Tasting: Biltmore Estate Pinot Grigio

Name: Biltmore Estates Pinot Grigio

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: Asheville, North Carolina

Country: USA

Year: 2022

Price: $13.99

Winery Review: Off-dry and crisp with lush tropical fruit aromas, flavors of white peach, and hints of soft floral.

Vivino Rating: 3.9 stars

Wine Folly: Pg. 149 Pinot Gris- Described as a dry white wine with notes of white peach, lemon zest, cantalope, almond, and crushed gravel. I picked up on the peach and almond notes, and agreed with the text's analysis of the light-body and high acidity of the wine.

My Review: Meh. I didn't think think that this wine was that great. I think one of the major things that had to do with me not loving the wine is that we forgot to put the wine in the fridge before trying, so we ended up tasting it after 45 minutes in the freezer. I still don't think that was cold enough. Oops! When looking at this wine, it looked almost clear and we determined it had a pale straw color. I picked up on the peach and floral scents while smelling, and then the peach and almond hints really came out in the tasting. I thought it was quite dry, which was nice but also found it very acidic which left my mouth watering for a little bit after sipping. I also tasted low sweetness, and I thought it was a bit bland. It left me wanting more flavor!

Tasting Night with Friends! Pictured from Left to Right: Morgan, Myself, Sarah, Miabella, and Julia

 

Tasting: Bonterra Merlot

Name: Bonterra Merlot

Variety: Merlot

Region: Hopland, Medicino County, California

Country: USA

Year: 2022

Price: $10.99

Winery Review: This organically farmed Merlot is velvety smooth, with rich aromas of blueberry, plum and dried herbs, culminating in ripe tannins and a generous finish.

Vivino Rating: 3.7 stars

Wine Folly: Pg. 131 Merlot- I was able to taste the chocolate notes from this one, I did not get any dried herbs or vanilla. I tasted it in an oversized glass, at room temperature, but did not decant the wine. Maybe I'll try that one next time to see if there is a difference in the taste.

My Review: I really enjoyed this wine! This medium-bodied Merlot had a pale ruby color and I picked up on strong blueberry and chocolate notes during smelling and tasting. I don't think I have ever tried a Merlot before, but I found it quite refreshing compared to the full-bodied reds I have tried before such as Cabernet Sauvignon. 

I drank this wine with M&M candies and I thought that really brought out the notes of chocolate in the wine, while also enhancing the flavor of the M&Ms! I don't think I have ever experienced how wine can make food better before, that was awesome! I would totally drink this wine again, next time with food. Wine Folly suggests that the wine be paired with smoked meats such as pork.

Tasting Night with Friends! Pictured from Left to Right: Morgan, Myself, Sarah, Miabella, Julia

Introduction Post: My Personal Experience with Wine

Hi there! My name is Abby and I am starting this blog page to document my experience in the Geography of Wine class by John Boyer at Virginia Tech. I am a senior majoring in Building Construction and I am also the captain of the Associated Schools of Construction Concrete Team here at VT. With that being said, a class like this (which includes a lot of writing about my own feelings towards wine) is way out of my comfort zone. I am really excited to start this class and to take it with a few friends. I think this will be a great learning experience, and I will learn so much about wine. I anticipate that this class will teach me very basic life skills all the way up to (semi) advanced wine connoisseur skills, which I can take through life!

My personal experience with wine thus far in my life has been what I would describe as fairly minimal. Times in my life that I have consumed wine include mostly at Italian restaurants, where I typically opt for either the cheapest or most easy-to-pronounce glass of red. I also really enjoy sparking wine such as champagne, and that is about it. 

I do not know much about wine and I want to learn about all of the different types of wine and which ones I like the best. I also want to learn about what types of food pair well with the different types of wine, so I can pick out great selections for dinners. Overall, I am super excited to get started in this class and I hope that I learn a lot!