Fork and Cork Wine Festival

Blacksburg Fork and Cork, April 27, 2013

This weekend, I finally went out to Fork and Cork for the first time. I had a scheduling conflict last year but I was sure to clear my schedule for it this year. Not to mention I am hopefully getting credit for going in my geography of wine class. Blacksburg's Fork and Cork is their premier food, wine and art festival for the spring season. Unfortunately, the past two years it has rained on this lovely outdoor festival, but it wasn't so bad this year. 

Upon arrival to the festival, only then did I realize the size of this event. There were so many people! The lady at the front told us that they had sold out of all their walk up tickets. Lucky for me and my friends, we got ours from Kroger earlier that week. So one inside the area, we decided to do what everyone else was doing; take our brand new wine glasses to the shortest wine tasting line we could see. 

Before

Wine Tastings

-Attimo Winery

This was the first line we hoped in to. We tried all the wines they were offering tastes of and had a nice chat about them with the pourer. 

The first wine we tasted was called Sonnet 98. The gentleman pouring told us that it was a sweet, crisp wine and it definitely was. It was full of floral smells and flavors; a nice way to start off the day of tasting. It was only slightly fruity. 

The next wine he poured for us was the Just Kissed. It was a semi-dry wine, compared to the previous one poured, with flavors of raspberries and strawberries. It was a very delightful wine. 

Following that, we tried the Off the Cuff. It was very light, sweet and a bit fruity. Quite refreshing overall.

The last wine from Attimo Winery we tried was the Bullfrog Symphony. This was a Bordeaux style blend that my friends weren't the biggest fans of because of how dry it was. I enjoyed the peppery tastes and the good balance of it overall. Probably my favorite wine I tried from Attimo.

-AmRhein's Wine Cellar
This was the second line we hopped in after running into a friend who had just bought a bottle of something called Seduction. The label looked interesting and the girl told us it was worth the stop, so we followed in awaiting our turn. We were apparently in the dessert wine line, because those were the only ones we were given to taste, whereas next to us they were tasting completely different wines. That didn't make me very happy. That is until I was poured the first wine in the sequence.
I was given a sample of Vin de Peche. It was a peach wine that was just yummy. Full of sweet peachy flavor and just so utterly refreshing. It was amazing. I loved it so much, I bought a bottle for us to share during the festival. However it did have some competition.
The next wine I sampled was called Ruby. It was a red wine blend was flavors of red raspberries and sweet chocolate. It was an extraordinary wine. I had never tried anything like it before. I might have bought a bottle of Ruby had I not already planned to but a bottle to open up and drink around the festival. Ruby was not for that. It was meant to be enjoyed as a dessert after a yummy meal. So I bought the Vin de Peche instead and had no regrets.

-Veritas
I made it a point to head straight to Veritas because I just had to try out their wines! Their stylish, narrow dessert wine bottles torture me every time I am at the Vintage Cellar for a wine tasting; which is basically every week. If they were so darned expensive or if maybe I had a job, I would have been forced to buy the bottle just so I could know what was in the pretty bottle. Unfortunately, they were not giving tastings of that particular wine.
Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - This was a very light and fruity wine. It had flavors of lemon and very crisp fruits. It was very refreshing, especially since at that time I had been walking around for quite sometime and needed a pick-me-up.
Saddleback Chardonnay 2012 - This wasn't the best chardonnay ever. In fact I found it rather average. There were flavors of apple and pear. It was almost as sweet as the previous wine. Not too much flavor other than that. I am reading that it was aged in a neutral French oak barrel so that explains the lack of oak flavors. Honestly it could have used an infusion of flavor from a barrel though.
Viognier 2012 - This one was a little less sweet. Nothing too memorable from this wine. It was nice and crisp from its acidity. Fruity flavors were evident. Like I said, kind of boring.
White Star - This is where things got interesting. This wine had an array of different fruity flavors. It was less sweet so the nice crisp acidity was not compromised. It was definitely something I enjoyed.

I see that I have done more than seven wines. I think I will stop there. Plus I feel bad not having such a great memory of all of them and would not want to bore you. I would like to discuss my favorite wine and the food pairing I did with it.

