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Tasting - Cantina di Casteggio

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Name: Cantina di Casteggio Variety: Blended (80% Croatina & 20% Uva Rara) Year: Unknown Region: Lombardy Country: Italy Price: Regularly $10, On sale for $7.95 Shop Review: SANGUE DI GIUDA (Judah's blood) name of the wine because of it's deep ruby red color, with purple hues just like blood! The Judah's part of the story is a bit trickier... part local folklore – (i.e. legend) goes something like this: After Judah’s betrayal and hanging, Jesus forgave him and allowed Judah to come back on earth, specifically in the area of Oltrepo’ by the town of Broni. When the local farmers recognized him, they wanted to kill him, but they spared him when he helped to heal their vines that had been affected by a disease. In return, they named the grape after him. Another explanation is that this wine is a "traitor" because it is so delicious that you can get tempted without much effort. Regardless of what you like to believe, this wine is just incredibly delicious! ...
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Tasting - Castle Rock

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Name: Castle Rock Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon Region: Columbia Valley Country: Washington USA Year: 2012 Price: $8.95 Shop Critic: 85- Wine Enthusiast  This wine offers aromas of herbs, black cherry and spice, showing a bit of heat. The dark-fruit flavors have good intensity, with dry, astringent tannins backing them up Personal Review: I personally didn't like this wine. I found it to be too dry. It had an overwhelming spice to it, it felt like a punch to my face. This was disappointing because I really did like the smell, I picked up hints of cherry and spice-- I just didn't expect the taste from the smell.  Cheers, Aainy
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Tasting - Baron de Lajoyosa

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Name: Baron de Lajoyosa Variety: Blended (50% Grenache, 30% Tempranillo, 10% Carinena, 10% Cabernet) Year: 2015 Region: Carinena Country: Spain Price: $9.95 Shop Review: #8 World Wine Writers Best Wines in the World It is a wine of beautiful appearance, color dress mature and well covered with light shades of cherry development. Its primary aromas of ripe red berry fruits. The palate expands exceptionally ripe and round: warm and fleshy, long, proud finish. Personal Review: Considering this varietal is only about 10% Cabernet, it really reminded me of a Spanish Cabernet in terms of it flavor and smell. It was incredibly robust and full bodied, but it had a nice balance with slight tastes of fruit. I would like to have paired this some type of meat dish.  Cheers, Aainy 
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Tasting - Rubus

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Name: Rubus Variety:   Colombard & Ugni Blanc & Gros Manseng Region: Southwest France Year: unknown Country:   France Price: $7.95 Shop Review: "Fresh, clean and lively with intense exotic fruit aromas. Crisp, clean and zesty in the mouth, it offers delicate flavors of citrus fruit and grapefruit, and a long lingering finish" Personal Review: In my personal opinion, I thought this had a lot of similar flavors with the Protocolo varietal that I had tried earlier in the day. What I did like about this one more than the other was that this wine left a stronger fruity flavor and wasn't as dry as the Protocolo. I would recommend  this to any friends reading this. Cheers! Aainy 
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Tasting - Protocolo Blanco

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Name: Portocolo Variety: Blended (50% Airen, 50% Macabeo) Region: Tierra de la Castilla Country: Spain Year: 2015 Price: $6.95 Shop Review: Robert Parker The 2015 Protocolo Blanco is a blend of 50% Airen (the most commonly planted white grape in the world) and 50% Macabeo, also known as Viura. It is crisp, light, with hints of grapefruit and white currant. It is relatively dry, clean, and just about everything one would expect of a wine at this price point, only better. Personal Review: I liked this wine. I found it to be light and very drinkable. I liked that it was dry yet still had hints of fruity flavors. I would recommend and definitely drink again. Cheers! Aainy
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Brewery Visit - Bold Rock

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Group Picture Hey readers! My friend Molly and I This past weekend my friends and I visited Bold Rock in Nellysford, VA which is in Nelson County about 45 minutes from my hometown of Lynchburg, VA for my birthday. I couldn't think of better way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon and my 22nd birthday than by sipping yummy cider with some of my best friends! Flight Menu! This Nelson County Cider Barn opened in August 2014 and has the nickname of the ‘Chapel of Apple.’ This beautiful, rustic barn has a very warm and welcoming feel. The inside had plenty of seating area and flat-screen TVs. They also had a really nice patio area that offers views of the Rockfish Valley. The Bold Rock Cider Barn offers complimentary daily tastings, tours, flights, and food. We started off with a tasting.  We tasted Bold Rock's premium dry cider, their IPA (India Pressed Apple), Virginia Apple, Virginia Draft, Pear Cider, and Carolina Apple. The worker that led our tasting w...
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Tasting - Cantina di Casteggio Moscato

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Name: Cantina di Casteggio Variety: Moscato Year: N/A Price: $10 -- $7.95 Region: Lombardy, Italy Store Review: "This fun dessert wine has delicate aromas of citrus, tropical fruit and fragrant white flower. The bright foaming palate offers juicy yellow peach, candied nectarine zest and a hint of rose. It's sweet, but it also has enough fresh acidity to stop it from being cloying. Perfect for the afternoon, weekend, or any other time." Personal Review:  As someone who doesn't like overly sweet wines, I actually really enjoyed this one. The fruity smells balanced well with the sweet but acidic flavor. It really reminded me of a Riesling. I've been thinking about it since I tasted it -- going to treat myself and go back this week and hopefully buy a bottle if there is any left.
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