Drink this now #1- Mirassou Winery Pinot Noir

Variety: Pinot Noir

Region: California 

Year: 2023

Price: $7.98

 1. The wine we chose to use for this "drink this now" was Mirassou winery Pinot Noir. This wine is a very vibrant, deep, dark red. It is so dark that when you try to look through it in a glass, it appears black.  This wine is super bitter and has notes of cherry, raspberry, and strawberry. It also has notes of vanilla and oakiness to it. This wine has a very strong scent of cherries. 

2. I did not buy other wines to compare it to. 

3. After keeping the wine open for about two hour's it tasted smoother and less harsh. I could taste more of the fruitiness and more balance now. The smell is also less harsh. I was able to smell more of the cherries in the wine. Having the wine get more oxygen helps the wine taste better, in my opinion. 

4. When I had this wine with cheese, it became softer. The bitter aftertaste was no longer there. I personally am not a fan of this Pinot Noir, but with cheese, I was able to drink more of it. When I drank a sip and then had cheese, it got rid of some of the bitterness. However, when I bit some of the cheese and then had a sip of wine, it became even more bitter. 

5. My observations are very similar to what I observed after letting it sit for two hours. The wine is softer and fruity. The bitterness of the wine has gone down, and it is not so harsh. Although some people like when the wine is freshly opened or preserved in a way that oxygen cannot get into the wine, I enjoy it more with it is oxygenated. 

6. I had this wine with General Tso's chicken from Owens dining hall. I think this chicken matches up pretty well with this wine. It doesn't make the wine any biter than what it is but balances it out with the sweetness from the chicken and the tanginess of the chicken. I also tried this wine with kale and vegetable potstickers. It was not a good pairing. The taste of kale and the wine clashed. I could not take another bite of this pairing. Lastly, I also tried this wine with Italian dry salami. I thought the salami with the wine was really good. The sweetness of the salami balanced out the bitterness just as the cheese did. 

Wine Blog #8 - Caposaldo Pinot Grigio

The Caposaldo Pinot Grigio was $14.95. This wine has a vintage of 2023. This wine originated in Veneto and Friuli, Northern Italy. The Caposaldo is a Pinot Grigio a versatile white wine. 

This wine had good reviews. Many reviews said that it is a great price and is the perfect balance of everything. Many reviews were four stars or higher out of five stars. I did not find any negative reviews about this wine. 

I was a fan of this wine. This wine was super crisp and had a hint of apples and peaches. It was super light and clean taste. This wine was not too sweet. It was pretty water but not too watery. It had the perfect lightness and dryness to it. I did not have food with this wine. I would love to try food with this wine next time. 

Wine Blog #7 - Kinsen Plum Wine

The Kinsen Plum wine is $10.49. I was unable to find the vintage of this wine. The Kinsen Plum wine is made from Japanese plums (ume). This wine originated in Japan and is a Takara Sake rendition. 

This wine has many good reviews. Many reviewers loved how sweet this wine was. Many reviews say they tried it with sushi and loved it. However, very few reviews talked about how they did not like how sweet it was. 

I personally loved this wine. It is a very refreshing and smooth wine. The aftertaste was very crisp and sweet. Although I enjoyed this wine I don't think I would be able to drink a lot of it in one sitting and I would need food to balance the sweetness. I did not have food with it, however I would love to try it with food. 

Wine Blog #6- [yellow tail] Chardonnay

 

The [ yellow tail ] Chardonnay was $5.92. This wine has a vintage og 2024. This wine originated in Southern Eastern Australia by the Casella family winery in Yenda. This wine is one of the most recognized in the world. This wine is a Chardonnay varietal wine.

This wine does not have terrible reviews but it does not get rated super high in stars by many. The average rating out of 5 stars seems to be 3 stars. Many say it is a simple bottle with a sweet taste. THey say it is good, but nothing special. As this wine is not very pricey, only being $5.92, the quality is not very high. 

I am a fan of this wine. There are tastes of melon, peach, and a very light taste of vanilla. There is also some oakyness to this wine. This wine is very smooth with no legs. It is not too strong but it is not too watery. For the price I think it is very good. I did not have food with this wine but I would love to try it.

Wine Tasting #5- Josh Pinot Grigio

 

The Josh Pinot Grigio was $15.99. This wine has a vintage year of 2023. This wine is made in California, United States using vineyards in California regions including Mendocino and Paso Robles. This wine is a Pinot Grigio.

Many people enjoyed this wine. They say it is "refreshing and light" ; one review described this wine as "a breath of fresh air in the wine world!". I wasn't able to find many negative reviews on this wine. However, the few I found said that it has "no character, not much varietal flavor, low acidity, a little more flavorful than water". 

I personally really enjoyed this wine. It was very light and crisp. Has a bit of a citrusy and sweet flavor to it. I tasted hints of apple and pear. It was not too strong and not too overbearing. This wine did not have any legs when swirled. This is definitely a wine that I would repurchase and would love to try with food.

Wine Blog #4 - Taylor Port Black

 

 

The Taylor Port Black wine was $11.99. The wine vintage year is 2022. This wine originated in Portugal but now is made in the US. This wine has a blend of grapes from a region named Duoro in Portugal. 

I found a mix of different reviews however majority of the reviews I found were positive. Some compared it to grape juice with a kick. Many say it reminded them of a dessert. I found a few reviews saying they thought it was "probably one of the worst, grape-tasting, acidic flavored beverages I've ever had. Simply awful." 

I was not the biggest fan of this wine however, I did not hate it. This wine had a lot of legs. The smell was very oaky with a strong smell of grapes and cherries. As soon as I drank it I got a very hot sense in my mouth because it was very strong. It reminded me of a big of cough syrup as it was sweet and very syrupy. The wine was very smooth and super-rich. I did not have food with this wine. However, I would purchase it again to try it with something else.

Wine Blog #3

 The Menage a Trois Exotic Blend wine was $9.99. The vintage year is 2022. It is from California, US. The varietal is a mix of white wines such as Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Moscato. 

This wine has many mixed reviews. Some say it is "not too sweet, not sour or tannic. Smooth" "Delightful fruity flavor". While others say it is very dry and just super acidic. 

I personally was not a fan of this wine at all. This wine had a few legs, This wine has a very fruity scent with a super bitter taste. It tasted like a combo of fruits that should not be mixed together. The wine was very light and watery. As soon as I drank this wine I wanted to spit it out. I did not have this wine with anything and I do not plan on trying this wine again with anything.