Winery Visit – Chateau Morrisette

Amanda (left) and me (right) with a sign!

Last weekend, my sister and I decided to make our way to Floyd, VA to visit Chateau Morrisette. We drove the hour-long journey through the beautiful national park-country like parts of Southwest Virginia. The windy small roads and the cute towns on the way to the winery added to the sense of adventure I felt as we set off to familiarize ourselves with Virginia wine-making processes. Chateau Morrissette is set on a beautiful 32 acres of land that feature a four-star restaurant, a home-y tasting room and a production facility. Chateau Morrisette also grows grapes on their own property, but much of the grapes they use in their wines come from other vineyards in Virginia. They also have a fruit wine series that uses apples from Virginia, blackberries from Oregon, cherries from New York and peaches from South Carolina and Georgia. On the tour, the guide stressed that in order to be considered a “Virginia Wine”, all of the grapes must come from and be grown in Virginia.

Disregard the people! This is
one of the crushers on the
Crush Pad.

Chateau Morrisette uses grapes that are harvested early in the autumn, and are hand-picked by the growers before being sent to Chateau Morrisette for de-stemming, crushing and fermenting. On the tour, we were led to the Crush Pad, where Chateau Morrisette has nicknamed their crushers Lucy and Ethel. These monstrously huge stainless steel machines are featured on the Crush Pad just outside the Tasting Room. From the Crush Pad, we were led inside to the barrels where the wines are aged in either stainless steel or oak barrels. Chateau Morrisette ages most of their white and fruit wines in stainless steel. They use American, French and Hungarian oak barrels for their red wines and Chardonnay.  They use each oak barrel only 5 times before they are sold to other wineries, for furniture or for weddings. Each of the oak barrels holds up to 295 bottles of wine.

Stainless Steel and Oak
Barrels

more oak barrels

After allowing the wines to age, they are ready to be bottled. We were taken to the bottling section of the warehouse where various stages if the bottling process could be seen. Chateau Morrisette employees put empty cases and bottles onto a conveyor belt which takes the bottles through the processes of sanitation, blasting nitrogen and filling the bottles with wine. The blasts of nitrogen eliminate as much oxygen in the bottles as possible before the bottles are filled with the wine. After being filled with wine, the bottles go through blasts of nitrogen again (giving the bottles a nitrogen headspace) just before being corked with synthetic corks or closed with screw-tops so as to prevent oxygen from entering the bottle, affecting the wine. After applying a closure to the bottles, the bottles are foil-capped then hand-labelled and packed into boxes on palettes. Employees working the bottling line generally complete 75 cases of wine in about 15 minutes.

Santiation and Nitrogen
Blasting

Bottling and Packaging Area

The final leg of the tour brought us through the aging barrels again before concluding in the Tasting Room. I feel like I learned so much on this tour and it was so interesting to see how the process this winery uses differed from Attimo Winery’s process.

Amanda and I decided to do a tasting (only $8) of about 12 wines. We tasted wines from pretty dry to very sweet in the session and my concluding thoughts on the tasting were that Chateau Morrisette makes a wonderful range of wines, offering something for every wine-drinker.

My Tasting Notes for the 12 wines we tasted from Chateau Morrisette:

The building that houses the Tasting Room

2011 Chardonnay: This wine had a lovely nose of green apple, Bradford pear trees, vanilla and citrus. I   thought the wine was a little too oaky: offering vanilla, butter, popcorn and a smooth lingering finish. This wine was the driest white wine they offered us.

Amanda during the tasting

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine had a nose of raspberry, blackberry, cinnamon and spice. Thoughts of an oaky cellar came to mind as the tannic and dry initial first taste hit my palate. This was a BIG RED, offering a suggestion of cigars and a sweet, smooth finish.

2011 Merlot: This wine was smoky, and had hints of cherry and strawberry. I found this wine very complex with hints of dust and cranberry to complement the nose. With chocolate, the fruits in this wine opened up a bit and made me think of a relaxing night next to a fire-pit sipping wine and enjoying the company of friends.

