East Coast

Back in October, we did a tasting featuring East Coast wines. I think the reason I procrastinated so much with getting this post up is that we weren't blown away by these wines as a whole. That's not to say that the wineries on the East Coast do not produce fantastic wines-- we enjoyed our visit to Blue Mountain Vineyards that I mentioned in the last post, many delicious things were had at Wine in the Woods, and Drink Local Wine is even coming to visit Maryland because we're so cool.

(Wines not exactly in order of tasting)

A. Turk Mountain Vineyards La Tour d'Afton 2008 (Virginia) - more info

Appearance: Dark, pretty, long legs

Nose: 4

Intensity: 3

Balance: 3

Complexity: 2 - cheese brings out complexity (we had chevre)

Finish: 2.7

Comments: Very dry, tart, best with goat cheese.

B. Flickerwood Wine Cellars Flickerberry Dew (Pennsylvania) - more info

Appearance: Ruby, garnet, very pretty

Nose: 5

Intensity: 4

Balance: 1

Complexity: 1.5

Finish: 2

Comments: "I don't even think it's alcoholic. I'm drinking juice." "Leaves me wanting water." Remind's Katie of Boordy's Jazzberry, would be great as a reduction over ice cream.

Katie's favorite

C. Wagner Vineyards Estate Bottled Niagara (New York) - more info

Appearance: Clear, straw, very pale

Nose: 2.5 - sugar, leather, smells like peanut skin

Intensity: 4

Balance: 1

Complexity: 1.7

Finish: an unfortunate 3

Comments: Would make a good white sangria.

D. Red Newt Cellars Salamander White (New York) - more info

Appearance: Pale, blonde, disappears into ceiling

Nose: 4.5

Intensity: 1.3

Balance: 3.9

Complexity: 4

Finish: 4

Comments: "They're really nice there." "I taste a hint of newt!"

Everyone but Dan loved this one.

E. Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling 2011 (New York) - more info

Appearance: Stained ceiling

Nose: 3 - delightful honey

Intensity: 2

Balance: 4

Complexity: 3

Finish: 3

Comments: Crisp, with is lasted longer, kind of tart, powerful thighs. "For a riesling, I'm surprised!"

F. Blue Mountain Mountain Spice Apple Wine (Pennsylvania) - more info

Appearance: "'tis yellow."

Nose: 4 - spicy

Intensity: 3.2

Balance: 3.5

Complexity: 3

Finish: 4

Comments: Honey and spicy and apple-y. "I wanna add caramel to it."

Pacific Northwest

Yes, yes, I know this is ridiculously late. I don't even remember what month it was from. Pretty sure it was July. Solid wines from the Pacific Northwest, two of which I have labeled as the "overall fave." Not sure which one actually won out, if there was a definitive best!

On a random note, a couple of us recently visited Blue Mountain Vineyards in PA and learned some things. I need to write it down before I lose this knowledge completely:
- Tannin comes from the seeds and oak barrel.
- The legs are caused by the alcohol; more/stronger legs = longer fermentation time, higher alcohol content, and less sugar (drier wine).
- If a wine bottle doesn't say "estate wine," they may have gotten grapes from another region and just turned it into wine in whatever area the label says it's from.
- If a wine says "aged in oak" and it's labeled with the same year that you are buying it, it was probably mixed with chips of oak leftovers during fermentation, not actually aged in oak barrels like you would like to think. This means that the oak flavor will be good right away, but it may not be present if the bottle is aged.
- A good quality wine should taste like it smells.
- The pop you hear when you uncork wine is from nitrogen in the bottle, used to prevent the wine from coming into contact with oxygen and deteriorating the flavor when it's stored.

A. Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - more info

Appearance: "It's dark."

Nose: 4

Intensity: 2.5

Balance: 5

Complexity: 3.7

Finish: 4.2

Comments: "It's like a boyscout." Bill's (from Laurel) preferred. Spicy, "really good," fruit flavor. *Overall Fave*

Dan and Haley's favorite

B. 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - more info

Appearance: Black, dark, "really dark."

Nose: 2.5

Intensity: 1.3

Balance: 3.14

Complexity: 2.5

Finish: 2.7

Comments: "It's gone." Sweeter than the last one.

C. 14 Hands Hot to Trot Red Blend 2010 - more info

Appearance: Dark again, ok legs.

Nose: 3.5

Intensity: 1.5

Balance: 3.5

Complexity: 2

Finish: 2

Comments: "Kinda dank." (This comment was the result of us smelling pot wafting in from one of my neighbors.) Spice, burns a bit, would be good mulled. "It wants to be sexy, but it's just trying too hard."

D. Airlie Pinot Gris 2009 - more info

Appearance: Light yellow, a bit cloudy.

Nose: 3.5

Intensity: 2.5

Balance: 3

Complexity: 3

Finish: 4

Comments: Good with creamy things, a day-drinking bottle, odd flavor, no mint.

