Barefoot Pinot Noir (Wine Folly)

 

For the second wine this Saint Patrick's night (3/17/23), I had another Barefoot wine. But this time it was a Barefoot Pinot Noir. This wine is a red varietal table wine that was made in Ceres and Modesto, California. It is primarily made with the wine grape Pinot Noir and it has an alcohol percentage of 13.5 percent. This wine does not have a vintage and I got on sale (for $2), but the split typically costs around $4. Lastly, this wine is in a plastic wine bottle and is sealed with a screw top.

Wine Critic/Review:

 "Smooth, supple and warmly fruity, this is a cherry pie of a wine. Generous red- and black-cherry flavors are wrapped in soft tannins for a rich feel without being heavy."

“Barefoot Cellars Pinot Noir.” Total Wine & More, https://www.totalwine.com/wine/red-wine/pinot-noir/barefoot-cellars-pinot-noir/p/107172750. 

 

Wine Info:

From the Wine Folly book (page 150-151), it talks about the wine grape Pinot Noir and the wine made from it. (Which I have talked about in blog post below) "The world's most popular light-bodied red is loved for its red fruit and spice flavors that are accentuated by a long, smooth, soft-tannin finish." It continues to talk about how it usually pairs well with duck, chicken, pork, and mushrooms. As well as, this wine can have hints of cherry, raspberry clove, mushroom, and vanilla. You can typically expect to spend around $30 on a bottle and it can be stored in a cellar for five to fifteen years. This wine is grown mostly in France (Burgundy, Champagne, Loire Valley, Jura), the United States, and Germany. 

Additionally, you can decant this wine up to thirty minutes and it typically has a light acidic body with low sweetness and smaller tannic component than most reds. This wine can taste different depending on the location you purchase it from. From Burgundy, France, you could taste, mushroom, cranberry, plum sauce, pastille candy, and hibiscus. From the Central Coast, California, you could taste raspberry sauce, plum, gun smoke, vanilla, and allspice. Lastly, if you do store this wine, your cellar should be between 55 to 60 ℉.

My Own Review/Experience With This Wine:

After pouring the wine in the wine glass and swirling and sniffing it a bit, I smelled at first a stinky sour plum or kinda blackberry aroma. When I tasted it, it had a medium body that was decently tannic, sour, tart, and dry. The flavor to me tasted like rubber which could be the guns smoke the Wine Folly book mentioned. I have to say, I did not really like this wine's flavor and would not recommend this wine. This experience maybe because it is a cheap wine and last week I had a nicer Robert Mondavi Pinot Noir which I thought was better.

Barefoot Pinot Grigio (Wine Folly)

 

On this rainy Saint Patrick's Day night (3/17/23), I got a couple wines to taste. The first one is a Barefoot Pinot Grigio. (187ml) This wine is somewhere in between a table and sparkling varietal white wine (because the wine had a tiny bit of carbonation.) It is made primarily with Pinot Grigio and has an alcohol percentage of 12.5 percent. Additionally, it was made in Ceres and Modesto, California and does not have a vintage. I got this small split on sale but it is usually around $4 and has a screw top.

Winemaker's Notes:

"A light-bodied classic with a crisp, bright finish, Barefoot Pinot Grigio offers all the flavors of tart green apples with fresh, white peaches. Accented with floral blossoms and citrus aromas, our Pinot Grigio pairs perfectly with traditional favorites like poultry, pasta, and pizza."

“Cellars Pinot Grigio.” Cellars Pinot Grigio, https://www.barefootwine.com/shop-wines/white-wine/pinot-grigio/0864734US.html.

Wine Info:

From the Wine Folly Book (page 149), it talks about the wine grape Pinot Grigio (or Pinot Gris). "Pinot Gris (aka Pinot Grigio) is a pink grape mutation of Pinot Noir that's most famous for its zesty white wines that range in style from dry to just plain sweet." It coninues by talking about how it pairs well with white meats, seafood, and food with a fruit element. (lemons, oranges, peaches, apricots, etc.) You can typically expect to pay around $15 for a bottle and this grape is gorwn the most in Italy. (Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige) This wine can have hints of white peach, lemon zest, cantaloupe, raw almonds, and crushed gravel. Lastly it can be stored for around 1 to 5 years in a cellar.

