Tasting: 14 Hands Winery Chardonnay

 

Name: 14 Hands Winery Chardonnay

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Columbia Valley, Washington State

Year: 2023

Price: $10.99 at target!

Wine Pros review: "14 Hands Chardonnay is a great example of Washington winemaking. Being barrel-fermented also is splendid as the oakiness gives to the wine structure and weight. In this way, 14 Hands Chardonnay is bold and dynamic, with white flower aromas and plentiful mango and peach flavors in the mouth. Mellow and oaky, 14 Hands Chardonnay is impressive." This review also mentioned the con of a buttery texture that was way too intense.

Wine Folly: Chardonnay is mentioned in the Columbia valley region but not elaborated on. Notes of vanilla and creme brulee come from not only the oaky profile but the actual texture of the wine lends itself to be associated with things like cream. I do not get many notes of fruit from this wine but that is probably because of the "new world" stylistics of aging white wines in oak barrels. Obviously the butter note is very prevalent which can either be a pro or a con depending on who is drinking it. 

My Review: I had this wine by itself and it had me craving something salty to go with the sweet butteryness. I agree that the texture was almost too much and kind of left a coating on my teeth that was bothering me after I finished the glass. The aroma of this wine was very nice, and I think it would have been easier going down if it had been more chilled. I considered putting ice cubes in it, but I think that would have ruined the experience. 

Tasting: Cupcake "Citruskissed Pinot Grigio"

 

Name: Citruskissed Pinot Grigio

Variety: Pinot Grigio

Region: USA, California (central coast)

Year: 2022

Price: 12$

Foodsided review: "With the new Cupcake Vineyards Citruskissed Pinot Grigio, the offering seems well timed to a spring launch. While the wine is fruit forward, it is not overly sweet. It is bright, uplifting. The medium bodies wine is citrus forward with notes of lemon zest and a punch of lime."

Wine Folly: Page 150, Pinot Gris in general- I'm getting notes of cantaloupe and lemon zest, lemon zest being stronger which makes sense since this is "Citrus kissed". I am not sure what crushed gravel tastes like, but I kind of get what they mean when drinking this. California Pinot grigio's are not mentioned in the text, and the central coast where this vineyard is is more known for Chardonnay or pinot noir (page 290). The label mentions mixing hotter and colder grown grapes, which makes sense for this region because there are colder foggier layers of land and hotter sunnier ones within it. 

My Review: I had this wine with some ruffles potato chips and the saltiness really complimented it. it is a bit bitey for my taste although I do like citrus which made me grab this bottle on a whim. The aftertaste is not very nice but for 12$ I would say it's a fairly average wine. I think this would be great with salty/spicy snacks on a summer night but left me wanting more while I was on my couch watching the snow fall. Will be looking into red wines to fill that need soon!

Intro Post!

 Hi, my names Amy! I am a senior at Virginia tech studying chemical engineering, and I don't like wine. I know it sounds silly to be taking a wine class when I don't like it, but I fully believe I just haven't been picking the right ones!! I am hoping to learn why different wines taste the way they do and figure out what my personal taste is. I've heard about tannins and various other things that effect the taste of wine but never know how to apply it! Another thing I want to learn about is why decanting is a thing and if it actually has an effect on the taste of wine or if it is just something rich people like to buy weird glass vases for. 

I enjoy an occasional pinot grigio or brut, but my experience beyond that is pretty nonexistent. Weddings and New Year's Eve is really the only time I reach for a glass of wine, unless I am going out of my way to try and like it (which I have done multiple times by buying random bottles at food lion just by how much I liked the label design). My goal for this semester is to find ONE (1) red wine I enjoy, because that's the one I really cannot get myself to drink. I also would love to figure out rose. I do not really know how I feel about it, and don't know if it's even worth it! I am most confident with finding white wines I like because that's the one I mind the least.

I really want to be able to get home from my office job next year and be able to have a glass of wine with my roommate without wincing. Wine is something that I know I can like but just have no idea where to start-- which I feel like is the case for most people who can't drink the boxed wine handed out at frat parties. I'm looking forward to the pairing part of this class because I do love cheese, and my boyfriend has a cookbook that pairs various appetizers and dinners with wine!! A picture of me hiking with said boyfriend is below: