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.

Lamarca Prosecco (Wine Folly)

 

A interestingly warm February week brings me to another wine tasting. (2/25/23) This wine I chose this week is a Lamarca Prosecco Sparking Wine (187ml) that was made in Europe, or more specifically Italy. This wine does not have a vintage and I got it on sale for $6.49. (It's usually around $10). This is a varietal sparkling white wine that has a 11 percent alcohol percentage. Lastly, the Procecco wine grape is also know as Glera.

Winemaker's Notes:

"The grapes for La Marca Prosecco were selected with great care from small vineyards throughout the Prosecco DOC. After harvest, the grapes were crushed and then pressed in gentle membrane presses. The juice was allowed to cold settle before initial fermentation in upright stainless steel tanks at a maximum temperature of 65°F. The still wine was aged on its lees prior to secondary fermentation"

“Buy La Marca Prosecco 375ML Wine Online.” LaMarca, https://www.lamarcaprosecco.com/our-proseccos/prosecco/000000000110040305.html?position=1. 

 

Wine Info:

From the Wine Folly Book (page 155), it talks about Prosecco wine grape. "Italy's most popular sparkling wine is created with Glera grapes grown in Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The best Procecco wines come from Valdobiaddene." It also talks about pairing this wine with antipasto, cured meats, almonds, and spicy Asian food. This wine can give hints of green apple, honeydew, pear, lager, and cream. You can usually spend around $15 for a bottle. Since it is a white wine, you only would want to store it for 1 to 3 years. Lastly, it is a more acidic wine and the sweetness helps balance it out.

My Own Review/Experience With This Wine:

When I first poured the wine in the glass, I smelled an aroma of sour/sweet raspberry or cranberry. The aroma was pretty light and not too intense. When I tasted it, it had a very tangy, bitter flavor with a little sour mixed in. I then realized, this wine is completely dry, even though it smells sweet, it doesn't taste sweet, but it still has some of the raspberry or cranberry flavor. Lastly, I think the wine was balanced and had a light to medium body. I did not taste it with any food and I thought it was a decent wine.

Broadbent Spritzy Rosé Wine (Wine Folly)

 

Now to the second wine I had for dessert, which was actually my first wine I had on 2/18/23. I had a Broadbent Spritzy Rosé wine. (250ml) This wine is a sparkling rosé made in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. (Barcelos commune) It has an alcohol percentage of 9.5 percent and is a blended wine made up of 40 percent Borraçal(Caíño Tinto), 30 percent Espaderio, 20 percent Amaral(Azal Tinto), and 10% Vinhão(Sezão). Lastly, this wine does not have a vintage and I picked up this wine for around $4.

Wine Critic Review:

"This Rosé from Portugal’s largest wine region is truly a crowd pleaser, perfect for a summer party or a weeknight gathering. This low-alcohol wine has a light effervescence with a ripe raspberry emphasis and will satisfy both the wine novice and the connoisseur."

“Broadbent Rosé: Wine Stars.” Wine Stars | Credible and Detailed Reviews of Top-Rated Wines, 22 May 2019, https://winestarsapp.com/wine_reviews/broadbent-rose/.

Wine Info:

Since there are a lot of grapes in wine, I will write a brief summary of each one from the Wine Folly Book. 

The Borraçal(Caíño Tinto) wine grape is not in the Wine Folly Book, but here is some information about it. This grape is a red Galician, it is grown in Portugal and Spain, and it has decent tartness and high acidity.

The Espaderio wine grape is not in the Wine Folly Book (but some info from book is helpfult), but here is some information about it. This grape is grown in the Minho and Galician regions in Portugal. Also this grape is used in the preparation of Vinho Verde regional wine blend from Portugal. (Wine Folly Book page 184.)

The Amaral(Azal Tinto) wine grape is not in the Wine Folly Book, but here is some information about it. This wine grape is also cultivatedin the Minho region in Portugal. Along with the Espaderio wine grape, it is also used in the preparation of Vinho Verde regional wine blend from Portugal. (Wine Folly Book page 184.)

Lastly, the Vinhão(Sezão) wine grape is not in the Wine Folly Book, but here is some information about it. This wine grape is usually made into red wine and is cultivated in Portugal. This wine grape is typically used to help make port wine and table wine.

