Fork and Cork 2014!

I've always wanted to go to fork and cork, but I've never done so until this year. Mostly because I was underage, and then because I was living the struggle life. I'm still living the struggle life but at least now I can spare $20 for a ticket, kind of. Regardless, I'm glad I finally went, my friend Lauren and I visited all but 3 tents doing tastings and that's because they were stopping st 5:30. We got there a bit late, it's in my bones, what can I say?

It was a bit difficult to take notes while doing the tastings because it was such a fast paced environment, but I managed to get a few down. I didn't necessarily get too many pictures though, being that I felt rushed and in the way when taking them.

First I'll start by doing the food and wine pairing. There weren't many food options, The Cellar, Bull and Bones, Gobble Cakes, Sake House, Preston's and Hethwood Market were the only ones. The Cellar and Bull and Bones had somewhat of the same menu, except the cellar had a few Mediterranean options as opposed to pulled pork sandwiches. Gobble Cakes specialized in deserts and sweets and Hethwood Market was only  selling kettle corn so it seemed. I didn't want anything from the Cellar or Bull and Bones, it seemed too heavy and I was looking light. I decided on 2 spring rolls from Sake House and a crab cake over a bed of greens tossed in vinaigrette from Preston's. I paired it with Fincastle's Rose Sangria, simply because that's what was in my glass at the time.

1st off, I enjoyed all items individually as much as I enjoyed them together. I ate the spring rolls first before even thinking about the sangria because I was HUNGRY, but they were good by themselves. Once I got my crab cake and my sangria I demolished them both. It was a nice pairing, nothing extraordinary, however it gave me a nice feel. It was like being at a cookout with my family eating good food. So I liked it. The sangria was pretty light and spritzy from the ginger ale, and the crab cake was also light and a little sweet from the corn. Overall I enjoyed the pairing but I don't necessarily think they are the best compliments for each other, although nice.


On to the wines

1. Hilltop
    Hunter's Moon
    Honey Mead
    Spiced Pumpkin Melomel

I really wanted to try the products at Hilltop because I'd never had a mead before. All in all, they're ok, some were too sweet for my liking, gave me a headache. That being said, this Spiced pumpkin melomel was delicious. It had a bunch of fall flavors, seems like something I'd drink in late September sitting on my porch. It was very sweet, but not as sweet as it smelled. I'm not sure what spices I tasted, but I know they were something along the lines of cinnamon and allspice, maybe even bay leaves.

2. White Rock
     White Mojo
     Pinot Gris
     $13

"Grapefruit notes make this wine a refreshing choice on a sunny afternoon"

I wasn't a fan, initially because they confused me. I thought Pinot Grigio could only be called Pinot Gris if it were from Alsace? After I got past that I didn't care much for the taste. To me it tasted like nail polish remover, however Lauren enjoyed it so I guess it wasn't that bad.



3. White Rock
    Moon Glow
   75% Chardonnel, 25% Traminette
   $14

"Semi-sweet white with hints of white chocolate- great for pairing with food or just sipping"

This wine, I immediately picked up hot wings on the nose. Maybe it's just me, maybe I was just hungry again, but I found it to be a little odd. I guess it smelled more of Tabasco or some sort of hot sauce than an actual piece of chicken.  I didn't get the chocolate at all, however I did like it's balance of sweetness, I could easily see myself sipping this alone, or with food, maybe hot wings.




4. Mountain Rose
    Traminette
 
"Our Traminette creates a mouthwatering delight of floral aromas followed by apricot flavors & a smooth yet crisp, tropical fruit finish which make it perfect with chicken, seafood & cheese dishes. Great for sipping as well! Semi-sweet Wine"

I liked this Traminette a lot. It had hints of rose on the nose and the palate was nice and crisp. The fruity taste make it a good, clean feeling sort of wine. It's not heavy at all, or too thick, it's just right. This is a wine I probably should've had with my crab cake, but I didn't know that at the time, and by the time I got this they were close to ending samples. So I guess I just had to cut my losses. But I do think this would've paired very nicely with the crab cake and greens.

5. Mountain Rose
   Sweet MountainRose

"Niagara-lite with nectarine and rose water!!! Aromas & flavors abound in this foxy & youthful wine. This easy drinking light dessert wine is held in check with a zippy acidity. Sweet Wine"

This wine, was indeed a sweet wine. I liked it, even though I'm not a big fan of sweet wines. Another thing I'm not so much a fan of, that I found in this wine and liked was the presence of a perfume taste on the tongue. It also had a sort of fuel taste and it was kind of foxy. Tasted a lot like green/gold muscadine grapes. I've never had a "foxy" wine before, but I like this one a lot because of its foxiness.