2011 Petit Verdot: this wine smelled exceptionally like raisins and burnt toast. There was a tart quality of cherries on the palate with a bit of cedar wood, blackberry and citrus, adding to the tartness. I liked this wine, but I craved a bit more body on it. I found it rather light and watered-down. This wine was dry and
smooth on the finish.

Angel Chardonnay: This wine tasted like a Riesling. On the nose, bright fruits like citrus and pineapple came through. On the palate, added to the notes on the nose, I detected mango, papaya and kiwi; tropical fruits. This wine finished dry and non-lingering. Very drinkable.

Our Dog Blue: This wine is renowned for its complexity and drinkability, so I was glad I got a chance to try it. On the nose, I detected stone fruits like peaches and apricots paired with roses and earthy stone. These flavors were well-echoed on the palate and I enjoyed the dry finish. This ended up being my favorite white wine.

White Muscadine: This wine had a bit of carbonation forced through it. This wine was SWEET and featured the flavors/aromas of honeysuckle, peaches and sweet BBQ. This wine had a lingering finish, but the carbonation cleaned the palate. This was like a spritzer wine.

Cherry Wine: I WAS NOT A FAN OF THIS WINE. It smelled like hand-soap (the kind you’d use if you were in the restrooms in McDonalds) and tasted artificial. This wine was sweet and had a very smooth mouthfeel, adding to the glycerine-y like perception of texture you might get from hand-soap. NOT A FAN. I don’t think I’d want to drink this again unless, perhaps, it were paired with dark chocolate.

Red Muscadine: In general, this wine smelled terrible on the nose: overly fruity with notes of day lilies, honey and congnac. Those hints were well translated onto the palate. Another one I wasn’t a huge fan of.

Oils

Blackberry Wine: This wine, surprisingly, actually smelled like blackberries….and hand-soap, much like the Cherry Wine. It had a lovely light color. On the palate, the wine started off sweet and dried up with a tart finish. Apparently, I’m not hugely into Chateau Morrisette’s  fruit-wines.

Sweet Peach: This wine didn’t smell like Peaches or even artificial peach flavor, like I was expecting it to. It, however, tasted like fresh peach juice. Paired with white chocolate, I could no longer taste the wine. The white chocolate overpowered the wine and spoke to the light-bodied, freshness of the wine.

Heritage: This wine was a beautiful ruby-red color and smelled like dark berries, chocolate and cinnamon/nutmeg. The nose had an overpowering strawberry profile, even strawberry pudding-ish. This wine tasted like a Port: sweet, hot, smooth, earthy, smoky and like brandy on the back-end.

Amanda (right) and I (left) outside the Tasting Room.
We'll be back!

After tasting the wines, we were feeling a little tipsy, so we walked around a bit, allowing our bodies to fully metabolize the alcohol. We shopped around a bit and saw that Chateau Morrisette also sells their own cooking/baking ingredients including flavored oils, crackers, tomato sauces and much more. They even have their own coffees. I had a great time exploring this wonderful winery with Amanda. The next time I visit Chateau Morrisette, I would love to try their restaurant and their recommended food pairings.

Wine Tasting – Rosemount Estate Moscato

Name:  Rosemount Estate Moscato

Variety: 100% Muscat

Region: South Eastern Australia

Country: Australia

Year: 2012

Price: $12 à $3.95

Winery Review: Clear, medium-lemon yellow in appearance; lovely citrus and honeysuckle aromas with lemon, honeysuckle, apple and ripe yellow plum flavors. Serve chilled with angel food cake or fresh fruit and mild cheeses.

My Review: This was a very pleasant drinkable wine. On the nose, I could smell grass, peaches and honey. It smelled like a fruit soda. On the palate, it felt as if CO₂ were charged through the bottle. I loved the plum and acid in this wine. I detected lime and lemon paired with honey and flowers. I don’t know if this wine is fizzy, but it felt very crisp and clean, palate-cleansing. I really liked this wine. And $3.95? What a steal!

With food?: I tasted this wine without food.

