Category Archives: Blends

Yes•No•Maybe: My Top Wine Picks for Valentine’s! 🍷💌🍷

On the hunt for Valentine’s wines, I naturally look for fun label art. It’s something I’ve grown accustomed to over the past few years. Each season, I’d find a few to choose from that were on display, (and sometimes on special) to celebrate the lovey holiday. This year seemed a bit, well … skimpy on the label art front.

So I had to really search for wines that caught my eye, and would be a good choice in the glass. I found…two.

And with that, I did a little tasting with HubbyDoug to find our best match. Kind of like ‘The Dating Game’ but with wine. Getting out our Wine Aroma | Flavor Wheel, we were going to attempt educated assessments in our sampling (as opposed to just saying, “Yep, that’s good!”). We’ll see who gets a yes, a no, or a maybe.

Check out the fun slow jam video below for some more info about these wines! 👇🍷

Prophecy 2015 Red Blend ~ I loved the beautifully romantic label but damned if I can tell you what’s in it. Any research led me nowhere about the specific varietals in the bottle. I can tell you that it is a conscious coupling of grapes from both Washington State and California, which is a good start.

Spinning the flavor wheel, here’s what we found:

•Color: Deep Purple

•Nose: vanilla caramel vibe

•Flavors: dark chocolate cherry w/ a pleasant whisper of smoky tobacco on the finish.

•Mouthfeel: Creamy smooth,

•Price point $10.99- $14.99. We found this was a little drier than the Intrinsic. But that was ok. And with gorgeous label art from Victo Ngai, it’s a… yes!

Intrinsic 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon ~ 96% Cab Sauv and 4% Cab Franc. Produced in Columbia Valley, WA, this wine is fermented for a limited time in concrete tanks, which give a mineral character to the wine, then transferred to barrel where it’s aged 12 months. When Dougie found out it was a Cab, he gave the eye roll (he likes Cab only slightly better than Merlot). But here’s what we discovered:

  • • Color: Bright Ruby
  • • Aroma: Pepper, Stewed Plum
  • • Flavors: Black Currant Jam, hints of Leather w/ a pleasant sweetbitter finish
  • • Mouthfeel: Velvety, Silky
  • • Price point: $22.99

The big feature for us was that it seemed like a Cab with Pinot envy; lighter with delicate flavors – not so ‘in-your-face’ as some Cabs have a tendency to be. So that was a nice surprise for our Pinot fan. We have another… yes!

For Valentine’s fun here are two wines that are as nice on the inside as they are on the outside. And, really, isn’t that what we want from a Valentine’s date? ❤️

Happy Valentine’s Day! 💌💋

Cheers!🍷

©️Copyright, TheWineStudent, 2020

Wines of Three~So Mote It Be ~My Top Halloween Picks of 2019!

“I put a spell on you…because you’re mine. “

~ Jay Hawkins

Hey party people! It’s that special time of year when a chill’s in the air, frost is afoot, and it’s not just the pumpkin that’s getting lit! 🎃

Each year, I look for two things from my All Hallows vintages: Label art and/ or contents. While the label art is the first thing to catch my eye, what’s inside the bottle actually matters; you don’t want to be sipping swill at your gathering. Breathe easy, there’s no danger with these three wines.

**Click the video below to find out more about these great wines! 👇🧟‍♀️** yes, there is a video there!

My top picks for the season – no particular order:

Prayers of Sinners – A spooky little blend of 90% Syrah and 10% Merlot, this moody offering from Washington State boasts flavors of violet, cocoa, and dark fruit such as blackberry. It pairs well with braised beef, hellfire roasted peppers, and devilish molten chocolate cake. At a price point of around $10.99, this wine will steal your soul. It was sumptuous in my glass.

7 Moons Dark Side Red Blend – A haunting seven layer blend of Syrah, Merlot, Petit Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Grenache, it screams of robust flavor and texture. Swirling aromas of rich chocolate cherry, blackberry, and vanilla dance with the cherry Coke, creamy milk chocolate flavors on the tongue. It plays well with barbecue chicken, caprese salad and many Asian foods. Be not afraid, the price point is $19.99. The only trick to get this treat is to open the bottle.