Now this might sound strange, but I needed something to wash down the food with. One of our very own West End chefs gave a demonstration on what he called "truck foods". These are like to trucks that serve fast food on the side of the road. Well I was able to get a sample of one of his pork belly sandwiches and can I tell you it was amazing! He pan seared the fresh pork bell, added some made from scratch spicy mayonnaise, topped it with some bbq sauce and a few slices of cabbage, all on a sweet bun. It was Heaven in a few bites. I paired it with the one bottle I had bought, the Vin de Peche. It was actually quite good. The wine eased the pain from the spicy mayonnaise, which I don't typically like but loved on this sandwich. Its fruitiness was also very enjoyable when cleansing my palate after each bite. The wine wasn't much affected by the food. All in all, a great snack at the festival.

Now to say why the Vin de Peche was my favorite. Mainly because of how different it was. It was made from peaches and it was almost like a fruit juice. The alcohol content wasn't overbearing and the sweetness was balanced by the crispness. It was a great wine to sip on between tastings and I shared it with almost every friend I ran into. I call that a good wine!

After

Dinner - Palisades (Rose Blend)

Welcome to the Palisades!

The Palisades is located in what seems like the middle of nowhere, where you turn around this one bend after a bridge and POOF... there appears this little gravel road with this tiny shop, a church and a few homes on it. As you can see from the photo above, the Palisades is located in a very old building which used to be a general store during the 1920's. I wish I had taken actual interior photos of this place, but I was distracted by the food and alcohol. 

Every Thursday, the restaurant hosts a petite wine pairing in which they pair three wines to three appetizers. I have a few friends who had already been to one of the pairings and loved it. They loved it so much, you will see them sitting next to me when I went there this past Thursday. The pairing is called Wines Around the World and the theme of this week was Rose Blends. 

Complimentary Fruit Smoothie

As soon as we ordered the pairing dinner, we were met with the chef's complimentary fruit smoothie shooter. It was a small glass of banana, coconut and lime blend and it was quite exciting and refreshing. It was yummy but in a very strange way. The flavors of the fruit did not blend together but stand out separately on their own. Oh and yes, I did just analyze my tiny free smoothie in a wine blog. I couldn't help it.

The Menu

Left to Right: Ceviche, rhubarb and beef

On to the good part. In store for us that night were three rose wines: Vera Vinho Verde 2011 from Portugal, De Morgenzan DMZ Cabernet Rose 2012 from South Africa and Lovingston Rose 2011 from Virginia. As for the appetizers, we had beef tenderloin with a spicy strawberry sauce, scallop and almond cevicge with grapefruit and abraised rhubarb with vanilla. Now I would like to point out early that I did not eat the ceviche because I am allergic to scallops, so to be sure I paired the wine three foods, I order the border spring lamb with spring pea gnocchi, baby carrots and maiitake mushrooms (See below). It was AMAZING. 

The Wines 

Left to Right: Vera Vinho Verde, DMZ Cab Rose and Lovingston Rose

Vera Vinho Verde 2011 (Portugal):

-Palisades Description

This is a fizzy lifter! Vinho Verde flaunts a touch of sparkle that makes them among the cheeriest wines in existence. But for a green wine, this is surely dark. That's because Vinhao is a teinturier, a grape with dark flesh. Despite the color, the wine is light and zippy, with dried cherries, cranberries, and even a touch of pomegranate that make this a good pair with chicken pilaf, gazpacho or the Park on a warm afternoon. Vera's white Vinho Verde has been a great favorite at Pour, and their rose is sure to follow suit!

-Personal Description

This wine is very fizzy, sharp and acidic. There are hints of berries which gives it a sweetness. Overall, it is very refreshing, crisp and delightful. A very different wine than I am used to because of how fizzy it is due to the acidity. It makes it very fun. 

With the beef tenderloin, the acidity wasn't as overbearing. It definitely calmed down. It was also a bit of a surprise how nicely it went with the beef. I guess it was because of the strawberry sauce on top that went well with the fruity aspects of the wine. With the braised rhubarb, the acidity was also softened and the contrast in sweetness between the two made the wine seem less sweet. With the lamb, one word comes to mind; beautiful. It brings out the gamy flavors of the lamb and also emphasizes the saltiness of it. 

