had a strong fruit aspect to it and I could get a huge dose of apple and pears. If you are a fan of sweet fruity wines, I recommend this chardonnay. I would pair this with a fish or seafood meal for sure.

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting - James River White Sauvignon Blanc

Name: The Williamsburg Winery James River White Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Virginia
Country: USA
Year: 2011
Price: $15

Winery review: The wine displays a wonderful floral, perfumed character with a fresh fruit forward approach. There is a creamy vanilla tone that rounds out the balance and makes for a clean fresh finish. This will pair well with many summer foods. It is 13.2% alcohol and it is dry. It is fermented in stainless steel and aged in neutral french oak.  

My review: I thought this wine tasted very good. It had a very fruity aspect to it and even tasted fruity (especially hints of lemon). Though not the best of wines, I think it had a decent finish. I could pair this maybe with snack foods like grapes or a tray of cheeses. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.

Tasting - Alamos Malbec

Name: Alamos Malbec
Variety: Malbec
Region: Mendoza, Argentina
Country: Argentina
Year: 2011
Price: $10

Winery review: Medium ruby red color, moderate aromas of vanilla, branches and almonds in the nose. Dry, medium-bodied, quite smooth acidity-wise. Tannins strong and hard, somewhat unbalanced. Very peppery and a bit green. Finished short.Felt quite closed. Retried after two days: Nose of raspberry and currants, very appealing. Fresh with black currant aromas. Decant!  (2/26/2013 Cellartracker)  — 88

My review: On perception, the color of the wine was a dark purple. On the nose, it had a very flowery smell. I tasted raspberry flavors and what seemed like chocolate. This was wine was very smooth and I recommend it to anyone. I could see myself drinking this with a good salad.

I tasted this wine without food.

Winery Visit - Potomac Point Winery and VIneyard

On Saturday, February 23, I went with my friend to a winery near his house called Potomac Point Winery in Stafford, Va. I took a tour of the winery, listened to a band play there at night, and participated in a few wine tastings.

This winery is located on 275 Decatur Rd. in an area of North Stafford known as Widewater. The place is owned by Cindi and Skip Causey. The winery is 13 acres and is beautiful inside and out. The outside of the winery reminds me of a Castle mixed with an old Italian architecture. Inside there is a tasting room, gift shop, olive oil bar, outdoor courtyard, and a D'vine room to relax and enjoy a bottle. The winery gets its fruit from leased vineyards in Orange, Virginia. However, bottled wines will be generated from the 5 acred vineyard associated with the winery once the vines have reached their maturity level.

After touring around the winery for a bit, my friend and I were able to taste some wines.
Chardonnay (2009)- This was a very good and sweet wine. It had a nose of mango which I enjoyed and it tasted really fruity.

Vin de Paille (2008)- This wine had a very tropical smell to it and a hint of honey definitely stood out. This wine was pretty sweet and I liked it.

Cabernet Franc (2008)- This was a good dark wine which had a berry flavor to it. It was pretty smooth as well and had a wood taste towards the end.

Petit Verdot (2008)- This wine had a very dark color and smelled smoky/pepperish. I really liked it alot and I could've enjoyed this with a good steak or some cheese.

After the tastings, the winery had a nice band come to the courtyard and perform music for the crowd. It was very relaxing music that helped make the night perfect while sipping on some wine. I loved this winery because it was a beautiful place and had a lot of good scenery. They also had a myriad number of wines ranging from white to red. I recommend everyone to go if they ever get the chance.

Wine film review: Blood into Wine

Jonathan Howard

 Movie Review

Blood into Wine

                        The movie was called “Blood into Wine” and it was made by Ryan Page and Christopher Pomerenke. The movie focuses on Maynard James Keenan and his counterpart, Eric Glomski, in starting this vineyard in Arizona. Arizona has a world class wine region on the slopes of Verde Valley that has unique soil and environmental characteristics. The film highlights the grape growing process at Caduceus Cellars and the Merkin Vineyards.

