Fork & Cork

Cloudy Fork& Cork

I was really excited to experience all that is Fork & Cork. The gang and I got there around 1pm and it was PACKED. The weather wasn't that hot either- kinda windy and very cloudy. But any day is a good day to drink some wine :). We stayed until 5pm so we definitely got our moneys worth. We went to about 6 different wine booths but my favourite of the day was Savory-Lee Winery and there SANGRIA :).  It was so good I purchased a pitcher and drank it while I waited online for other wine tastings.  In a close second I really enjoyed Veritas Winery so I  will describe their wines and what I liked about them:
Vertias Winery:

Maybe I had too much wine..

Sauvignon Blanc 2012-  Enjoyed this wine the most from this winery: very lemony grapefruit flavors on the nose with  similar flavors on the palette-(with the grapefruit being more prominent)
Saddleback Chardonnay 2012-  Slightly oaky with big fruit flavors- On the nose  very appley- upon tasting I got flavors of juicier  fruits like melon and kiwi.
Viognier 2012-  This smelled alot like peaches on the nose and then upon tasting tasted alot like roses peaches and apricots.  Im not the biggest fan of Viognier but  this one would be a decent wine for picnics.
White Star NV:  This was a very sweet white blend.  On the nose I got alot of peach aroma. Upon tasting alot on pineapple with peach  and some mango. I could definitely taste the residual sugar. Okay but to sweet for my liking.
Rose 2012:  I DONT like Rose's.  This wine could be exhibit A for why I dont like roses. Not sweet very spicy and dry. But lacking the body and depth of a good red. Roses in my opinion are red wine wannabes but aren't good enough.  It  was floraly on  the nose and  had a very spicy alcholy taste. No bueno.
Claret 2012: This wine was my second favourite from Veritas.  This red blend was on the dryer side which was nice. On the nose it was an oaky berry smell and then upon tasting I got alot of dark fruit with mocha at the end. I loved the mocha aspect of this wine. Overall good red table wine.
Food and Wine paring:

Loved all the Dogs there!

I purchased some awesome kettle corn and then tried it with some of  Horton's  XOCO White Chocolate dessert wine and it was Phenomenal!  the salty sweetness of the popcorn cut through the decadence of the chocolate!  I didn't purchase a bottle because this dessert wine is EXTREMELY decadent put it made for a great temporary pairing.
Overall I wasn't extremely impressed with the wines from Virginia. They were WAY to sweet for my liking. I found myself after the event with a stomach ache and I think it was from the wines being way too sweet! But like always it was another great adventure and a great excuse to drink some vino :)

Vintage Cellar Wine Tasting 4.25

Name: Trattoria Busa Alla Torre

Variety:  Pinot Grigio

Region: Veneto

Country: Italy

Year: 2011

Price: 7.95

Store Review:Named after the famous restaurant in Italy! This is their house white wine! Coppery color from extended skin contact, round and rich texture with juicy melon aromas and flavors with a sweet fennel note on the ultra smooth finish. Great value Grigio! Drink now.

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine because I like Grigios! Pino grigios is my favourite white wine because it is crisp, balanced and not to fruity. I felt this wine encompassed that aspect.  On the nose I got a melon/veggie citrus  smell. It had great body for a white wine and definitely tasted like melon- got a hint of grapefruit and maybe some lime? Good with salad fish or even a light carby dish. Overall a good table white wine. Would buy if I wasn't poor! :(

Name: Labetia 

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: La Mancha

Country: Spain

Year: 2011

Price: 9.95 

My Review: This wine was great. I really don't like oaky chardonnays so I was plesantly surprised when I discovered that this chardonnay is on the fruitier side. On the nose there is an explosion of pineapple and some citrus notes. After I tasted  it I picked up on some pineapple kiwi and strawberry flavors. This wine would be ideal for a summer picnic.

Store Review: Organically and naturally grown and made, this wine allows the varietal and the terroir to stand out cleanly. Clean, bright color with a greenish-yellow tone. On the nose, exotic fruits like pineapple. Full flavored, fresh, with good acidity in the mouth, it finishes with tropical fruits.

Name: Labetia 

Variety: Tempranillo

Region: La Mancha

Country: Spain

Year: 2011

Price: 9.95

My Review: This was a decent wine.  On the nose I really picked up on the cherry aspect. Upon tasting the wine I got very spicy notes- black pepper  with some raspberry afterwards. Nothing to special to me about it.  But decent.

Store Review: Organically and naturally grown and made, this wine allows the varietal and the terroir to stand out cleanly. It shows a nice cherry color with a violet shade because of its youth. Red berries and cherries on the nose. On the palate it is fresh, slightly astringent, and harmonious with a long finish.

