Wine Tasting: Beringer - Main & Vine White Merlot

Name: Beringer - Main & Vine White Merlot

Varietal: Merlot

Region: California

Country: United States

Year: Not labeled

Price: $5.99

Review found online: On vivino.com, one review described this wine as "Very light red berry fruit nose, and mainly raspberry on the palate with little side notes of mulled winter spices. It can take chilling, so great for warm dinner party evenings." I definitely agree with this review. I think this is a perfect summer wine; it is light, fruity, and refreshing. 

Wine Folly references: Wine Folly describes Merlot as being loved for its boisterous black cherry flavors, supple tannins, and smoky or chocolaty finish (p. 131). I don't think this description is completely accurate for this wine, since it is a white Merlot, and is made differently than the standard Merlot. 

My review: I rated this wine a 7/10. I enjoyed it and felt like it was pretty easy to drink by itself. It had fruity notes, but I couldn't put my finger on what fruit exactly. I was leaning more towards like crisp apple, but it also had a very tart flavor, which, after further sipping, I decided was raspberry. It was also kind of sweet, which I was surprised by, and had a nice aftertaste. I especially liked this wine because it was easy drinking and didn't need to be paired with anything to taste good. It was cheap and had a lot of flavor. After reading the online review, I also picked up on the spices they were talking about, and I felt like it added more depth to the fruity flavors. Overall, I think I would purchase this wine again, and it's perfect if you're in the mood for a lighter, more refreshing wine that still has strong flavors. 

Wine and Cheese Pairing

For this pairing blog, my friend and I tried three cheeses: Red Apple Cheese Smoked Gruyere, Vermont Creamery Goat Cheese (Wild blueberry, lemon & thyme), and Shullsburg Creamery Artisan Red Wax Hooped Mild Cheddar. We paired the Smoked Gruyere with a Barefoot Riesling, the Goat Cheese with a Bota Box Sauvignon Blanc, and the Mild Cheddar with a Crane Lake Petite Sirah. 

Cheeses (left to right): Smoked Gruyere, Goat Cheese, Mild Cheddar

We started with the Riesling and Smoked Gruyere. The wine by itself was one of my favorites for a sweet, light white wine. It was refreshing and had fruity notes of orange and pear, and we could taste honey. It also had some floral notes. I would rate this pairing a 7/10. It was great, the cheese and wine tasted good alone and together, but I felt like the sweetness of the wine overpowered the cheese just a little bit. They did complement each other, though, and I probably would try this again. I think it would be better if the Gruyere were drier. I don't know if cheese is described like that, but it made sense when I was writing my notes. With the Goat Cheese, I felt like it didn't pair well because both the cheese and wine were really sweet and had honey flavors, so it created an overwhelming sweet flavor, and the texture of the cheese felt really buttery when I tried it, which I wasn't a fan of. When I tried it with the Mild Cheddar, it wasn't bad, but I felt like there wasn't a lot going on. Even when paired, it felt like I was trying both separately? Overall, this pairing just confused my taste buds, and I don't think any white wine would pair well with that cheddar. 

Barefoot Riesling

Next, we tried this Sauvignon Blanc and Goat Cheese. The wine by itself was pretty refreshing, not very sweet, acidic, and had notes of pear or apple (it was kind of difficult to tell, the wine had very subtle flavors and almost tasted watered down). This was also my first time trying goat cheese, and I feel like it might be more of an acquired taste. It tasted very sour to me, and I didn't really like it on its own. However, with the Sauvignon Blanc, it took away the sourness and was actually really good! The intensity of the cheese was brought down, and the sweetness of it came out and paired well with the acidity of the wine. It made the wine more refreshing, and I think both tasted better together than on their own. With the Smoked Gruyere, I rated it a 6.5/10. It wasn't a bad pairing, but it definitely wasn't "meant to be" like the goat cheese and this wine. I felt like it made the cheese taste creamier, which, honestly, I didn't particularly enjoy. When paired with the Mild Cheddar, it tasted terrible. It made it taste extremely acidic and not flavorful at all. I think the "sour" taste in both the wine and this cheese clashed and made both taste bad. 

