Tasting - Boutinot El Viejo Del Valle Chardonnay

Arguably the cheapest and the worst wine I have tried came from Chile and was named after a meeting with a elder man in a valley. 

Name: Boutinot El Viejo Del Valle Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Valle de Maule

Country: Chile

Year: 2019

Price: $8

Critic Review: The only Sauvignon Gris in our list – it's an aromatic cousin of Sauvignon Blanc - think somewhere between Chile and New Zealand. A fresh aroma of waxy lemons, lime and grapefruit with a hint of frangapani. Fresh and clean on the palate with invigorating acidity.This has bags of character and personality, it really impresses in the glass with food. Try it with a variety of dishes such as scallops with mushrooms and white wine sauce, BBQ garlic prawns or salmon, grilled oysters, and poached white fish with summer salads containing parsley, pepper or lemon.

Wine Folly Review: The cooler Costa areas is where you’ll find the best Chardonnay.  The most popular style is buttery from oak aging, and comes from Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys. The

outer regions of Limarí and Aconcagua offer the most minerality and are uniquely salty.The common tastes are: baked apple, pineapple, starfruit, butter and flan.
[pg. 175, 2].

Personal Review: This one was incredibly hard to drink. It overwhelmed my mouth with bitterness making it incredibly hard to swallow. I addition to being extremely bitter, it was also extremely sweet making it taste like a really sweet sour apple that is clearly not ripe, but dipped in sugar. Probably would never buy this wine again. 

Works Cited

1. “El Viejo del Valle Sauvignon gris 2019 75cl,” Spirit Store. [Online]. Available: https://spiritstore.co.uk/el-viejo-del-valle-sauvignon-gris-2019-75cl. [Accessed: 29-Jan-2023].

2. M. Puckette and J. Hammack, Wine folly: The Essential Guide to Wine. New York: Avery, 2

Tasting - Vidal Blanc Gandy Dancer

  The second wine of week one was a white table wine that is a varietal type of wine and is named after the grape Chardonnay.

Vidal Blanc 

Full name: Vidal Blanc Gandy Dancer  

Variety: 100% Vidal Blanc
Region: Allisonia, Virginia 
Country: United States 
Year: 2017
Price: $16

Critic Review: Playful aromas of white fruit, grapefruit and honeydew melon burst from this smooth and sweet wine. Succulent peach pie flavors including hints of fresh-baked crust delight the palate when tasted[1].

Wine Folly Review: Wine Folly, didn't actually have anything about the grape Vidal Blanc, nor did it have any wines form Virginian wineries. By doing some research the "Vidal Blanc" turned out to be a variety of "Ugni Blanc" or "Trebbiano Toscano". Now from wine Folly - "One of the top grapes in both Italy and France (called Ugni Blanc), but you wouldn’t know it because it’s mostly used in the production of brandy or balsamic vinegar!

As a dry white wine, Trebbiano pairs well with hard Italian cheeses, seafood pastas, white pizza, roast chicken, and even pesto." [pg. 152, 2]

Personal Review: This was actually a very sweet wine, even though the grape variety is mainly used for brandy or vinegar. The wine sipped at first has a very strong taste of peach and is very acidic. However, is it is more sipped on other notes come through like pie crust and lemon. It tastes better over time, and becomes sweeter the longer you drink it. 

Works Cited

1. “Gandy dancer Vidal Blanc,” Virginia ABC. [Online]. Available: https://www.abc.virginia.gov/products/virginia-wine/gandy-dancer-vidal-blanc?productSize=0. [Accessed: 29-Jan-2023].

2. M. Puckette and J. Hammack, Wine folly: The Essential Guide to Wine. New York: Avery, 2015.

Tasting - Provenance Vineyards Chardonnay

     The second wine of week one was a white table wine that is a varietal type of wine and is named after the grape Chardonnay. 

Full name:  Provenance Vineyards Chardonnay 

Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: Sonoma, California 
Country: United States 
Year: 2016
Price: $30

Critic Review: The first Chardonnay from Provenance, this is sourced from outstanding sites like the Sangiacomo and Winery Lake vineyards, ... in the cool Carneros AVA. Barrel-aged in French oak for a year, this weighted white lends an elegant mouthfeel thanks to aging on the lees. Aromas of lemon curd and white peach are instantly attractive and alluring. The combination of minerality and toasted oak is well-integrated, forming a duality with a crème-brûlée effect and bright acidity. It’s a job well done [1].