6.Vincent's Vineyard
   Traminette
   $14

"A semi sweet white wine with floral spicy flavor. A cross between a Gewurztraminer & Seyval"

This Traminette I liked even more than the Mountain Rose Traminette. I'm not sure why but it tasted better to me or something, even though I can't point out any real differences. This Traminette did however smell like skunk instead of rose on the nose. One of the others tasting it while I was described it as an "easy drinking wine" and I'd agree with him. This wine is something that you can sit with and possibly kill a whole bottle alone. Not that I do that or anything, I share 1 glass at least....

7. Notaviva
   Cantibile

The nose on this wine had hints of tobacco and spice. A full bodied wine with vegetal characteristics and hints of currants. The wine itself was a bit chewy and slightly tannic, a little hot, but it had potential to be very smooth. Maybe if I invested in a decanter I'd like this wine a lot more.

VC Tastings 4/19/14 pt. 2

Aviva
Vinho Verde
Portugal
$9.95

"Spring flowers and fresh fruit essences are supported with bright acidity in the Vinho Verde from northwest Portugal. Literally meaning "green wine", Vinho Verde translates as "young wine" in its native Portugal.  This wine has a slight petillance, or baby-bubbles, allowing the Loureiro grapes natural freshness to dance across your palate."

BABY BUBBLES! But not too many, it's nice and refreshing. Smells like honeysuckles and pastel colors. Very soft, and floral. I like how lively it feels. I'm not sure if I should attribute that to the acidity or not, but I like it.


Arona
Sauvignon Blanc
New Zealand
$12.95

"Zesty ripe passion fruit and melon make this a true pleasure. Lovers of fruit-forward Sauvignon Blanc will revel in its fresh texture and subtle hint of grassiness."

Finally, I finally found the cat pee. I'm weird, but it made me very excited to be able to pick it out as a descriptor of the nose. It's also kind of earthy and grassy, in a very light way however. I don't care for the taste on my palate, it's tangy with a lot of grassiness. Still, it's a light wine good for a summer day.









Dom Sorin

Rose (Grenache, Syrah)
France
$14.95

"Rich, full tasting wine from the Sorin family, with smoothly ripe red berry fruits. There's an attractive orange zest character that gives piquancy to this great food rose."

According to my notes it smells like bones with faint hints of baby powder. Don't ask, that's just what I picked up. I also have that it taste like perfume. As I said before, I'm not a fan of perfume taste in wine so far. Maybe I haven't found one that does it right, or maybe I have and I didn't recognize it as perfume, but I don't care for the way it's done in this wine.


Chasing Lions
Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
$14.95

"Delivers a rich allure to the dark berry, black licorice, loamy earth, and tobacco-cigar box edges. Tilts toward extracted fruit and tannins, which will appeal to those who like to chew on young wines. Drink now through 2023. I had the pleasure and honor of growing up in a multi-generational farming family. In 1974 at the age of five, I began to follow my grandfather every day in the family farm as he tended to his ranch. Over the years he taught me a lot about farming - but more importantly about life. Then one day in my late teens, he told me it was time to get off the ranch and "go chase lions." I never asked hime what he meant by that, because something inside me already knew. it's been over 20 years now since he passed and I have been chasing lions ever since."

This wine I like, only for the texture. I think I might be one of the people who like to chew on young wines. The nose consist of beets (which I hate) and it's also sort of sweet. I got a spicy feel from this wine while drinking it, it taste a bit like peppers, jalapeno/serrano peppers, and maybe green bell peppers. Also, I was eating this Cantal cheese with this wine and it was phenomenal! I'm not really sure what the effects the cheese had on the wine were, but it was some very nice cheese. It basically melted in your mouth, but was reminiscent of some sort of cheddar. Very smooth cheese, maybe it bought out some of the berries but that's all I could tell in the difference.

Hullabaloo
Zinfandel
$15.95

"Since people always ask us about our interesting labels here is a little bit about Hullabaloo: We chose the classic 19th century strongman icon as we thought it was fitting of the period between 1850 and 1900 (around the same time Zinfandel was planted and began to flourish in California). The strongman was not only an exhibitor of feats of strength but his main purpose was also to showcase his great size, boldness and symmetry-kind of describes old vine Zinfandel doesn't it?"

