Wanderlust Coconino Commons

•Name: Coconino Commons
•Variety: Rye Sour Beer
•Region: Flagstaff, AZ
•Country: USA
•Year: 2015
•Price: $5 a 10oz class
• "This amber beer clocks in at 4% ABV and 19 IBUs.  The aroma gives hints of the tartness contained within, but has notes of dark fruit and citrus.  The mouthfeel is light and refreshing, and tastes of dark cherries and plums with a grainy backbone which gives way to a spice on the back of the flavor from the rye.  The sourness is refreshing and allows the tart fruit flavors to really come through but does not become overwhelming.   We filtered this beer to give it a beautiful brilliant clarity which complements the light white head." - Wanderlust Brewing Company
•This was one of the most unique beers that I have had in the past year.  It was super light with an incredibly refreshing citrus flavor. It was almost like a Belgian ale came together with a lambic style and birthed this incredible beverage in the US.  We liked it so much that we got a growler of it to go.

Beliveau Estate Portal

•Name: Portal
•Variety: Red Zinfandel
•Region: VA
•Country: USA
•Year: N/V
•Price $20
•"Bronze Medalist
Lightly oaked Red Zinfandel: Layers of fruit and spice with flavors of cherry-vanilla pipe tobacco. This wine plays on the palate and has character!" - Beliveau Estate
• This had a light body and taste but a strong acidic finish.  I have not had many red zins, but this was decent.  I found it to have a low amount of tannins to which was nice, but I think it could have been a little stronger.  Interesting overall!

Beliveau Estate Fireside Chat

•Name: Fireside Chat
•Variety: Cabernet Franc
•Region: VA
•Country: USA
•Year: N/V
•Price $20
•"GOLD Medalist
Dry lightly oaked Cabernet Franc: Notes of red berries, cherries, licorice, and a hint of green bell pepper." - Beliveau Estate
• By far the best wine from the day.  I though that it had a very crisp refreshing taste and the nose did smell like a freshly cut bell pepper.  I think that this would go great with goat cheese and we bought a bottle to bring back with us and try.  It was perfectly balanced and was not too overpowering.  I was very satisfied with this find.

Beliveau Estate Trailblazer

•Name: Trailblazer
•Variety: Merlot
•Region: VA
•Country: USA
•Year: N/V
•Price $18
•"Silver Medalist
Merlot, dry and softly oaked: Toasty with hints of cherries, raspberries, and plum." - Beliveau Estate
• This wine was pretty oakey in the beginning and smelled similar to new woodchips on a playground.  The initial taste was strong and had a very dry finish.  There was heavy tannins as well and I think I would have enjoyed it better with food.  I am not a huge fan of huge bold wines, but this wasn't bad.

Beliveau Estate Silhouette

•Name: Silhouette
•Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
•Region: VA
•Country: USA
•Year: 2011
•Price $16
•"Bronze Medalist
Dry lightly oaked Cabernet Sauvignon: Light and fruity with notes of raspberries, strawberries, and mild spice." - Beliveau Estate
• This wine had a great taste of sweet cherries and plums.  It was lighter in body than most cab savs that I have had but it was a great composition.  It seemed like it would be a more flexible red than others and I would be interested in seeing if it could hold up to bigger flavors like red meats.

Beliveau Estate Crown Jewel

•Name: Crown Jewel
•Variety: Semi sweet Pinot Grigio/ Niagara/Traminette
•Region: VA
•Country: USA
•Year: N/V
•Price $18
•"Off-Dry blend of Pinot Grigio, Traminette, and Niagara. Fruity, floral, and foxy with a sweet front and a dry finish." - Beliveau Estate
• Dry with the strong smell of grapes. It tasted exactly like Welches Grape Juice with a hint of grape Flintstone's Vitamins (in a good way!).  The semi dry finish was a great way to end the white wine tasting flight without overpowering the palate like many other tastings do with Moscato or Rieslings.  Overall great selection of white wines!

Beliveau Estate Reflection 2013

•Name: Reflection 2013
•Variety: Traminette
•Region: VA
•Country: USA
•Year: 2013
•Price $16
•"Silver Medalist
Off-DryTraminette: Fruity and floral with flavors and aromas of hibiscus, pineapple, lychee, and lime." - Beliveau Estate
• Very sweet smelling wine that held back a little sweetness with the taste.  I thought it was a great wine that had hints of tropical fruits.  Maybe papaya and pineapple.  There was a slight acidic finish to the wine but it was good!

