Tasting - 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Red

Name of Wine: 19 Crimes - Snoop Cali Red
Variety of Grape: Petite Sirah
Country of Origin: United States
Region of Origin: California
Vintage Year: 2020
Price: $13
Shop/Winery/Critic Review: “Snoop Dogg 19 Crimes Cali Red tastes like a nicely balanced red blend, with notes of black cherry, vanilla and candied raspberry. I found the taste to include 2 flavors that occurred in succession. First, black cherry with a slight hint of vanilla. Second, a transition to a lighter, candied raspberry. This one two punch occurred very consistently and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A simple complexity, if there is such a thing!” Jon Rogers, Dec. 2022
References of specific flavors/aromas/grape characteristics: This cali red blend with Petite Sirah grapes has flavors of sugar plum, blueberry, dark chocolate, black pepper, and black tea. While tasting, I definitely got the dark chocolate, and smoky black pepper flavors. I think I also got hints of blueberry, but also tart raspberry notes. I have never tasted sugar plum or black tea by themselves so I can’t speak on those flavors. (Pg. 147)
My Review: Tasted without food. This red tasted quite smoky. It was dry and tasted very tart at first. The longer it was in my mouth however, the more the soft fruity cherry flavor came out. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this red blend despite its smoky taste.

Tasting - Carys Pinot Gris

Name of Wine: Carys
Variety of Grape: Pinot Gris
Country of Origin: United States
Region of Origin: California/Central Coast
Vintage Year: 2020
Price: $13
Shop/Winery/Critic Review: “A fresh and appealing but at the same time fairly ordinary P-Gris example - smooth apple fruits melding with a little honey and only moderate acidity makes it a very passive experience. Safe & neutral for the palate which can be a good thing, however it also gives it less interest overall.” A Quest for the Grape, Sept. 2022
References of specific flavors/aromas/grape characteristics: Pinot Gris has flavors of white peach, lemon zest, cantaloup, raw almond, and crushed gravel. I definitely got some peach, cantaloup, and a little lemon zest, but I did not quite pick up on the almond and I don’t even know what crushed gravel tastes like, nor did I pick up on anything that resembles it. (Pg. 149)
My Review: Tasted without food. This wine had a good fruity flavor and felt really crisp on the tongue. I drank this chilled and it was very refreshing. You could taste the green apple which I really liked! Would definitely buy it again! 

Allow me to introduce myself...

Hi everyone! My name is Makenna and I’m a senior taking Geography of Wine! I have not had much experience with wine (or at least nice wine), but in the past year or so, whenever I would go to a restaurant, I would order a glass with my dinner. I also grew up seeing my aunt obsess over wine every Thanksgiving get-together. She would go around asking everyone if they wanted red or white and would also plan when to uncork the red wine to let it “aerate”, which to this day I still have no idea what it means. This is what sparked my interest in wine and the motivating factor to why I decided to take this class.

I would say I’m more of a white wine drinker, but I also have tried some red wines I absolutely LOVE. My go-to wine whenever I’m out is Saviougn Blanc, but that's mostly because it’s the only wine I have really been introduced to which makes it the safe option. I have also tried some Moscato in the past, but sometimes that is too sweet for me. I’m looking forward to learning, and being introduced to, more wines from this class so when I do look at a wine menu it's not like I’m reading a different language.

One of my favorite things to do recently is going to wineries with my friend group and getting a flight. I love this because you get to try a bunch of the winery's unique favorites that might not have caught your eye originally. This is actually how I found a red wine that I absolutely fell in love with, which is rare because like I said previously, I’m more of a white wine drinker. In closing, I’m really excited to expand my knowledge of wine and see how that translates into my regular life.

Cheers!

Makenna