            One key theme throughout the movie is how the soil and environment that the vineyards are planted in plays a huge role into the flavors that come out when you drink the wine. The unique natural environment where this vineyard is planted gives the wine a taste like no other and gives it distinct flavors only recognizable from that region. Another prevalent theme throughout the movie is that anyone can obtain a passion for wine and making wine regardless of their history/background. Maynard James Keenan was a rock star for a band called Tool and was known for being wild and crazy. Now, he focuses on growing his vineyard in peaceful Arizona which proves the point that anyone can gain an interest in the wine business. Another theme in the film deals with family and roots being emphasized in the wine making process. Keenan’s grandfather, ‘Spirito’ Marzo had owned vineyards in Italy back in the day. Keenan also talks about spreading his mothers, Judith Marie, ashes over the vineyard to honor her death. His first batch of wine was made with those ashes and named Nagual del Judith. Lastly, another key theme is the concept of ‘trial and error’ in relation to learning the grape growing process. He talks about dealing with animals eating the grapes, harsh weather conditions, and grape vines and how he’s had to alter his vineyard to account for these variables.

            The plot of this movie really is taking a look into Keenan’s vineyard and seeing the hardships that go along with trying to start a vineyard. There are also very comedic scenes where two guys interrogate Keenan in an attempt to make fun of his wine. I believe they make fun of him because so many people don’t take him serious for entering the wine industry after being a rock star. The movie discusses how Keenan links up with his mentor, Eric Glomski, and how they interact with each other. Throughout the movie Keenan talks about the area where he started his vineyard and how he chose that area based on the unique scents/aromas found in that environment. Keenan also talks about getting dirty and laboring hard to ensure that his vineyard comes out to become a success. Some of the chores he talks about performing are watering/pruning the vines, monitoring the acidity in the soil, harvesting, fertilizing, processing, and protecting the vineyard from animals and such. In conclusion, Keenan transitioned from being a rock star into a vineyard owner and is working on making a top notch vineyard in an area where no one thought it could be possible.

            The Verde Valley which is where this movie takes place would not be your first choice to grow grapes since it’s in south-central Arizona which is known to be a dry and humid place. In Arizona, the soil is volcanic and rocky mimicking areas like California and Washington State. Although the soil is unique, it also proves to be a challenge for the grape vines and it makes it hard to survive the Arizona climate. Glomski, Keenan’s partner, talks about the quality fruits along the waterways in the Verde valley and how he was drawn to this valley.

            From class, I remember learning about the fermentation and harvesting process and the film has several scenes where this takes place. Glomski pushes down the cap and shows how the tannins and juices all come together to make the wine. The film also talks about how the grapes have to be picked from the stems and then mushed into must. Keenan is also shown displaying how the vines have to be separated so they don’t tangle with one another stunting growth of the vines.

            Personally, I never listened to the music group Tool or knew who Maynard was before this movie. The fact that his passion for wine took him from a crazy rock band to growing grapes and making wine is amazing to me. I recommend this movie one hundred percent just because it shows the hardships of owning a vineyard and how anyone can do anything they want if they put their mind to it. Keenan in the movie talks about how he put his all into his music and now in this new chapter in his life, he’s putting his all into growing grapes and making wine. 

Tasting - "Wine Men of Gotham Chardonnay Semillon"

Name: Wine Men of Gotham Chardonnay Semillon
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Semillon
Country: Australia
Year: 2008
Price: $9

Winery review: Chardonnay and Semillon are two old French grape varieties that are only blended together in the New World.Chardonnay, from its home in Burgundy, and Semillon, from Bordeaux, are both weighty white-wine grapes so it is not surprising that the resulting blends fall on the heavier end of the spectrum. (wine searcher)

My review: Of all white wines, I think chardonnay might be my favorite. I thought the wine was really sweet and even though I am not a fan of really sweet things, I liked this wine. I could see myself eating this with a good chicken ceasar salad. 

I tasted this on its own with no food.