De Morgenzon DMZ Cabernet Rose 2012 (South Africa)

-Palisades Description

This aromatic Sauvignon Blanc gives away to a zesty palate of citrus fruit backed by an herbal edge. It is a crowd pleasing rose displaying alluring aromas and juicy flavors of pomegranate, watermelon and strawberries, accented with delicate floral and spice hints. A brisk acidity combines with a graceful minerality to round out the lengthy finish. 

-Personal Description 

This wine was a bit drier than the previous one and had a nice array of fruity flavors. It was cool and refreshing, mainly due to it being chilled. There was little to no acidity evident however it seemed to possibly be a bit stronger in alcohol content. The liquid was soft on the tongue, making me think that there was a mineral component as mentioned in the Palisades description. 

With the beef, the spiciness in the strawberry sauce was brought out in a delightful way. The beef also lessened the heat from the wine. With the rhubarb, it did the same, however the fruity flavors in the wine were diminished. With the lamb, the wine greatly improved. The fruit is more evident and the mix of flavors makes it all more entertaining on the palate. 

Lovingston Rose 2011 (Virginia) 

-Palisades Description (I'm pretty sure they messed up some of their descriptions but this is what was written under this wine, sorry)

This youthful and expressive wine comes from young vines in De Morgenzon's own estate, grown on its weathered granite soils. Hand-picked, the grapes are then fermented in stainless steel, before transfer to French oak barrels for 11 months maturation. An abundance of bright and youthful plum and berry fruit is the main feature, surrounded by touches of violet, cinnamon and vanilla. Rounded and supple in texture. 

-Personal Description

This wine was semi-dry and had some flavors of big red fruits. There was also a hint of licorice. Online it says that this wine is made from 85% merlot and 15% cabernet franc. I can definitely taste some characteristics from these grapes that show up in their red wine counterpart. By far, my favorite wine of the night. 

With the beef, it improves on the flavor of the red meat. Because it has a similar taste to the red wine, it pairs with red meat like it as well. It does however overshadow the strawberry sauce. 

With the rhubarb, the wine also overshadows much of the sweet tastes imparted from the rhubarb. In fact, the two are just complete opposites and I would not recommend pairing them again. With the lamb, it was a bit strange in that it gave the lamb and odd taste. I think more of the licorice came out and lessened the lamb flavor. Definitely better with the beef than the lamb. 

Overall

 I loved the experience. Traveling out to the Palisades and enjoying a meal with friends was a lot of fun. The food there is wonderful, however I was informed they have had better wine pairing appetizers in the past. It was a little disappointed that one, I was allergic to the seafood ceviche and didn't get to try it, and two, that my nose was so stuffed up, I couldn't very well detect in aromas in the wine. I am so glad I ordered the lamb to make up the third food to pair with the wines. The rose demonstration was quite fun as well. I have only had a few roses and none of them have been anything similar to the three I tried this night. I didn't know that a rose could be very similar, if not a tamer version of a full bodied red wine. I recommend driving out to the Palisades and trying it out for yourself. 

Salude!

Tasting Caprice de Bastor

Name:           Caprice de Bastor - Lamontagne

Varietal:         Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle

Region:          Saunternes 

Country:        France

Year:             2004

Price:            $7.95

Online Review:

Very clean, with lemon, mineral and honey aromas that follow through to a medium body. Shows vanilla, apple and melon flavors, with a medium finish. Lightly sweet.

- Winemaker Notes

Personal Review:
The nose was very sweet with lemon and honey. The taste was tart apple and honey. This was very different from what I have every had and it made for and interesting tasting. It finished with a nice vanilla end.