Beliveau Estate Mystique 2013

•Name: Mystique 2013
•Variety: Chardonnay
•Region: VA
•Country: USA
•Year: 2013
•Price $16
•"Dry UNOAKED Chardonnay: Flavors of lemon, ginger, honey, and custard." - Beliveau Estate
• This wasn't anything special to me.  It was a bit more acidic than the 2012, and I liked comparing the oaked vs. unoaked, but I didn't find anything that stood out to me.  It was less lime flavored than the last one, maybe a little sweeter, but nothing to go out of my way for.

Beliveau Estate Mystique 2012

•Name: Mystique 2012
•Variety: Chardonnay
•Region: VA
•Country: USA
•Year: 2012
•Price $16
•"Bronze Medalist
Dry OAKED Chardonnay: Hints of vanilla, honey, and butter with a lemon-lime finish. Perfect with salmon and asparagus." - Beliveau Estate• To me, this wine tasted a little like sprite in flavor.  Very strong lemon lime flavor, mostly the lime.  I enjoyed it and thought it would be very easy to drink in the summer on the beach.  Smooth and interesting.

Beliveau Estate Pristine

•Name: Pristine
•Variety: Chardonelle
•Region: VA
•Country: USA
•Year: N/V
•Price $18
•" Dry unoaked Chardonelle: Notes of apples, pears, lemon, and caramel."  - Beliveau Estate
• I thought this wine wasn't too dry with no harsh aftertaste.  It ended up being my favorite white of the day and it was easy to drink.

Wine Dinner with the Family

The same weekend that I visited the cidery, I had the opportunity to share what I learned in the wine class with my family over a nice meal and a couple glasses of wine.  I knew that I had wanted to have a mix of red a white, sweet and dry so I started with that.  I also knew that I wanted to incorporate the use of my mothers new wok, so I found a recipe for fried rice and sausage.  I also knew that I wanted to have a cheese and meat appetizer, and I told my mom to surprise me for dessert.


I went to the local Whole Foods Market and was able to find a couple sausages and some creamy cheese.  The first wine that we paired with the salami and cheese was an Alsatian Gewurztraminer.  The wine was sweet, but still had a nice dry backbone.  The wine alone was interesting but with the cheese and meat it was richer and more complex.  I thought that the salami was great, a little too fatty, but my girlfriend thought it was too heavy and we took a break before eating the main dish.  The wine was received well by all but I think my first dinner had a better appetizer and wine pairing.

The main dish was rice fried with mushrooms, peppers, sausage and scallions.  It was a relatively easy prep and cook time compared to wok cooking that I had in the past. We paired the main course with a Cabernet Sauvignon called Sextant.  This wine by itself was incredibly smooth, very bold flavor with the perfect balance of tannics texture. I found that the wine also cut the spiciness of the sausage well and made a good combination with the rice.

For the surprise dessert, my mom picked up rich carrot cupcakes from Costco that was enough for all the wine dinners I will have for the remainder of 2015.  The rich creamy texture of the cupcake paired nicely with the Apothic Red that my sister had brought.  It was a very bold red wine that had hints of plum, cherry, and chocolate.  I thought that the pairing with the carrot cake was good, but the best pairing of the night was the Sextant with the main course.  Although this was a great wine, I won't be able to afford $30 dollar bottle on the regular.  I was very happy with this dinner and I can't wait to see what pairing creations I make next.

Bold Rock Cidery Visit

The other weekend, my girlfriend and I had the opportunity to visit the Bold Rock Cidery in Nellysford, VA.  It is about two and a half hours from Virginia Tech nestled in the AVA wine country of Virginia.  As soon as we stepped foot out of the car you could see the richness in the soil quality.  It had just rained and the sponginess of the soil made a nice foundation as we walked to the tap house and bottling plant.  

 We had the opportunity to try two of the different ciders that they brewed on cite.  The first was the Vintage Dry which was a blend of three different apples both red and green.  It had a higher alcohol (about 7% ABV) which rivaled the flavor of may wines.  I actually tasted some Sauvignon Blancs that were similar in body and taste.  It was very complex for a cider, and a 10 dollars a bottle, it was worth staying with the sample.  The second cider we tried was the Virginia Draft.  This is the flagship of the cidery which they said accounts for 60% of the sales out of that specific location.  It was an incredibly refreshing cidery that was made from only red apples.  It was served much colder than I would expect it, but that made for such a great experience.  It tasted just like fresh crisp apple cider with barely a hint of alcoholic heat.  I would get this again if I had the change but I'd be surprised if it would be as fresh.