My Own Review/Experience With This Wine:

The aroma from this sparkling wine started with a tangy sour aroma. After sniffing it again is smelled a little fruity sweet. When I tasted this wine it had a light body with a little bit of a bitter taste on the back of my tongue. The flavor was mostly just tangy and sour at first, but then I started to taste a little pear flavor. This wine had a little carbonation, but not a lot. I didn't pair this with any food since this was my dessert along with the other wine I had. This very light flavored wine was decent, but I don't think it was better than the Sangria Lolea No. 1. I had afterwards.

Sangria Lolea No. 1, My Second Sangria (Wine Folly)

To another productive and busy week. I decided this week 2/18/23 to try another Sangria Lolea, but this time the sparkling red version, the Sangria Lolea No. 1. (187ml) This wine is a sparkling blended wine made with Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon wine grapes. (I can't find anywhere which grape makes up what percentage of the wine.) This wine does not have a vintage and it has a 7 percent alcohol percentage. This wine was made in Europe, specifically Spain and I got this bottle for around 4$.

Winemaker's Notes:

"A delicious frizzante sangria crafted with Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon red wine, Mediterranean citrus, and soft peach accompanied by a touch of cinnamon."

“Home - Lolea - USA.” Lolea, 18 Sept. 2021, https://www.lolea.com/en-us/.

Wine Info:

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.

From the Wine Folly Book (page 175), talks about the Tempranillo wine. "Spain's top variety, made famous by wines of Rioja, where wines are classified by how long they age in oak. Fine Tempranillo ages 20+ years but costs a little more." It is a bolder wine that can pair well with steak, gourmet burgers, and lamb. (As well as pasta and tomato based dishes.) This is a very popular wine grape and it is mostly grown in Spain. You can plan to typically spend around $14 for a bottle and you can store it for long term storage (10-30 years) if you want to try and make it taste better.

My Own Review/Experience With This Wine:

This wine started out with an aroma that smelled like gummy worms (or a gummy candy). Eventually it changed into a more strawberry/raspberry smell. When I tasted it, it had a light to medium body that was sweet and a tiny bit tangy. There wasn't much carbonation and the flavors were more like strawberry/raspberry or plum/prune, but I am not that familiar with plum/prune flavors so I am not certain. This wine was part of my dessert for the night, so I did not pair it with food. Overall, I think this wine was pretty good, but not my favorite. (I still thing the Sangria Lolea No. 2 is better.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stella Rosa Blueberry (Low Alcohol Grape Wine) (Wine Folly)

 

 

The second wine I tasted this week (3/5 - 3/11), is a Stella Rosa Blueberry, semi-sweet, low alcohol wine. This wine is a sparkling red blended wine with many different grapes in it along with blueberries. This is the first canned wine that I have had. It was made in Italy and has a low alcohol percentage of 5%. This can of wine costed about $5 and does not have a vintage.

Wine Maker's Notes:

"Stella Rosa Blueberry is undeniably irresistible. It's sweet and succulent. Pairs well with fresh fruits, BBQ chicken, charcuterie, cheesecake, and cinnamon roll coffee cake."

“Stella Rosa Blueberry.” Total Wine & More, https://www.totalwine.com/wine/white-wine/muscatmoscato/stella-rosa-blueberry/p/228480750. 

 

Wine Info:

Since this wine is made of many grapes and not one is listed (even online), I cannot use the Wine Folly book. But I did search online a little about how this wine is made. On a website their company described their wine. They said "Grapes from our delicious Stella Rosa Blueberry are harvested from beautiful vineyards. This refreshing wine reveals deep, dark color and is combined with the natural flavor of Blueberry. Stella Rosa Blueberry is seductive, rich and full-bodied with a hint of sweetness. Stellabrate life with friends and a bottle of Stella Rosa Blueberry."

Grocery Delivery - Grocery Pickup - Grocery Store near Me, https://www.vons.com/shop/product-details.960564279.html.

Aroma/Taste:

The aroma of this wine was very sweet. It did smell like blueberries, but I think it smelled like cranberries as well. When I tasted it, it did dry out my mouth a little, or give me that pucker feeling. There definitely was a strong blueberry flavor and the wine tasted a lot less sweet than it smelled. (Probably the tannins balancing out the strong sweetness.) Again, I was in a rush with assignments, so I did not have time to pair it with some food. I also thought it was interesting that it was a sparkling red wine because I haven't really heard of those. On that note, this wine had more carbonating than OGIO's Sparkling Rosé from earlier. I think this wine overall was not bad and kind of tasted like cranberry sauce.