Name:Reserve Grand Veneur 

Variety: Red Blend

Region: Rhone

Country: France

Year: 2010

Price: 14.95

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine. This red wine blend would be best   highlighted with a great meal (preferably with meat).On the nose I got ripe ripe ripe cherries with of spiciness. Upon tasting it was ripe berry cherry flavors with a little hint of licorice. I didn't pick up on the lavender taste ( but  practice makes perfect ;) ) I would love to have this wine with a big bubbling 

bowl of french onion soup. Awesommeee

Store Review:As for their other values, the 2010 Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone Reserve (70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault) displays loads of ripe flavors. It is very concentrated for a Cotes du Rhone, and is actually an amazing wine. Classic garrigue, black cherry liqueur, lavender, licorice and spice box are all present in this full- bodied, intense, and rich Cotes du Rhone. This is a sensational effort to drink over the next 4-5 years, although it might last even longer. 

Beliveau Winery

I was pleased to discover that there is a winery within 20 mins of tech! Luckily, it was a beautiful day and me and my two friends decided to give Beliveau Winery a whirl. Upon arrival we noted that the winery is very quaint and Serene farm. The owners have a matching style house next to the winery  tasting house and dinning hall.  Once we arrived in the tasting room we were greeted by a very friendly asian woman who filled us in on the history of the winery.

Our tasting consisted of 8 different wines. Most of the wines were from the Vidal Blanc grape.  Most of the grapes in all the 8 wines are imported  from other vineyards and wineries and bottled  at a separate plant and shipped to Beliveau. There were only one or two wines of the 8 that had only 20% of Beliveau's own grown grapes. After asking the tasting rep more about the vineyard she soon shared that they only planted grapes in 2009 and are realistically just starting to harvest their grapes for there wines. It will be a few years before they produce a bottle that contains 100% of the wineries grapes.  Since this is a relatively new winery she then informed us that having a vineyard and winery is an investment for your grandchildren. It takes a while to reap noticeable profits from the initial costs to start up the winery.

After the tasting we bought a bottle of their Reflection which is "Gold Medal Winner"  which is a sweet wine from the Trimanette grape.  It was an awesome picnic wine- a perfect fit for the beautiful weather and the farm environment. After we finished the bottle we strolled around the vineyard to get a better look at the grapes and the property. Like I said earlier, It was really quaint and a beautiful location to start a new vineyard. I'm excited to see where this place goes in the next decade :) 

The Grapes planted in '09

Vintage Cellar Tasting 4-18

Name: Wilson Daniels

Variety: Sauvignon Blanc 

Region: Central Cost

Country: California

Year: 2010

Price: $7.95

Store description:Orange blossom and citrus permeate the aromas. Alluring flavors of orange and grapefruit dominate the palate. Bright acidity

balances the plush mouthfeel, resulting in a clean finish.

My description: I definitely enjoyed this wine- I think It would make a great pairing with a light salad or chicken dish. It smelled very citrusy and when I tasted it I definitely picked up on the orange and grapefruit. Got a little bit of green apple with alot of acid on the finish 

Name: Chandon Sweet Cuvee

Variety: Sparkling 

Region: NV

Country: California

Year: 2010

Price: $9.95

Store review:This wine is an innovative sparkling wine style revealing vibrant stone fruit and floral aromas with rich, luscious mouthfeel. This wine enlivens the senses and sparks spontaneous moments,

complementing your passion for a good life.

My Review:  I really enjoyed this wine I definitely picked up on the fruity flavors and the floral nose. Most of the flavors I got were pear and strawberry. Random combination!! I think this wine would go real well with chocolate or a fruit bowl after dinner!

Name: Black Ridge 

Variety: White Zinfindel 

Region: NV

Country: California

Year: 2010

Price: $3.95

Store Review:This fruit forward White Zinfandel displays fresh aromas and crisp flavors of strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. It is incredibly food friendly and will pair well with burgers, sandwiches, fruit salad, and

more.

My Review: This wine was really fruity- a little too fruity for my taste. I definitely got an explosion of strawberry and cherry when I drank this wine.  Very fruity nose- very sugary. Not my favourite.

Name: Ksana

Variety: Bonarda 

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2008

Price: $9.95

Store Review:The bouquet is floral and lightly jammy, with berry aromas and a savory note or two. To the uninitiated, this is a great introduction to Bonarda. Finishes solid. Very sweet, berry smell with some rooty undertones. Kind of dry, makes your lips pucker.

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine. Although it was really dry I thought it brought great flavors to the table.  On the nose I picked up alot of florals. Once I tasted it It was rather spicy with berry notes and I picked up on green pepper as well. A little too dry for my taste.

Name: Concannon

Variety: Shiraz 

Region: Central Coast

Country: California

Year: 2008

Price: $7.95

Store Review:This is an extremely rich, full-bodied wine with a dark fruit core. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cassis and dark cherry are followed by more berry fruits and chocolate and mocha on the

palate.