Sin Zin – This wicked wine is straight up, 100% Zinfandel from Alexander Valley Vineyards in Sonoma. Known for their other worldly Zins, this wine is aged in the cask for fourteen months in American Oak which gives aromas of spice and earthy notes and conjures flavors of black cherry, plum, black pepper and chocolate. It pairs well with spicy braised beef, lamb or venison, tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms and olives. The price point of $17.99 – $19.99 makes it a potion to die for.

Wherever you plan to haunt this year, make sure to sink your teeth into a great wine or two.

Have a safe and happy Halloween! 👻🍷🎃

Cheers!

©️Copyright The Wine Student, 2019

Malbec Monday – Tikal Patriota!

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It’s been quite a while since I’ve been able to enjoy a Malbec Monday with you! Life can move pretty fast and before you know it, it’s been months since you’ve gotten together.

To get back in the swing, I chose a random pick; I hadn’t done any research before going to the wine store. What intrigued me abut this wine was the blend: 60% Malbec, 40% Bonarda.

Bonarda ~ Until recently, this was one of the most widely planted grapes in Argentina; Malbec has now eclipsed Bonarda. A high yield grape, Bonarda is usually cultivated on flatter, warmer regions, and is usually picked at the end of harvest to ensure that it fully ripens. Mainly used to produce large quantity, easy drinking table wines, Bonarda is light bodied, lo tannin, fruity wine. and perfect to blend with Malbec to give a little more depth of flavor. Bonarda, on its own, is ready to drink early on. It’s also a versatile little chameleon; it can easily be made into white wine, sparkling, rose, or traditional red.

Flavor profile: Ranges from, plum, cherry jammy to fig, raisin ~ higher altitude plantings yield herbal and rose flavors. Oak aging brings out chocolate and delicate leather aromas.

Plays well with: chicken, beef, cedar plank salmon steaks, and anything sweet and sour. 

Malbec ~ We’ve gone over this before but it never hurts to have a review. Cooler condition Malbec grapes are more hardy, with dense skins and produce lusty wines that have higher acidity and tannins. These wines can be cellared for a while as compared to their lower- altitude relatives who have thinner skins, lighter bodied, and are best consumed young. Many are aged on concrete and then oak to intensify flavors.

Flavor profile: Cherry, plum, raspberry and currant. Generous oak gives a vanilla, smoke and slightly spicy vibe.

Plays well with: dark meat poultry, roast pork, lean cuts of meat (sirloin, filet), buffalo burgers.

This Tikal Patriota did not disappoint. It had flavors of bright cherry, creamy vanilla and a hint of spice. Beautiful rich scents of currant and smoke on the nose, with medium to high acidity.

So cheers to being Patriota-ic on this Malbec Monday! And enjoy thoroughly!

Next post: My spooky annual Halloween wine round up. Stay tuned!

Cheers!

Something Wicked…

Drink up, witches! It’s haunting time again. This year, I found three wines that will scare up some yummy vibes in your goblet.

Each year when I look for wines to celebrate the season, I’m drawn to those with interesting labels. On my hunt, I found there was one with a distinct tv show tie-in (eg The Walking Dead Red Blend ~ I can only imagine what’s in it…).

Many wineries put together red blends just for the holiday, which is an excellent way to conjure new fans. This year, I was possessed by wines that have singular qualities that consistently haunt my mind like a spirit.

Ok, one was a blend. 👻

Here they are, in no particularly earthly order:

• Darkness Falls Red Blend

• Spellbound 2016 Petite Syrah

• Seven Deadly Zins 2014 Old Vine Zinfandel

Click the video below to see more about the tasting profiles, pairing options, and price points of my Halloween wine picks for 2018!

 

These are all enjoyable offerings that will look bewitching in your Halloween display, won’t behead your budget, and will pair well with any spooky party fare.

