Sunday, March 23, 2025

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. 



Wine Dinner Blog

For this wine dinner blog, my friends and I wanted to do a super affordable three-course meal. We made a Caesar salad for our appetizer, chicken parmesan for our main course, and raspberry sorbet for dessert. 

First course

We paired the Caesar salad with a Bota Box Pinot Grigio. We first tried the wine by itself, it was refreshing and light, a bit acidic, and had fruity and floral notes. I picked up on some citrus, maybe lemon or orange, and it was sweeter than other Pinot Grigios I've tried. We tried it with the salad and noticed that the flavors of the Caesar dressing made the wine taste much more citrusy, and it had more of a tart/sour aftertaste. I felt like this was a great pairing; the flavors blended well together, and the wine was a perfect starter. 


Second course

We paired the chicken parmesan with a Black Box Pinot Noir. We tried the Pinot Noir on its own, and it was amazing. It was medium-bodied, which was perfect for pairing with the heaviness of the chicken parmesan. It had fruity notes, and we tasted cherry, blackberry, and some strawberry. It was also floral, like roses, and had a smooth chocolate flavor that blended really well with the cherry flavors. This was a great pairing. The wine tasted sweeter when paired, and it balanced perfectly with the acidity of the tomato in the sauce. We also noticed that when we sipped and then took a bite, it made the tomato taste sweeter, too. The saltiness of the parmesan also brought out the deeper flavors of the wine and made it taste even more rich and smooth. 


Third course

We paired the raspberry sorbet with a Cupcake Vineyards Prosecco. When we tried the Prosecco by itself, it was very light, refreshing, and tart. It had fruity notes of citrus, maybe lemon. The raspberry sorbet by itself was also very tart but had a sugary sweetness to it. The tartness of both actually paired really well together and balanced each other. When paired, the Prosecco tasted a little sweeter, and it brought out more of the fruity sweetness of the raspberries. Overall, this course was a perfect finish to our meal. It was light enough that we still ate a good amount, even after getting super full from the pasta, and it cleansed our palettes. I would rate this meal a 9/10 overall; each dish complimented the wine pairings pretty well, and I think our favorite was the Pinot Noir. 



Left to right: Bota Box Pinot Grigio, Black Box Pinot Noir, Cupcake Vineyards Prosecco


Caesar Salad


Chicken Parmesan


Talenti Raspberry Sorbet


Us enjoying our meal 

Sunday, March 2, 2025

Wine Tasting: Liberty Creek Merlot

 Name: Liberty Creek Merlot

Varietal: Merlot

Region: California

Country: United States

Year: Not labeled

Price: $3.99

Review found online: One customer review described this wine as pretty light as a merlot, but smooth and flavorful, tasting either blackberry or raspberry. Another reviewer described it as a wonderful dry Merlot from California, with a mildly complex, very smooth finish and a lingering aftertaste. 

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). Merlot has low sweetness, medium-high body, tannin and alcohol, and medium acidity. The Liberty Creek Merlot perfectly fits this description, and I could taste the black cherry flavors very clearly. 

My review: I would rate this wine an 8.5/10. Just like the Liberty Creek Sweet Red, this wine was very affordable, at only $3.99 for a 500 mL carton. I thought it was delicious and tasted great by itself. I haven't tried many Merlots before, but I think this one has made it one of my favorite red wines. I like that it isn't as full-bodied as Cabernet Sauvignon but still has a very deep and rich flavor. This wine was a bit more difficult to describe; I mostly noticed the fruity notes of this wine. I could definitely taste the cherry; it was tart but not too tart. I also picked up on some raspberry and maybe a bit of prune. Overall, this was a great wine that tasted more expensive than it was. I loved the cherry flavors and that it wasn't too intense for my taste, especially since I wasn't pairing it with anything. 



Wine Tasting: Liberty Creek Sweet Red

 Name: Liberty Creek Sweet Red

Varietal: Blend of Zinfandel, Rubired, Concord, Barbera

Region: California

Country: United States

Year: Not labeled

Price: $3.99

Shop review found online: Sweet Red is a blend of red wines that yield a fresh fruit-forward taste. A brilliant wine type that captures the flavors and aromas of rich, ripe fruit. It is typically characterized by sweet berry notes and has a soft finish and refreshing mouthfeel. One customer reviewer described this wine as light, refreshing, and like juice. 

Wine Folly references: This wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Rubired, Concord, and Barbera. Zinfandel is described as a fruit-forward yet bold red, loved for its jammy fruit and smoky, exotic notes (p. 189). Concord is used for juices and flavoring (p. 102). This grape is very noticeable in the wine because it does taste a lot like juice. Barbera is described as the everyday-drinking red wine of Piedmont, Italy. These wines are approachable, affordable, and have lip-smacking high acidity (p. 79). (Rubired not covered in Wine Folly).

My review: I would rate this wine a 7/10. It was very affordable, at only $3.99 for a 500 mL carton. My first impression was that it was very sweet and tasted like juice, but it got more refreshing, and I could taste the deeper flavors as I kept drinking it. I picked up on notes of candied fruits, berries (raspberry and cherry), and jam. As I kept drinking, I noticed that this wine was very smooth, and I picked up on some citrus, like a hint of orange. Overall, this wine was perfect for drinking on its own. I tried it with the ramen I was having for dinner, and I felt like it was overpowering, and all I could taste was the wine. I think this would pair better with cheese or a dessert with fruit to complement the sweet, fruity flavors of the wine. 




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 Revi...