Tasting 19 Crimes- Red Blend 2015

Name: 19 Crimes

Variety: Red Blend (Shiraz, pinot noir, grenache and cabernet sauvignon)

Region: Southeastern Australia 

Country: United States

Year: 2015

Price: $9.99/bottle

Wine critic review:

"Bright red to crimson hues. Intense lifted vanilla aromatics balanced with ripe red to dark berry fruits. Full and round on the palate with a distinct sweetness giving a rich and round mouth feel. The vanilla aromatics carry through on the palate and compliment subtle flavors of chocolate and a cedary spice. The palate finishes soft and fruity with a pleasant lingering freshness." (wine.com)

Your review:

This was fantastic. After swirling, I picked up aromas of cherry and oak pretty strongly. I took a sip and at first it was incredibly tart. But the after taste mellowed out, almost like butter or some other savory taste. After leaving it out a little, the wine blossomed so that I got a lot of berry on the front. Specifically blackberry and cherry. It finished pretty smooth with oak. Quite good! I had some shrimp with old bay as well. The wine brought out the spicy flavor in the old bay. And the old bay covered up the fruit in the wine. It almost just went really spicy to oak. In my opinion, it was better before the spicy shrimp...

Food pairing: Shrimp with old bay

(Image from wine.com)

Tasting Charles Shaw Shiraz 2014

Name: Charles Shaw

Variety: Shiraz

Region: California (Sonoma and Napa)

Country: United States

Year: 2014

Price: $3.29/bottle

Wine critic review:

"So then we switched over to reds, and I thought, 'surely these will be better!!' Ha. At first I thought this was fine, but then I tasted something metallic, like biting on a penny, and finally it made my mouth feel icky. It's sour. At first, the fact that there are different flavors bubbling up is a blessed change from the previous wines, and you hope that the cacophony settles into what one might call an "interesting" wine. This goes totally the other way. It's just gross."

 

Your review:

I bought this wine because, well, it's "two buck chuck." Ive had some of their other wines in the past, and honestly, they're not bad. I also usually really like Shiraz. So, for $3, why not? Well, let me tell you. It sucked. Yeah, When I first opened it, the aroma of vinegar instantly woke up my nose. I then proceeded to taste is and it honestly tasted like chemicals with an odd metallic aftertaste. I couldn't even finish the glass. After letting it breath for about an hour, I made some Kraft mac and cheese. Turns out, cheap wine goes decently with cheap food. Still not good, but the metalic taste was not nearly as present. Overall though, the flavors are boring. Kind of Welch's grape juice with apple cider vinegar. Ew. 

Food pairing: Kraft Mac and Cheese (see above)

 

(Image from Vivino)

First Blog Assignment

My love for wine started a long time ago. Growing up with Australian parents, it was customary to have a small taste of wine. The theory among European and Australian parents was that by introducing me to it now, I was less likely to abuse alcohol later and know how to drink responsibly. From the first time I was was offered wine, I fell in love. The wine I was first introduced to was quality wine- often red. Often it was paired with our fondue, beef, or other courses for the night.

My mom continue to drink wine together today. We'll split a bottle and enjoy some cheese and meat with the wine. We'll discuss our thought about the wine. Once in college, I was introduced to box wine (not my favorite). And while everyone was enjoying their natty lite, I was enjoying my Yellow Tail. Now being able to buy whatever wine I want, I've started experimenting with my taste. While I still tend to prefer red wine (shiraz and pinot noir), I started dipping into white wine over the summer. The cooled white wine provides a great refreshing drink. I particularly enjoy J. Lohr Chardonary, introduced to my by a former Geography of Wine student. Although white wine gets the job done, I still prefer the spice and bold flavor of reds.

Out of this class, I hope to gain the ability to talk about wines. Not just talk about them, but sound like I know what I'm talking about. I'd love to be at dinner parties and know exactly what I was tasting. I want to know what flavors to look for and how to pick them out. I want to be able to walk down the wine aisle and pick out a bottle I know I will like (right now I just guess...).