Tasting - Torre Castillo Alegre

Name:           Torre Castillo Alegre 

Varietal:         Monastrell

Region:          Jumila

Country:        Spain

Year:             2010

Price:            $9.95

Online Review:

Made from 100% Monastrell (Mourvedre) with a selection of the oldest vines. Manual harvest. The grapes are picked at their full maturation. Aged for 4 months in new American oak barrels. Slight filtration.
Intense ruby color. The nose offers distinctive ripe fruit aromas. Round and rich in the mouth with blackberry flavors intertwined with soft spicy and toasty notes. Powerful tannins that will soften after a few years of cellaring.- Winemaker Notes

Personal Review:
This had an interesting nose. It smelled of jam and dried fruit like plums and dates. It was a very strong aroma. The taste was very jammy and lots of licorice. The berry fruits came out and a smokey aspect was apparent.

Tasting - Wilson Daniels Merlot

Name:           Wilson Daniels Merlot

Varietal:         Merlot

Region:          Central Coast, California

Country:        USA

Year:             2010

Price:            $7.95

Online Review:

The nose offers ripe, slightly earthy, dark cherry fruit mingled with appealing milk chocolate, vanilla and light herbal notes. Juicy and succulent on the palate, the wine’s rich black cherry, dark plum and cassis flavors marry with a pleasing roasted tone, leading to a long, fruitful, chocolaty finish. Perfectly balanced, with round, supple tannins, our 2010 Merlot will be delicious over the next three to four years with rich poultry, duck, game and beef dishes, as well as mildly spiced red sauce pastas.

- Winemaker Notes

Personal Review:
The nose on this one was full of big red fruit and berries. The taste was very berry light the nose with hints of vanilla. It was very toasty and semi-dry. Definitely a good wine for the price.

Tasting - Tati Rose

Name:            Bricco Dei Tati Rose

Varietal:         Barbera

Region:          Langhe

Country:        Italy

Year:             2012

Price:            $6.95

Online Review:

Fresh with aromas of strawberries, cherries and rose petals. This is ideal with shellfish, salads, chicken, and with appetizers.

- Winemaker Notes

Personal Review:
The nose was very, very fruity. The taste was very flowery, like drinking water with flower petals soaked in it. It also had a nice acidic component to it with a hint of fruity flavors mixed in.

Tasting - Smoking Loon

Name:            Smoking Loon Sauvignon Blanc

Varietal:         Sauvignon Blanc

Region:          California

Country:        USA

Year:             2009

Price:            $7.95

Online Review:

This bleached blonde beauty is reminiscent of fresh green apples, pineapple and has hints of hibiscus blossoms. The concentration of zesty lemon and gooseberry fills your mouth leaving notes of thyme and melon behind. The bright acid in this wine gives you a zing while the fruit keeps your mouth watering for more.
- Winemaker's Notes

Personal Review:
The nose on this was full of fruits and flowers. The taste was fruity with a hint of a melon finish. It was very light and refreshing, and thankfully not overly acidic. That would have just ruined the balance.

Tasting - Castle Rock Syrah

Name:            Gnarly Head Pinot Noir

Varietal:         Pinot Noir

Region:          Manteca, California

Country:        USA

Year:             2011

Price:            $8.00

Online Review:

This wine is medium-bodied and deep ruby red in color. It is well balanced, ripe and spicy, and offers complex, concentrated flavors of dark ripe fruits, smoke and black pepper. The finish is long lasting and harmonious with lingering spice nuances. It makes an ideal accompaniment to a variety of red meat dishes, pasta or cheese, and it pairs well with most spicy foods.

- Winemaker Notes

Personal Review:
This wine is 14.5% alcohol and you can definitely tell it is strong from the smell. The taste is pretty dry but it doesn't take away from the flavor. There is a spiciness to it and definitely a dark fruit component like a black berry. The fruit sits on the tongue for a nice after palate.

Tasting - Gnarly Head Pinot Noir

Name:            Gnarly Head Pinot Noir

Varietal:         Pinot Noir

Region:          Manteca, California

Country:        USA

Year:             2011

Price:            $8.00

Online Review:

Gnarly Head Pinot Grigio is crafted for the adventurous—boldly fruit-driven, with bright flavors and zesty acidity. Our winemakers carefully select grapes from California’s finest growing regions, choosing only the best fruit. Gnarly Pinot Grigio proves that white wine can be bold and racy. It’s a refreshing, mouthwatering wine with bright acidity and mineral notes, the perfect sipper for every occasion.