This wine smells like feet. And pink hair moisturizer. I know most of you may not know what that smells like, but it's one of those smells that you like initially, but nauseates you after a minute of smelling it. I don't mind it however in the nose of this wine. It's bearable. It taste earthy and like berries. I'm not sure what kind of berries, but it has that berry taste.

VC Tasting 4/19/14 pt. 1

Las Lilas

Vinho Verde

$9.95

"Good intensity, white fruits, with floral notes. Elegant and fresh."

This wine, I liked a lot. In my notes I wrote that it smells like YUM, and that’s exactly what it smelled like. It had a very sweet floral nose. Not too thin, but not too heavy, it seems like a good wine for a sunny day. As far as the taste goes, all I have written is that it taste a bit like fruity pebbles, and I like that!

A. Bichot 

Pouilly Fuisse 2012

$21.95

"Beautiful pale yellow colour with golden highlights. A lively, aromatic nose with predominant notes of white fruit and spices is underpinned by a subtle touch of oak and vanilla. Mineral on the palate with a good balance between acidity and roundness. Lovely length." 

This wine isn’t something I’d choose first. The nose is soft, yet very pungent in my opinion. I don’t have much to say about the taste but it didn’t necessarily rub me well. Pale yellow in color with a mineral palate, its body was nice, but other than that I don’t like.

Crater Rim 

Riesling 

Kabinett 2012

$18.95

"From a single, low cropping vineyard in the Waipara valley. THis has produced an approachable wine with complex citrus, spice and apple characters. Aromas of braeburn apples, citrus and spice with a hint of rose water are immediately apparent. On the palate the ripe citrus attack combines with a thread of mineral acidity. THis blanaced by residual sewetness to create a refreshing off-dry wine."

I finally found that diesel taste in Riesling. And I really REALLY like it! All up in my mouth, like I just put a gas nozzle in it and spent $0.15 for something exquisite. JK, but I didn’t really see what was meant before about Rieslings having a diesel like taste, but this wine lays it out for me. It’s sweet, kind of stony, but very nice. I like it a lot.

Casarena 

Sinergy Reserva 

2011

$20.95

"Juicy, spicy and quite suave, with a restrained sweetness and a silky texture to the understated flavors of black fruits, spices and mocha."

This Bordeaux style wine is composed of 4 out of 5 of the varietals grown in Mendoza. I’m a fan. It’s nose is really soft. It’s smooth, silky and all around suave as they have written in the shop description. 

Pali Riviera 2010

Pinot Noir

Sinoma Coast

$18.95

"Intense, with roasted herb, cola, dried berry and wet rock flavors, full bodied and gaining on the finish. Drink now through 2018. Pali Wine Co.'s Riviera represents an excellent value in Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that stood out as a region in 2010. From select vineyard sources, the wine spent 10 months in 30% new French oak before bottling. "The 2010 'Riviera' Pinot is light ruby in color, with a lovely nose of cherry, cranberry, blackberry, Asian spice, and gunpowder. The palate is rich and layered, with powerful flavors of black cherry, blackberry, sassafras, and spice. The finish turns lighter with raspberry flavors lingering overtop of earthy, rustic tannins that will lengthen the time." 

This Sinoma Coast Pinot Noir smells sweet like cherries. That’s mostly what I picked up from the nose.

Taste hot and tannic. I feel a lot of spices coming through, maybe something like nutmeg, allspice and curry. Something warm in color. I like it, taste decent. VC describes it as intense with roasted herb, cola, dried berry and wet rock flavors, but in my palate I taste none of that, maybe the roasted herbs, but mostly I get spices.

Vintage Cellar Tasting 4/17/14

Frascati
Volpetti
Malvasia, Trebbiano
Greco
$7.95
Italy

"Straw yellow in color with a soft, delicate perfume, fruitful flavor, dry and harmonious taste. Perfect with appetizers, soups, fish."

This is a light wine, I'd drink it at a picnic on a spring day. Smells sweet, it's VERY dry to me. Taste kind of like plastic, but I don't think I mind it too much.

Bricco dei Tati
Rose
$7.95
Italy

"Fresh with aromas of strawberries, cherries and rose petals. This is ideal with shellfish, salads, chicken, and with appetizers"

My only notes state that it's sort of sour and that I can really taste the strawberries.

Georges DuBoeuf
Beaujolais Nouveau
$14-->$3.95
France

"Balanced and lightly creamy, offering pretty flavors of plum sauce and raspberry coulis threaded with hints of ground spice. Elegant, with a floral finish. Drink now."