Wine Folly Review: 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. Chardonnay pairs best with subtle spices and flavors. For example, try matching it with creamy, buttery flavors and soft textures. Lobster is a winning match [pg. 178, 2].

Personal Review: Definitely one of the best wines I have tried in my life. It had a sweet taste, while not keeping obsessive nor too acidic. It is easy to drink, and easy to moderate. I could smell a hint of peach and some woody flavors, however, I couldn't quite taste it, probably due to my inexperience. I tasted it without food. However, trying it with creamy flavors upon books recommendation is something I'm interested in trying. 

Works Cited

1. “Provenance vineyards,” Wine.com. [Online]. Available: https://www.wine.com/product/provenance-vineyards-chardonnay-2016/489794#closePromoModal. [Accessed: 22-Jan-2023].

2. M. Puckette and J. Hammack, Wine folly: The Essential Guide to Wine. New York: Avery, 2015.

Tasting - Famiglia Castellani Chainti Classico

 The first wine tasting is going to be about a dry red wine that came right from Italy, and is named after 

the region it came from - Chianti. 

Full name: Famiglia Castellani Chianti Classico

Variety: 100% Sangiovese
Region: Chianti, Tuscany Region 
Country: Italy
Year: 2017
Price: $16

Winery Review: Deep ruby red. Rich with notes of cherries, plums, and iris. Deep cherry and leather flavors with subtle wood notes. Supple tannins, good acidity, and a lingering finish. Perfect with flavorful roasts, pastas, and cheeses [1].

Wine Folly Review: The Classico designation means the wine comes from the historic boundaries of Chianti. Wines are primarily Sangiovese but also may contain Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet, and Merlot. The Riserva and Gran Selezione are the area’s finest wines and age 2 and 2.5 years respectively [Pg. 450, 2].The wine has tastes of: preserved cherry, aged balsamic, espresso and dry salami. 

Personal Review: When drinking the wine the first taste was sweet and nice on the tongue, however very quickly it got bitter and the acidity filled the mouth. Overall the wine is definitely meant for slow drinking. The color was ruby red and it tasted a little woody. 

Works Cited: 

1. “Famiglia Castellani chianti classico riserva 2017 :: Italian red,” Empire Wine & Liquor. [Online]. Available: https://www.empirewine.com/wine/famiglia-castellani-chianti-classico-riserva-2017-i48339/#:~:text=Supple%20tannins%2C%20good%20acidity%2C%20and,roasts%2C%20pastas%2C%20and%20cheeses.&text=James%20Suckling%2093-,%E2%80%9CA%20bright%20and%20fresh%20red%20with%20orange%2Dpeel%20and%20blackberry,%2Dbodied%2C%20driven%20and%20fruity. [Accessed: 22-Jan-2023]. 

2. M. Puckette and J. Hammack, Wine folly: The Essential Guide to Wine. New York: Avery, 2015.

My Experience with Wine

    Growing up it was my mother’s ritual to have one glass of wine with dinner, always red and always dry. Little Yulia found the drink very bitter and distasteful. Why would anyone choose to drink fermented grape juice instead of the normal one? I never quite understood that until I started to drink myself. It turned out that alcohols were all bitter, but when consumed changed your mood. 

    My mother always said wine makes her feel like no other alcohol does, it relaxes her while not clouding the brain. Do different liquors have different types of buzz? I still don't know, to me intoxication is just intoxication. However, drinking wine definitely felt like a sophisticated consumption of frowned upon alcoholic drinks. Drinking dry, red wine was an acquired taste that came with age and rejecting the beverage after being a full adult was childish. So, I started to appreciate it, in part to earn respect from my family. 

    Once I left the nest of comfort my parents built and travelled across the globe to the United States, I sadly had to take a 3-year drinking gap. As much as it helped me save money, it sadly set me back on my journey of sophisticated alcohol consumption. In the years of being underaged I discovered many "wines" that had absolutely not right to be called that. It turned out that the cheapest wine tasted exactly like the normal grape juice and had absolutely no sophistication. In addition, when I would buy the well-known real wines, my friends had zero interest in even giving it a chance. 

    By taking this course, not only do I want to further my linguistic knowledge of wine, but also challenge my taste buds with trying things I wouldn't otherwise. Even though it will be years until I become a true wine connoisseur, this shall be my first step. Hopefully it will be a fulfilling experience, through which I discover my favorite wines and people to drink them with.