I hope you all have a ghoulishly safe and happy Halloween! 🎃

Cheers!

Copyright©️TheWineStudent, 2018

Treats Before Tricks!

Chocolate. Red wine. Chocolate. A perfect pairing especially at Halloween. 🎃

I been gifted a bottle of Chocolate Shop wine a while ago but I was a little skeptical. I’ve tasted chocolate flavored wine that was basically a bottle of Bailey’s Irish. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but when you want a glass of red…

This wine was very different, especially when you first open it; an immediate chocolate vibe was instantly on the nose. Ok, it passed the first test- it smelled amazing- but I was still not convinced.

Right off the bat it was very sweet, a lot more than I normally like. But as I sipped further rounder, full-bodied notes of dark cherry, stewed blackberry emerged, melding with the chocolate vibe. I experimented with it by leaving the wine to aerate for about an hour, and found the flavor evolved into a rich, pleasing dark chocolate covered cherry.

This was a very different wine for me: My preferences are for earthier, beefy red wines that have a slight whisper of chocolate, as part of their fermentation but aren’t necessarily chocolate fortified. A fortified wine has an extra element added (in this case chocolate essence) that adds sweetness or additional alcohol. This wine was a cool, decadent combination treat.

It helps to keep an open mind – and to let it breathe for a while! My only caveat is to not pair this wine with anything too sweet. Most experts agree that sweet wines paired with sweet treats can be overwhelming ~ I ate a handmade sea salt caramel with this wine, and the sugar level was way over top! Stick to some mild, slightly savory cheeses.

Finally, the best way to enjoy any wine during Halloween is with a good scary movie. I paired this wine with ‘The Lost Boys‘, a neo-classic 80’s vampire movie. 🧛‍♂️🦇

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Next post: My Halloween picks for 2018! 👻🎃

Cheers!

©TheWineStudent, 2018

Getting Bullish About Hungarian Wine!

At the start of the year, I wrote about some of the wine trends for a brave new year. One trend was exploring wine from areas that are from lesser known yet still traditional such as Croatia, Hungary and Bulgaria and Georgia.

On a trip to Budapest, our friends, Alex and Monica brought us a wonderful gift: a bottle of 2013 Tóth Ferenc Egri Bikavér Superior.

Also known as “Bull’s Blood”, Egri Bikavér is a very special blended red wine. Hand harvested, and individually aged twenty-five months before the initial blend, this wine boasts velvety tannins, plum and violet essences; sweet spice and bright cherry flavors. This 2013 Tóth Ferenc vintage took gold at Mindus Vini 2016, silver at Finger Lakes 2016, and gold at 12th Annual Bayer Wine Competition.

Hungarian folklore chronicles that in 1552, the fortress of Eger was under attack, with those defending it badly outnumbered. For courage, and to strengthen themselves, they drank copious amounts of local red wine, spilling it all over themselves as they guzzled. When they launched their counterattack, their foes saw the men running towards them with red liquid all down their chests ~ they believed the locals had been drinking bull’s blood, and in terror they turned and fled (who wouldn’t?). Hence the name Bull’s Blood has stayed with Hungarian wine ever since.

Like many wines in France, Italy and Spain, Egri Bikavér comes from a geographically protected region of origin. Common to all wine regions, this indicates that the area where grapes are grown has a defining influence on the style, quality and flavor of the wine.

Egri Bikavér is a blend of different base wines. The base wines themselves are aged separately in barrels for a minimum of six months, then blended and bottled where they age for an additional six months.

Grape varieties used:

• Kékfrankos

• Pinot Noir

• Merlot

• Cabernet Franc

• Cabernet Sauvignon

• Kadarka

Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch) ~ is the Hungarian name for the black grape that produces wine with a spice vibe, adding to the essences of blueberry, black pepper and anise. The tannins are relatively smooth and colors are very deep.

Kardarka ~ The original and once favored varietal for Bull’s Blood, it is being replaced by Kékfrankos (Blau) which ripens early and is very resistant to grey rot. If kept in small quantities, and with careful crop management, it produces fuller, tannic wines with essences of sweet spice and black fruit.