We had the opportunity to tour the facilities which we learned received apple shipments from the orchard nearby.  The operation had two tanks of cider that would be emptied in a day.  The photo on the right shows the two tanks, and in the back you can see the fermentation vessels that stores the cider.  The small conveyor belt on the right side of the photo shows the bottles moving through the labeling, sanitation, filling, carbonating and capping processes.  The two tanks that carried a days worth of production would swith off between two of the eight different ciders that Bold Rock has on tap.  The individual bottles are moved to an assembly line worker who places 6 bottles in a 6-pack and moves four 6-packs into a case.  The cases are sealed up and stored awaiting shipment to the distributors.  We learned that the cidery has business as far north as Philadelphia, and is continuing to expand their market.  This was a very interesting experience in comparison to breweries or wineries because everything was so consolidated and simplified.  Although I am mostly a beer drinker, I really enjoyed both the ciders and the tour of Bold Rock

Peter Mertes Riesling Platinum 2013

Name: Peter Mertes Riesling Platinum
Variety: Riesling
Region: Rheinhessen
Country: Germany
Year: 2013
Price: $8.95
Review: "This quality Riesling is crisp, clean and easy drinking. Floral and fruit aromas suggest sweet melon and honey with enough acidity to ensure a beautifully balanced and versatile wine." - Vintage Cellar

I found this to be very sweet with a tangy smooth finish.  This would go spectacularly with a spicy Thai style dish and I might go back and purchase this bottle.  Great wine and I would recommend it.

Charles Thomas Cotes du Rhone 2013

Name: Charles Thomas Cotes du Rhone
Variety: 50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% MourvèdreRegion: RhoneCountry: FranceYear: 2013Price: $8.95
Review: "50% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre. 56 Ha grown organically since March 2009 (in conversion). Part of the vineyard is plowed with horses. Average age of the vines : 30 years old. Clear ruby wine with overtones of red berry fruits. Round and supple with smooth aftertaste. A good all round red wine for meat courses, poultry and light cheeses. Best drunk now while fresh with good keeping up to 4 years" - Vintage Cellar

There were Floral notes in the initial nose and a little peppery too.  Smoother body than the previous wine and more acidic.  I think this wine would go well with meat

Terre di Poggio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Laude 2012

Name: Terre di Poggio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Laude 2012
Variety: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo
Region: Abruzzo
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $8.95
Review: "This opens with dark aromas of leather, tobacco, cured meat, plum and prune. It shows soft tannins and loads of dark fruit on the finish." - Vintage Cellar

This was definitely a strong plum flavor with both a leather polish and peppery overpowering taste.  Rougher mouthfeel and a bit too much like a cat's sandpaper tongue.  6/10 would get again.  

Sean Minor Pinot Noir Rose Vin Gris, 2013

Name: Sean Minor Pinot Noir Rose Vin Gris, 2013
Variety: Pinot Nior
Region: Carneros
Country: CA, USA
Year: 2013
Price $8.95
Review: "The Vin Gris is a bright and vibrant salmon color with cherry, strawberry, cranberry and ripe watermelon aromas on the nose.  On entry, the wine displays bright strawberry flavors. Throughout the mid-palate and finish, raspberry and cherry fruit characters are balanced with spicy and crisp acidity that linger creating a refreshing and lengthy finish." - Vintage Cellar

I was very intrigued by this wine and found it to be more of a rose than a pinot.  It gave me cherry notes initially but then morphed into more of a dry cranberry.  The flavor was unremarkable and I think I'm not a fan of chilled pinot rose. 

Grande Resereve des Bastides Gaillac 2013

Name: Grande Resereve  des Bastides Gaillac 2013
Variety: 20% sauv. blanc, 50% Loin de I'Oeil, 30% Mauzec
Region: Gaillic
Country: France
Year: 2013
Price: $9.95
Review: "A crisp and fruity blend featuring 20% of the herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc, 50% creamy Loin de l’Oeil and notes of fresh apple and crisp pear, plus a touch of herb from the 30% Mauzac. It has a bright feel, with a hint of mineral on the finish." - Vintage Cellar

I found this wine to have a very grapey smell in the beginning.  It was dry but still slightly refreshing.  I did not have this with food but it might go well with a light appetizer