Tasting - Cortenova Primativo

Name: Cortenova Primativo

Variety: 100% Zinfandel
Region: Puglia 
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: Regular $10; Sale $6.95

Shop Review: "Dark, ruby-red color with violet highlights. Intense and fragrant bouquet with a rich array of red and black fruit aromas and flavors. Harmonious and velvety on the palate. Great balance and structure."
-Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg 

My Review: This wine had a spicy nose, maybe with some chocolate-cherry; something smokey. It was a dry wine; no berry like I've gotten on many other reds, but possibly detecting wood notes. 

Tasted without food. 

Tasting - Petrucco Ribolla Gialla

Name: Petrucco Ribolla Gialla 
Variety: 100% Ribolla Gialla
Region: Friuii  
Country: Italy
Year: 2009
Price: Regular $21; Sale $7.95

Shop Review: "This well=priced Friulano would pair nicely with spicy Indian or Thai food thanks to the creaminess and richness of its mouthfeel. In addition, the wine offers a solid bouquet of peach and melon that would not compete with fragrant ingredients. 100% Ribolla Gialla"
-Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg 

My Review: This wine had a sharp alcoholic smell; not too pleasant. It even has a stronger taste. I had a difficutl time detecting flavors and aromas because of a strong cold but I was told there were hints of vanilla. 

Tasted without food. 

Tasting - Le Jade Sauvignon

Name: Le Jade Sauvignon
Variety: 100% Sauvignon
Region: Languedoc 
Country: France 
Year: 2013
Price: Regular $10; Sale $5.95

Shop Review: "Silvery straw color. Lively aromas and flavors of pineapple, yellow apple, melon, and Meyer lemon with a silky, bright, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a tingling, complex, medium-long finish with notes of lemongrass, pear, and lemon with no tannins and no oak Bright and crisp with layers of juicy pineapple, pear, lemongrass and ripe melon make this perfect for repeated sipping or enhancing fresh farm to table cookery."
-Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg 

My Review: The nose was more grassy than fruity, upon first impression. Even with a cold, I could tell this wine had a strong smell. The wine was full-bodied, and did get hints of pineapple. Again, with a cold, bit difficult to determine specific aromas. 

Tasted without food. 

Tasting - Resonata Nero d'Avola

Name: Resonata Nero D'Avola
Variety: 100% Nero D'Avola
Region: Sicily 
Country: Italy
Year: 2013
Price: Regular $14; Sale $6.95

Shop Review: "The grapes are soft pressed and the juice is placed in stainless steel along with the skins for a maceration of 8 to 10 days with daily pumping over of the juice to extract more color and sweet tannins. Dense ruby red with violet reflections. Lush and ripe bouquet full of mulberries, blackberries and spice. Harmonious and well balanced with good berry fruit in a spicy background. Excellent with lamb, grilled and barbecued meats, dishes with olives or capers and seasoned cheeses."
-Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg 

My Review: I tend to find some reds very strong and bitter, but this wine had a more mild red taste. It had an acidic smell, and was quite smokey and dry when tasted. There was a wood element to it, but I wasn't sure how to pinpoint that flavor exactly. Best guess: cedar? 

Tasted without food. 

Tasting - Canyon Road Pinot Noir

Name: Canyon Road Pinot Noir
Variety: 100% Pinot Noir
Region: California 
Country: United States
Year: 2013
Price: Regular $12; Sale $6.95

Shop Review: "Rich fruit forward cherry flavors, soft tannins, a medium body and a smooth velvety finish. Pairs well with creamy soups, salmon, and savory pork dishes."
-Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg 

My Review: I had trouble narrowing down the flavors in this red. The smell was very multi-layered with lots to detect; definitely very earthy. Slightly dry taste with strong cherry notes. 

Tasted without food. 

Tasting - Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc

Variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Region: Marlborough

Country: New Zealand

Year: 2013

Price: $6.75/glass

Restaurant Review: Aromas of passionfruit, grassiness, gooseberries, and green melons jump out of the glass. The palate is lighter-bodied, crisp and crunchy, with succulent tropical flavors, licks of chopped herbs, and a refreshing cirtusy acidity. 

-Lefty's, Blacksburg 

My Review: This wine was my first "real" wine (not Barefoot) that I bought and paired with food all on my own! It might have had something to do with the fact that I was out to dinner right after wine class, where we had just talked about sauvignon blanc...and after I saw this wine on the menu right after I had spotted the Tilapia special, I thought I'd give it a go! The nose was slightly acidic, barely reminiscent of fruit, but not overwhelmingly sweet. The taste was very clean, a little more sweet than the smell, but true to the above description: slightly fruity with an acidic and tangy end note. Overall very good.

I did taste this wine with food. After we had discussed that these kinds of wines typically go well with seafood, I couldn't pass up the tilapia special with mango salsa, wild rice, and roasted brussell sprouts. I would say that the wine was slightly more sweet when drinking it with the food. Otherwise, the mango salsa brought out the fruit notes in the wine a bit more than drinking it without.  

Tasting - Maipe Torrontes

Name: Maipe Torrontes
Variety: 100% Torrontes
Region: Mendoza 
Country: Argentina
Year: 2013
Price: $7.95

Shop Review: Spring-like nose of fresh white peaches, pears, green apple, green melon, and hints of jasmine and rose petals. On the palate, it has a beautiful structure and acidity along with fruit flavors and plenty of body. Well balanced, this wine displays a pleasant freshness with citrus notes and a long finish. 
-Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg 

My Review: This white definitely lived up to its description. The initial smell was undoubtedly citrus; I guessed some pear and pineapple. Its taste was light, fruity, with a stronger palate than other whites I've tried thus far. This is a wine that I could see going very well with food, as it's not overpowering. 

Tasted without food. 

Tasting - Hugl Grüner Veltliner

Name: Hugl Grüner Veltliner
Variety: 100% Green Veltliner
Region: Niederösterreich 
Country: Austria
Year: 2013
Price: Regular $14; Sale $7.95

Shop Review: "A fresh scent of green pears greets the nose. What follows comes in a light, crisp citrus vein, supported by a rounded mouthfeel. A refreshing wine for immediate drinking." 
-Vintage Cellar, Blacksburg 

My Review: This wine had a strong, fruity smell, one that hit the back of my throat (the only way I could think to describe it). It was sweet tasting with some floral after notes. I felt it was really only one flavor when drinking it (no front/mid/back palate). I wrote it was a warm wine, maybe referring to the same sensation as the review describing the wine as "rounded mouthfeel". 

Tasted without food.