Tasting- Warre's Warrior Porto finest reserve

Name: Warre's Warrior Porto

Variety: blend

Region:  Pinhao and Rio Torto Valleys

Country: Portugal

Year: 2019

Price: $19.99

Winery Review: great dessert wine that is full bodied with tastes of dark plums and cherries.

https://www.warre.com/wine/warrior/17

Wine Folly: pg. 267. dessert wine with notes of raspberry, blackberry jam, and cinnamon.

My Review: I really like this wine. I liked how it was spicy and sweet at the same time. The aroma was intoxicating and warmed my stomach as it went down. It was full bodied and tasted thick. I definitely tasted the notes of cherries. This was a great wine to have on Easter Sunday because it was on the more expensive side.

Tasting- California Heritage Pink Moscato

Name: California Heritage Pink Moscato 

Variety: muscat blanc 

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2022

Price: $4.95

Winery Review: Juicy red berries with hints of peach and citrus.

https://www.aldi.us/products/alcohol/rose-wine/detail/ps/p/california-heritage-pink-moscato/

Wine Folly: pg. 138. The grape hails from Greece and has notes of orange blossom, mandarin oranges, pear, and honeysuckle. 

My Review: This wine was good but not chilled. It would have tasted better slightly chilled. Had this with bread, I should have had desert with this  wine because it was sweet. The wine was sweet and had hints of orange. Not bad for a cheap wine.

 

Tasting- The butterfly effect red wine

Name:  The Butterfly Effect- Red Wine

Variety: Petit Verdot Blend

Region: Plunkett Fowles.

Country: Australia

Year: 2020

Price: $12.00

Winery Review: This wine pairs well with or without food. It is a smooth red.

https://us.nakedwines.com/products/sam-plunkett-the-butterfly-effect-red-2020

Wine Folly: pg 146 Petit Verdot has notes of black cherry, plum, violet, lilac, and sage.

My Review: 

This wine was ok. I normally like my reds a bit more dry and this wine was more sweet. The sage notes were a bit overpowering. Not bad but not great.

Tasting- Winking Owl Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Name: Winking Owl Cabernet Sauvignon 

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: California

Country: USA

Year: 2022

Price: $3.95

Winery Review: Goes down lightly. A medium bodied wine. for a cheap Aldi wine, not bad.

https://www.reddit.com/r/wine/comments/sxgwfi/295_2019_winking_owl_cabernet_sauvignon_decanted/

Wine Folly: pg. 88 Full bodied wine with notes of black cherry, currant, cedar, baking spices and graphite.

My Review: This wine was not stored correctly. It was left in the car in the sun for a few weeks. When opened the wine smelled bad. I took a tiny sip and almost spit it out. I could get no notes from the sip. It tasted so acidic.

I will have to try this wine again with a properly stored bottle.

Wine Dinner 3/16

Italian Dinner 3/16: 

First Course: Gnocchi with Pesto

Wine: Winking Owl-White Zinfandel 

this wine had a buttery light taste. Sweet with a tang

Food: pesto gnocchi. This pairing was interesting. I feel like the wine brought out the sweetness of the sauce. 

Rating: 7/10 

I think this would would have paired better with a dryer white

Second Course: Spaghetti and Meatballs 

Wine: 2016 Montefalco Rosso

This wine is a blend. It was rich and tangy and spicy. I tasted dark plum.

Food: Spaghetti and Meatballs 

The sauce was very sweet with spicy meatballs. The wine made the flavors in sauce more defined. It was so good having a tannic wine with this dish.

Rating: 9/10

This pairing was so good! Loved it!

Third Course: Birthday Cake

 

Wine: Savory & James Cream Sherry

This sherry tasted like honey. It was sweet and creamy and tangy.

on its own it tasted a lot like honey. Was not a fan on its own.

Food: Birthday Cake

It was one of my friend's 22nd birthday so for dessert we had vanilla cake with chocolate fudge icing.

The sherry brought out the sweetness in the cake but I was not a big fan.

Rating: 6/10

 This pairing was good but not great.