Gabi's Wine Blog

This was one of the assignments I was most looking forward to because it combined my two favorite things - wine and cheese. Katie and I tried a variety of cheeses and paired the wines to best fit them.  Here's our line-up: From left to right we have Manchego paired with a Merlot, baked Brie with a Sauvignon Blanc, and Colby Jack paired with a Pinot Noir. While I am familiar with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, this was my first time trying Merlot, so let's get into it! This is a 2019 Lindeman's Bin 40 Merlot. On it's own, the aromas were very fruity, specifically plum. I could somewhat pick up the oak-aged bouquet towards the end. The taste was very similar to the aromas, and the red plum was very prominent. Overall for this being my first sweet red, I very much enjoyed this wine. With the manchego, the pairing was not my favorite. And by that, I mean my least favorite of the night. The lack of acidity from this wine made the cheese taste sharper. The cheese overpowered...

I tried another Cabernet Sauvignon (can you tell it's my favorite!). This was a 2018 Francis Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon from Coppola Winery, located in Alexander Valley in California, United States that retails for around $15. I loved the chic look of the bottle and as a huge Cabernet Sauvignon fan, I was beyond excited to try this wine. Online reviews were very positive, many said how this wine had a very pleasant and long finish. Tasting Experience The aromas of this wine were very much blackberry, cherry, with an oaky tertiary aroma (31). The oak was almost overwhelming and the overall bouquet made me excited for a tannic full-bodied wine. Upon tasting, this wine had high acidity and tannins (32) as well as a long finish. Similar to the aromas, I first tasted the blackberry with a strong oak finish. I really enjoyed this wine and nearly felt bad that I was not eating it with a nice steak. The high tannins and long finish made this wine end on a great note and the blackberry and ...

Earlier this week, I tried another red blend. The 2020 Dancing Flame Red Blend costs $5.99 and is from Valle Central, Chile. The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Carmenere, and 10% Syrah. I loved the design on the bottle, so I was very excited to try this wine. Especially after listening to the great grapes red wine video, it was great to try a wine with Syrah in it. Online, the reviews for this are somewhat mixed but mostly positive, saying that this wine is great for the price. Many people said the fruit flavors tasted not quite ripe, and the prominent fruit flavors are blackberry and cherry with a hint of spice. Tasting Experience: The aromas of this wine presented a fuller bodied aroma with hints of blackberries and other black fruits. The secondary aroma gave a potting soil bouquet and the tertiary aroma has a hint of spice (31). The cabernet sauvignon in this wine was especially prominent, and since that is one of my favorite grapes, I was very excited to try. The taste of th...

  This week, I tried some of my roommates 2018 Odd Lot Petite Sirah - Petit Verdot. This red blend is 80% Petite Sirah and 20% Petit Verdot is from Monterey in California, United States and costs around $15 a bottle.  Online, this wine has very positive reviews. Many said that the tannins were very balanced and the wine is medium-bodied with flavors of dark fruits. The Tasting: Upon swirling, the wine had a dark fruit bouquet, specifically plum and black cherry. The secondary aroma was similar to wet rocks and the tertiary aroma was oaky (31). The wine was dry and more full-bodied. The flavors were very complex and there was a medium tannin level, with medium acidity (32). According to the Wine Folly text, Petite Sirah is loved for its deep-colored wines and bold tannins, and it has sugar plum and blueberry flavors (147). Petit Verdot is more known for it's bolder flavors with hints of black cherry and plum (146). My Review: Overall, I loved this wine. Wines that are my favori...

 After having more reds, I decided to switch it up and try a Sauvignon Blanc. This wine is a 2020 Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand and costs $8.99. Online, many reviews say that this wine is light and refreshing, and has a lot of lemon and citrus notes. Most people rated this wine a 3.5/5, reflecting that it was good for the price but not a fantastic wine that could be rated higher. The Tasting: I enjoyed this wine with my roommate, Julia, pictured in the background. After doing an initial sniff and swirl, I agreed with the reviews and picked up a strong citrus aroma. Specifically, lemon. There were no secondary or third aromas (31). Upon tasting it, this wine was very light, acidic, and dry. There was a low level of tannin and the finish was sour (32). According to the Wine Folly text, Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand consists of flavors of ripe pair and kiwi.  My Review: Overall, while this is a nice wine, I would not have it again. The bouquet was almos...

Tonight was our first wine and dinner, which featured a three-course meal with a different wine for each meal. Katie is also taking this class with us, so we got our group together to make our meal. We centered the dinner around Italy, so all of our meals were inspired from Italian-style food and all of the wines were Italian. First Course - Insalata Our first course - salad Our first course featured a salad with romaine lettuce, red peppers, with breadcrumbs and balsamic vinaigrette. Due to the acidic nature of the vinaigrette, we paired this course with a 2020 Pinetti Notte Pinot Grigio delle Venezie. On it's own, the wine's aroma presented notes of peach and light fruit bouquets. After tasting, the wine had a high level of acidity and the flavors were light and crispy. The wine was not complex and had a short finish.  The breadcrumbs and dressing was the best part While eating the salad while tasting the wine, the two paired very well. The vinaigrette mellowed out the acidit...

 Hi! I'm Gabi, and I am a 21 year old college student at Virginia Tech. I am originally from the DC area and am majoring in Business Information Technology.  I am half Italian and half Egyptian, therefore, wine runs in my family's blood. My grandfather and uncles are always doing different tastings; they will put the wine bottles in a paper bag and then guess what they are tasting.  My experience in wine is limited, given I am only one year into legality. I typically lean towards reds and dryer wines, but love tasting any new wine. Throughout this course, I hope to learn the language of wine and how to taste and sniff properly.