Andrey's Wine Blog

Wine: Pinot Noir - Barefoot Region: California Country: USA Year: No Vintage Online Review: Smooth, supple and warmly fruity, this is a cherry pie of a wine. Generous red- and black-cherry flavors are wrapped in soft tannins for a rich feel without being heavy. Small amounts of Zinfandel and Barbera were blended in. Source: https://www.barefootwine.com/shop-wines/red-wine/pinot-noir/0282819OS.html Folly:   Page 150. The world’s most popular light-bodied red is loved for its red fruit and spice flavors that are accentuated by a long, smooth, soft-tannin finish. My Review:  I knew that I was going into uncharted territory with this one, and I was right. This wine is dry, light-bodied, and essentially a pseudo-white wine. It is not very sweet and has a tannic cranberry flavor to it. The aroma is overpowered by acidity.

Wine: Riesling - Barefoot Region: California Country: USA Year: No Vintage Online Review: Barefoot Riesling hits all the right fruit-filled notes with perfect pitch. A delicate orange blossom aroma bounces off juicy apple and tangy lemon flavors for a slightly sweet finale. Source: https://drizly.com/wine/white-wine/riesling/barefoot-riesling/p1842 Folly:   Page 121. A late harvest sweet wine that can only be made when grapes naturally freeze in the vineyard. Popular varieties include Riesling, Vidal Blanc, and Cabernet Franc.   My Review:  I did not expect this wine to be this sweet. Learning about Rieslings, I originally thought that it would be dry, and since this wine was made in California and not Germany, I assumed that it would not be sweet. But this is one of the sweetest white wines with medium body that I have encountered. It gives off aromas of apple and some other kind of fruit, and the taste matches the smell. Tannins are almost non-existent. Would definitely recommend! 

Wine: Blackberry Merlot - Arbor Mist Region: New York Country: USA Year: No Vintage Online Review: Get the great taste of wine with a splash of fruit. Arbor Mist is a light varietal wine with the refreshing taste of natural fruit flavors. Arbor Mist Blackberry Merlot is a delicious blend of full-bodied merlot and natural blackberry flavor; two tastes join forces for an unexpected favorite. It is perfect for poolside, picnicking, or relaxing at home with friends and family. This fruity, ready-to-drink beverage contains 160 calories and 0 grams of fat per 8-ounce serving. Best served chilled. Source: https://www.influenster.com/reviews/arbor-mist-blackberry-merlot-fruit-wine Folly:   Page 132. Merlot is a champion in Washington’s soils, producing crisp, lighter-bodied cherry fruit along with floral and minty flavors. My Review:  Berry galore. The blackberry wine not only tastes like it, but it also smells like it, and even feels like a blackberry. I can barely detect any other components

Wine: Pinot Grigio - Barefoot Region: California Country: USA Year: No Vintage Online Review: The nose is soft, but has a little spiciness and a very slight mineral characteristic.  Violets, lime and very soft flint make the bouquet.  The palate is full of citrus flavors and has sufficient acidity to give make it refreshing.  Lemon, lime and apple on the palate make for a non-elegant, but enjoyable wine.  A little bit of the classic Pinot Grigio perfume comes to life on the finish. https://cheapwineratings.com/2009/08/05/barefoot-pinot-grigio/#:~:text=The%20palate%20is%20full%20of,Not%20a%20bad%20wine.  Folly:   Page 149.  Pinot Gris (aka Pinot Grigio) is a pink grape mutation of Pinot Noir that’s most famous for its zesty white wines that range in style from dry to just plain sweet. My Review:  Pinot Grigio, as Folly states, is like Pinot Noir Light. It has the same sort of tannin tangyness to it, but it is less dry and a little less full-bodied. The tastes are that of pear and orange

For wine and cheese pairing, our chosen wines and cheeses are -- Wine: 1. Pinot Noir - Barefoot Semi-sweet and dry at the same time, moderate tannins, acidic, basically an all-around median on body. The taste is that of slightly berry and mushroom. The smell is tangy and acidic, overpowering. 2. Blueberry Fruitscato - Barefoot This smells like blueberry, cherry, and strawberry all got put in a blender. The taste is fruity, and it is strangely harder to make out the individual berries from the taste as a opposed to the smell. It is acidic and semi-sweet, and I suspect the slight dryness will become much more prominent with some of the sweeter cheeses. 3. Moscato - Castello del Poggio This wine gave off scents of peach and pear. It is slightly carbonated, and tastes like peach and pear, very consistent with the smell. It is moderately acidic, semi-sweet, and very light-bodied.      Wine's paired and cut up cheese. Cheese: A. Vermont Creamery Goat Cheese B. Murrays Cheese Buttermilk B

Wine: 1. Sauvignon Blanc - Barefoot This wine advertises as very dry, but I disagree. The initial smell was that of pear and a bit of citrus, and the taste is similar to that of Chardonnay - slightly buttery and fruity, acidic, but the carbonation overpowers a lot of the taste. 2. Concord - Mogen David Thick, viscous, very berry. Both the smell and the taste are overwhelmingly berry, with blackberry appearing to be the most prominent. This is an extremely sweet wine, and I suspect it will not fit with the meal. 3. Malbec - Barefoot This wine is acidic, and dry. I initially thought that it was also tannic, but I feel like the dry acidity gives that impression more than it actually is. Yes, it is plenty tannic, but I think it is less than it seems. This wine did not seem to have any smell except for slight berry, but I'm starting to think that I'm imagining it because of the color.  The 3 wines used for the dinner. Dinner: The dinner is composed of pork chops seasoned with salt,