E. Sawtooth Riesling 2009 - more info

Appearance: Light.

Nose: 2.5

Intensity: 1.8

Balance: 3.8

Complexity: 3.2

Finish: 4

Comments: "That's a riesling." "I generally don't like rieslings, but this is good." Good with peach, good summer wine.

Jen's favorite white

F. Kung Fu Girl Riesling 2011 - more info

Appearance: Really clear.

Nose: 4 - Pretty, like us!

Intensity: 2 - Trying to be subtle

Balance: 4.8

Complexity: 3 - One beautiful note

Finish: 3 - Sour lingers

Comments: "Has an identity crisis," tastes like pinot grigio, sour, pucker, *Overall Fave*

California

Yes, I'm a slacker. California was June's selection and it's already almost August! But let's get on with it--

We did California at Dan's place so we could show off the new bar. There were a lot of people, and subsequently a large wine selection. Please do not judge us too harshly from the following image, as the empty bottles make us look a little less than classy.

A. Bohemian Highway Merlot 2009 - more info

Appearance: Dark, creepy red, scarlet, blood, ruby, garnet, cranberry (I think this was less a descriptive effort and more of people acting like a thesaurus)

Nose: 3.5

Intensity: 2

Balance: 3

Complexity: 2

Finish: 2.3

Comments: Warms the heart, had nice legs, would make a good sangria, simple.

Dan and Katie liked it

B. Ghost Pines Zinfandel 2009 - more info

Appearance: Blood-looking, very dark, pretty, blackberry, prune juice, purple-ish

Nose: 3

Intensity: 1

Balance: 3

Complexity: 3.3

Finish: 4.5

Comments: Pops and punches, Mike Tyson wine, blackberry and vanilla, jammy, hangs in the back, dense, fruity, dry

Jen and Dan liked it, not Ashley (2) approved.

C. Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 - more info

Appearance: watery purple, between the first two, leggy

Nose: 3.5 ("Smells like communion," effervescent)

Intensity: 1.5

Balance: 2 (acidic)

Complexity: 2.7

Finish: 2 (lingers, but not in a good way)

Comments: Probably good with red meat, bacon pizza
Ashley L. and Kerri liked it.

D. Snap Dragon Red Blend 2008 - more info

Appearance: dark silk, ruby, crimson, vermillion

Nose: 2.5

Intensity:  1.2

Balance: 4

Complexity: 3

Finish: 2 (intense but quick)

Comments: "It's good," "solidly smooth," a good generic wine, good with spicy food, brings out the smokiness in barbeque.

One of Jen's go-to reds, Ashley L. likes, Michelle's fave.

E. Robert Mondavi Pinot Grigio 2010 - more info

Appearance: light yellow, straw

Nose: 3

Intensity: 2

Balance: 3.9 (watery, light)

Complexity: 2

Finish: 1.1 (no oompf)

Comments: Would go well with hearty fish, chicken, or crab. Drinkable, but not substantial on its own, tastes watered down with white grape juice.

Dan likes

F. Serafina Cellars Malvasia Bianca 2009 - more info

Appearance: same, Jewish, cloudy

Nose: 3.8 (sweet)

Intensity: 3.4

Balance: 1.5

Complexity: 4

Finish: 3

Comments: Tastes like it's mixed with cider, Welch's, coppery, mineral, flavor builds, smells sweeter than it tastes, likely good with yogurt. "I got goosebumps drinking that."

Katie and Zach's fave

G. Running with Scissors Chardonnay 2010 - more info

Appearance: golden, yellow, straw

Nose: 4 (sweet, grassy, straw, oats)

Intensity: 1

Balance: 3.9

Complexity: 2

Finish: 3

Comments: Smell is reminiscent of hay fields, taste is berry, tart.

Ashley L.'s fave, Jen likes

H. Cherry on Top white blend 2010 - more info

Appearance: yellow

Nose: 3.3 (sweet, after rain)

Intensity: 2

Balance: 3 (apple!)

Complexity: 3.5

Finish: 2

Comments: Can taste the chenin blanc, smooth, in and out really quickly, pair with french vanilla ice cream.

Jen's fave

I. Menage a Trois Moscato 2010 - more info

Appearance: yellow

Nose: 3.5

Intensity: 2

Balance: 2.2

Complexity: 2

Finish: 3

Comments: "I find this wine shallow and pedantic." "Makes a valiant effort, but it just doesn't get the job done." "We're drinking Rhianna right now..."

J. d'Arenberg The Stump Jump Sticky Chardonnay 2008 - more info

Appearance: golden, dehydrated

Nose: 1.5 (Capri Sun)

Intensity: 2

Balance: 3 (for a dessert wine)

Complexity: 2

Finish: 3.8 (long and agonizing)

Comments: Simple syrup, golden raisin, good for a dessert wine.

July's Pacific Northwest selection coming soon!