Bota Box Sauvignon Blanc

The last pairing we tried was the Petite Sirah and Mild Cheddar. The wine by itself was a bit "strong" tasting for me, and was very dry with fruity notes of tart cherry and blueberry. It also had a hint of spiciness (like peppers?). When I tried it with the cheese, the intensity of the cheese made the wine taste sweeter and paired well with the pepper taste. I definitely enjoyed this wine more when it was paired with the cheddar. I thought that this cheese would have a sweeter, maybe nutty flavor because that is how it was described online, but I felt like it was actually a bit salty. When we tried the wine with the Smoked Gruyere, it was okay. It wasn't great, but the nuttiness of this cheese was what I was looking for in the cheddar, and I felt like it paired well at first, but had a bad aftertaste. I also felt like there wasn't a lot going on with this pairing, like I couldn't feel the flavors interacting a lot, but it wasn't bad. With the Goat Cheese, the wine tasted more acidic, almost, and I think it didn't pair great with the overwhelming sweetness of the cheese. I didn't really enjoy this sweet and sour pairing very much, and it was my least favorite out of these three. 

Us and our Crane Lake Petite Sirah

Wine Tasting: California Heritage Merlot

 Name: California Heritage Merlot

Varietal: Merlot

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: Not labeled

Price: $5.49

Review found online: On simplyrecipes.com, one reviewer described this wine as bright and jammy, filled with berry aromas. It was also smooth and easy to drink, a perfect patio pourer or wine you'd want to toss into a summer sangria. 

Wine Folly references: As described in Wine Folly, Merlot is loved for its boisterous black cherry flavors, supple tannins, and smoky or chocolaty finish (p. 131). It's often found in a Bordeaux blend with Cabernet Franc. 

My review: I would rate this wine a 5.5/10. This wine wasn't too bad, and I would drink it again, but it definitely wasn't my favorite Merlot I've tried. When I first smelled it, it had a hint of vanilla and spice, but when I tasted it, it was mostly sour and dry without a lot of depth to it. This wine was also pretty fruity, with notes of cherry. I don't think this wine was very good on its own. Based on the online reviews that I've seen, I think I may have gotten a bad batch because it seems like people really enjoy this wine. I think this wine could be made better or more flavorful if it was paired with food. Overall, I felt like this wine was just okay and that the flavors were overpowered by the sourness of the wine. 

Wine Tasting: Sunshine Bliss Sweet Peach

Name: Sunshine Bliss Sweet Peach

Varietal: Not disclosed by the producer. A combination of a sweet white wine blend with natural peach flavors. 

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: Not labeled

Price: $4.99

Review found online: On tastings.com, a reviewer stated this wine had aromas of peach gummy rings, raspberry leaves, canned pear, and dried wildflowers with a light-to-medium body and a short-to-medium melon and peach hard candies, mango rings, and fruit punch finish. A pleasant peach party in your mouth.

Wine Folly references: Although I could not find the exact varietals of this wine, it does share the sweet, fruit-forward profile of wines like Moscato and Riesling, especially those with peach and floral notes. Wine Folly describes Riesling as an aromatic white variety that can produce white wines ranging in style from bone-dry to very sweet (p. 158). This wine has high sweetness and is very light-bodied and acidic. 

My review: I would rate this wine a 4/10. I got this wine from the gas station, so I didn't expect very much, and it also didn't surprise me. It was alright, but I don't think I would try it again. On the website I found the review from, it said it would pair well with peach salsa and chips, and I think that would make it taste better, and I would try it again with that pairing. When I first smelled the wine, it had a very strong peach smell, almost like candy or artificial peach flavoring. It also had a hint of citrus, specifically lemon. It was light and refreshing at first but had a bitter aftertaste that I did not enjoy. Overall, this wine was not my favorite, and the artificial peach smell made me feel a little sick. I didn't try this wine with any food, and I think it would pair best with the recommendation from the website, but not anything else.

Wine Tasting: Bota Box RedVolution

Name: Bota Box RedVolution

Varietal: Red blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: Not labeled

Price: $4.99

Review found online: On vivino.com, one reviewer described this wine as very smooth; Cola brown sugar, fruit-forward with black cherry stewed plums, spice, cake, and cedar. Another reviewer described it as having a nose of cherry bubble gum with flavors of cherry pie, oak, and sweet plum, with low tannins and acidity. 

Wine Folly references: As described in Wine Folly, Zinfandel is a bold red that's loved for its jammy fruit and smoky, exotic spice notes (p. 189). Syrah is a rich, powerful, and sometimes meaty red (p. 172). Cabernet Sauvignon has a rich flavor and high tannin content (p. 88). 