Totally refreshing, Gnarly Pinot Grigio offers aromas and flavors of citrus blossom and honeysuckle, followed by Meyer lemon, honeydew and white nectarine. Pop open a bottle…Gnarly Pinot Grigio rocks on its own or with hot and spicy Asian dishes. Kung Pao!

- Winemaker Notes

Personal Review:

When I first opened this bottle, the entire room started to smell like fresh baked bread within seconds. It was quite a feat. I am tasting it again after it has been opened and capped for a few days so now the nose has more of a fruity grape juice smell. This wine has actually gotten a bit more acidic surprisingly, since I opened it the first time. When I tried it after opening, it tasted like fresh baked break and had a drier taste to it. To be honest I liked this wine a lot better after first opening it. 

Winery Visit - Williamsburg Winery

Located at one of the first seeds of our country, the Williamsburg Winery vineyard was planted in 1985. On Easter weekend, I went home to visit my family in Newport News. This gave me the perfect excuse to take them all to visit the Williamsburg Winery with me! We visited the vineyard on Saturday. 

Welcome to the Williamsburg Winery!

Here I am standing at the entrance by the sign, super excited to head in.

The winery it self is not to far from the popular Kingsmill Resort where me and my family had our Easter Brunch. It sits on 300 acres, of which most of it is vines, and includes a restaurant, hotel and winery. 

First vines you see going up the winery driveway.

On the left is the cafe, and the right is the winery which houses their cellar.

When we got there, I was sad to learn my brother had already done the tour and would not be walking around with me. He and his wife went to the tasting at the same time I went on the tour with my mom and friend Jessica. The first thing the tour included was a short video briefly talking about the winery and its history, the winemaker, and a little about how wine is basically designed. Then we went down to the cellar where they stored their barreled wines. 

Here is a small portion of number of barrels they had in their cellar. This room was full of the red wines and the white wines were in the next room. Below is a picture of my friend Jessica and my lovely mother hanging out in the cellar. 

Moving through the cellar we got to the winery's own bottling machine. The tour guide informed us that they were one of the few wineries in Virginia to actually own their own bottling machine and use it in house. I think it would have been neat to see the machine work its magic but no such luck. 

On our way out, back through the cellar, I took a few more pictures for good measure. 

We then proceeded upstairs, passing through the wine bar and the community room which was being set up for a wedding reception later in the day. We then were shown a large window which looked down on their huge stainless steel wine tanks. I can't remember exactly how large the guide said they were, however she did say that it took almost 24 hour straight to bottle one entire tank. 

Immediately next to the window into the fermentation room, there was this cool room full of the winery owners' collection of colonial wine jugs. The tour guide told us that in colonial time, each person or family brought their own bottles to be filled instead of the winery providing them. 

Then we moved on to the best part; the tasting. We had six wines on the list to try, and then we selected one of the two dessert wines to try. Luckily, Jessica and my mom were nice enough to let me try theirs so I could try all 8 wines. I forgot which wines we were trying in each picture so.... yeah. 

The three of us taking notes on the wine. 

2011 Dry Rose - 

Description: A Merlot-based rose aged only in stainless steel, look for strawberry and cherry tones with a clean, crisp finish.

I thought this one was very fresh and crisp. There was a nice little bite from the acidity and a noticeable heat. The aftertaste was a little bit dry. 

2010 Acte 12 Chardonnay - 

Description: A very food-friendly Chardonnay aged in both oak and stainless steel. 

My mom actually ended up buying a bottle of this so she must have enjoyed it. This one was light and silky which I had not yet experienced in a Chardonnay yet. The guide informed me that it went though secondary fermentation. 

2011 Sir Christopher Wren Write - 

Description: A very floral, fruit-forward blend of white wine grapes aged primarily in stainless steel. 

This wine was light and tasted and smelled like flowers. Overall it wasn't very flavorful. 

2010 Arundell Cabernet Sauvignon - 

Description: A rich, medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with fruity tones and a light, oaky finish. 

