Tasting- Blackstone Merlot

Name: Blackstone Merlot 

Grape: Merlot 

Country of origin: USA

Region: California 

Vintage year 2016

Cost about 9$

The winery describes this wine ​​as rich with blackberry, plum, and raspberry flavors with hints of vanilla and toasted French bread. I most definitely tasted the rich plum and blackberry flavors, but not so much the vanilla and toasted French Bread. 

According to page 131 of Wine Folly, a Merlot is filled with cherry, plum, chocolate, dried herbs and vanilla flavors. This wine was bursting with plum flavors with a hint of chocolate and cherry. While I did not taste the vanilla I did taste a bit of dried herb, though not much. This is a full red dessert wine that should be decanted for 30 minutes, which my roommate and I neglected to do. 

Overall, I liked this wine. It was a full bodied wine with oak tannins, making this a rich tasting wine, which is not typically my preference. However, I enjoyed the plum flavors that were complemented by the taste of chocolate and cherry. I also enjoyed the mild sweetness that this wine had to offer, and the bitter taste was a nice change of pace from the sweet white wines I usually drink. Despite my generally positive experience tasting this wine, I most likely would not repurchase it. 

I did not try this wine with food. 

Tasting - The Chateau Michelle Gewürztraminer

 Tasting - The Chateau Michelle Gewürztraminer 

Name: The Chateau Michelle

Variety of grapes: Gewurztraminer

Country of Origin: USA

Region: Columbia Valley, Oregon 

Vintage year: 2020

Price $9

I purchased this wine at Kroger and it was recommended to me by Dennis. He stated that this wine contained floral, lychee, and spiced flavors. While I didn’t pick up on much of the spiced flavors, I definitely tasted, and enjoyed the floral and lychee flavors this wine contained. 

According to Wine Folly, page 115, a Gewürztraminer is an aromatic white wine that contains intense floral aromas, which were evident when I tried the wine. This wine is also known for its lychee, rose, grapefruit, tangerine and ginger taste. Personally, I tasted lychee and tangerine the most, but not the ginger and rose.

I thoroughly enjoyed this wine! I loved the lychee and citrusy flavors and its strong floral aromas. It was a sweet wine with low acidity and tannins.  This was fuller bodied white wine, but not overbearing, I really enjoyed how each sip was filled with flavor. Overall, a very enjoyable wine that I would definitely purchase again.  

I did not try this wine with food.

   

Welcome to my Wine Blog

Hi everyone, my name is Maddy Meidling and I am a senior biochemistry major who is excited to learn more about wine. As of now, I have enjoyed the casual glass of wine with my friends while watching TV, or with my mom when we chat after dinner. I have always loved white wines such as pinot grigio and rieslings. I have recently started trying red wines, and though I still prefer white, I have grown to like pinot noir, and look forward to trying more!

Besides loving its taste, I have always enjoyed the social aspects of wine. At home my mom would ask “Want a glass of wine?” and I knew that meant more than just sharing a drink. For us, it meant catching up on our day and has become one of my favorite memories when I go back home. Here at school, my friends will come over and someone will bring their favorite wine we can sip on while we chat and get our minds off of the stress of school. Wine has strong social ties and it is one of the reasons I love it. 

This semester I look forward to trying new wines and being able to articulate what flavors and characteristics I like about wine. I also hope I can learn how to spot a good wine, without breaking the bank. I am also thrilled to learn how to pair wines with different foods.  I am eager to try new wines and wineries and create new memories with my friends surrounding wine. During this class I am excited to expand on my, minimal, knowledge about wine to allow me to be a more sophisticated wine drinker who can truly appreciate the flavors and aromas.  In the past, I have not tried many wines, but I am thrilled for that to change!