Wine Tasting – Ironstone Zinfandel

Name: Ironstone Old Vine Zinfandel

Variety: 100% Zinfandel

Region: Lodi, California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2011

Price: $15 à $7.95

Winery Review: Grown in vineyards that are over 45 years old, this medium-bodied Zin has exceptional varietal character with lovely aromas of dark fruit and blackberry. Subtle pepper spice mingles with richly concentrated fruit flavors of blackberry, ripe plums and fresh red raspberries. Barrel aging created its smooth, silky finish and unprecedented depth. A wonderful wine pairing for variety of dishes. Any type of meat – whether its pork, beef or game – is ideal with this wine. Cioppino is another amazing complement or try it with tomato-based pastas, hearty stews or a plate of strong, aged cheeses.

My Review: This wine was so interesting. I was instantly intrigued by the beautiful ruby color. The first and overwhelming profile of the nose is CHERRIES. Bright, deep ruby red colored, juicy cherries and red raspberries. With continued swirling, this wine took on a sort of green aroma: grass, vegetation and earth. The midpalate of this wine echoed notes of the nose: cherry, red raspberry and herb. Added to those flavors were floral suggestions and cherry tomatoes, very complex. It finished very dry, I was almost parched, hoping for another glass of this wine.

With food?: I didn’t have any food with this wine.

Wine Tasting – Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico

Name: Librandi Ciro Rosso Classico

Variety: 100% Gaglioppo

Region: Ciro, Calabria, Italy

Country: Italy

Year: 2009

Price: $14 à $3.95

Winery Review: Don’t let the pale garnet color fool you: this is a substantial wine. Aromas of red fruits and spice complement undertones of cranberries, wild berries, and plums. On the palate, ripe tannins and good body make for an incredibly rich, yet easygoing red wine. Pair this wine with sausage, spicy curry sauces, hot soppressata, and tandoori chicken.

My Review: Rather than a pale garnet, I found this wine to be orange; a light blood-orange color. This wine smelled deep and hot like a port or a congnac. Cranberries were very evident on the palate as were apple and other red berries. There was some heat, suggesting this wine may have had a bit too much alcohol that wasn’t integrated well. The midpalate was tannic and dry and was balanced with a smooth and sweet finish. I liked this wine. I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to have it, but it was pleasantly diverting.

With food?: I tasted this wine on its own. 

Wine Tasting – Angove Viognier

Name: Angove Viognier

Variety: 100% Viognier

Region: South Australia

Country: Australia

Year: 2009

Price: $15 à $5.95

Winery Review: Bright light straw colour with some green hues, this wine has a lush ripe tropical fruit aroma. This is a fuller bodied white which fills the mouth with heady flavours of apricot, peach and citrys, Angove Nine Vines Viognier is perfect for today’s relaxed life-style and is the ideal accompaniment to grilled prawns with chili and garlic or roast pork.

My Review:  This wine was SO MUCH MORE DESIRABLE than the Yealands Estate Sauv. Blanc. This wine had a relatively bright straw color. Overall, this wine was bland in comparison to the aforementioned wine.  I got notes of spice and smoke in this wine. These features mellowed out with yellow plum and stone fruit flavors.  This wine wasn’t very dry and finishes crisp and clean.

With food?: I tried this wine on its own, without food. 

Wine Tasting – Yealands Estate Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Yealands Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Marlborough, New Zealand

Country: New Zealand

Year: 2008

Price: $21 à $7.95

Winery Review: This aromatic wine show lifted flavours of blackcurrant with underlying notes of wet stone and thyme. The palate is elegant yet full with sufficient weight and texture, balanced by flinty minerality. This wine is a fantastic match with foods such as cheese salad, poultry dishes and a wide range of seafood dishes including freshly shucked natural oysters, prawns, green lip mussels and creamy scallops.

My Review: I WAS NOT A FAN OF THIS WINE. I’M STILL NOT A FAN OF THIS WINE. I really liked the color, though: bright and almost colorless. But the second I started to move toward the glass, all I could smell was cat pee and green peppers. This wine had a SERIOUS green pepper nose. When I was a little kid, my mom went out of town and my dad was charged with making us dinner. He decided to make steamed okra. I have been scarred ever since. The okra was slimy and had this horrible smell much like sour green peppers and jalapeños. The smell of this wine brought be back to that memory. I was instantly reluctant to even taste this wine. The palate of this wine was well translated and echoed notes of the nose of this wine. This wine was stony, green pepper-y, non-spicy jalapeños-y and okra-y on the palate. I really never want to happen across this wine every again…so unfortunate.