My review: This wine really surprised me with its uniqueness. I immediately noticed the woodiness, perhaps oak. I also picked up on some chocolatey flavors and dark, tart, fruity flavors like cherry. It was surprisingly sweet but not sugary or fruity, mostly just chocolate. It was also medium-bodied, but it smelled full-bodied. It was very "desserty," which was different than the other red blends that I've tried, which were more fruity, so that was interesting. This one wasn't my favorite red blend, but I appreciate the uniqueness of it. I also tried this wine with rosemary crackers and Vermont sharp cheddar, and it cut the chocolatey taste but also made it taste sweet, like fruit/berries. Overall, it was a pretty good wine for its price, and I felt it paired pretty well with the cheese and crackers. 

Wine Tasting: Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon

Name: Black Box Cabernet Sauvignon

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Central Valley

Country: Chile

Year: Not labeled

Price: $4.99

Review found online: On vivino.com, one reviewer stated that this wine was a little sweet, with lots of vanilla and black cherry as well as noticeable oak. They also said it would be really good if it were a bit drier and had some more depth. 

Wine Folly references: As described in Wine Folly, Cabernet Sauvignon has a rich flavor and high tannin content, and these wines are concentrated and age-worthy (p. 88). Cabernet Sauvignon also has a full body, medium-high alcohol, medium acidity, and low sweetness. 

My review: I would rate this wine a 7.5/10. This wine was very affordable, so I didn't have very high expectations, but it was pretty good and had a lot of depth to it. I first noticed a dark chocolatey flavor, as well as deep berry flavors and a little woodiness. My experience was definitely similar to the online reviewers'. It also smelled very "perfumey" with a fragrant sweet smell, which, in hindsight, could have been vanilla or cherry. I tried this with rosemary crackers and a Vermont sharp cheddar. It brought out the sweetness and freshness of the wine without them overpowering each other. I loved this pairing and would try it again. 

Wine and Cheese Pairing

For this pairing blog, my friends and I made a small charcuterie board with Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Feta cheese. We chose these cheeses because we eat them quite a bit and wanted to try and find the best pairings for them. We tried each of the wines with all of the cheeses and also ate them with some rosemary crackers and various types of salami. 

Wines from left to right: Vendange Sauvignon Blanc, Lamarca Prosecco Rose, Barefoot Merlot

Cheeses from left to right: Cheddar (not included in tasting), Mozzarella, Parmesan, Feta

First pairing: Mozzarella and Vendange Sauvignon Blanc

We first tried the wine on its own, and it had fruity (maybe pear?) and floral notes. It was difficult to pick up on the flavors because the wine was very light-bodied and almost tasted watered-down. The mozzarella also had a very mild flavor, but it was very fatty and tasted good. This was an amazing pairing. Both on their own were mild flavors, but when paired, they really brought out the sharpness and deeper flavors of both. The fattiness of the cheese made the wine taste more tart and fruity and made it much more refreshing. When we tried the mozzarella with the parmesan, it didn't taste like much, and we felt like the parmesan totally overpowered the wine. The feta also overpowered the wine, but it did bring out the sweetness of it. I think that the saltiness of both of these overpowered this light wine and made it taste more bland/watered down. 

Second pairing: Feta and Lamarca Prosecco Rose

On its own, the Prosecco Rose was light and refreshing, with floral notes. When paired, the feta brought down the acidity of the wine and brought out the deeper, more rich flavors of both. We think that this would have paired even better with a regular dry rose because the lightness from the carbonation made its flavors milder. It did make the cheese less intense, and it compliments the saltiness of it. When we tried it with the parmesan, it was a decent pairing, but the flavors didn't complement each other as well as they did with the feta. With the mozzarella, the flavors were very mild, and it tasted like we were just drinking the wine on its own. 

Third pairing: Parmesan and Barefoot Merlot

The Merlot, on its own, was my favorite wine out of the three. It was rich and full-bodied and had notes of dark berries and dark chocolate. It was also kind of woody, like oak. With the parmesan, it was a little overpowering, but it did bring out the deeper, more chocolatey flavors of the wine. It paired well, but I think this wine has a lot of depth to it that overpowered the parmesan. We tried it with the mozzarella, and it ruined the flavors of the cheese and the wine; we think the wine was too full-bodied for the fatty cheese. With the feta, it wasn't bad with the saltiness of the cheese. They both had strong flavors, but they blended/paired pretty well, which we were kind of surprised by. Overall, I think all of these pairings were pretty good, but my favorite was the feta and Prosecco Rose and in the future, I'll definitely be trying feta with a dry rose.