 

OGIO Sparkling Rosé (Wine Folly)

 

 

Another busy week (3/5 - 3/11) give just enough time to taste 2 new wines. This first one is OGIO's Sparking Rosé. This wine is a sparkling varietal wine with the grape being Zinfandel. The vintage is most likely 2013 and the wine is made in Puglia, Italy. I got this wine for about $5, and it has a alcohol percentage of 11%.

Wine Critic Review:

"Very enjoyable light sparkling rose'! Light salmon coloring with medium effervescence. Mild strawberry on the palate with smooth moderately acidic finish. Great value at under $10 at local supermarket."

“Ogio Sparkling Zinfandel Rosé U.V.” Vivino, https://www.vivino.com/users/joel.jud/reviews/168533195.

 

Wine Info:

 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.

Aroma/Taste:

My own experience with this wine is that is has some carbonation, but not that much. The aroma was fruity and smelled like raspberry to me. When I tasted it, it had a light smooth body, that was slightly acidic and tangy that tasted also like grape with a hint of raspberry. I didn't taste it with any food since I had a lot of college work to do. Overall, I would say this wine was not that bad and would be on the good side of wine based on my opinion.

 

1st Wine Dinner

This week  (1/29 - 2/4) I did a little research into what food to pair with wines. Through searching, I chose three easy things to make/have to make my first wine dinner possible. These things were, chips and salsa to pair with a Pinot Grigio wine, a veggie pizza to pair with a Rosé wine, and a piece of chocolate cake to pair with a red wine. So I went to the store, got these things and made my affordable wine dinner.

 

Here is me with a Vendange Pinot Grigio ($5 - 500ml), a varietal wine. I chilled it because it is a white wine and online it said to. This wine doesn't have a vintage, but it is probably pretty current since it is a white wine. This wine comes from Lodi, California and has a 12.5 percent alcohol percentage. It says on it that it tastes "refreshing and light bodied with hints of melon and pear."

This wine had a light fruity aroma and when I tasted it, it tasted like grapes with a hint of pear. (Which make sense, since it says pair flavors on the wine package. Thia wine has a light flavor that is a little tangy and sweet.

When I paired the acidity of the wine with the chips and salsa, it actually made the salsa taste more fresh, less intense, and sweet. (It's usually pretty salty and spicy.) The wine did not overpower the chips and salsa. The chips and salsa however did not seem to affect the wine flavor. Overall I think my first dish paired decently well with the wine because the wine transformed the taste of the food a little. It also seemed to make the wine even lighter. (Probably because the salsa has a strong flavor.)

For the next dish, I had a veggie pizza with a Sutter Home white zinfandel wine ($6 for pack of 4 187ml). This wine was close to a Rosé wine and it is varietal wine. I also chilled this one because it was recommended to do so. This wine come from St. Helena, California and again doesn't have a vintage. It says on the package that this wine has a delicate berry aromas which lead to sweet, creamy strawberry and melon flavors with a crisp finish.

When smelling it, it had an aroma of fruity grape or berry. When I tasted it, it has a medium flavor intensity. The flavors were hard to tell, but it was a little tart and tangy.

When I paired the acidity of the wine with the veggie pizza, the veggie pizza definitely overtook the wine flavor. This wine and this veggie pizza were not a great wine pairing since the flavors of the pizza were too intense to mix with the flavors of the wine to get a new taste. The veggie pizza also did not seem to change the flavors of the wine.

For my last dish, I paired a piece of chocolate cake with a Sutter Home merlot wine ($6 for pack of 4 187ml). This wine is varietal wine and it come s from St. Helena, California. This one also doesn't have a vintage. It says on the package that this wine has "Fresh cherry aromas with hints of smoke ans spice lead to black cherry and plum flavors, with a long, smooth finish." I left this wine at room temperature since it is a red wine.

When smelling it's aroma, I smelled the smell of fruity, tangy grapes/berries. (I did do the swirl and sniff) This wine tasted super tart, bitter, dry, and left a burning feeling in my mouth.

When pairing the acidity of the wine with the chocolate cake, it actually made the chocolate taste sweeter since I think the flavors were the complete opposite from the wine. I think this red wine and chocolate cake pairing is okay since the wine helped amplify the flavors of the cake (it's sweetness), but the cake overpowered the wine. I think the cake made the wine a little lighter, but it was really intense and so far it is now my least favorite wine.