My Review:  On the nose I definitely picked up on blackberry and blueberry. Upon tasting the wine I definitely got black cherry blueberry and mocha. I enjoyed a linger after taste on  the cassis. In that way It kind of reminded me of France even though its from California- since France is known for its cassis.

Family Italian Wine Dinner

Family Enjoying Dinner

The Wines

After sharing with my family all the cool stuff I was learning in geography of wine I convinced them to do a wine dinner. My grandfather is a huge wino so for our italian dinner he choose a Pino Gris a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir. We saved the pinot noir for the main course and then had the Chardonnay and the pino grigo with appetisers. For an appetiser we had a Buffalo moterzella with mushrooms and roasted tomatoes. This appetiser paired well with the King's Estate 2011 pinot Gris, the sweetness of the Pino Gris balanced out the savory aspect of the buffalo balsamic moterella with the roasted tomatoes. The Pino gris had really nice fruit notes inclduing some citris and pear that I could easily sense. The nose was a honeysuckle with faint citrus. Great pairing.

Cheese & Wine

Lobster Salad

Mannacotti

The second course we had was a lobster salad with mircogreens and avocado with a lemon wasabi dressing. This paired really well with the Simi 2012 Sonoma Chardonnay. The freshness of the salad and the texture of the avacodo and crab was balanced nicely by the oakiness of this Chardonnay. This Chardonnay had a orange and apple smelll- the taste, however, was really okay. I didn't mind that though because it balanced out the tangy seafood of the lobster salad. For the next course we had veal/beef mannacotti and a pesto artichoke pizza  with vermont goat cheese. For this course we paired it with the Meiomi 2011 Pinot  Noir.

Goat Cheese Pizza

I was really excited for this part of dinner because Pinot Noir is the most expensive wine and my favourite (glad my parents could pay for this). The Pinot Grigo was from Santa Barbara, so like most California Pinot's it was very fruity and balanced. This went really well with the creamy goat cheese of the pizza and the heaviness of the beef/veal mixture inside of the mannacotti. The Pino Noir had a very fruity nose with raspberry and blackberry notes really coming through. The taste was awesome with more raspberry, blackberry, black cherry  vanilla with a hint of spice at the end. This complex wine was an awesome pairing for both the mannicotti and the goat cheese pizza.

Granny Getting Crunk

By far the best part of this dinner was being able to share with my family all that I have learned in this class. Once we started talking about wine I found out alot more about my grandparents and parents experiences with wine. My dad went to talk about his trips to Nappa Valley and filled me in on all the things he tried and learned while in California. I also think I found a new staple- The King's Estate Pinot Gris is one I will drink frequently :) I guess apples don't fall far from the tree- considering I have very similar tastes as my family.

Mom & Dad

Wine Dinner Blog. Asian Fusion & Cheese Party

 This wine dinner party was a very spontaneous- yet  great event.  After shopping around Kroger me and 5 of my friends decided to do a dinner wine party!  The three wines chosen were

Name: Acronym

Variety: Blended White

Region: California

Country: California

Year: 2011

Price: 9.95

Name: Clos du Bois

Variety: Pinot Noir

Region: California

Country: US

Year: 2011

Price: 13

Name: Monte Oton

Variety: Garnacha

YUMMM

Region: Moncaya

Country: Spain

Year: 2011

With the two reds we decided to eat 5 different cheeses. Kroger has this awesome selection of fine cheeses under $3 dollars. The Cheese we choose were Swiss, Creamy Goat,  Pepcorino Toscano,  Onion and Chive Cheddar, Smoked Gouda,  and a Garlic and herb cheddar.  

Wine and Cheese

The Clous du bois was AMAZING with the creamy goat cheese ! It was also good with the swiss and gouda- those cheeses seemed to have a creamier texture. On its own the Clos du Bois had alot of cherry and raspberry flavors with a hit of vanilla. The cheese seemed to bring out the fruitiness more and the wine balanced the heaviness of the cheese. 


The Monte Onton was better with the bitter cheeses. The wine had an earthier taste a little peppery and fruity and I found that that played off the bitterness of the drier cheeses like the toscano and the cheddar. 

Sweet & Sour Noodels & Fried Dumplings

From prior experience I know that crispy sweet fruity whites pair really with with spicy oriental cuisine. We stopped by Marco and Luca the new dumpling place near the empo and picked up fried dumplings with there special spicy soy sauce,  sweet and sour noodles with apples, cilantro and spicy sweet sauce  and a hot pork stuffed bun. As expected the white went great with the food especially the sweet and sour noodles. The white had alot of citrus flavors come through with some crisp apple and subtle

Hot Pork Bun

This wine dinner party gave us all the opportunity to see what wine highlighted about certain foods and vice versa. After this party I especially know what kinds of cheeses to pair with certain wines. And I will continue to keep my sweet crisp whites paired with my asian cuisine :)