Tasting - Alaro Domecq Aranda Cream Sherry

Name: Alaro Domecq Aranda Cream Sherry
Variety: Sherry
Region, Country: Jerez, Spain
Year: -
Price: $9.95

Winery Review: "Golden-brown in color, this has heady aromas of cola, nut, nutmeg, root beer and caramel. A pure, creamy palate of cinnamon apple, mocha, coffee and chocolate. It's quite smooth and balanced, and very long on the finish."

My Review: This was intensely sweet for me. It was more viscous wines then the ones I have tasted so far. It was very fragrant and smells like sweetly alcoholic. It tasted like honey, brown sugar, and burnt sugar, like caramel. It had a maple syrup like quality to it. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - Layer Cake Garnacha

Name: Layer Cake Garnacha
Variety: Garnacha
Region, Country: Calatayud, Sp
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: "The Layer Cake Garnacha from Calatayud, Spain is rich and powerful, yet clean and balanced. Layered with aromas of ultra ripe black fruit. On the palate, the wine shows intense dark fruit with a background of rich dark chocolate and fresh ground coffee with a long creamy finish."

My Review: This wine tasted strongly of dark fruit, like black currants. It was more tannic with a spicy finish. It definitely had more rich flavors than the other wines I tasted today. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - Fossi Rosso Red Blend

Name: Fossi Rosso Red Blend
Variety: Sangiovese,  Merlot, Primitivo and Negroamaro
Region, Country: Fiesole, Italy
Year: -
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: "A blend of Sangiovese and Merlot with a touch of Primitivo and Negroamaro. It will remind those who have traveled to Italy of one of the local house wines they consumed while there.  Simple, juicy, and perfect for drinking with or without food, it’s packed with bright cherry, strawberry and cranberry fruit aromas and flavors."

My Review: There was a bit of a musty scent to this wine. This was slightly acidic with flavors of red fruit and to me a little bit of tomato. This was pretty smooth and not too spicy making it very easy to drink. I did not try this with food.

Tasting - Nugan Pie in the Sky Chardonnay

Name: Nugan Pie in the Sky Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region, Country: South Eastern, Australia
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: "Aromas of poached peach, fig and pineapple with biscuity notes. Tropical, medium bodied style with peach and melon flavours complimented by zesty acids, savoury nuances and a crisp, dry finish. Perfect partner with many styles of modern cuisine including those with an Asian or Mediterranean twist."

My Review: I found this wine to be pretty subtle. This wine had more fruity and floral flavors present. I thought it was smooth with a oak-y or wood chip taste. I did not try this wine with food.

Tasting - Invino Si Pinot Grigio

Name: Invino Si Pinot Grigio
Variety: 100% Pinot Grigio
Region, Country: Lombardy, Italy
Year: 2014
Price: $5.95

Winery Review: "Pavia, in the Lombardy region of northern Italy where viticulture dates back thousands of years is home to the Si Pinot Grigio vineyards. The wine is creamy on the palate with a crisp, dry character, fresh citrus and pear flavors and an elegant finish."

My Review: This was very easy to drink. It was smooth with a slightly acidic after taste. Overall I would say that this wine was dry with a hint of lemon. I did not try this wine with food.

Dinner - Zeppolis (Italy/USA)

My (fully loaded) dinner plate
(all but dessert included)

 On Wednesday, my friend Ellery and I went to Zeppolis for dinner and a wine tasting. The meal was served family style and included a variety of dishes. There was a cheese plate with blue, Asiago, and Parmesan cheese, there was a cucumber and tomato salad, mashed potatoes, pasta roll ups, bean spread on bread, stuffed mushroom, mushroom frittata, and creamy pasta dish. There was also a flour-less chocolate cake in a raspberry sauce for desert. All of the food was absolutely delicious.

Folonari Pinot Grigio (on left)

One of the wines we tried was Folonari Pinot Grogio from Italy (2013). This was a tart and acidic but light wine. It was very easy to drink and had a smooth quality to it. I liked this paired best with the cucumber salad because I really enjoyed it paired with the balsamic vinaigrette on the salad. I also liked it with the creamy blue cheese and the bean spread.

Woodwork Pinot Noir

Another wine we had was the Woodwork Central Coast California Pinot Noir (2014). This wine had a smokey earthy scent. It started smokey and sweet but had a slightly acidic finish. It also coated my mouth a bit. I liked this with both the stuffed mushroom and the frittata (which I think also had mushroom in it). I think this relatively light red wine just paired well with the mushrooms because the flavors really complemented each other.

Kickstand Cab Sauvignon

We also had the Kickstand Cabernet Sauvignon from California (2013). I thought this wine had a slightly chocolaty scent. It tasted of dark berries, like raspberries, and had a peppery aftertaste. I liked this best with the pasta roll ups which were made with some sort of red pasta sauce. I liked how neither the wine overpowered the pasta nor the pasta overwhelm the wine.

Bonus SIP Rose

We also got a bonus wine, a Rose from SIP (California) made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes that I liked a lot. It had a very floral and berry scent. It was light and slightly acidic with just a hint of sweet and it had a strawberries and cream finish. I found this extremely refreshing.

One of the foods I tried that I had a hard time pairing was the flour-less chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. It was so sweet it made most of the wines we tried taste dry.

My friend Ellery and I about to enjoy our dinners!

Winery Visit: Beliveau Estate Winery

A picture of one of the buildings on the property (the Bed and
Breakfast?) from the balcony of our tasting room

Today my friend, Ellery, and I went to a wine and chocolate tasting at Beliveau Estate Winery. I had been to Beliveau once before but it was at night and I didn't get the full scope of the estate. During the day the estate is absolutely beautiful. Beliveau has been growing grapes since 2009 and producing wine since 2012. They grow about 51% or more of their grapes on the property and produce their wine on site.

First my friend and I went to one of Beliveau's upstairs rooms to do the chocolate and wine tasting. There were seven chocolates: white, milk, dark, an amaretto truffle, cappuccino truffle, salted caramel chocolate, and a mint chocolate. We tasted the chocolates with three wines. 

The chocolates (left) and three wines (upper right)

The first was a semi sweet white called Lovers Quest which is a 60% Vidal Blanc and 40% Chardonnay blend. This was a buttery sweet wine that had a hint of citrus. I liked it paired with the white chocolate best because the buttery sweetness from the chocolate sort of canceled out those flavors in the wine which brought forward the citrus notes in the wine.

The second was a Cabernet Franc named celestial. It had a earthy nose and a smokey and tannic taste. I like this paired with the milk chocolate best because the milk chocolate brought out a coffee flavor in the wine.

The last wine was a desert wine called Serenity made with a Chambourcin grape. I found this to both smell and taste like a spiced apple cider, like one you might have in the fall. I like this paired with the Amaretto truffle, which muted the strong sweetness a bit but brought out the spicy cinnamon flavor.

The pizza my friend and I shared. We meant to
take a picture before hand but it was so delicious
we forgot!

After the tasting my friend and I walked around the property and had a Vineyard pizza which is a special provided in their downstairs restaurant and bar. The pizza had grapes, caramelized onions, feta, and arugula and it was topped with balsamic vinaigrette. It was absolutely delicious and I would have loved to try it with a wine but unfortunately we were running out of time at the winery. 

Myself sitting on a bench on the winery patio.

A picture of some of the vines on the property.

The wines available in the shop at Beliveau.

Ellery and I at the end of our visit.

Overall I had a wonderful experience and I would love to go back another time. I would recommend a trip to Beliveau Estate to anyone who loves great wine and beautiful scenery,