With food?: I didn’t try this wine with food.

Winery Visit – Attimo Winery

Tasting Room/Restaurant

 

   Sign at the Entrance

 Last weekend, my friends and I went on a tour of Attimo Winery in Christiansburg, Virginia. Attimo is a quaint 17-acre property located just past Sinkland Farms (THE PUMPKIN PATCH!) in Southwest Virginia. On the day we decided to do our tour, Attimo Winery was hosting their annual Planting Festival where three other Virginia wineries were featured. Tasting tents were set up and visitors had the opportunity to taste their respective products. Wines and Ciders from Beliveau Estate, Stanburg Winery, Foggy Ridge Cider and Attimo Winery were available to taste. We were only able to get to latter 3, but I know there’s a tasting room for Beliveau in downtown Blacksburg.

Amanda, Courtney & Me
on the patio outside the
Tasting Room

We started with the tastings. Stanburn had a selection of 8 different wines to try. Foggy Ridge had 4 delicious apple ciders and Attimo had 7. Not bad for $20. I really enjoyed talking to each of the proprietors of these establishments. They all talked about the history of Virginia and how it applied to them. They talked about their fermentation techniques and their processes. I learned so much and am looking forward to watching these businesses grow!

My Tasting Notes for the 7 wines we tasted from Attimo:

Sonnet 98: Dry white. Crisp. Floral. Hints of fresh greens. Overall green apple flavor. Rose on midpalate and finish. Drinkable.

Off-the-Cuff: Semi-sweet white. Fruity with mineral and citrus notes. SUMMER WINE. Strong peach nose. Floral: rose? Not too sweet, not too dry. Drinkable.

Just Kissed Blush: semi-sweet blush. Fruity; distinct berry flavors. Blueberry and plum. Violets. Some heat, so not well integrated and balanced.

After Midnight: Semi-sweet red, fruity flavors; velvety texture. BLACKBERRY. Nose and palate are similar. Tastes earthy, like rocks and dirt with sugar on top BUT well blended. Super smooth finish, medium-long finish.

Bull Frog Symphony: Table wine. Dry red blend, peppery, eclectic. Spicy and Peppery. Flat and strong berry profile. Would pair well with Italian food.

Deep Silence: Dry red, intense berry flavors and light smoky pepper finish. Cherry, red raspberries. Deep color. White pepper flavor on the finish, smoked asparagus.

Sudden Downpour: Sweet, apple wine with bourbon notes and earth tones. Cinnamon notes. APPLE APPLE APPLE. Apple juice with fireball liquor?

Our Tour Guide

Training Trimmed Vines

The tour started in the Vidal Blanc vineyard. They had recently pruned and trimmed their vines, so there were vines and twigs between the rows of vines. We also saw that the planted vines are being trained to grow on the structures in the vineyard.13-acres of this 17-acre property will be planted soon in the planting season. The tour guide explained that 80-85% of Attimo’s wines are made with grapes they grow on their property. The other 20% of grapes are grown elsewhere (both in Virginia and outside of Virginia).

Press and De-Stemmer on the Crush Pad

Oak Barrels

FlexTanks

From the vineyard, we moved to the barn (more like a free-standing garage) which housed both a crushing pad and aging barrels. The crushing pad had both a de-stemmer and press. Inside the barn, about 100 oak barrels from France, Hungary and Missouri hold wine for aging. Instead of stainless steel barrels, Attimo has FlexTanks, plastic containers that allows the wine to breathe. An interesting difference in comparison to other wineries I’ve visited. They don’t have their own bottling machinery, rather, they bring in a bottling truck. They bottle almost all of their wine over a series of 14 to 17-hour days. (THEY WELCOME VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OUT!)

When asked about the future of this relatively young winery, the tour guide mentioned that they hope to expand their wine making processes and distribution. At the moment, Attimo Winery only distributes their product in Virginia. They hope to expand their distribution to outside of Virginia; however, they hope to keep the local feeling of their tastings and production.