First of all, this was a very full-bodied and not light cabernet sauvignon in my opinion. I can normally pallet a small tasting of a cab sauv but I could not finish this. It was just too much. It was full of red fruit, licorice, oak and it was dry with a long after taste. 

2007 Burgesses' Measure Merlot - 

Description: Our medium-bodied Merlot features a cherry and berry bouquet with a smooth spicy finish. 

This wine was very smooth, full with red fruit and had a short aftertaste. 

2009 Hening's Statute Barrel Aged Claret - 

This Cabernet Franc-based blend features a complex, berry nose and a smooth, silky finish. 

This wine was also very smooth, very fruity and had a nice long finish. 

Jessica and I partaking in the tasting!

2010 Lord Botetourt Red -

Description: This classic bistro wine is a blend of red Bordeaux varietals with an emphasis on petit verdot. 

This wine was very different and very intense. It was very smooth and tannic. It tingled my tongue. 

Vin Licoreux de Framboise - 

Description: A red wine infused with raspberry juice.

This wine was overwhelmingly sweet and tangy. It was suggested to be used mainly as a cooking wine because it would impart beautiful flavors into the entre or dessert it's used with. This one hurt when it touched my tongue. 

Mom and me giggling during the tasting. !

This was a great experience. I left with two new bottle of wine and a Williamsburg Winery wine glass that I am using as we speak. 

Cool thing to note, on the box I am holding which they put my purchased wine bottles in is a quote from Kevin Zraly saying that Williamsburg Winery has "...some of the best wines in the world."  I talked to one of the shop keepers about how I was reading the book for a class and she showed me that they actually sold the book in the shop as well. 

Tasting - "Michael Shaps Petit Verdot"

Name:            Michael Shaps Petit Verdot

Varietal:         Petit Verdot

Region:          Monticello, Virginia

Country:        USA

Year:             2009

Price:            $26.95

Online Review:

Becoming one of Virginia’s rising stars, Petit Verdot is well suited for the Virginia climate and soil. A small lot production of a very dark aromatic red, this wine has wonderful spice and floral notes.  The color is reflective of the concentration of flavors. Having been in French oak for eighteen months, the wine is rich, with bold tannins, a lot of structure and depth. This is a young wine that has great aging potential. 100 cases.

-Winemaker

Personal Review:

There is a strong smell of alcohol and red fruit. It is bitter but still fruity. It is very dry and sits on the tongue for a long time during the after palate. 

Tasting - "Michael Shaps Cabernet Franc"

Name:            Michael Shaps Cabernet Franc

Varietal:         Cabernet Franc

Region:          Monticello, Virignia

Country:        USA

Year:             2008

Price:            $26.95

Online Review:

Made in a traditional old world style, this is a heavily extracted wine designed to highlight the aging potential of Cabernet Franc.  The grapes were harvested at ultimate maturity (25 brix) and the wine went through an extended maceration for six weeks.  This Cabernet Franc has rich dark fruit aromas and a hint of spice.  The tannin extraction is evident, but does not overwhelm the wine.  The concentration of fruit, balanced by oak provides for a lengthy finish.  This wine will be evolving for the next ten years. 250 cases produced.

- Winemaker

Personal Review:

The bouquet is full of sweet red fruit. The taste is different that most but I couldn't put my finger on the flavor. It is very well balanced. It also has a nice oak flavor. 

Tasting - "Les Vireuils"

Name:            Shaps and Roucher-Sarrazin Mersault Les Vireuils

Varietal:         Chardonnay 

Region:          Meursault, Burgundy

Country:        France

Year:             2006

Price:            $34.95

Online Review:

A powerfully rich wine that brings in delicious white and yellow fruit flavors. It is unctuous, rounded, made richer with toast then given a boost by a streak of fresh citrus acidity. Good, plump white Burgundy. 

Personal Review:

The nose was full of bitter fruits. It tastes full of oak with a balance of acidity and fruit. Very fresh and crisp. 

