I recently started going to a Thursday wine tasting at a local wine and beer store in Blacksburg, Virginia called The Vintage Cellar. My overall experience was fairly pleasing. Even though I went at a "rush" time, where there were tons of people and lines going out the door, the staff was very accommodating to every customer. They took the time to talk to each customer they are serving at the wine tasting to explain each wine, where they come from and what kind of grapes are used to make the wine.
Here is a listing of the wines that they served this Thursday January 24, 2013.
Wine #1:
Overall, I liked this wine. It was crisp and light while still being a little tart because of the acidity. I liked the hint of fruity taste it had to it. I detected a little bit of peach and citrus flavor. This wine also had a nice aftertaste. Most times, wines leave a bitter taste behind, but this one just left a fruity aftertaste behind which was very pleasant. This was probably second favorite wine of the five we tasted.
Wine #2:
This wine took me by surprise, and not in a very good way. The wine smelled sweet, kind of like a dessert wine, but it did NOT taste anything like a dessert wine. It was overly acidic with a horrible, pungent aftertaste. It also tasted like it drew some of its flavor from honey or a honey-like food. None of these traits are things I look for in wines, so I would probably not purchase this wine for myself.
Wine #3:
This red wine smelled very buttery. It kind of made me want to bust out the popcorn. I did not like this wine at all after tasting it. The wine had a smokey flavor that carried over into the aftertaste. I had to choke this wine down after the first sip. This was not my favorite wine of the tastings, at all.
Wine #4:
I was excited about this wine, because it smelled like berries. However, when I tasted it the flavor was extremely rich and the liquid itself was very heavy. I still got the berry flavor which I liked, but I could not get over the richness or the heaviness to it. This was another wine I had to choke down and was one of my least favorite wines that I tasted.
Wine #5:
I absolutely loved this wine!! It started off on the right note after smelling it. It smelled like a combination of strawberries and cherries. It followed through with a sweet taste that reminded me of the blackberry jelly I use on my peanut butter sandwiches. I loved it!! I could barely taste the alcohol in it. It was my number one choice out of this tasting. I even bought a bottle at the end of the night.
Out of the wines, this is what I would rank them in order of my favorite (1) to my least (5):
1. Opera Prima Sweet Red 2010
2. Encostas do Lima Vinho Verde 2010
3. Maipe Sauvignon Blanc 2011
4. Montes Alpha Syrah 2009
5. Coreto Tinto 2010
I look forward to what they have in store for me next week!!
~Heather