My Own Review/Experience With This Wine:

When I smelled the aroma of this wine from the wine glass, I smelled a sweet, sour, green apple aroma. It was also a decently strong aroma for a white wine. When I tasted it, it had a tart, sour, green apple flavor. It seemed to leave a slightly tart/tannic aftertaste. The body of this wine I think was medium and was definitely acidic. I did not pair this wine with food. In my opinion, I think that this Barefoot Pinot Grigio was decent even though it is a really cheap wine.

More of Robert Mondavi (2nd Part) (Wine Folly)

 

For the last Robert Mondavi wine for this week (3/10/23), I had a Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Pinot Noir. This wine is a red table wine made from the wine grape Pinot Noir. This wine has a vintage of 2021 (I had to look this up online since it is not on the bottle) and has a 13.5 percent alcohol percentage. Lastly, this wine was made in Acampo, California and I got it for also around $9. (This wine bottle is sealed with a cork. I am adding this on so people who want to get this will know.)

Winemaker's Notes:

"Our Pinot Noir is medium ruby in color with a medium body and soft tannins. The wine offers aromas of ripe, red cherries and violets with hints of Asian spice, sweet tobacco, and Madagascar vanilla bean followed by flavors of sweet cherries and strawberries. This wine is very versatile and pairs well with a range of foods from roasted meat to poultry, cheese, and seafood."

“Robert Mondavi Private Select Pinot Noir 2021 :: Pinot Noir.” Empire Wine & Liquor, https://www.empirewine.com/wine/robert-mondavi-private-select-pinot-noir-2021-i5414/. 

 

Wine Info:

From the Wine Folly book (page 150-151), it talks about the wine grape Pinot Noir and the wine made from it. "The world's most popular light-bodied red is loved for its red fruit and spice flavors that are accentuated by a long, smooth, soft-tannin finish." It continues to talk about how it usually pairs well with duck, chicken, pork, and mushrooms. As well as, this wine can have hints of cherry, raspberry clove, mushroom, and vanilla. You can typically expect to spend around $30 on a bottle and it can be stored in a cellar for five to fifteen years. This wine is grown mostly in France (Burgundy, Champagne, Loire Valley, Jura), the United States, and Germany. 

My Own Review/Experience With This Wine:

When pouring this wine in the glass and swirling it for a bit, I smelled what I thought was an intense aroma of tart, sour, sweet floral (maybe rose), and raspberry. The aroma was surprisingly intense, but when tasting it, the wine had a medium body. The flavors were not overbearing with a sour, tart, slightly tannic raspberry flavor. This is fruity, but it is a really dry wine. I did not pair this wine with food. Lastly, I did not like this wine because I could hardly could taste any flavors besides sour and tart grape.

More of Robert Mondavi (Wine Folly)

 

To end this short but enjoyable spring break are two Robert Mondavi wines. (3/10/23) This first wine I tasted was a Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Buttery Chardonnay. This white varietal table wine was made in Acampo, California and has a vintage of 2021. I got this bottle for about $9 and is made primarily with the Chardonnay wine grape. It has an alcohol percentage of 13.5 and is sealed with a cork.

Winemaker's Notes:

"Our 2021 Buttery Chardonnay is golden straw in color and opens with decadent aromas of ripe pineapples, sweet milk tart, and créme brûlée. Creamy, rich flavors of custard pie, graham crackers, and vanilla bean, with notes of toasted oak and baking spices follow with a lingering finish. Enjoy our Buttery Chardonnay with roasted chicken, fettuccine carbonara, grilled salmon with blue cheese, and mango green salad."

“Robert Mondavi Private Selection Buttery Chardonnay 2021 750ML.” WeSpeakWine.com, https://www.wespeakwine.com/products/robert-mondavi-private-selection-buttery-chardonnay-2021-750ml.html.

Wine Info:

From the Wine Folly Book (page 96-97), it talks about the wine grape Chardonnay. "One of the world's most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from sparkling Blanc de Blancs to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak." This wine typically pairs well with subtle spices and flavors, like lobster. This wine usually has hints of yellow apple, starfruit, pineapple, vanilla, and butter. You can typically expect to spend around $40 for a bottle and can be stored in a cellar for about five to ten years. Lastly, it is mostly grown in France and the United States and has a medium body.