Suggested pairings:

• Ox tongue (um….maybe not)

• Fish with mushrooms, tomato, veal stock reduction

• Beef Bourguignon

• Roast lamb with garlic and rosemary

• Goat cheese, mild Brie and Camembert

It’s been said that some of the best things in life are free. And a wonderful gift of wine, especially from friends who’ve visited a distant land, makes that even more true.

Cheers! 🍷

©TheWineStudent, 2018

Fright Night ~ Top 3 wine picks for ‘17 Halloween!

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What wine pairs well with… horror?! 
If you’re scared enough, pretty much anything will do. But if you’re a brave undead slayer these three picks for 2017 will give you plenty of treats while waiting for Nosferatu to rise from the catacombs. 

2016 HobNob Wicked Red Blend

Blend of: Grenache, Cab Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes:

🎃 full body ~ lo acid, med tannin

🎃 roasted coffee, mocha, toasted hazelnut, hint of orange zest provides a nice little bite on the finish. 

Pairing:

🎃 BBQ, red meat, dark chocolate

👻 Definitely decant! This wine is very young fully release the hounds of flavour, this wine needs time to open up and breathe.

    

 2016 Black O’Noir Baco Noir Sue Ann Staff Estate Winery

Tasting Notes:

🎃 medium body~ hi acid, lo tannin

🎃 stewed blueberry, tomato jam, a little smoky

Pairing:

🎃 Aged cheddar

🎃 Charred beef, ribs ~ well done meats rather than rare or medium well.

Higher acidity in this wine means a good pairing with rich, meaty tomato sauce over pasta

🎃 Pizza with extra tomato sauce and spicy pepperoni 

👻 Make sure you decant! Often with young wines, they need decanting for around two hours to open the full bouquet and flavours.

 2014 Ravenswood Besieged Red Blend

Blend of: Petit Syrah, Carignan, Zinfandel, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Barbera

Tasting Notes:

🎃 full body ~ fine, soft tannin

🎃 blackberry, rich black cherry, baking spice, fruit forward

Pairing:

🎃 Beef, pork,

🎃 Salmon with chipotle chocolate sauce drizzle

👻 A 2014 shouldn’t need as much decanting but to bring out the full expression of these rich varietals, using a good aerator (if you don’t have time to fully decant) is a great idea. 

Don’t forget the Menagerie pourers!

Have a safe and happy Halloween! 😈🍷

 Cheers! 

I Want Candy! 

It’s too damn hot for Malbec Monday. After breaking a sweat from the minute I started out today, I wasn’t keen on drinking something that would make me ferment any more. So I opted to try a blend that’s not only new to me but it’s chilled! Even better. 

I won this 2015 Pillitteri Gerwürztraminer | Riesling at a charity golf tournament his past weekend and today, nestled there, chilling in my fridge, it looked so sweet it made my mouth water. 

Normally, I’m not a fan of really sweet wine, and I thought the addition of Riesling might tip the scales from medium dry to cloying. But this wine surprised me with a delicate hint of candied rose on the nose, and subtle flavours of orange blossom and white stone fruit (peach) on the palate. This is a light to medium body wine with very refreshing acidity. All of the flavours were nicely balanced, and it would pair nicely with slightly spicy pork and grilled strawberries. Yum!

Gerwürztraminer is a variety that typically produces beautifully perfumed whites and can range from dry, off dry and fuller bodied, high alcohol and lower acidity. In combination with Riesling’s higher acidity, this wine might be able to be aged a little longer, developing lush honey and nut aromas. 

On a scorcher like today,  it had everything I desire; setting the summer sun on fire. 😉

Cheers! 

Just Another Malbec Monday! 🍷

It’s the start of the week and a little motivation is needed. So I’ve added a new feature to The Wine Student: Malbec Mondays. It’s my way to help you ease back into that work week.