Posing with the Barrels

This was a great tour of a budding enterprise. Attimo Winery, while still very small, is a wonderful business with great wines! I learned so much about Attimo’s growing and processing. I look forward to seeing how they grow and expand in the future.

Posing with the Entrance Sign

Wine Tasting – Shine Riesling

Name: Weingut Eifel-Pfeifer Heinz Eifel Shine Riesling

Variety: 100% Riesling

Region: Trittenheim, Mosel Valley, Germany

Country: Germany

Year: 2012

Price: $9.95

Winery Review: This drier-styled Riesling is bright, fruity and floral with crisp acidity and clean flavors of apple, pear and peach that complement its stony minerality and earthy complexity. It serves well as an aperitif and matches a wide variety of foods, like lighter salad dishes, shellfish, cream sauces and also anything with a touch of spice.

My Review: Fruity bubbles. This wine seemed to have a bit of carbonation forced through it. I tasted apples, peaches, mango and honey as well as a surprising dirt and earth flavor. I liked the sweetness of this wine, I started to crave fresh fruit to pair with it.

With food?: I tried this wine without food.

Wine Tasting – Altas Cumbres Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Altas Cumbres Cabernet Sauvignon

Variety: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Country: Argentina

Year: 2010

Price: $15.00 à $6.95

Winery Review: Intense red color with violet highlights, with clean, fresh and complex aromas of berries, plums, figs and pepper. Strong personality is in perfect balance with a medium body and pleasant tannins. Ideal for: red meats, cheeses and strong sauces.

My Review: This wine had a beautiful ruby color. On the nose, hints of burnt toast and coffee were strong and not entirely unpleasant. Cherry, cranberry and the taste of the smell of chili peppers (not even sure that makes sense…) came through on the palate. This wine also had a profile of blackberries, sweet then tart. On the finish, this wine is tannic and dry, cleaning the palate.

With food?: I did not have any food with this wine.

Wine Tasting – George DuBoeuf Beaujolais

Name: Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Variety: 100% Gamay

Region: Beaujolais, France

Country: France

Year: 2013

Price: $14.00 à $3.95

Winery Review: Balanced and lightly creamy, offering pretty flavors of plum sauce and raspberry coulis threaded with hints of ground spice. Elegant, with floral finish. Drink now.

My Review: We tried this wine a while ago. Having this wine now gave me an idea of how quickly—and drastically—this particular wine ages. You can check out my other review of this wine here. Back then, this wine seemed like a strawberry-banana smoothie; young and bouncing around my palate. NOW, though, I detect more spice and dark fruit. The palate gave way to raspberries and dark plums mixed with the heat of a dash of cinnamon. On the finish I tasted white pepper and spice. Interesting indeed.

With food?: I tasted this wine without food.

Wine Tasting – Bricco dei Tati Rose

Name: Bricco dei Tati Rose

Variety: 100% Barbera

Region: Piemonte, Italy

Country: Italy

Year: 2013

Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Fresh with aromas of strawberries, cherries and rose petals. This is ideal with shellfish, salads, chicken, and with appetizers.

My Review: I loved this wine. Serious banana notes on the nose. I got some young strawberry and roses on the nose as well. This wine was light and refreshing. I think chilling this wine is the way to go. This wine is smooth and dusty on the finish. The cherry profile came through in the finish.

With food?: I tasted with wine on its own without food.

Wine Tasting – Frascati Volpetti White Blend

Name: Frascati Volpetti White Blend

Variety: 50% Malvasia, 40% Trebbiano, 10% Greco

Region: Frascati, Italy

Country: Italy

Year: 2012

Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Straw yellow in color with a soft, delicate perfume, fruitful flavor, dry and harmonious taste. Perfect with appetizers, soups, fish.

My Review: This wine had a wonderful golden color. I didn’t get much on the nose: some very slight hints of pineapple and other tropical fruits. On the palate, I found that this wine was not dry, very light and easy. The fruit opened up on the finish and mango and papaya became more evident. Overall, though, this wine was a pass…

With food?: I tried this wine without food.

