Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (Wine Folly)

 

 

Continuing this last weeks wine tasting (1/28/23), I tried another wine. This wine is called Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot. (I got it for around $3) This is a red dry table wine win a vintage of 2019. This is a blended wine with 85 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 percent Merlot. Lastly, this wine has a 12 percent alcohol percentage and come from South America. Specifically, Valle Central, Chile.

Wine Critic Review:

 "For a super cheap wine, this is drinkable. On the nose it offers sour cherry, green pepper, herbs and heavy baking spices. The palate brings sour cherry and plum flavors that will make you pucker. But let’s not pretend there’s anything elegant about this wine."

Lemke, Tim, et al. “Frontera Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot – Super Cheap.” Cheap Wine Ratings, 29 Dec. 2020, https://cheapwineratings.com/2016/04/03/frontera-cabernet-sauvignon-merlot-super-cheap/. 

Wine Info:

From the Wine Folly book (page 88), it talks about the Cabernet Sauvignon wine which I have already wrote about in my "Red Wine (Wine Tasking) (Wine Folly)" post. "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 costs around $20 a bottle and can be decanted for and hour or more to help it taste like it is older.

Also, 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.

Taste and Cheese:

With this wine I stored and served it at room temperature. I let it swirl in the wine glass and sniffed the wine and I smelled a somewhat strong grape smell. (Tangy and sour smell that's not as intense as some of the red wines I had in the blog.) I did that a couple times and then tasted the wine. It was really tart and bitter and made my mouth somewhat dry. I think this was the most dry wine I have had. The cool thing thought with this wine was that when I paired it with my cheeses (Aged Cheddar, Havarti, Gouda, and Fuego Jack cheese.), it made the Gouda cheese taste different. Gouda cheese by itself is somewhat salty, but the wine actually made the Gouda sweet in my mouth which was cool. I think I understand the sweet and savory relationship between red wine and cheese now. The other cheeses tasted the same. Lastly, I didn't think this wine was amazing, but it was good to eat cheese with.

 

Sangria Lolea No. 2 is Gr-ia-eat! (Wine Folly)

 

 

 

This week on 1/28/23, I tried two new wines. This first blog is about the first one first which is called Sangria Lolea No. 2. It is a sparkling white wine that has 7% alcohol in it. This sparkling wine split costed around $3 and doesn't seem to have a vintage on the bottle, but online it says it could be 2008. This wine was made in Europe. Specifically Spain and it was made with Chardonnay and Macabeo grapes making it a blended sparkling wine. 

Winemaker's Notes:

"An aromatic Mediterranean grape is used for the wine base and a subtle hint of vanilla blends with essential citrus aromas of lemon and orange, without losing freshness. The result is a very balanced and elegant Clarea, more sophisticated and chic than its red wine twin but equally fine with a persistent flavour and fragrance, hints of jasmine, apricot and loquat, and a great balance between acidity and sweetness."

“Lolea No. 2 White Sangria Frizzante N.V.” Vivino, https://www.vivino.com/US/en/lolea-no-2-white-sangria-frizzante/w/2157364. 

Taste and Cheese:

From the Wine Folly Book (page 96), it talks about Chardonnay grape. (Sadly the book doesn't have anything the Macabeo wine grape.) It says this grape is "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." It also talks about how this wine should be stored in a cellar for 5-10 years and an average bottle is about $40. Additionally, it grows mostly in the United States and France and is very popular.

My own experience with this sparkling wine is that is first had a light sweet aroma was smelled like grapes. It tasted like grapes and it was not very intense. It was a pretty sweet wine and I could feel the carbonation on my tongue. It had a slight bitter after taste. I tried paring it with different cheese (Aged Cheddar, Havarti, Gouda, and Fuego Jack cheese.), but found that the cheese flavors of each one overpowered the wine so the wine didn't affect the flavor of the cheese. Overall, I think this is my favorite wine so far and I interested to see what else there is.