Tasting - "Wineworks Viognier"

Name:            Wineworks Viognier

Varietal:         Viognier

Region:          Virginia

Country:        USA

Year:             NV

Price:            $15.95

Online Review:

Similar to our past Wineworks Viogniers in the the bottle, this is an "easy drinking" white wine. Perfect for hot summer evenings with notes of peach and apricot and crisp acidity. This wine is a crowd-pleaser, and the convenient and economical box packaging makes entertaining with Virginia wines easier than ever.

-Virginia Wine (www.virginiawine.org) 

Personal Review:

The nose was very light with a fruity crisp. The taste was very crisp and refreshing. It was very fruity, especially tasting of apples. It tasted like biting into a ripe green apple. 

Tasting - "Cote de Nuits Villages"

Name:            Shaps & Roucher-Sarrazin Cotes de Nuits Villages

Varietal:         Pinot Noir

Region:          Cote de Nuits, Burgundy  

Country:        France

Year:             2007

Price:            $19.95

Online Review:

A rounded, mouth filling wine. At the beginning, it seems very soft, but then it is possible to discern rich tannins through the concentrated red fruits and black plums. The acidity is there all the time, a fine counterpoint to the seductive, rich fruits and dry tannins.

-Vintage Cellar Description 

Personal Review:

The nose of this wine was full of plums and red fruit. It smelled very sweet. It tasted of licorice and was very jammy. It also tasted just as strong of plums and red fruit. 

Tasting - "Florida Sunset"

Name:           Key West Winery Florida Sunset Pineapple Wine

Varietal:         Pineapple Wine

Region:          Key West, Florida

Country:        USA

Year:             NV

Price:            $27.99

Online Review:

Exotic, tropical and somewhat mysterious, this wine stimulates your taste buds as no other. Experience the flavor of fresh pineapple with that slightly sweet/tart finish. Serve with chunks of fresh pineapple in the bottom of your guest's wine glasses. Enjoy their reaction as they discover a wine with flavor and style characteristics that are entirely new to the food and wine experience. Great with ham. 

-Indiana International Wine Competition - Concordance Gold/Best of Show 2003/2004. Epcot Selection 2002/2003.

Personal Review:

I am a big fan of pineapple and so this wine was exciting. The saleslady said it tasted just like pineapple juice, and sure enough it did. It basically tastes like pineapple that has spontaneously become alcoholic. It was light, not too acidic and not too sweet. Loved it! 

Tasting - "King Kiwii"

Name:           Key West Winery King Kiwii 

Varietal:         Kiwii 

Region:          Key West, Florida

Country:        USA

Year:             NV

Price:            $27.99

Online Review:

If you like the fresh, crisp taste of kiwi, you will love…”the king”. This truly unique wine is crowned with flavor and bouquet characteristics, the likes you have never before experienced before. It “rules” Florida seafood dishes—and just about anything else from Florida.

-Winemaker

Personal Review:

The King Kiwii was my second favorite. If I wanted to fork up the money, I would have definitely gotten this as well. This wine was sweet and yummy. More acidic than most white wines but not in a painful, un-wine like way. It was full of kiwii flavor and light on the tongue. If I ever come back, you can bet I'll want to buy this baby!

Tasting - "Mango Mamma"

Name:           Key West Winery Mango Mamma 

Varietal:         Mango Wine

Region:          Key West, Florida

Country:        USA

Year:             NV

Price:            $24.99

Online Review:

A fantastic Florida tropical wine. Made from fresh squeezed mangos, it's a semi-dry to semi-sweet wine with the undeniable taste and bouquet of fresh Florida mangos. Clean and crisp, it's ideal with any seafood dish. Serve with chunks of mango on a skewer for a terrific presentation to family and friends. Unique and delicious! 

-Gold/International Wine Competition 2003/2004. Featured Wine, Epcot 2004.

Personal Review:

This wine was by far my favorite. It was fresh and fruity with so much mango flavor. It wasn't overly sweet but by far not a dry wine. I bought a bottle of this and cannot wait to share it!