For this inaugural post, I chose a 2013 Elqui Wines Malbec blend. While Argentina is most noted  for its beautiful Malbec, the Elqui Valley in Chile produces  wonderful offerings that are fruit forward, earthy,  while retaining a pleasing silky mouthfeel. With 52% Syrah, and 37% Carménère and 11% Malbec this wine is a multi-faceted intro to some intriguing Chilean wine. It pairs well with sweet, spicy and barbeque dishes. Not a bad way to begin a week, eh?

So you may not be stoked by having to be back to work. That’s ok. The real fun can begin when you sign out for the day, get home and slip into something more comfortable.

And after a few sips, you’ll be glad it’s just another Malbec Monday. 😉

Cheers!

©TheWineStudent, 2017

Happy Australia Day!🇦🇺

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G’Day M8’s!

I’m sure any one from Australia who reads that will be about as happy as a Canadian who hears, “EH???” or “oot an aboot”. But since it is #AustraliaDay, I am here to celebrate and enjoy a blend I found while out and about hunting for an Aussie wine. The 2011 Schild Estate Old Bush Vine GMS (Grenache, Mourvèdre, Shiraz) was a vintage I wasn’t familiar with, but the Aussie spirit is one of adventure so I scooped it up.

But first a little background one of the grapes and the growing region of Barossa. Most of you are pretty familiar with Shiraz and I’ve written about Grenache in a previous post, so I’ll focus today’s study hall on Mourvèdre grape, and what is an old bush vine. But please be careful if you Google ‘old bush’. In fact, I’ll save you the trouble, don’t Google it at all. Trust me.

The Mourvèdre grape is a tough little contender, and some of the oldest vines in the world are located down under in Australia. Thick-skinned and drought tolerant, it can do very well in hot growing regions and ripens late in the growing season. That makes it a perfect grape for the Barossa appellation (growing region) of South Australia. Barossa is one of six wine producing zones, with two specific regions: the Barossa Valley and the Eden Valley. The Barossa Valley has moderate elevated areas with flat valley floors that succumb to very hot summers with temperatures hitting over 95F (30C). Rainfall is modest and with sparse natural water in the soil, irrigation is critical, even though many varietals can sustain and produce amazingly complex wines in drought conditions. While its main varietal is Shiraz, Barossa is home to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Semillion and Voignier. Grenache and Mourvèdre thrive and blend well with Shiraz. If you’ve enjoyed Châteneuf De Pape, you’ve enjoyed this blend.

Barossa old vines are protected under the Barossa Old Vine Charter, instituted to register vineyards by age, ensuring that older, beautifully gnarled vines are preserved, retained and protected from being destroyed.

  • Barossa Old Vine ~ => 35 years. The root structure and trunk thickness are very well established, encouraging increased character and diversity of flavor.
  • Barossa Survivor Vine ~ => 70 yrs. These vines have weathered very tough storms and are a tribute to the growers and winemakers who prize structure and quality of old vines.
  • Barossa Centenarian Vine ~ => 100 years. These vines are resistant to phylloxera, allowing vines to mature into their stunning, gnarled sculpture. They have a lower yield but intense flavor,and are cultivated using dry farming techniques.
  • Barossa Ancestor Vine ~ => 125+ years. This is the great, great grandaddy of them all. These vines have been standing loud and proud and are a living tribute to Barossa’s earliest European settlers. The old stocks are the buttress of this wine region, and are some of the oldest producing vines in the world, are dry grown, have low yield but very high intensity in flavor.

What’s an old bush, you ask? It’s any parcel of land in Australia that’s undeveloped or close to the forest or desert.

So how did this wine taste? The nose had a lovely, bright floral vibe with notes of violet. It had a medium mouthfeel and tasted of plum, blackberry compote, rich, Luxardo maraschino cherry, with hints of leather and tobacco on the finish.

Some wines tend to need to sit a while to get their groove on, this one seemed more old world in style; the first sip tasted as good as the last.

Proof positive that things really do get better with age.

Cheers!

©TheWineStudent, 2017