My Own Review/Experience With This Wine:

When I chilled this wine and poured it in my wine glass, I smelled aromas milk/butter, along with a sour sweet pear scent. When I tasted it, it had what I thought was a light to medium body that was a little acidic and sour. It did have a slight buttery flavor with the pair and ended with a tart flavor in the mouth. I did not pair it with food. I think this was a decent wine and it was fun to try another Robert Mondavi wine since I learned about him a little in a wine movie, How he was important in getting California and specifically the Napa Valley are in California into an area of interest for wine in the world.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Malbec (Wine Folly)

 

The second wine I had for this week (3/4/23) was Robert Mondavi's Malbec. This wine is a red varietal table wine made in Acampo, California. I got this wine for also about $9 and its vintage is 2019. It has an alcohol percentage of 13.5 percent and is made from the Malbec wine grape. I was able to get full bottle of wine this week since I was home and I could share them with my parents who like to drink wine.

Winemaker's Notes:

 "Our 2019 Malbec is a deep, rich ruby in color and opens with aromas of blueberry, boysenberry, red berry, leather, and baking spice. Complex flavors of blueberry and boysenberry follow, with a hint of vanilla and baking spice on the palate. Enjoy this full-bodied wine with roasted and grilled meats, roasted potatoes, mushrooms, and strong cheeses."

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Malbec 2019 | 750 ML. - Winedeals. https://www.winedeals.com/robert-mondavi-private-selection-malbec-2019-750-ml-68911.html.

Wine Info:

From the Wine Folly Book (page 125-126), it talks about the Malbec wine grape. "Argentina's most important variety came by way of France, where it's commonly called Côt. Wines are loved for their bold fruit flavors and smooth chocolaty finish." It continues talking about how you can pair it with leaner meats and melted blue cheeses because it doesn't have a long finish like Cabernet. This wine can have hints of red plum, blackberry, vanilla, sweet tobacco, and cocoa. This wine is fairly common and is mostly grown in Argentina. You can usually expect to spend around $15 for a bottle and can store it up to 5 to 10 years to help age it.

My Own Review/Experience With This Wine:

This wine was really weird in my opinion. When I first opened it up, it had this weird stinky sour aroma. In the wine glass it smelled sour and smelled a little like plum or blackberry. When I tasted it, it had a medium body and was very sour. I tasted flavors of rubber (tires) which could be the sweet tobacco flavor listed in the Wine Folly Book. I also thought it was really acidic and did have hints of blackberry. I did not pair this wine with food. Overall, I did not like how this wine tasted and it may taste better if it had been better paired with food.

 

 

 

 

Chateau Ste Michelle Riesling (Wine Folly)

 

 

 

As Spring Break started for me at Virginia Tech, this week (3/4/2023), I finally was able to get a Riesling to try since I have never had it and I wanted to try it. This Riesling is made/produced by Chateau Ste Michelle and it is a medium sweet white varietal table wine. This wine was made specifically in Columbia Valley, Washington. Its vintage is 2021 and is made with the Riesling grape. I got this bottle on sale for about $9 and it has an alcohol percentage of 10.5 percent.

 

Winemaker's Notes:

"Our Harvest Select Riesling is made in a slightly sweeter style than our Columbia Valley Riesling but still shows the classic Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling character. It offers rich flavors of ripe peaches balanced with crisp Washington Riesling acidity. It’s like a bowl of fruit in a glass!"

“2021 Harvest Select Sweet Riesling.” Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery Woodinville, Washington, https://www.ste-michelle.com/2021-harvest-select-sweet-riesling/5637433334.p.

 

Wine Info:

 

From the Wine Folly Book (page 158-159), it talks about the wine grape Riesling. It says it is, "An aromatic white variety that can produce white wines ranging in style from bone-dry to very sweet. Germany is the world's most important producer of Riesling." It also goes on saying that it pairs well with spicy Indian and Asian cuisines. (And works well will duck, pork. bacon, shrimp, and crab.) It continues saying how this grape/wine has hints of lime, green apple, beeswax, jasmine, and petroleum. Furthermore, it is grown the most in Germany and typically has high sweetness and high acidity. 

 

My Own Review/Experience With This Wine:

 

When opening this wine, I finally got to remove the cork and it went well. The light aroma of this wine was a little sour with maybe a hint of pear. I did cool this wine and when I tasted it, it had a light to medium body that tasted a little sweet, a little sour, and had a pear and maybe floral taste.