Wine Dinner - Olive Garden (Tuscany)

This weekend was a super busy weekend. On Friday night, my parents came to town for my LAST EVER Soulstice A Cappella Concert. Super sweet of them. My sister and I met them at Olive Garden for dinner and decided to make it a “Wine Dinner”. We set our sights on getting three different glasses of wine from the Tuscany, Italy region with 3 different courses: Appetizer, Entrée and Dessert. Each of us got our own Entrées but shared the appetizer and dessert.

Mom and Dad are in town!!

Wine #1: Straccali Chianti

Calamari and Stuffed Mushrooms

For the appetizer, we decided on the Fried Calamari with Cheese stuffed Mushrooms paired with a 2012 Giulio Straccali Chianti from Tuscany. The wine on its own was lovely. This medium bodied ruby red wine was delicious with a serious cherry profile. I tasted some lemon-y flavors and oregano flavors that we thought would complement the appetizer. The food was delicious. I mean, who doesn’t love buttery, crispy, cheesy, herby, fatty food? The buttery-ness and earthiness of the mushrooms brought out the herby tones in the wine. The oregano became a deeper flavor, branching into some sage and thyme. The calamari added a bit of peppery bite to the wine. The wine opened up and the fruit-y tastes in the wine were a little less prominent. The herby contents really came out and only added to the experience of the appetizer. I really enjoyed this pairing of appetizer and wine.

Wine #2: Sangiovese-Syrah

Chicken and Shrimp
Carbonara

My main course was a Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara paired with a 2011 Rocca delle Macie Sasyr Sangiovese-Syrah from Tuscany. The wine was full-bodied and peppery. I think that’s what I liked most about it. On the nose, this wine had an interesting banana and cherry smoothie profile (sort of similar to the Beaujolais I wrote about a few weeks about here). This wine is smooth on its own and featured heavy notes of black cherries, pepper and plums. The Carbonara was heaven. I found it delicious, creamy, fatty, salty, buttery and SUPER RICH—as if it needed something to cut the richness. The wine paired with the food was divine. The pepper from the wine really added seasoning to the dish, as it was lacking pepper to support the salt. In return, however, the creaminess  of the Carbonara contributed smoothness to the wine. The wine became sweeter and fruitier as well (almost Sangria-like). The food helped the wine expressed the fruits more fully. The wine finished long with the dish and slightest hint of acid from the wine cut straight through the cream of the Carbonara and forged a wonderful pairing.

Tiramisu

Wine #3: Moonlite Tuscan
Blend

We ordered the Italian obligatory TIRAMISU for dessert and paired it with a 2011 Rocca delle Macie Toscana Moonlite White blend wine from Tuscany (duh).  The wine was light, and almost had no detectable alcohol flavor which speaks of the well-integradedness of the alcohol. This wine smelled like peach candy and grapefruit gummies, but tasted like apple juice, vanilla and rocks.  I found it very drinkable and creamy . I liked it on its own. The tiramisu was light, creamy and fluffy. I definitely appreciated the cocoa powder topping and the pudding-like texture. It tasted great too! Together, the creaminess of the wine became a little more highlighted and texture was a little smoother. The wine became sweeter with the tiramisu and the vanilla flavor in the wine echoed the creamy vanilla flavors in the tiramisu.

Mom, Dad, Amanda (sister) and Me!

Overall, I think Italian (even Americanized Italian) food is MEANT to be consumed with wine. I loved having my parents in town and I’m excited to try more pairings with Italian wines!

Wine Tasting – 667 Pinot Noir

Name: 667 Noble Vines Pinot Noir

Variety: 100% Pinot Noir

Region: Monterey, Central Coast, California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2012

Price: $12.00

Winery Review: For $15 or less, you can’t expect a great Pinot Noir, but you can expect a good everyday one, which is what this is. It’s dry, silky and smooth, with cherry pie and white pepper flavors. – 85 points – Wine Enthusiast

My Review: NOT THE BIGGEST FAN. This wine had a seriously earthy, herby aroma, which is fine. I actually like that, but those desirable aromas DID NOT translate to the palate of this wine. On the palate, this wine is super light and hot. With 13.5% alcohol, I would have hoped that the alcohol in this wine was better integrated, but I detected serious heat paired with bits of cherry and acid. Not a fan. I’m not sure I’d get this wine again…

With food?: I tried this wine without food.

