Penelope's wine blog

The next cheese we tried was Habrison. Yum!! I liked this cheese a lot. It tasted very creamy, which is one of my favorite characteristics of cheese. The cheese had a less strong flavor than most of the other cheeses we tried. I tried the rind of this cheese and yuck! I did not like it at all. We tried this cheese with a chardonnay called Frei Brothers Reserve Chardonnay from Sonoma County (2015). The chardonnay smelled like lemon. I liked this chardonnay a lot, which was a little surprising to me because chardonnay is not usually my wine of choice. I think this wine was very smooth. With the cheese, the wine accentuated the creaminess. We also had garlic bread with this cheese and I did not enjoy it as much. I felt like the garlic flavor toned down the flavor of the cheese, whereas the wine brought out the flavors of the cheese. The wine also tasted more lemon flavored and/or citrusy when trying it with the cheese. I liked that a lot. I liked the cheese with both the bread and wine ...

Name: Messina Hof Angel Late Harvest Riesling Variety:  Riesling Region:  Texas Country:  USA Year:  2008 Price:  $20 W i nery Rev ie w : Classic late-harvest Riesling with opening notes of peach and stone fruit. The sweet but racy palate is home to nectarine and white flowers shot through with a streak of acidity. Not overly generous but a good reflection of the category. Great for after-dinner sipping. May improve with a few years' age but drinking well now. (12/15/09)- 84 My review: When I smelled this wine, I smelled a citrus scent, possibly lemon. I think this wine has a refreshing smell to it. When I tasted this wine, I believe I tasted peaches, and noticed that the wine did not taste very strong, compared to others I have had. This wine was very smooth and refreshing. I liked it a lot. It tasted very light and kind of sweet, even though on the back of the bottle it says it is a semi dry wine. I can taste a little bit of acidity in this wine. I was ...

Name:  Stemmari Nero d'Avola Variety:  Nero d'Avola, Italian Red Region:  Sicilia, Sicily & Sardinia Country: Italy Year:  2013 Price:  $10 Wi nery Rev ie w :   Soft and fruity, this opens with aromas of ripe plum, blackberry and dark cooking spice. The juicy, easygoing palate doles out fleshy black cherry, raspberry jam and a hint of ground pepper accompanied by round, smooth tannins. K.O. (3/1/2016)- 87 My review:  When I smelled this wine, I think I smelled fruity, perhaps plum or cherry. It smelled like a wine I would enjoy. Upon tasting this wine, I tasted spice, and possibly black berries. I also think I could sense some oak or tobacco, but am unsure what type of flavor I am detecting. I like this wine, but it is not my favorite. I am unsure though if that is because the waitress accidentally got cork in our glasses and did not bring it out until the end of our meal so we were unable to try it with our dishes. I was excited to see t...

Name:  Big Six Whiskey Bourbon Barrel Red Wine Blend Variety: Red Blend (I was unable to find online or on the bottle what variety this wine was exactly) Region: King City Country:  California, USA Year:  2015 Price:  $15 Wi nery Rev ie w :   I was unable to find any professional reviews, but I found the following from their website:  CONCENTRATED  .  VANILLA  .  CARAMEL .  FULL-BODIED  California - THE NEWEST WAY TO EXPERIENCE WINE! Bourbon barrel aged for three months, which adds flavors of vanilla, caramel and oak to a mouthful of cherries, blackberries and hints of spice. Not for the faint of heart - This red blend packs in a ton a flavor! My review: When I smelled this wine, I smelled aromas of mushrooms, a little spice, and possibly cherries. I felt like the mushroom smell was stronger than the other two smells though. Upon tasting this wine I realized I had never tried any wine similar to this. I am unsure wha...

Name: Mauro Sebaste Parigi Nebbiolo d Alba Variety: Nebbiolo   Region: Nebbiolo d' Alba, Piedmont Country: Italy Year: 2014 Price: $23 Wi nery Rev ie w :   Here's a young Nebbiolo that boasts floral and berry aromas. The palate delivers ripe strawberry and raspberry with a hint of orange peel. Bright and delicious. Saranty Imports, Pleasure Elite.- K.K. -88 My Review: When I smelled this wine, I could automatically tell that this wine smelled strong. I am unsure if by strong from the scent I thought alcohol content wise or like a strong flavor, but I could tell either way it would be a strong wine. I also detected plum and strawberry aromas. My boyfriend said he thinks he could smell apricot, and after further smelling, I also felt like I could detect an apricot smell. When I tasted it I thought that it was not my favorite. I did not like it enough to drink more than a quarter of a glass. I could detect quite a bit of spiciness, as well as some kind of bitter or sour...

Name: Francis Coppola Zinfandel Variety:  95% Zinfandel, 5% Petite Sirah Region:  Geyserville Country:  California, USA Year:  2015 Price:  $15 Wi nery Rev ie w :   Alluring, easy-drinking Zin with vivid California flavors of fruit and spice, made for everyday enjoyment. Peppery characteristic creates distinctive, complex flavor profile.Sourced from ‘old vines’ in Amador County and cooler vineyards in Paso Robles and Sonoma, our Zinfandel has exceptional depth and complexity. Petite Sirah is blended in to further enhance the luscious strawberry jam, cassis and briar flavors that follow its perfume of dark fruit, sweet spice and toasty vanilla.- 85 My review:  While smelling this wine, I think I smell blackberry and possibly some spice. When tasting the wine I can taste a little spice, as detected from the aroma. I think that the spice may be tobacco flavored. I also think I can taste plum or some kind of fruity taste, possibly strawberry. I like...

Name: DaVinci Chianti Reserva Variety:  Sangiovese Region:  Chianti, Tuscany Country:  Italy Year:  2013 Price:  $24 Winery Rev ie w:   The Chianti Riserva has a distinctly fruity bouquet with dark cherry overtones that are balanced with hints of vanilla and cinnamon. Its flavor reflects the fruit of the bouquet and is supported by balanced tannins. You will notice flavors of concentrated black fruit, plums, and ripe cherry fruit with spicy undertones all balanced by fine soft tannins and a full mineral finish.- 89 My review: I had never tried a Chianti before which is why I chose this wine. Upon smell, I smelled, a smoky scent with either strawberries or cherries. I thought from the smell I would like it. When I tasted it, I thought it tasted a little spicy and had a tiny bit of acidity. I thought the taste could possibly taste like plum. I like this wine a lot. Upon reading the review found online, I was excited to see that the reviewer also got c...