Tasting - "40 Karat"

Name:           Key West Winery 40 Karat 

Varietal:         Carrot Wine

Region:          Key West, Florida

Country:        USA

Year:             NV

Price:            $24.99

Online Review:

A wonderful buttery semi-dry white wine similar to a Chardonnay but with a lot more flavor. It's a jewel! Made 100% from carrots. Excellent with shellfish and spicy foods. 

-Bronze Medal, Indiana International Wine Competition, 1999, 2004

Personal Review:

This was another interesting wine to taste. I had no idea what to expect and was extremely excited to try this one out. When you first taste it, there is no way really of telling that it was made from carrots. The was something different about it that made me think of root, but the saleslady insisted that I was just putting the idea in my mind because I knew it was a carrot wine. Oh well. I liked it!

Tasting - "Hot Sun"

Name:           The Key West Winery Hot Sun 

Varietal:         Tomato Wine

Region:          Key West, Florida

Country:        USA

Year:             NV

Price:            $25.99

Online Review:

A very smooth dry white wine with a slight tomato taste and a hint of peppers. Feel the warmth...a delightful surprise. Serve with crackers & cheese, nachos, enchiladas, oysters, salads and bread. Use in cooking for a gourmet touch.

-Silver Medal Indiana International Competition, 1999.

Personal Review:

This was the last wine we tried at the Key West Winery. The lady asked us if we would like to try something very different and pulled out this bottle. She told us it was a tomato and hot pepper. Ever since starting this class, I have become more willing to try anything in the wine world so of course I said yes. Instantly you could identify the tomato and pepper. Now I don't typically like bloody Mary's, however if they tasted like this wine, I would drink them all the time. The tomato was very pleasant and the hot pepper tingled the tongue but didn't burn it. It was a very fun wine to try. 

Tasting - "Charles Shaw Chardonnay"

Name:           Charles Shaw Chardonnay

Varietal:         Chardonnay

Region:          California

Country:        USA

Year:             2011

Price:            $3.00

Online Review:

Unlike the other Charles Shaw wines I’ve tasted (Nouveau and the Cabernet), I’m unable to recommend the Chardonnay.  It’s not downright offensive, really, but besides a musty fruit and alcohol slurry, it lacks character and taste.  It’s not very fun to drink and neither does it have that buttery flavor typical of most cheap Chardonnay.  It’s better chilled, certainly, but I’d leave it for nights when the better stuff (like Franzia, in this case) has run out.

-Our Man in Omaha Blog (www.distilledopinion.wordpress.com)

Personal Review:

Light and crisp on the nose. I would like to note that I was a little stuffed up at the time. Smell of apples. Very acidic and crisp taste. The apple comes out in the taste as well. Not very sweet but not considered dry. Very short after palate. 

Tasting - "Monte Aman"

Name:           Monte Amam Tinto "Cinco Barricas" Tempranillo

Varietal:         Tempranillo

Region:          Arlanza

Country:        Spain

Year:             2009

Price:            $5.95

Online Review:

Sight: Dark cherry red with violet hues. Nose: Subtle aromas of forest fruits, characteristic of Tempranillo grapes, on a light backdrop of hints of vanilla from wood ageing. Mouth: Full of fruity aromas in the mouth, with a smooth, honest passage. Well balanced.

-Winery Review

Personal Review:

The nose was light and fresh, which I found odd for a red wine, and cherry. This wine is full of cherry and spices. It is dry but also still fruity. Now I couldn't tell if I actually tasted the dark chocolate or if after reading the description my mind interpreted the taste. Oh well. 

Tasting - "Cortenova"

Name:           Cortenova Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Varietal:         Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

Region:          Abruzzi 

Country:        Italy

Year:             2010

Price:            $6.95

Online Review:

Traditional vinification at controlled temperature. Deep ruby red color with violet highlights and a pleasant and fruity bouquet. Full bodied, soft tannins and good acidity. Excellent with pasta dishes and red meats.

-Winery Review

Personal Review:

The nose was full of cherry and red fruit. The first taste that came to mind was licorice. I had a bunch of red wines at the vintage cellar and all of them tasted of licorice. I feel like I can definitely point that taste out. Mainly because I do not like it. There were also tastes of spices which came out in the finish. The wine was dry but not to strong in the alcohol department.