I did not pair this wine with any food and I overall liked this wine. (I typically like sweet things.)
 

Apothic Red (Wine Folly)

 

The second wine I had to end that warm winter week was Apothic's Red wine. (2/25/23). This wine is a red blended table wine made with the grapes: Cabernet, Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Zinfandel. (There is not grape percentage on the bottle or online.) The vintage is 2019 and has an alcohol percentage of 13.5 percent. This wine was made in Modesto, California and this wine (250ml) was bought in a two pack that was on sale for $9.99, but is usually $13.99.

Winemaker's Notes:

 "We harvested a majority of the grapes for the 2019 Apothic Crush at night in cool temperatures to preserve the character of the fruit. The Pinot Noir was cold soaked for 2-3 days, then fermented between 80° to 85° F. The other varieties were fermented between 86° to 90° F. To create a silky mouthfeel and toasted caramel characteristics, we aged the blend in a mixture of French and American oak."

“Buy Apothic Crush V19 750ML for USD 11.99.” Apothic, 2 Nov. 2022, https://www.apothic.com/shop-now/red-wine/00085000023488.html.

 

   

Wine Info:

 

Here is a culmination of information I have written about all the wine grapes (Cabernet, Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Zinfandel) from the Wine Folly Book.

 

Cabernet, Sauvignon:

From the Wine Folly Book (page 88), which I have written about before in a earlier blog post, talks about the Cabernet Sauvignon wine. "The world's most popular wine is a natural cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc that originated in Bordeaux. Wines are concentrated and age-worthy." It is a full bodied wine that is not very acidic or sweet. It is usually kept in a cellar for maturation for 5-25 years. It is very popular and is grown in many countries on a total of around 713,575 acres of land. Additionally, it typically has a big body and is very tannic and can have hints of cherry, black current, cedar, baking spices, and graphite. You would expect to pay around $20 for a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Merlot:

From the Wine Folly book (page 131), it talks about the Merlot wine grape. It says how "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." The book also says this wine goes well with pork, roasted mushrooms, or braised short ribs. This wine should be stored at room temperature and can/should only be decanted for around 30 minutes. It is also a very popular wine with significantly producing the most Merlot grape.

 

Syrah: (New)

 

From the Wine Folly book (page 172), it talks about the Syrah wine grape. It talks about how it makes, "A rich, powerful, and sometimes meaty red wine that originated in the Rhône Valley of France. It's the most planted grape of Australia, where it's called Shiraz." It continues to talk about how it can pair well with darker meats and exotic spices to bring out the "fruit notes of Syrah". This wine can have hints of blueberry, plum, milk chocolate, tobacco, and green peppercorn. This wine typically has a large body with high tannins and acidity that matches with high alcohol and a little sugar. You can normally get a bottle of this wine for around $25 and it can be aged in a cellar for 5 to 25 years. This wine grape is popular and is mostly grown in France and then Australia.

Zinfandel:

 

From the Wine Folly book (page 189), it talks about the Zinfandel grape/wine and how is is "A fruit-forward yet bold red that's loved for its jammy fruit and smokey, exotic spice note. Originally from Croatia, Zinfandel is related to Croatia #1 red, Plavic Mali." The book also talks about which dishes this wine can be good with like Turkish, Moroccan, and Arabic cuisines which help bring out the grape's cinnamon-like spices. This wine typically had a decent body with high alcohol percentage which is balanced out by the tannins and slight acidity in the wine. Lastly, this is a common wine grape and is mostly grown in the United States and Italy.

 

My Own Review/Experience With This Wine:

When I first tried to open this screw top bottle, the top did not come off right and it spilled since the bottle was full basically to the rim. After I cleaned up the spill and poured the rest of it into my wine glass, I swirled it around for a bit. Then I smelled it and smelled what I thought to be a medium intensity aroma of tart blackberry. When I tasted it, I experienced some new flavors which I enjoyed, and one I did not really. I first tasted a metallic taste from the wine which was not the best. Probably because it was in a metal bottle. Then I tasted a dry, sour, tart, wood burning flavor (kind of like the smell of a campfire.) Have have never experienced this wood burning flavor before and it reminded me of camping. This wine has I think a medium to large body with a decent tannic component. I did not pair it with food. Overall, I actually really enjoyed this red wine and I think it is the first red wine I like.