Tasting - Mauricio Lorca Angels Selection Malbec 2022

 Name: Mauricio Lorca Angels Selection Malbec 2022

Variety: Malbec

Region: Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Year: 2022

Price: $18.99

Winery Review: A smooth but bold wine, it has notes of black and red fruit with oaky notes. Rating of 3.7/5. Called a respectable Malbec.

Wine Folly: Malbec pgs. 125-126. Bold fruit with a smooth chocolate finish. Notes of sweet tobacco and cocoa. 

My Review: The adjectives I would use to describe this wine is oaky, tart, dry, and peppery. It smelled sweet and did not have strong finish. It was smooth. I drank this with bread. I like this wine.

Tasting- Karen Birmingham Clarksburg Merlot 2020

Name: Karen Birmingham Clarksburg Merlot 2020

Variety: Merlot

Region: Clarksburg

Country: USA

Year: 2020

Price: $16.99

Winery Review: smoky, earthy  with plum and vanilla notes. A rating of 3.6/ 5. Has a strong flavor.

Wine Folly: Merlot pg 131-132. Merlot has notes of cherry, plum, dark chocolate, dried herbs, and vanilla. It is not very sweet. 

 

My Review: Smells very sweet. It was a very strong wine with fruit. I tasted cherries. It surprised me at first because it was strong and the flavor hit me like a brick. It made me cough. I drank this with bread. 

 

Tasting- Arabella Shiraz

Name: Arabella Reserve Shiraz Viognier

Variety: Shiraz

Region: Western Cape

Country: South Africa

Year: 2021

Price: $19.99

Winery Review: This wine has good reviews. A rich red that is smooth and full of flavor. 
 https://us.nakedwines.com/products/arabella-reserve-shiraz-viognier-2021

Wine Folly: pages 172-173. The Shiraz has notes of blueberry, plum, milk chocolate, tobacco, and green peppercorn. It tasted a bit peppery. 

My Review: I really liked this wine. The flavor lingered on my tongue as an aftertaste. I had sourdough bread with this wine. It was a powerful wine. 

Tasting- F. Stephen Miller Zinfandel

 

Name: F. Stephen Miller Black Label Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2021

Variety: Zinfandel 

Region: Lodi, CA

Country: USA

Year: 2021

Price: $18.99

Winery Review: A modern and smooth red wine, this wine has good reviews. around 4/5 stars. Reviews said it smells of blueberry and plum.
 https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/f+stephens+milliere+black+old+vines+zinfandel+lodi+central+valley+california+usa/1/usa-va-y#t3

Wine Folly: Zinfandel around pages 189-190. This wine has cinnamon tasting spices. It has notes of blackberry, strawberry, peach preserves, cinnamon and sweet tobacco.

My Review: It says that this wine is paired nicely with sourdough. I had some bread with this wine. It had a smoky flavor and was a smooth red. I liked this wine but it was not my favorite.

Wine Experience

 

My first experience with wine was in second grade, when I received my First Holy Communion. I only had a sip but it was very strong and eight year old me did not like the taste. When I turned 21, I was ready to try all types of wine for my pallet had matured. I had a glass of prosecco at the Kennedy Center and loved the carbonation. It was akin to a tart soda. 

The same weekend of my 21st, I went to my first winery in Bull Run, Virginia. It was so fun to try different blends of wine from whites to blends to deep reds. My aunt taught me how to swirl the red wines. My mom is member of our local winery wine club so she took me along to tastings. When I went to Hawaii in Spring 2023, I went to what was allegedly the most southern winery in the USA. Their wine was on the sweeter side with notes of tropical fruits. My favorite wine that I had was a glass of port from Portugal in the summer of 2023. 

During this class, I hope to learn more about the types of grapes used in wines and how to be well versed in wine terminology. I want to sound fancy when conversing at future corporate dinners. I am super excited for this class! Cheers! Na Zdrowie!