Wine Tasting – Toso Moscato

Name: Toso Moscato Dolce

Variety: 100% Muscat

Region: Piemonte (Piedmont), Italy

Country: Italy

Year: NV

Price: $9.95

Winery Review: This Moscato is reminiscent of honeysuckle and rose petal. The quality is equivalent to a top level Asti Spumante DOCG. Sweet Sparkling wine obtained from a careful selection of the Moscato grapes. It has a pale straw yellow color with fine foam and bubbles. Tropical fruit flavors, refreshing. Excellent to match desserts, fruit and dried pastries

My Review: HONEY HONEY HONEY. This wine was like…sparkling honey. It was a fun Moscato with hints of peach and mango. I found the flavors and fizziness refreshing.

With food?: I didn’t try this wine with food.

Wine Tasting – Omo Ze Bel Merlot

Name: Omo Ze Bel Merlot

Variety: 100% Merlot

Region: Sicily, Italy

Country: Italy

Year: 2011

Price: $6.95

Winery Review: This bright, soft Merlot comes from a hilly vineyard on the Alcesti family estate in beautiful Sicily. It has hints of red cherries and freshly cut hay. Exceptional value.

My Review: This was an interesting red. On the nose, I picked up some chlorine with cherry pie and plum. Farm flavors translated through the palate and the wine had a smooth mouthfeel. Dry and medium-bodied.

With food?: I tasted this wine without food.

Wine Tasting – Atlas Cumbres Torrontes

Name: Atlas Cumbres Torrontes

Variety: 100% Torrontes

Region: Salta, Argentina

Country: Argentina

Year: 2010

Price: $5.95

Winery Review: Yellow colour with greenish nuances. Very intense aroma of gresh grapes, flower perfume and mature peaches. Fresh in the mouth. Light and easy to drink. Ideal with seafood, Thai and Chinese food.

My Review: FRUIT LOOPS. FRUITY PEBBLES. Seriously. Oh and some peach, nectarine and apricot flavors. This mid-palate of this wine echoed the nose and finished with a pleasant rose suggestion. This was a great wine, I would have loved to have another glass of it!

With food?: I tried this wine without food.

Wine Tasting – Avery Quinn Chardonnay

Name: Avery Quinn Chardonnay

Variety: 100% Chardonnay

Region: Napa, California

Country: United States of America

Year: 2011

Price: $6.95

Winery Review: The 2011 vintage marks a return to form for this great value Chardonnay. The aromas feature creamy, mellow, golden apple, pineapple, fresh butter and a touch of vanilla. Then the rich, ripe flavors of yellow pear, pineapple, fresh apple, cream and buttered toast swell up and fill your mouth before a juicy, apple and caramel inflected finish makes your mouth water (and smile!).

My Review: This wine had a strong nose of Jonah Gold apples. Super fragrant and wonderful. It even had hints of white grape (haha) and lychee. On the palate, the wine turned out to be buttery, strongly apple-y. It was dry, not sweet as I thought it’d be, and had no lingering finish.

With food?: I didn’t try this wine with food.

Wine Dinner – Palisades (Pinot Noir)

The Palisades Restaurant, Eggleston, VA

The Palisades Restaurant is nestled in a cute cozy—and hilly—corner of Southwest Virginia. The drive from Blacksburg took about 20 minutes and was relatively uneventful…until we got to Eggleston Road. In my heart, I knew that this winding road of death would lead to a delicious meal, but the shoulder-less, rail-less, frankly borderless roller coaster led me to fear for my life. I wasn’t sure we’d make it. We were driving on this road, paying attention to no more than 10 feet ahead of our car, and missed the turn to the restaurant. 

Eventually we got there, with no scratches or bumps. We were greeted by the brick façade of the restaurant.