Wine: Moscato - Liberty Creek Region: California Country: USA Year: No Vintage Online Review: Liberty Creek Moscato is sweet, crisp, and light-bodied with delicious flavors of peach and citrus. Perfect as a refreshing beverage by itself, it also pairs well with sweet desserts and spicy foods. Source: https://drizly.com/wine/white-wine/moscato/liberty-creek-moscato/p23568 Folly:   Page 254. This highly perfumed grape is used in a variety of styles and sweetness levels. Moscato d’Asti is delicately “frizzante,” Asti Spumante is fully effervescent, and there is also a dried “Passito” style found in Strevi. Look in Asti, Loazzolo, Strevi, My Review:  Throughout my journey of experimenting with different brands of Moscato, which is my favorite grape out of which the good people of California make wine, I have begun to notice slight differences in taste, aroma, and so on. The first thing that I noticed about the Liberty Creek Moscato is how prominent the flavor of peach was compared to a lot

Wine: Stella Rosa - Black Region: Piedmont Country: Italy Year: No Vintage (started brand in 1917) Online Review: Stella Rosa Black is a dark delicious fruity semi sweet tasting wine. It is best chilled and taste great with desserts like red velvet and chocolate cake. You can also infuse fresh fruit with it like strawberries, Raspberries etc.,  it also taste well with spicy and non spicy foods. This wine is Vegan and Gluten Free. It has a total of 16g of sugar and is combined with blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. Source: https://www.influenster.com/reviews/stella-rosa-black-750ml Folly:  Page 128-129. Tempranillo is the backbone of some of the greatest Spanish wines from the Rioja, Ribera del Duoro, Cataluna, and Toro. And it is increasingly making headway into the all-star world line-up as a stand-alone varietal wine. This stuff totally rocks! Tempranillo is Spain’s answer to Cabernet Sauvignon in France and Nebbiolo in the Piedmont of Italy: it is the king of its prospectiv

Wine: Moscato - Bay Bridge Region: California Country: USA Year: No Vintage Online Review: Bay Bridge wines are full of flavor, rich in color and smooth in taste, which makes them delicious and the perfect accompaniment to any meal. This fruit forward, sweet Moscato is bursting with aromas of ripe honeysuckle and a hint of citrus. Enjoy this refreshing wine with a raw vegetable platter or with biscotti for dessert. Source: https://drizly.com/wine/white-wine/moscato/bay-bridge-moscato/p36389#:~:text=Bay%20Bridge%20wines%20are%20full,and%20a%20hint%20of%20citrus.  Folly:  Page 254. This highly perfumed grape is used in a variety of styles and sweetness levels. Moscato d’Asti is delicately “frizzante,” Asti Spumante is fully effervescent, and there is also a dried “Passito” style found in Strevi. Look in Asti, Loazzolo, Strevi, My Review:  After swirling the wine around and getting some legs and dregs moving on the sides of the glass, I smelled the wine and immediately got hit with pear.

Wine: White Zinfandel - Bay Bridge Region: California Country: USA Year: No Vintage Online Review: The wine’s taste was very sweet, as expected.  Given the light appearance of the wine, you may be surprised that the taste is a bit “darker” then might be expected.  This is primarily due to the sweetness of the wine. This wine is light rose in color, almost approaching pink.  In the glass, this wine is not heavy by any means.  No legs here, just a sheeting action on the sides of the glass that quickly dissipates.  Interestingly, after the wine was consumed, you could see a layer of residue on the bottom of the glass.  Source: https://www.honestwinereviews.com/beringer-white-zinfandel Folly:  Page 189. A fruit-forward yet bold red that’s loved for its jammy fruit and smoky, exotic spice notes. Originally from Croatia, Zinfandel is related to Croatia’s #1 red, Plavic Mali. My Review:  A perfect blend of dry and sweet at the same time. The first impression that the wine gives off is a fruit

 Wine: Rich and Buttery Chardonnay - Franzia Region: NV Chardonnay Country: Australia Year: No Vintage Online Review: Chardonnay is arguably the world’s most famous white variety, thanks to its success in France’s Burgundy region as well as throughout much of California. Chardonnay on its own has rather straightforward, pleasant aromas of apple and pear, but when aged (and sometimes fermented) in small oak barrels, the wines take on extra richness as well as notes of toasted almond, vanilla and yeast. Source: https://www.tastings.com/Wine-Review/Franzia-NV-Rich-and-Buttery-Chardonnay-Australia-Australia-10-15-2020.aspx#:~:text=NV%20Rich%20%26%20Buttery%2C%20Chardonnay%2C%20Australia Folly:  Page 96.  One of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from sparkling Blanc de Blancs to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. My Review:  I am personally not a fan of the strong buttery flavor sloshing around in my mouth. I feel the texture of grease, and a c

 Wine: Pink Moscato - Barefoot Region: California Country: USA Year: No Vintage Online Review: This deliciously sweet wine has flavors and aromas of Moscato with additional sweet layers of juicy red fruit. Subtle notes of cherry, raspberry and pomegranate complement its vibrant finish. Pink Moscato is versatile and pairs well with spicy appetizers, Chinese take-out or fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Source: https://drizly.com/wine/pink-moscato/barefoot-pink-moscato/p1837 Folly:  Page 139. A very delicate and lightly sparkling Muscat Blanc from the Asti region in Piedmont, Italy. Moscato d’Asti has one of the lowest alcohol levels of all wines (at around 5.5% ABV), reserving the grape sugars for sweetness in this highly aromatic white wine. My Review:  I was happy to try this wine so shortly after having the Andre Pink Moscato so that I could compare them. The Barefoot Moscato is not carbonated, and thus I felt like it was slightly heavier in body, with a more viscous berry flavor