Tasting - "Plantation Blush"

Name:           Williamsburg Winery Plantation Blush

Varietal:         Blend of seyval, muscat and leon millot

Region:          Williamsburg, Virginia

Country:        USA

Year:             2011

Price:             $9.00

Online Review:

Plantation Blush has a light fruity quality that is slightly sweet, and a refreshing crisp finish. It is meant to be served young, and well chilled. An excellent pairing with appetizers, light picnic fare, and fruit desserts. The inspiration for the name of this wine came from the many Plantations found along the James River neighboring the land upon which the winery is found.

- Winemaker

Personal Review: 

First of all I would like to point out that I successfully attempted the "Boyer Move" with the foil wrapping over the cork. For those of you who are unaware of this move, it involves simple sliding off the wrapping over the cork instead of using fancy cutting tools. I must warn you all ahead of time that this move does not work on all bottles so please do not embarrass yourself in public and blame me.

On to the tasting. It is extremely fruit. I love that about it. Its not too acidic or too sweet. There is a bit of a berry flavor and not overly strong alcohol wise. Definitely a bottle I would buy again. Way to go Williamsburg!

Tasting - "Redwood Creek Pinot Noir"

Name:           Redwood Creek Pinot Noir

Varietal:         Pinot Noir

Region:          Modesto, California

Country:        USA

Year:             2011

Price:             $6.49 a glass

Online Review:

Ultimate Beverage Challenge 85 points - An aromatic earthy nose, with ripe cherry flavors. Medium-bodied with a light garnet hue, it has great acidity and mild tannins. A lovely mineral note and touch of baking spice on the finish. 

Personal Review:

Having never tried a Pinot Noir, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It is a dark colored wine with a bit of a reddish hue. There was a hint of cherry and some type of spice. Also there wood taste to it. Overall I enjoyed my glass last night and fully expect to finish off the bottle tonight. 

Tasting - "Firestong Sauvignon Blanc"

Name:            Firestone Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

Varietal:         Sauvignon Blanc

Region:          Santa Ynez Valley, California

Country:         USA

Year:              Unknown

Price:              $6.49 a glass

Online Review:

Our 2011 Barrel Select Sauvignon Blanc offers aromas of passion fruit, fig and lemon zest. The palate is bright with flavors of citrus, tropical fruits and melon, complemented by a long, mineral finish.

-Winemaker

Personal Review:

The wine had a very crisp fresh taste with a strong bite of acidity and alcohol. It has a bright, golden color. It tasted like eating a green grape before it had ripened. There were some sweet undertones which became more present when eaten with the meal (which happened to be sushi). The food also lessened the acidic strength.

Tasting - "Red Mountain Laurel"

Name:           Chateau Morrisette Red Mountain Laurel

Varietal:         Blend of native American grapes

Region:          Meadows of Dan, Virginia

Country:        USA

Year:             Not Given

Price:             $10.99

Online Review:

This is a distinctive dessert wine made from a blend of native American grape varieties. It exhibits flavors of fresh grapes and cherries that are complemented by a sweet, smooth finish. A nice accompaniment for chocolate desserts, delicious poured over pound cake, or served as an aperitif.

-Winemaker

Personal Review:

This wine was purchased by my lovely roommate. She has been trying out a lot of what Chateau Morrisette has to offer. This wine is a dessert wine and so it tastes very sweet. There is a small hint of cherry flavor but overall it taste like I am eating fresh red grapes with barely any alcohol. The one thing in particular this wine reminds me of is a weaker version of my childhood wine, the lovely typical Shabbat wine called Manischewitz. This was unfortunately the first wine I was ever introduced to and knowing that I am surprised I every drank wine again. 

Tasting - "RL Buller Victoria Tawny"

Name:            RL Buller & Sons Victoria Tawny

Varietal:         Port Blend

Region:          Rutherglen, Victoria

Country:        Australia

Year:             Not Given

Price:             $15.95

Online Review:

Sweet strawberry and cherry syrup flavours have a hint of rancio. There is a richness and smoothness on the palate as the flavours persist to a pleasing dry finish.

Richard Buller - Winemaker 

Personal Review:

I had this wine with a rib eye steak, potatoes and steamed veggies. I wanted to finish the bottle I already started and figured that it was mainly red wine and red typically goes well with red meat. It ended up going pretty well with the meal once I got over the fact it felt like I was drinking a hard liquor for dinner. It has a very strong red wine flavor with the kick of a high alcohol content liquor. It has a sweet smell which is tasted immediately and then overwhelmed by the alcohol content. The alcohol without food taste relatively the same, however the food takes the edge of the alcohol strength.  

My Limited Knowledge of Wine

My first experience with any beverage having anything to do with wine was back when my parents used to drink wine coolers and box wine. I assume I annoyed my mom enough about it, she let me have a sip of her wine cooler. As you may know, wine coolers have very little alcohol in them so this "adult beverage" tasted like an awesome fruit juice to me. I don't think it registered to me that it was indeed alcohol because one time when my parents went out to dinner and I was being babysat by my older brother, I drank one of her wine coolers because I was thirsty. When they found out it was missing, I confessed to drinking it. However they forgave me when they realized that I honestly though it was a non-alcoholic beverage.

During my under-21 years, I had several legal run-ins with wine. In fact, while traveling in Israel with my mother, I visited my first winery, the Golan Heights Winery. There I eagerly tasted a variety of reds and whites and found a taste for the Rieslings. The Rieslings I tried were very sweet, which was the typical pallet for someone of my age at the time. After the tasting, we went walked over to the store to buy what we liked. While my mother was perusing the rows of bottles, I found a nice little area by the window to sit down. This, I do believe, was the moment I learned what "being tipsy" felt like.

Another memorable under the legal age experience occurred while on a week long cruise in the Caribbean with my family. At the time, US drinking laws did not extend to US owned cruise ships in international or foreign waters. So, again, my drinking was legal. My uncle from California insisted upon drinking wine at dinner the first night on the water. He selected for us a Francis Ford Coppola red. Not sure what type of red, but I remember the name of the bottle because we drank one or two of them every single night for dinner. It was very memorable to have waiters offer me, a sixteen year old with braces, a large glass of wine. 

Fast forward six years, skipping over the beer and liquor phases, and reach my now 22-year old self. Being a typical college girl for this age, I am very well acquainted with the sweet, fruity flavor of Moscato and all the musical lyrics associated with it. It is one of my favorites simply because it tastes like a box of Welch's white grape juice but it gives me a great buzz. My roommates and I are also huge fans of Rieslings and the apple and blackberry wines from Chateau Morrisette.