I don't have much to say about this wine either, except that it's earthy. I don't know, but I think that's my go to descriptor for a lot of red wines. There's this sort of musky smell that I can't exactly pinpoint so I automatically go to earthy to describe.

Atlas Cumbres
Cabernet Sauvignon
$15--> $6.95
Argentina

"Intense red color with violet highlights, with clean, fresh and complex aromas of berries, plums, figs and pepper. Strong personality is in perfect balance with a medium body and pleasant tannins. Ideal for: red meats, cheeses and strong sauces."

The nose: mushrooms, horse with some heat. I like it more than I thought I would. The plums and pepper make a nice combo on the palate. The body is lovely and the tannins are pretty sweet too.

Vintage Cellar Tasting 4/3/14

•  Santa Juilia 

              Pinot Grigio

               $8.95

               Argentina

"Light and clean, which compared to other Argentine Pinot Grigios is not something to dismiss. Feels solid and punchy, with orange and mango flavors. Has nice overall clarity and balance, with a citrusy finish."

Light in color, smooth body. Pungent floral scent, a little heat. Taste a little like citrus, like grapefruit and oranges. It is indeed light and clean.

• Gougenheim

             Torrontes

             $9.95

             Argentina

"The 2012 Torrontes comes from Chilecito in La Rioja. It has a light floral nose with touhces of lemon peel and nectarine. The palate is crisp and taut, showing far more vivacity and fruit that the nose implied, finishing with a flourish of apricot and white peach. Drink now."

Nose is green and floral. Taste fruity. That's all I've got, I guess I agreed with the shop descriptor. 

• Santa Julia 

            Malbec

             Sustainable 2012

               $8.95

                 Argentina

"The nose is full of mellow rasberry and cherry, while the palate is fleshy and round, with blackberry and a touch of raisin. Plum, not edgy , and ready to drink, with coffee and mocha notes on the finish"

I don't have anything written about the palate however the nose made an impression on me. Smelled like berries and dirt, I thought beets until I smelled the next wine. Now I'm not sure what I thought that smell was.

• Weinert 

             Carrascal

               2008

                 $13.95

                    Argentina

"Aged for two years in cask, the 2008 Carrascal is a blend of 40%Malbec, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. It has a rustic blackberry, scorged earth and leather-scented bouquet with touches of pressed flowers. The palate is well-balanced with crisp tannins, expressive black tarry fruit and a Bordeaux-like finish. Drink now-2016"

This wine has somewhat of a brownish color, I'm assuming from being aged in cask for two years. I don't know what cask is though so that's just a random assumption. Smells like black olives and dirty beets, and I hate beets. I was a bit skeptical at first whiff but it taste ok. It's kind of thick and a bit leathery (I think that's what that is). I liked it a lot more than I thought I would based off of the nose.

• Bellafina

              Pink Moscato

                 $9.95

                   Italy

"A blend of Moscato and Rabosos grapes it has a pale rose color, notes of red berries (strawberry and rasberry), with the characteristic and fragrant bouquet and palate that is typical of the Moscato grape."

Smells sweet like apricots on the nose. I can taste the rasberry easily, however the strawberry I can't find as well. I'm not even sure if I'm doing this right. It all taste like alcoholic drink to me still. I mean, I can pick out a few descriptors, but I feel like I'm making them up. I guess my palate is still developing, but my descriptions aren't going to be too detail for a while. 

Tastings Up Until Now

I haven't been posting much, but I have a few notes scattered around.

1. Chateau Morrisette
       Orchard Series: Farmhouse Sangria
            Red
This wine I let sit out over night, and drank the next day. Initially I wasn't a fan. On the nose I picked up something like acetic acid and figs, it's pretty pungent too. Not Necessarily a bad thing, but nothing I'd immediately fall in love with. The color is rich and full, with a relatively viscous body.

The taste threw me a bit. It's kind of smokey, a little like bacon. I also taste soy sauce, lemon and cherry. I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of Sangria, for whatever reason I feel like it's cheating, like it's not real wine or something. This sangria is alright, I'm usually a fan of things by Chateau Morissette, however this doesn't do it for me.

