Wine Dinner Easter Weekend

This Chianti Reserva from Montalcino, Italy is a 2007 wine that has been aged for two years, at least one in oak.  A Chianti wine is a sangiovese grape.  Most chianti's are known to go wonderfully with food.  With this I ate with my family at Sal's Restaurant in Blacksburg.  We started with a platter of antipasto.  This includes salami, prosciutto,  red peppers, mozzarella cheese, romano cheese, olives, and more.  This Chianti wine at first smelled of almonds and blackberries.  The oak was very prevalent in the taste, as well as a mix of raspberry and creamy vanilla.  After tasting some romano cheese, the Chianti became much more flavorful.  The salty cheese brought out  many more berry flavors and gave the wine a kick to it.  The mozzarella cheese also brought out more flavors to the wine, but creamier flavors.  The wine tasted roasted and zesty while eating the mozzarella cheese.  The prosciutto brought out a blackberry cigar flavor of the wine.  It was a smokier taste, probably from the type of salt that prosciutto has.  For dinner I had the Salmon Salad.  This was not only amazing, but the Chianti with the Salmon was AMAZING.  It was incredibly smooth tasting and the vanilla, almond, roasted cigar flavor worked amazing with a grilled salmon.  The balsamic dressing and olives in the salad also added to the taste within my palate.  It was a salty and flavorful delight.

Wine Tasting- 04/07/12

This Oxford Landing Estates Viognier is a 2010 wine of the Viognier white grape.  It is $7.95 a bottle.  It smelled of strong oak and musty.  The taste was very limey, with honey and apricots mixed in.  I could see this wine being enjoyed with a salad or a veggie burger.

This wine is a 2009 Clara Benegas Chardonnay is a sauvignon blanc grape.  It is $10.95 a bottle.  It was grown in the province of Mendoza.  The smell was fruity and creamy.  This wine had a strong vanilla and fruit taste.  With a smooth scent it was down very easily.  There was hints of orange and almond.  It was a very fresh wine.

This wine was my favorite out of all of the ones I tasted yesterday.  It is $12.00-$5.95 and was a blend of different dark grapes.  It is called Hey Mambo, a sultry red, from California and Italy Varietals.  This wine had a strong nose of vanilla, oak and blackberry.  When I tasted it there were also hints of strawberry.  It was really deliscious!  Anyone could enjoy this wine with a piece of pie.

This Plungerhead Old Vine Zifandel is a 2009 from Lodi, California, and costs $13.95 a bottle.  It as very dark in color, and had a strong nose of orange and cloves.  It had a spicy smell to it. It tasted of oak and oranges.  It was almost peppery, with raspberry and cherry seeping into its flavor.  I could see this being a winter wine.

This Shoofly Shiraz is a 2010 wine costs $11.95 a bottle.  It has a nose of spice and licorice.  It tasted of berries and was a little tart.  It had an earthly feel to it with a spicy yet fruity flavor.

Primo Amore Moscato

This Primo Amore Moscato from Italy was only $8.95.  It smelled obviously sweet and of peaches and other fruits.  It had a creamier taste, again with a hint of peach and apricot.  I can see this wine tasting amazing with chocolate.

Faraway Farms Shiraz

This Faraway Farms Shiraz is a 2008 wine from South Africa, costing only $5.95.  This wine had a strong nose of plum and raspberry.  It was not too dry, and tasted of mocha and sweet berries.  I could see this wine being pared with a dessert.

Tres Ojos Old Vines Garnacha

This Tres Ojos Old Vines Garnacha is a 2009 wine from Spain, costing only $6.95.  It had a very ruby color and a nose of berries and marshmellows.  It smelled burnt, or tart with dark cherry and tang.  The taste was very dry and brisk.  I can see one enjoying this wine with cheese and crackers.

Fox Hollow Chardonnay

This Fox Hollow Chardonnay is a 2009 wine that costs only $5.95 from California.  This wine had a strong nose of oak, smokey oak.  It was creamy with a taste of apple and almonds, and other fruits.  I could see someone enjoying this wine with tropical fruits.

Wine Tasting of Obikwa Sauvignon Blanc

This Obikwa Sauvignon Blanc is a 2010 from South Africa.  It costs $7.95.  I tasted this wine at the wine tasting this past Thursday, and it was actually very good.  It had a melon, tangy taste to it.  For a cheap white wine it had a good body and was not too watery.  The nose was strong of berries and a little bit of alcohol.  This is a perfect summer wine.  I could see someone drinking this wine with figs and various fruits and cheese.