The brick and gravel of this po-dunk area gave me little hope of a quality meal, but the minute I stepped across the threshold, I was instantly charmed by the little-small-town-café feel of the interiors. The wooden harvest tables with high backed ladder chairs made this restaurant one of my favorites, and I hadn’t even tasted the food yet.

Appetizer: Scallop Panna Cotta with Microgreens

We (my sister and I) asked for the wine and beer pairing menu for the Geography of Wine class at Virginia Tech and everyone who was in the vicinity instantly seemed excited to serve the menu. That day, they’d decided to focus on Pinot Noirs from different regions.

Before we started the wine and beer pairing, we were served a delicious scallop panna cotta with microgreens and olive oil. The herbs were a serious highlight and the scallop was perfectly cooked. The microgreens gave a nutty bite to the appetizer.

Wine/Beer and Dinner Pairing: All Pinot Noirs
and different beer styles

The first pairing we tried was an Enoki Mushroom Consommé with a 2010 JK Carriere Wines Vespidae Pinot Noir from Oregon and Leffe Blonde beer from Belgium. On its own, the food soup was salty and mushroom-y (duh). It was delicious. The wine, on its own had this beautiful dark cherry color. There were serious hits of dark cherries, black currant and gummy bears on the nose. On the palate, this wine was sweet and silky—sort-of like a fruit juice. This wine had a clean finish. The beer was also delicious. The beautiful golden color was accented by a slightly cloudy aesthetic.  There was a slight hoppy flavor and some banana and citrus notes. With the Consommé, the wine didn’t change much in flavor. The wine tasted more like WINE and was a bit more savory. The beer was sweeter and the consommé brought out a vanilla flavor in the wine. Each beverage complemented the soup.

My twin sister Amanda. Waiting for food to
come out!

The second pairing was a seared yellow fin tuna with a strawberry and citrus salad with a Tabali Vineyards Pinot Noir from Chile and a Sweetwater 420 West Coast-style Pale Ale. The salad with the fish was incredible. The microgreens of the salad were nutty with a bit of a bite from the dressing. The tuna was perfectly seared on the outside and beautifully raw inside.  The wine was smooth with a salty-cherry, strawberry and plum aspect. The beer gave off banana, clove and coriander aromas. It was crisp, medium bodied and refreshing. With the salad, the wine took on a dirty-farmhouse profile and gave off more heat and palate-assaulting qualities. The beer was better with the salad. The beer became more spicy and savory. I like the beer with the salad, however, I’d probably pass on the wine. I’d rather drink the wine on its own.

The last pairing was a milk chocolate panna cotta over black currant syrup with a 2010 Lechthaler Trentino Pinot Noir from Italy and a stout by Bourbon Barrel. The panna cotta was beautiful and it was chocolate. YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH CHOCOLATE. The panna cotta had a wonderful texture: smooth and thick. The wine was drier than the other wines. This wine had a more pronounced tannic structure but it also didn’t taste, or smell, like anything. I got serious mouthfeel, but I didn’t really taste anything. The stout was amazing. At first glance, the stout looks lighter than a stout, I thought it was going to be a really dark lager. This beer gave off a mocha nose; a perfect mix of chocolate and coffee. Even some vanilla came through in the taste. With the panna cotta, the wine became smoother and sweeter.  I actually tasted very slight notes of berries. The panna cotta brought out the chocolate in the stout even a little bit of citrus. I really liked both of these beverages with the dessert.

You can never go wrong with pizza!

We even ordered the Palisades Featured Pizza of the Day: a wonderful herbed cheese pizza topped with a lamb kielbasa, green scallions and toasted pineapple. We thought we’d be hungry after the tasting, but we were so wrong. The wine and beer with dinner pairing was SO FILLING. The moment the pizza came out to our table, my mouth started to water. I wasn’t even hungry, but my mouth really started to water. I ate a slice then we brought the rest of the pizza home.

I really loved my experience at the Palisades Restaurant. I really enjoyed trying one variety and seeing how it may translate to separate dinner courses. I’d love to bring my friends and family there once. GRADUATION DINNER (eh Mom and Dad?).  I would definitely go back and try more food off their normal menu.

You can check out Amanda's blog here!