Aainy's Wine Blog

Name:  Dona Sol Variety: Shiraz, Petite Syrah, & Symphony Region: California   Country: USA Year:  Price:  $6.95  Vintage Cellar Review: "Shiraz has a unique jammy fruit character that is well represented in the Sweet Red. Both on the nose and on the palate, jammy fruit, like strawberries, cherry pie and red licorice, entices the senses and pair well with cheeses and desserts." Personal Review:  So I tasted this on a day that I tried four other wines and this was my favorite! It is full bodied as it is made from 3 different grapes. Amazing scent and even better sweet and savory flavor. Until I try more red wines, this shall be favorite! Cheers! Aainy

Name: Avery Quinn Variety: Zinfandel Region: Santa Rosa Country: California Year:  2013 Price:  $6.95 !!!! Vintage Cellar Review: "Lightly spicy aromas and rich, soothing fruit flavors make this an attractive, lovable and classically proportioned wine. Cherry and raspberry flavors rest on a lightly tannic but smooth texture, and linger on the finish." Personal Review:  So I tasted this on a day that I tried four other wines and this was my second favorite! It wasn't too sweet or too spicy/bitter. It balances both flavors well and still manages to maintain its full body as found in similar red wines. Lastly, this is perfect food wine. I bought a bottle of this and am excited to pair this with meals. Cheers! Aainy

Name:  Finca del Castillo Variety:  Tempranillo Region:  La Mancha Country:  Spain Year:  2015 Price:  $4.95 !!!! Vintage Cellar Review: " Vivid ruby. Spice-accented red and dark berry aromas show good clarity and a hint of fresh rose. Juicy and seamless on the palate, offering lively currant and bitter cherry flavors that become sweeter with air. Clings with good tenacity on the energetic finish, which repeats the floral note and shows no tannins . " Personal Review:  It was interesting to learn that this is made from the "great red grape of Spain". This is a perfect sweet yet savory wine. It also has a beautiful red color and amazing floral aroma. While the cellar review claims a bitter cherry flavor, I tasted more of the sweet flavors off the bat. As I have mentioned in previous blogs I do not like very sweet wine. This wine however is perfect as it is not as intense on the pallet. Cheers! Aainy

Name: Pieter Cruythoff Variety: Chenin Blanc Region: Swartland Country: South Africa Year:  2015 Price:  $4.95 !!!! (Frontline $9.00) Vintage Cellar Review: "A wonderful nose of bananas, oranges and melons jumps from the glass of this 100% Chenin Blanc, which is finished with a screw cap. Another great value from South Africa, this wine is medium-bodied, fresh, lively, and a terrific dry white to drink over the next year." Personal Review:  This wine had a very strong fruity aroma. I could specifically taste the melons in this one. While I liked the body of this wine, personally it was too sweet for my tastes. I would recommend this to any of my friends reading this who are looking for a sweet and dry wine to sip on! Cheers! Aainy

Name: El Cortijillo Variety: Verdejo Region: La Mancha Country: Spain Year: 2015 Price: $4.95 !!!! Vintage Cellar Review: "Golden straw color. Bright, attractive, tropical aromas of creme brulee and fruit tart with a silky, bright, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and a smooth, intriguing, snappy lime and apple finish with crunchy, fruit tannins and light oak. A super smooth and pure white sipper." Personal Review:  This wine is definitely sweet, I smelled that intense sweet flavor before I even tried it. It was also very smooth and I could see myself casually sipping this. While I personally do not like very sweet wines, I found that the sweet flavor was balanced with a little zest from hints of lime and tart flavors. Cheers! Aainy

Hey guys! I am very new to blogging and wine! I am doing this for credit for my wine class, but I look forward to writing about all the interesting things I learn and taste  throughout the semester. For those of you that know me, I am very newly 21 and wine is not something I have been very exposed to before. I currently work at a restaurant part time where I had to learn proper bottle service and a little general information about wines as they are large part of our menu. Other than this, my wine experience has been limited to what my friends bring around on our nights wine nights and wines I have tried over the holidays. I personally don't enjoy wines that are very sweet with the exception of Riesling.  Additionally, I can always go for a glass of Pinot Grigio if I am casually sipping. I am looking forward to expanding my wine knowledge and pallet as the semester progresses and figure out more of what I like and do not like. That is all for now. I have to get to tastin...