 

Red Wine (Wine Tasting) (Wine Folly)

 

Another wine I tried on (1/18/2023) was a Cabernet Sauvignon. This happened to be one of the first red wines I have tasted. Again, I had this wine at someone's apartment who was hosting a wine tasting. This wine costs $16.99. This is a varietal dry red table wine. This wine was made in Western United States, Clarksburg California. The vintage of this bottle is 2020.

Winemaker's Notes:

 "French oak beautifully transforms intense mountain fruit into a wine with uncommon richness, yet smooth and luxurious texture. Juggernaut Hillside Cabernet is a wine that is fierce, brave, and delicious.

Rich and intense with a complex character and smooth finish. Luxurious texture with black currants and vanilla. Aroma of licorice and blackberry."

“Juggernaut Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 - 750 Ml.” Wine on Sale, https://wineonsale.com/products/juggernaut-hillside-cabernet-sauvignon-2019-750ml.

From the Wine Folly Book (page 88), it 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.

My own experience from this wine was it was intense. The aroma was very strong, especially compared the white wine I tasted earlier and it was a tangy/fruity aroma. (I guess of the grape.) When I tasted it, it was pretty smooth with a dull flavor at first and then it hit me with a strong punch of sour/fruity grape and ended with almost a spicy flavor. This wine I thought was a little too intense for me and I would say I prefer the Pinot Grigio from earlier over the Cabernet Sauvignon wine.

First Wine Experience (Wine Tasting) - Pinot Grigio (Wine Folly)

 

 

I recently did my first wine tasting (1/18/2023) and tried many different wines, but I am

going to talk about my experience with my first wine, Chateau Morrisette’s Pinot Grigio. 

I went to someone’s apartment who hosted the wine tasting and said it cost $9.99. This

is a varietal dry white table wine. Pinot Grigio is made from the wine grape, Pinot Gris. 

This wine was made in the Eastern part of the United States, Floyd Virginia and its 

vintage is in 2018. 

            Review of Wine Online:

            “We were impressed with the Bordeaux blend and a couple of whites. The pinot grigio 

            is better than half of the cheap stuff that comes from Italy. I would have actually liked to 

            have seen the vineyards. They claim to grow all the grapes there but we could not tell.

            We purchased a bottle of Pinot Grigio, the Bordeaux blend and their cherry wine. I am 

            not quite sure why, but for $10 we can put it over ice cream or use it to mix or make 

            other things. I would not drink this straight. Fun stuff anyway.”

            Citation: 

Tabhauser. “Easy Place off the Blue Ridge Parkway, Ask for Ray Self to Serve - Review 

of Chateau Morrisette Winery, Floyd, VA.” Tripadvisor, 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g57737-d527324-r818330109-Chateau_Morrisette_Winery-Floyd_Virginia.html.

From the Wine Folly Book (Page 149), it talks about the Pinot Grigio (Gris) and how it 

"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 also says it’s usually in a cellar for 1-5 years 

and it is pretty commonly grown in many places. (About 107,948 acres of land growing 

this wine grape in the world.)

 

My experience of the aroma of the wine was that it had a not-very-intense sweet/tangy 

aroma. The wine had a not very strong flavor, it was mostly sour/tangy with a hint of 

sweetness. This sweetness was probably from the honeysuckle, pear, and apple plant 

content used to flavor the wine. I could feel the alcohol in my mouth and seemed to 

experience that as the wine was out in the glass longer, it became sourer. I did not eat 

anything with the wine and I thought it wasn’t bad, but I wouldn’t say Chateau Morrisette’s 

Pinot Grigio is my favorite drink.

First Entry

 

Hello, my name is Jonathan Fritsch. I have had, I would say no experience with wine (besides the time my parents let me taste a small amount when I was around 8 years old; I didn't like it.), but I am interested in learning about it now. I am specifically interested in how wine has impacted cultures historically and currently, why wine grapes taste differently in different locations, and experiencing how wine tastes. As a personal choice, I do not want to drink it/put alcohol in my system, but I am still open to tasting it and have learned recently this is possible in wine tastings. I am looking forward to exploring why wine is so important for society, how it is made, and how wine's socially structured culture has been created through the history and geography of wine.