2. Shine
      Heinz Eifel
        2012
          Riesling
           Germany
This wine I like! Color is light gold, body is thin. Smells fruity and floral with some heat coming through. Taste sweet, I get the diesel aftertaste, but it's not some front forward. Other taste descriptors I wrote down include: soapy, green, pucker, and hibiscus. The soapy taste and the hibiscus I'm unsure about, that's just the closes I could get to describing what I actually taste. I was skeptical about the diesel taste when it was talked about in class, but I actually like it a bit.





3. Las Rocas
    de San Alejandro
     2012
      Rose
       Calatayud
        Spain

Pinkish red color wine, very thin. Smells tannic, moldy, dusty and like currants. Taste like perfume, I'm not the biggest fan of that. Also taste like cedar and black olives. It's chewy I think. I'm not really sure if I'm using that correctly. But it's pretty harsh and a bit numbing in my mouth. I really don't like this wine.

4. Rex Goliath
      Sauvignon Blanc

Thin, pale yellow in color. I was looking forward to the cat pee, but I didn't find any cat pee. It does taste very much like chlorophyll however, and I can see how this wine could be considered something for the summer. It's light and crisp, and green and tart a bit. Some hints of apricots or something behind everything else. Seems kind of watery, makes my stomach hurt a little. I thought I liked it, but I don't like how it feels.








5. Chateau de Landes
    Bordeaux
    Cuvee Tradition 2010

I didn't write down much for this, only that it taste like nacho cheese and green peppers. It's kind of spicy.











6. Alamos
      Torrontes
        Origin Salta-Argentina
           2012
I LOOOOVE IT! Very floral on the nose, like jasmine and hibiscus or something that hits you in the face in the most pleasant way. Taste nice, also like flowers but not in a perfume-y way. Kind of subtle with the fruits but a bit of peach or apricot (or something like it) backs up the flowers to have a nice refreshing finish.

7. Pinot Evil
     Pinot Noir
       2011
         France
Dark rich plum color. Smells old, and earthy with cherries. Taste like bell pepper or green beans and peach. Feels like satin. I like it, it's smooth and nice. Kind of quaint but still bold.

Wine and I

I was raised in a Muslim family, being told that alcohol was of the devil until I was about 15. Then, I realized that EVERYONE in my family drank behind closed doors with the exception of a few, who actually didn't drink at all. I can't say that I was shocked, it was kind of known I guess. It wasn't even particularly behind closed doors, just not in front of the children, and I guess I was considered a child even though I was grown in my own opinion. However, now, it's a different story, now we all drink, the kids know, but we don't make it taboo. Even my mom will have a glass of wine or a margarita. I'm not so sure what caused the shift, but I don't mind.

My first glass of wine was a flute of Champagne at a wedding in Fort Royal. I, was full hijabi, covered from head to toe, with the exception of my face, my hands and my feet. I don't know, I was feeling rebellious and I was with my sister who drank all the time. I wanted to know the hype, so I had a glass, and another, and maybe 1 or 3 more. I liked it. So much that I later ended up on the dance platform doing the electric slide with no shoes in the company of so many strangers. Unusual behavior for myself at the time. But it was fun, I enjoyed it. I wouldn't have minded another glass ya know. I didn't see so much of the taboo created behind it. However, that perception of alcohol later changed when I got to college. I got drunk for the first time and swore against it for forever after that. That lasted a total of 2 semesters.

Moving on, wine, I didn't think I liked wine until I drank with my older sister. Usually I got something that tasted like rubbing alcohol to me, a little fruity, sometimes just plain ol' tart, but for whatever reason I kept drinking it. My sister drinks red wine and red wine only. After I turned 21 I could finally join the "cool kids club" and drink with my siblings (I'm the baby). So, she gave me a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, and I was in LOVE! It was sooooooo nice. So then I decided I liked wine, and when I got back to school, I'd buy a bottle or something. I did, and I'm not sure what happened, she must have the magic touch or something because the bottle I got was not at all like what she had.

Whatever, I decided I'd experiment and see what I liked, there had to be something like the one I had before. My friends and I decided to kick up the class a bit and lay off of the liquor, although I'm a growing fan of beer. We buy different wines all the time, some we like, some we don't, but we're trying to figure it out. I am at least, I'm just looking for the ones my sister has. Even if it weren't like the wine from my sister, I at least knew there were nice wines out there, and what a nice wine tasted like. I also liked the idea of being able to talk wine talk at dinner maybe, or to be able to order a nice wine. That's why I'm in this class, because I don't know ANYTHING about wine, except for a few names  and Shutter Home or Barefoot, or maybe even Chateau Morissette. Help me. PLEASE! I wanna be fancy.