Tasting - La Galope

Name: La Galope

Variety: Rose (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot)

Country of Origin: France

Region of Origin: Gascony

Vintage Year: 2023

Price: $16

Wine Critic review: "Orange color, nose almost smells like a Chardonnay with butter and petrol notes, as well as wet stone; not a lot of fruit on the nose. Palate is similar... absence of citrus flavors but a presence of petrol and mineral notes as well as some light bubbles. Full bodied in nature. Finish is short. Interesting and drinkable but not amazing" (Review).

Wine folly book: pg. 88, 131 - Carbetnet sauvignon, with black cherry, black currant, cedar, baking spicies, graphite. Merlot including cherry, plum, chocolate, dried herbs, and vanilla. I noticed vanilla and black cherry the most. 

My review: I really enjoyed this wine. I believe that Rose is my favorite type of wine, so I may be a little biased. The black cherry taste was delicious yet not too overpowering, and the vanilla aftertaste was smooth. Overall, this wine would go well with almost any meal and is a delicious snack alone or accompanied with anything. 

Tasting - 19 Crimes

Name: 19 Crimes Cali Red

Variety: Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Merlot

Country: USA

Region: California

Vintage: 2020

Price: $14

Wine Critic's review: "Snoop Dogg 19 Crimes Cali Red tastes like a nicely balanced red blend, with notes of black cherry, vanilla and candied raspberry. I found the taste to include 2 flavors that occurred in succession. First, black cherry with a slight hint of vanilla. Second, a transition to a lighter, candied raspberry. This one two punch occurred very consistently and I thoroughly it. A simple complexity, if there is such a thing! At first sip, you might notice some lightly-sweet black cherry but it soon transitions to a long-finishing candied raspberry flavor. Snoop Dogg 19 Crimes Cali Red had a juicy mouthfeel with noticeable and well-integrated tannins."

(Jon Rogers - Honestwinereviews)

Wine folly book: pg. 131,189 - References to dark chocolate, blueberry, herbs, plum, vanilla, and cherry. It definitely had hints of chocolate from the smell and it had a nice vanilla aftertaste. Blueberry was very evident. 

My review: This was one of my favorite wines I've tried thus far. The vanilla aftertaste was very enjoyable and made me want to drink more. The overall blueberry flavor was delicious and not too overbearing, which is good because I dislike a wine that's too bold or bitter. 

Tasting - Apothic Pinot Noir

 

Name: Apothic

Variety: Pinot Noir

Country of Origin: USA

Region of Origin: California

Vintage Year: 2022

Price: $11.99

Critic's Review: "This wine has a light aroma of cherries, and is dark ruby in color. It has a wonderfully bold flavor of vanilla and black cherry, with an undertone of raspberry. The flavors are delightfully layered, with notes of chocolate and herbs on the finish. This wine is very smooth and luscious. I had it with my chicken parmigiana and it was a little too rich as a companion but would be perfect with beef, lamb, and spaghetti, as well as other red sauce pastas. I really makes a great digestif." (William Denney, Vivino).

Wine Folly: pg. 150 - References to cherry and raspberry which I was tasting as well, and also clove, mushrooms, and vanilla. The clove and mushrooms I don't see, however, the vanilla is apparent when tasting. Pairs well with duck, chicken, pork, and mushrooms. 

My Review: The vanilla, as mentioned above, is very overbearing when drinking this wine. I personally enjoyed it, while some of my friends didn't due to the vanilla taste. It was a sweet wine with hints of cherry, raspberry, and vanilla. Overall, it was a good, lighter wine with a sweet flavor. 

                                                                 I did not have food with this wine.                               

Tasting - Josh Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Name:  Josh 

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 

Country of Origin: USA

Region of Origin: California

Vintage Year: 2022

Price: $8

Winery review: "I found this wine’s taste to be full-bodied, smooth, and enjoyable with complex flavors of hazelnut, blackberry, and the slightest hint of cinnamon. This was exactly as promised by the tasting notes on the label, which is rare. I often disagree with the label’s description of what to expect. But this time it was spot on!" (https://www.honestwinereviews.com/josh-cabernet-sauvignon-review)

Wine Folly: pg 88 - I definitely tasted a lot of black cherry when tasting the Josh. Additionally, the foods that are good with pairing such as rich meats, I agree entirely with as they would blend fantastic together. 

My review: It was decent. I found that the taste was more bitter than rich. However, it wasn't the worst. This isn't a wine I would seek out, but it would pair well with certain meals. A steak dinner with the Josh Cabernet Sauvignon is a great combination of rich meat and savory wine. The black cherry flavor was quite strong and made it bitter for me, but that shouldn't stop anyone from trying it out!

My Wine Experience

    

    My name is Sean Wisniewski, and I have little to no experience with wine. The little experience I have is drinking two wine bottles previously for a Wine Wednesday, but I didn't do much reviewing of the taste. Usually, I don't seek out wine, so I don't drink it often. However, I'm excited that with this class, I get to try a wide variety of wines and become educated on something I'm foreign to.

    

    This class will hopefully educate me enough so that people I speak to will actually believe I know something about wine, which I find fun. I've never really focused on the specific tastes and ingredients in drinks or foods therefore it should be exciting to really challenge my pallet and see what conclusions I can draw from wine. It would be cool in a few years if I went to a vineyard and actually knew what I was talking about.  

   

    Overall, I have very little to no knowledge about wines due to my little experience drinking them. When I have, though, I have always gone for a sweeter taste rather than a bitter one. I enjoy an aftertaste that doesn't linger for too long or isn't too strong and has an oaky taste. I also enjoy a lighter drink than a heavy, deeper drink that isn't too bold in its flavor. Conclusively, I have no experience with wine outside of two experiences, and I look forward to learning much more!