Tasting - Opera Prima Sweet Red

Name: Opera Prima Sweet Red
Variety: Blended Wine
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95
Review: Doesn’t try to hide its warm-climate terroir, with a soft texture framing jammy-sweet black raspberry, cherry, red currant, root beer and sweet tea. Drink now.

My Review: Extremely sweet. I definitely detected a fruity taste - I tasted strawberries but I can see the raspberry and cherry mix described above. Probably not an easily drinkable wine due to the overwhelming sweetness.

Food? I did not taste this with food.

Tasting - Montes Alpha Syrah

Name: Montes Alpha Syrah
Variety: Syrah
Region: Colchagua Valley
Country: Chile
Year: 2009
Price: $7.95
Review: Blackberry and cola aromas are cool and collected. The palate has weight and texture to accompany berry, mint, herb and peppery flavors. Turns more herbal and roasted as it unwinds. Pepper and spice lead the finish.

My Review: I did not like this wine. It was fuller bodied than the previous red at this tasting (the Coreto Tinto) but I thought it was extremely dry. I did not like the taste and would not drink this again.

Food? I did not have this with food.

Tasting - Coreto Tinto

Name: Coreto Tinto
Variety: Tinto
Region: Lisboa
Country: Portugal
Year: 2010
Price: $6.95
Review: Despite its light touch, this is fruity and full, with its blackberry fruit dominating the warm spice note and acidity. Soft tannins keep the wine together.

My Review: I didn't think this wine was very deep bodied for a red wine. I noted a specific flavor I couldn't place, and upon reading the above review I think that was the flavor of the blackberry. Definitely not a heavy wine.

Food? I did not taste this with food.

Tasting - Maipe Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Maipe Sauvignon Blanc
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95
Review: Yellow color with green hints. Expressive wine, fresh, very aromatic. This Sauvignon Blanc displays grapefruit flavors, with hints of melon and honey. It finishes with bracing acidity and fresh mouth feels that make it a terrific aperitif and an excellent accompaniment to virtually all seafood, especially shellfish.

My Review: I thought it was definitely a lot more bitter than the previous white I tasted (the Vinho Verde). I didn't taste any distinctive flavors.

Food? I did not taste this with food.

Tasting - Encostas do Lima Vinho Verde

Name: Encostas do Lima Vinho Verde
Variety: Vinho Verde
Region: Minho
Country: Portugal
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95
Review: Pale golden silver color. Bright floral aromas of peaches, raspberry and honeysuckle with a soft, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a crisp, tart citrus and talc accented finish. A delightful sipper that is sure to please.

My Review: I thought it was surprisingly fizzy, but that it didn't have a lot of strong taste. I would probably consider it very drinkable.

Food? I tasted this with no food.

My Wine Experiences (so far)

My wine experiences have primarily been with my Dad. Dad was always a beer person when I was a kid, with the occasional bottle for a special meal. But he started to get into wine when he started to go out with his girlfriend, Suzy - essentially when he had someone to drink it with who liked it. Suzy's daughter went to school out in California so she was a complete wine fanatic, and that was how Dad got into the wine club.

The wine club he joined was called Tobin James - apparently the actual location of the winery was somewhat close to Suzy's daughter's school. If you sign up for it you get a shipment of eight bottles of wine every six months for something like $160 per shipment. As you can likely tell by the price per bottle this is some really good wine. Dad then joined another wine club because it got him double cash rewards on some credit card he had. That wine club sent six bottles every month, which is quite a lot for a guy living by himself, girlfriend or not. So he canceled it once the freebies ended.

It was around the time that Dad joined the wine clubs that I really began drinking wine. I was in college, and therefore exposed to alcohol, but it was of the super cheap variety. So it took me a while to really get into liking wine. Reds didn't taste that well for a while, and even once they did I couldn't really tell the difference between them. It's really only been in the last year where I feel like I've gotten an appreciation for the taste of wines and how they differ. Not that I really know how they differ, but I definitely know what I like and don't like. My palate has experienced many different wines especially because of the numerous bottles that now populate our house.

Pretty much all I know about wine and how to properly drink it is what I've picked up from my dad and his girlfriend. I know you're supposed to let reds rest a while and "air out" so they taste better. I probably can dredge up some random fact about grapes that someone told me, but I struggle to remember the differences between them all the time. I can definitely learn more, and I look forward to learning in this class!